China Watch

NO ACTION ON CHINA TRIP TWO

2006-10-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

South Wales Evening Post - 10 October 2006

Two Swansea councillors will not be punished following a row over a trip to China.The Local Government Ombudsman investigated councillors John Newbury and Gareth Sullivan after complaints.

The pair were reported for not signing the hospitality register for gifts received during the trip to Nantong. Councillor Sullivan was also investigated over claims he brought the council into disrepute by failing to include details of the trip in a written response to Swansea Council.

The Ombudsman ruled that the case should be looked at by the council's standard's committee.

It decided that Councillor Sullivan had not brought the authority into disrepute but that they should have signed the hospitality register.

It ruled that no action should be taken.

Neither councillor was prepared to comment.

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COUNCILLORS FACE PROBE

2006-04-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

South Wales Evening Post - 18 April 2006

Two of Swansea's top councillors could face suspension in a row over a free trip to China.

The pair have been referred to the council's standards committee after a watchdog ruled they brought the office of councillor into disrepute. Councillor Gareth Sullivan and John Newbury will now go before a panel of fellow members.

The pair flew out to Nantong after being invited to a conference last October. Both failed to list the trip on hospitality registers despite logging gifts - deemed a breach of the code of conduct.

They confirmed the case had been referred to the committee but declined to comment.

TOUGH QUESTIONS FOR TWO COUNCILLORS OVER FREEBIE CHINA TRIP

2006-02-21T11:00:00.000-08:00

South Wales Evening Post - 21 February 2006

Two Swansea councillors are being investigated over last year's freebie trip to China. It has now emerged that a second city councillor was on the jaunt with Councillor John Newbury.

The Post has learnt that Councillor Gareth Sullivan (pictured), the cabinet member for economic development, was also on the trip.

Last month the Post asked whether Councillor Newbury, the cabinet member for finance, had gone on the visit to Nantong with officers.

A council spokesman said that no officers had accompanied Councillor Newbury but made no mention of Councillor Sullivan.

It has now emerged that both cabinet members were on the trip which visited the Mega City Development conference in Nantong, and that Councillor Sullivan recently logged gifts from the event on the councillors' hospitality register.

A spokesman for the Lib-Dem, Independent, Conservative coalition had said the trip was a political one and paid for by the Nantong government.A spokesman for Swansea Council said: "This was a civic visit. Councillors Sullivan and Newbury went at the request of the council leader."

It is understood that Labour councillors have reported the matter to the ombudsman.

Plaid Cymru group leader Darren Price said more information was needed on the trip.

He said: "In light of the somewhat patchy information with regards to the Chinese trip I think that it is only right that the leader of the council clarifies who were the official council delegates, how they were chosen and what was the objective of the trip, and whether, if any, public funds were used and how much.

"We also need to know how the trip has benefited the people of Swansea."Surely the purpose of any foreign expedition by councillors is to bring about positive change to the city?

"Councillor Gareth Sullivan said: "I have already written to the ombudsman making it clear that I attended, along with Councillor John Newbury, an official civic visit to China in October 2005. Contrary to the inaccurate claims by Labour, I did not mislead council over the visit.

"Labour asked for details of any visits by members and officers to China in order to develop economic links. They were given full details of all recent visits designed to develop economic links. The civic visit I attended was not designed to develop economic links with China."

A spokesman for the ombudsman said they did not comment on individual cases or investigations.

POLITICAL ROW AT COUNCIL OVER CHINA TRIP

2006-01-25T11:00:00.000-08:00

South Wale Evening Post - 25 January 2006

Another political storm is brewing at Swansea Council over a globe-stretching freebie trip. An investigation has been demanded after claims of a cover-up following a trip to China in October worth thousands of pounds.Labour councillors are calling for action after Councillor John Newbury, the cabinet member for finance, travelled to Nantong, China, for the World Mega City Development conference.

A Swansea Council spokesman confirmed Mr Newbury attended the conference but said that the trip had been paid for by the Nantong Government.

But Labour claim Mr Newbury should have entered the trip on the hospitality register councillors use to keep track of their interests. It is understood gifts from the trip have been logged.

The row follows a question to council in December which asked about economic links between Swansea and China.

The response confirmed a delegation had travelled to China in September but made no reference to Mr Newbury's visit.

A spokesman for the Lib Dem, Independent and Conservative coalition said the trip was political and not economic and therefore not covered by the terms of the question.

He confirmed that Mr Newbury had entered the gifts he received in the hospitality register and that the trip itself was part of official business.

He said: "He was invited as a senior councillor to go on this trip to represent the council."But a Labour group spokesman dismissed the claim the trip was political.

He said Labour found it hard to conceive that the government of Nantong would invite the cabinet member for finance and pay for a 12,000 mile round trip for no reason.

Labour councillors are now calling for an investigation into the reasons for the trip and why it has not been entered in the hospitality register.

A spokesman for Swansea Council said: "The cabinet member for finance has attended a conference in Nantong at the invitation of the Nantong Government.

"All fares and expenses were paid for by the Nantong government."

Members Questions

2005-12-15T23:00:00.000-08:00

Extract from Council Agenda – 15 December 2005
Members Questions

6. Councillors G. Evans, D.Phillips, J. Burtonshaw, J. Davies, H. Hedges, E. Kirchner, J. Miles, R.J. Lloyd, C. Thomas, M. Child, and R. Stewart

Can the appropriate cabinet member(s) report on any involvement of Members and officers in developing local economic links with China?

Response of the Economic and Strategic Development Cabinet Member
The Council has a relationship with Nantong dating back to 1987. This has included trade delegations in September 2003, November 2004 and September 2005. The delegations included members and officers from this administration and from the previous administration.

At the most recent event, in September 2005, a trade delegation of two officers and seven businesses from Swansea visited Nantong for pre-arranged meetings with local businesses. A report has been prepared on the outcome of the delegation and a copy is available in the members’ library.

All international economic links will be kept under review and will be considered in the context of the Economic Regeneration Strategy for Swansea, which will be reported to Council in the New Year.

2nd Mega Cities Development Conference - Nantong, China

2005-10-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

2nd High Level Forum of the World Mega Cities Development in Nantong, China - 22-26 October 2005

Saturday 22 Oct - Official opening ceremony of the Mega Cities Conference attended by nearly 1000 dignitaries and guests.

Followed by official opening of the 2005 Aero Sports Event. All delegates to be seated on a huge outdoor platform, along with nearly 300 guests in front of nearly 50,000 Chinese spectators.

Saturday night - banquet hosted by the Mayor of Nantong.

Sunday 23 Oct morning - speeches at Nantong City Hall.
Eighteen speakers representing of Tokyo, New York, Pampolona, Montreal, Quebec, Ottowa, Washington D.C., Moscow, Lausanne, Budapest, Rome and a variety of Chinese Municipalities.

Issues to be covered are high tech/manufacturing industries, tourism and the development of the "new" city and urban growth.
Speeches followed by open discussion by all delegates.

Sunday evening - banquet

Monday 24 Oct – visit to a variety of areas in the city of Nantong including tourist sites, new commercial and residential areas, and a number of the different transportation systems used in the city.

Tuesday-Wednesday - Vehicle and driver/interpreter provided for visit to Nanjing City, the provincial capital of Jiangsu Province and then to Suzhou for a two-day tour.

Thursday 27 Oct – Depart via Shanghai