Minister refuses to be drawn into South Wales fire chief row

Stuart Millington was installed as interim chief officer at South Wales Fire and Rescue Service last week

A Welsh Labour minister has refused to be drawn into a row about south Wales' new interim chief fire officer.

Hannah Blythyn was asked repeatedly at a Senedd committee about the appointment of Stuart Millington, who is facing an employment tribunal.

She declined to say whether she accepted concerns from the Fire Brigades Union.

Mr Millington was appointed by Welsh government commissioners a few weeks ago.

The commissioners themselves, who include former Education Minister Kirsty Williams, were appointed by Ms Blythyn after a damning report said the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service had a culture of sexism and misogyny.

The service had been left without a chief fire officer after Huw Jakeway resigned, and among the commissioners' first tasks was to pick an interim chief.

They chose Stuart Millington, but it since emerged he was subject of a complaint regarding harassment and discrimination from a North Wales Fire and Rescue Service employee.

It is understood that Mr Millington denies the allegations. The Fire Brigades Union has passed a vote of no confidence in the interim chief.

• New chief fire officer facing harassment claims

• No confidence vote against embattled fire chief

• Fire boss steps down after sexual harassment probe

At a meeting of Equality Committee on Monday Ms Blythyn was questioned about the issue by three different Senedd members. Labour's Sarah Murphy asked whether there had been conversations about how they the commissioners would deal with the vote in no confidence.

Without addressing the vote in her answer, Deputy Minister of Social Partnership Ms Blythyn said: "The current chief has left the post now, and there was an operational vacuum that needed to be filled and they therefore went through the process of recruiting an interim chief fire officer.

"They are now keen to move forward with the recruitment that substantive post for chief fire officer."

Plaid Cymru's Sioned Williams asked if Ms Blythyn accepted the concerns of the FBU and whether it "doesn't look good in terms of restoring the workforce and public's confidence in the radical steps that you are putting in place".

Ms Blythyn did not address the question directly. "A decision was needed to be taken on an operational basis for an interim chief officer... it was a decision for our commissioners to take," she said.

She told Ms Williams that the Welsh government officials were told of the appointment of Mr Millington after the announcement was made.

The Liberal Democrats' Jane Dodds later asked whether she accepted there was a lack of confidence.

Ms Blythyn allowed a senior civil servant, Liz Lalley, to respond, who said: "I think it wouldn't be right for me to comment on the levels of competence around him.

"There is, I think, a process that will happen, and there will be a natural justice outcome of that.

"I think it's really important to note that the commissioners are in doing some really good work, to support and to lead the fire and rescue service in South Wales through Mr Millington.

"I think that sort of that impetus for change is really important context in which we look at where Mr Millington is right now and what he's trying to achieve."

The committee hearing, which was looking at the governance of fire and rescue services more broadly, also heard that the Welsh government was not aware of the allegations of unacceptable behaviour made in an ITV report in late 2022.

Dan Stephens, chief fire and rescue adviser, said that cultural aspects of a fire service were not something that was routinely inspected.

"The focus of my inspections - the thematic inspections that are undertaken - are very much in the operational space," he said.

A Plaid Cymru spokesperson said: "If Labour are serious about eradicating any inappropriate behaviour and ensuring accountability in our public services, then they must surely recognise this lapse in judgement by their commissioners, reconsider the appropriateness of the appointment itself, and conduct a full nation-wide review of all fire and rescue services in Wales."