A POWYS council cabinet member has warned the authority’s deputy leader not to mention her family at council meetings in future.
Councillor Myfanwy Alexander, the cabinet member for education, issued the warning after Conservative group leader Aled Davies apologised for bringing her family members into a discussion on school closures.
Cllr Davies, who is the cabinet member for finance and the deputy leader of the Independent/Conservative controlled council, had made the remarks at the full council on Thursday, March 7. Both councillors represent rural areas of Montgomeryshire where the council has been planning to close two Welsh medium primaries.
Before the item when the future of school provision in the Banwy Valley was discussed by the cabinet, on Tuesday, March 12 Cllr Davies apologised.
He said: “Can I apologise to Cllr Myfanwy?
“I said at the meeting on Thursday that all of your children went to Llanerfyl. Only one went there.
“I was trying to demonstrate your commitment and passion for local education, the importance of the Welsh language and the importance of rural schools.
“I hope you didn’t take offence at that.
“So I apologise unreservedly if I got my information wrong.”
Cllr Alexander replied: “I accept the apology, but I do not expect my family ever again to be raised in Full Council.
“I will put you on warning that if families are discussed, it will not only be mine.”
Cllr Aled Davies is leading the schools reorganisation in the Banwy Valley as education portfolio holder Cllr Alexander has to declare an interest and cannot vote on the issue.
Cllr Alexander is the Independent Group county councillor for the area (Banwy) and a school governor at Llanerfyl.
The cabinet eventually agreed to postpone the decision to close the two Welsh medium primary schools and open a new one on one of the sites.
Education department officers had chosen Dyffryn Banw County Primary School in the village of Llangadfan over nearby Llanerfyl Church in Wales Foundation School following a consultation last autumn.
This is despite Llanerfyl having more pupils.
Information given by Llanerfyl School governors at last week’s full council meeting contributed to a number of councillors questioning the advice given by education officers to choose Dyffryn Banw Primary School site.
They wondered why Dyffryn Banw, which had fewer pupils, was being chosen instead of Llanerfyl.
Since then Dyffryn Banw school governors have countered saying that they would be receiving more pupils next year, debunking the claim that they are the smaller school.
At the cabinet meeting Cllr James Evans (Conservative – Gwernyfed), put forward the motion to defer.