Meeting documents

1

Councillor P.S.Rogers

Members of the Panel congratulated Councillor Rogers on his forthcoming appointment as High Sheriff of Gwynedd.

2

Recruitment to the post of Managing Director

In introducing discussion on this matter, the Chairman made reference to a request from the Plaid Cymru Group for a special meeting of the Panel to discuss the language requirements for the post. In view of today’s meeting he had declined the request. He had asked the Head of Corporate Services to comment on the issue in his presentation to the Panel.

The Head of Corporate Services outlined steps taken in the light of the adoption by the Council of the Panel’s recommendations at its meeting on 2 March. The vacancy had been widely publicised through regional and national press, specialist journals and a range of web sites including the Council’s own dedicated microsite. One of the journals had assisted by targeting a range of senior executives in England and Wales using a personal bilingual letter from the Leader of the County Council. Actions taken had resulted in the receipt of eighteen applications of which only four indicated any level of ability with the Welsh language.

Referring to the language issue, the Head of Corporate Services strongly refuted the allegations made by the Plaid Cymru Group. He had acted in accordance with the Panel’s wishes, in accordance with Council policy and with the Council’s Welsh Language Scheme, which, he reminded the Panel, envisaged the need, from time to time, to consider and recruit candidates who did not meet the language requirements associated with a particular post.

He reminded the Panel of their firm recommendation to the Council to replace a permanent post with one of a temporary nature. Having regard to both that fact and the attributes required of the successful candidate, the task of securing candidates who both met other aspects of the person specification and were fluent Welsh speakers was particularly challenging. Reference had therefore been included in the person specification addressing potential non-Welsh speaking candidates.

For today’s meeting, however, his only remit was to present to the Panel any applications which indicated some level of knowledge of the Welsh language. Those applications which met that requirement did not, in his assessment, form the basis of a shortlist for this key post within the organisation.

The Head of Corporate Services stated that while he had acted professionally and properly in this matter, he was not prepared to be the cause of further poor publicity for the County Council and preferred, if members of the Panel supported Plaid Cymru’s stance, to step out of the process.

It was noted that a letter had been received from the Welsh Language Board which acknowledged that actions were in accordance with the Council’s Welsh Language Scheme.

A number of members of the Panel expressed concern and felt that attraction and consideration of non-Welsh speaking candidates was not in accordance with their and the Council’s wishes. However, there was general agreement that the Head of Corporate Services should be asked to continue to lead the recruitment exercise.

Copies of the four applications where candidates claimed knowledge / fluency in the Welsh language were circulated on a strictly confidential basis to members of the Panel, without comment, at this stage, by the Head of Corporate Services. It was agreed that the Panel members should give consideration to the applications and the current situation and that the Panel would reconvene to further discuss the applications and next steps in the process.

Resolved

That the Panel would reconvene on Wednesday 26 April 2006 to further consider the recruitment exercise.