HEALTH Minister Edwina Hart has openly criticised Swansea Council's social services department.

The move comes after the Assembly leadership hopeful issued a statement claiming that a child in care had spent the night in a motorway services cafe — a claim strongly rejected by Swansea Council.

In turn, Mrs Hart was accused of "playing politics with the lives of vulnerable children".

Councillor Nick Tregoning said: "The claim is not true. Such an act would be illegal, and it is very surprising indeed that she did not check her facts with Swansea Council before going to the media.

"Mrs Hart is a contender for the job of First Minister. She issued her press release on the eve of the closing date for voting.

"She is playing politics with the lives of vulnerable children. Her decision to go running to the media without first checking the facts with the council is an absolute disgrace.

"These actions must raise serious concerns about her suitability to be First Minister if she considers this to be acceptable behaviour for a person who harbours such high ambitions."

However, Mrs Hart said: "I will not comment about the criticisms of me, save to say that I would never play politics with the treatment of vulnerable children to gain advantage in the leadership contest which is, to all intents and purposes, ended in any case. I find this pretty rich coming from an authority with Swansea's appalling record in Children's Services."

Earlier this year the Assembly announced an intervention board had been brought in to oversee the social services department.

A statement released by Mrs Hart's office said: "Mrs Hart has been told that, on occasions, children who have had to be removed from their homes in an emergency have been forced to spend the night with a social worker in a motorway cafe because there has been no emergency accommodation."

Swansea Council has strongly denied this incident ever took place.

Councillor Tregoning said: "Mrs Hart suggests in her press release that this has happened more than once. I ask her to produce dates, times, locations, and names.

"If she can do that, then these very serious allegations will be investigated. If she can't, then she should apologise to those people whose reputations she has defamed without delay."

However, the minister has hit back. She said: "One of my staff attended a meeting of Ty Cwm & Ty Gwaun staff at their invitation to discuss issues arising from the non-use of the facility. The claims which the council refutes were made at that meeting by members of the authority's staff.

"None of the staff present (17 in all) contradicted or disputed any of these claims. Is Councillor Tregoning saying that his staff are all lying in this matter?

"An email outlining these concerns was sent to him on Tuesday but so far there has been no response so it is untrue to say the authority has not had an opportunity to comment."

Related articles

Row over vulnerable children claims