Conduct Of The Secretary Of State For Wales (No. 6)

EDM number 1210 in 1992-93, proposed by Rhodri Morgan on 20/01/1993.

That this House deplores the failure of the Secretary of State for Wales to administer his Department in a proper manner; notes the summary dismissal in March 1992 of John Bennett from his post in charge of placing of contracts for the extensive Welsh Office Press and publicity machine after warnings and complaints over a period of four years about the way contracts were being placed; notes the failure to make any public announcement about his dismissal from such a sensitive post just a few days before the general election was called by the Prime Minister; is appalled that a cover-up of this vital piece of information, essential to the functioning of a healthy democracy in Wales, has been attempted; and notes that his Department's reaction to the scandal, of diverting the responsibility for placing the contracts for printing and publicity work from Cardiff to the Central Office of Information in London has taken much already scarce employment away from the Welsh print and media industries at a time of acute recession.

This motion has been signed by a total of 20 MPs.