Politicians demand new probe into Gething donations

Vaughan Gething accepted £200,000 from Dauson Environmental Group

Vaughan Gething is facing calls for an independent investigation into his decision to take £200,000 from a controversial waste company.

Opposition leaders in the Senedd have raised concerns over a loan of £400,000 from the Welsh government-owned Development Bank of Wales (DBW) to the group.

Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies said the scandal was having a "corrosive effect" on the work of the first minister's government.

The Welsh government said it will reply to a letter from Mr Davies "in the usual manner".

Plaid Cymru have also called for an independent probe, saying the issue strikes "at the heart of government operations".

It comes after a minister said he would not have accepted the campaign donations from Dauson Environmental Group, owned by a man twice prosecuted for environmental offences.

The donation was provided by Dauson Environmental Group to Mr Gething for his successful campaign to become Welsh Labour leader.

DBW said it gave Dauson-subsidiary Neal Soil Suppliers £400,000 in February 2023 for the purchase of a solar farm.

Dauson has said none of the money from DBW contributed to donations made to Mr Gething, who was economy minister at the time.

DBW said it is wholly independent of the Welsh government. Mr Gething was economy minister at the time the loan was granted.

Former first minister Mark Drakeford cleared Mr Gething of breaching the ministerial code - the rules which ministers are required to follow.

The rules are policed by the first minister.

When asked about the donations on Sunday, Mr Gething's rival for the leadership, Economy Minister Jeremy Miles, did not defend the first minister.

"I would not have accepted [the money]," he told BBC Politics Wales, "but those questions are not for me".

In a letter Mr Davies said Mr Miles' comments called Mr Gething's "judgement into serious question".

"It also shows the scandal is having a corrosive effect on government workings, distracting from addressing the Welsh people’s priorities of cutting NHS waiting times, improving standards in Welsh schools and investing in our transport infrastructure."

He said the loan from the Development Bank for Wales "gives rise to a serious conflict of interest" which likely breaches the ministerial code.

The Welsh Tory Senedd leader said an "independent investigation must be carried out", and called for a "similar inquiry" to that held into Carwyn Jones in 2017.

The code of behaviour for ministers says they must ensure no conflict arises or appears to arise between their public duties and their private interests.

It also says ministers should not accept any gift which might, or might reasonably appear to, compromise their judgement or place them under an improper obligation.

Former First Minister Mark Drakeford cleared Mr Gething of breaching the ministerial code after a previous internal investigation.

BBC Wales has requested that the advice to Mr Drakeford be released under the Freedom of Information Act.

The Welsh government refused the request. BBC Wales has asked for an internal review of that decision.

'Judge and jury'

In a separate letter, Plaid Cymru called for Wales' top civil servant, Andrew Goodall, to hold an "wholly independent external investigation" into whether Mr Gething breached the ministerial code.

Party leader Rhun ap Iorwerth wrote: "It is clear that this matter has now gone beyond donations to Senedd Members. It strikes at the heart of government operations, and the relationship between ministers and private individuals."

He added: "I believe this is a matter of the utmost seriousness and one where it would be totally unacceptable for the first minister to act as judge and jury on his own behaviour."

The Welsh government said in response: "The leader of Plaid Cymru will receive a response to his letter in the usual manner."

Dauson Environmental Group is owned by David John Neal, who was given a suspended sentence of three months in 2013 for illegally dumping waste, and a suspended sentence of 18 weeks in 2017 for not cleaning it up.

Dauson-subsidiary Atlantic Recycling pleaded guilty to a fresh offence in January. The case is yet to be sentenced and a trial of facts will be held later this year.

Atlantic was also recently fined £300,000 for the death of a worker.

A spokesperson for DBW said: "In February 2023, the Development Bank of Wales agreed a loan to Neal Soil Suppliers Ltd for £400,000 which funded the purchase of a solar farm. The loan is on track to repay over five years and is supported by security from the company itself and debentures from other companies in the same group, Dauson Environmental and Atlantic Recycling.

"The Development Bank of Wales provides commercial loans and equity investments to small businesses based in Wales. Lending and investment decisions taken by the Development Bank are wholly independent of the Welsh government."

A spokesperson for Dauson Environmental said: “As a growing Welsh business, Dauson Environmental Group is committed to investing in the operation and development of all our sites, as well as in the Welsh supply chain.

"This includes working with the Development Bank of Wales to support this economic growth.

"We can reassure you that none of the loan received from the Development Bank of Wales was used to contribute to the donations made by Dauson Environmental Group.”