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Carl Sargeant's family concern at QC inquiry delay Sargeant family lawyers want to 'test' witnesses at QC inquiry
(about 5 hours later)
Lawyers working for the family of the late Carl Sargeant have claimed the Welsh Government is dragging its feet over an inquiry into his death. Lawyers representing the family of the late Carl Sargeant have said they would like to question witnesses face to face during the inquiry into his death.
Mr Sargeant was found dead in November, four days after he was sacked from the cabinet and suspended by Labour. A final decision has yet to be made on how QC Paul Bowen will conduct his inquiry into the first minister's actions in relation to the sacking of the Welsh Government cabinet minister.
First Minister Carwyn Jones said it followed a number of allegations about his conduct towards women. Mr Sargeant was found dead in November, four days after he was dismissed.
The Welsh Government said it was finalising arrangements with QC Paul Bowen, who will lead the inquiry. Hudgell Solicitors said it wanted to "test" witnesses during the inquiry.
However, a statement from the Sargeant family's lawyers said the Welsh Government was "already late" in meeting deadlines to get the work underway. Mr Sargeant was facing a Labour Party inquiry into allegations of "unwanted attention, inappropriate touching or groping" when he died.
Neil Hudgell of Hudgell Solicitors said: "Easter is almost upon us and despite promises from the Welsh Government to respond to the inquiry team's draft protocol - essentially outlining the rules of engagement for the inquiry - they are already two weeks late. Solicitor Neil Hudgell said: "We have a number of witnesses we would like to advance as relevant to the inquiry and I am sure the Welsh Government have too, and I know Paul Bowen will be calling for witnesses to come forward.
"The family are looking for answers about the circumstances that led to Carl's tragic death, and I would hope the Welsh Government would be sensitive to the fact that this is a family still very much in the throes of grief. "At the end of the day we hope to have the opportunity to question those witnesses whether that be in writing or better still in person but that ability to do that has not been scoped yet under the ground rules.
"It just needs to get on with the job." "We would like to test the witnesses on any matters that we feel require testing on."
A spokesman for the Welsh Government's Permanent Secretary Dame Shan Morgan said: "We are finalising the operational protocol with Paul Bowen QC. The lawyers for the family have accused the Welsh Government of dragging its feet over the setting up of the inquiry.
A spokesman for the Welsh Government's most senior civil servant, Permanent Secretary Dame Shan Morgan, said: "We are finalising the operational protocol with Paul Bowen QC.
"This is due to be completed very shortly. The protocol sets out the detailed arrangements for the conduct of the independent investigation.""This is due to be completed very shortly. The protocol sets out the detailed arrangements for the conduct of the independent investigation."
Dame Shan has said the inquiry should take no longer than four months once it gets underway but Mr Hudgell said he expected it to last around six months.
The solicitors say the final terms of reference are: "To conduct an investigation into the first minister's actions and decisions in relation to Carl Sargeant's departure from his post as cabinet secretary for communities and children and thereafter."
Mr Hudgell said they were looking at television interviews Mr Jones took part in a few days after the sacking of Mr Sargeant, when the inquiry had been triggered.
Mr Hudgell said: "We are very closely considering all of the first minister's statements that were made in and around the time of Carl's suspension, sacking, call it what you want, and obviously then his death.
"We are very interested in those statements as part of the overall brief."
An earlier inquiry by Dame Shan into how news of Mr Sargeant's sacking became public found that there had been "no evidence of prior unauthorised sharing of information".An earlier inquiry by Dame Shan into how news of Mr Sargeant's sacking became public found that there had been "no evidence of prior unauthorised sharing of information".
Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies gave his reaction, saying: "Given what the family has been through over the past few months, responding promptly is the very least the Welsh Government can do.
"Carl Sargeant served as a minister for 10 years and it is vitally important that the inquiry puts the wishes of the family first and proceeds as soon as possible."