Welsh Government threatens legal action over leak report debate

The Welsh Government is taking legal action over a Welsh Conservatives motion demanding the release of a report into the investigation of whether there had been leaks prior a cabinet reshuffle which saw Carl Sargeant sacked.   

The report, by Dame Shan Morgan, concluded that there had been no unauthorised release of information.

The government has so far refused to publish the full findings of the inquiry as they say it would reveal the identity of witnesses.

Welsh Conservatives turned to the Government of Wales Act to force the publication of a leak inquiry, but the government responded by service presiding officer Elin Jones with a legal notice claiming she has “acted unlawfully” by accepting the motion.

Presiding officer Elin Jones has since responded saying:

“I have taken advice and carefully considered your arguments. Having done so, I  am not persuaded of the case which you have advanced. As a result, the motion remains scheduled for debate tomorrow.”

Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies:

“This a dangerous and unprecedented challenge to the legitimacy of the National Assembly for Wales, equivalent to the Welsh Government trying to shut the Assembly down.

“There is an important principle at stake here.

“A man has lost his life and it is our duty as politicians to get answers and to make sure that this never happens again.

“Ultimately, if there’s nothing to this report, you have to ask yourself why the First Minister is going to such extraordinary lengths to prevent it from seeing the light of day.

“I cannot imagine this action taking place in any other institution and we should not tolerate it here.”