WORKER COULD FACE CHARGE OVER ‘SENEDD DRINKS’:
THE woman who served members of the Senedd with alcohol during the coronavirus hospitality booze ban has received a formal warning she may face prosecution.
The Senedd tea room staff member has been told she will be interviewed under a criminal caution after she served four MSs and an aide in the Senedd’s tea room on December 8, four days after the ban on alcohol in hospitality venues was introduced.
At the time, the Senedd Commission held an investigation which concluded there had been a “possible breach of the regulations” and referred the matter to Cardiff council.
It also referred the matter to the Standards Commissioner to investigate whether the members, Welsh Tories Paul Davies, Nick Ramsay and Darren Millar, and Labour MS Alun Davies, “acted in accordance with their duty in the code of conduct”. As a result of the referral to Cardiff council, the woman who served the four men has now received a letter from Shared Regulatory Services – which has been enforcing coronavirus breaches in Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan and Bridgend – requesting a formal interview under a criminal caution.
The letter says: “This department has received a complaint regarding in connection with potential offences under [coronavirus regulations] namely that the catering premises, Tea Room, Welsh Parliament, carried on the service other than in accordance with the regulations. In addition, food and alcohol was supplied and consumed on the premises.
“I wish to formally interview you in connection with these matters. After discussions with your solicitor I am happy to receive these via written response. I have attached a list of questions. I must advise you that any response to this latter may be subject to criminal proceedings therefore I must caution you.”
It then adds in capital letters: “YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SAY ANYTHING, BUT IT MAY HARM YOUR DEFENCE IF YOU DO NOT MENTION WHEN
QUESTIONED SOMETHING YOU LATER RELY ON IN COURT. ANYTHING YOU DO SAY MAY BE USED IN EVIDENCE.”
At the time the incident was made public, First Minister Mark Drakeford said he was “incredulous” that a lone female bar worker could get the blame.
The catering contract for the Senedd tea rooms is held by Charlton House which employs the woman who served the MSs and holds the alcohol licence.
Speaking at the coronavirus briefing on Friday, January 22, he said he was “very anxious” that the worker was not left “carrying the can”.
Mr Drakeford told reporters: “As I understand it, and the investigation will look into this, here was a single member of staff on duty that evening. I am very anxious that it does not all result in that person carrying the can for what happened that evening. It was a single female member of staff faced with a collection of very senior Senedd members. The idea that the staff member was to blame seems to me to be completely incredulous and I very much hope that does not head in this direction.” The coronavirus legislation at the time banned all hospitality venues from serving alcohol, putting the responsibility on the venue rather than anyone found drinking.
The politicians have refused to answer simple questions about the evening but said they are “profoundly sorry” for their actions. Then Conservative leader Paul Davies, Conservative chief whip Darran Miller and Labour MS Alun Davies drank together. Conservative Nick Ramsay is also thought to have had a drink, although he has said he was not part of the gathering.
At the time pubs, restaurants and cafes were no longer able to serve alcohol to customers in Wales after the Welsh Government’s alcohol ban came into force at 6pm on December 4.
Alun Davies was initially suspended from the Labour Party group, although he was later reinstated. Conservative Paul Davies stood down as leader.
It is understood it is standard procedure for alleged breaches of licensing rules to be investigated by Shared Regulatory Services.
Commenting on the incident, Propel leader Neil McEvoy MS said: “This really is everything that is wrong with our Welsh Parliament at the moment. The powerful can do what they want and know they’ll get away with it. It’s those without power who have to pay the price for their actions. Are we really going to allow a tea room employee to be thrown under the bus for the actions of these politicians?”
When approached by the Echo, Darren Millar and Paul Davies made a joint statement saying: “We are both very disappointed that Cardiff council has decided to take this action, it is grossly unfair to penalise a staff member in this way. We utterly refute any suggestion that we pressured staff into serving us on the evening in question. We have cooperated fully with the authorities and at every stage made clear the staff member was not at fault.”
A Vale of Glamorgan Council spokesman said: “We can confirm that Shared Regulatory Services is currently conducting an investigation into this issue but cannot comment further while this is in progress.”