Private Eye - Naughty Boyos

The last edition of Private Eye's Rotten Boroughs column featured the libel indemnity granted to the Chief Executive of Carmarthenshire Council which the appointed auditor has deemed unlawful - see Carmarthenshire Council, local coverage..and back in Private Eye.

This week's edition centres around the pension arrangements relating to the Chief Executives of Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire, also found to be unlawful.

Due to ongoing broadband problems I will have to upload an image of the article later on. So for now here's the text;

Naughty Boyos

Senior council officers in Wales have exploited an apparent loophole through which they can save tax on pension contributions from their employers. 

Bryn Parry-Jones, whose total 'package' as chief exec of Pembrokeshire county council is more than £200,000 a year, seized the chance to drop out of the Local Government Pension Scheme and take the county's annual £30,000+ contribution to his pension pot as a lump sum to be invested as he pleases - saving large amounts of tax following a change to the law in 2011. 

This arrangement was nodded through at a meeting of the council's 'senior staff committee' in September 2011, held in Mr Parry-Jones' office. Public and press were not present. The report recommending the dodge was authorised by the council's director of finance and head of human resources - both potential beneficiaries.. Parry-Jones, so far the only Pembrokeshire officer to have taken advantage of the scheme, was present throughout. Ain't life grand? 

Er, no, not necessarily. The Wales Audit Office (WAO) has refused to sign off Pembrokeshire's accounts pending further investigation. Last month the WAO branded a similar arrangement, whereby Carmarthenshire's chief exec Mark James, got a £16,353 lump sum in lieu of his 2012-13 pension payments. "Unlawful". Oh dear! (Private Eye 16th Oct)

What will happen next in Carmarthenshire regarding the two 'unlawful' payments remains to be seen. (Please see recent posts for more background on the Carmarthenshire situation )

Councillors in Pembrokeshire are, I believe, waiting for a date for an extraordinary meeting to call for the suspension of Mr Parry-Jones whilst the pension matter is investigated. Pembrokeshire councillors Jacob Williams and Mike Stoddart ( Old Grumpy of course) are both excellent sources to follow on the situation there.


As for Carmarthenshire...watch this space.