Vaughan Gething cleared of code breach over £200k donation

Mark Drakeford has decided that Welsh Labour leadership candidate Vaughan Gething has not broken the ministerial code.

It follows a request to investigate by the Welsh Conservatives after the economy minister received £200,000 in donations from Dauson Environmental.

The company is run by a man convicted of environmental offences.

But Mr Drakeford said the code did not govern donations to Senedd members.

The Conservatives are expected to write to Mr Drakeford again after it emerged the same company needs Welsh ministerial approval to build a solar farm on the Gwent Levels.

During First Minister's Questions in the Senedd earlier, the first minister indicated he was open to further investigations.

Responding to a question from Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservative Party in the Senedd, Mr Drakeford said: "If anybody wants any further matters to be investigated they should write to me, they should set out what they think needs to be investigated and it will be done absolutely by the book."

He also suggested that Labour party members, who are currently voting in the leadership contest, were best placed to make a judgement.

Asked by Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorweth whether the donation should be returned, Mr Drakeford talked about the vote instead.

"There are thousands and thousands of people able to take part in that debate, they will make their minds up. That is the way in which this matter is best resolved," he said.

Mr Gething is one of the candidates to become the next leader of Welsh Labour, alongside Jeremy Miles, the education minister.

The £200,000 donation - made in two separate amounts of £100,000 - is for fighting that leadership campaign.

Mr Davies had earlier said that receiving the donations called into question Mr Gething's judgement.

Mr Gething has said the donations were "checked and filed properly".

In his letter, Mr Drakeford said: "The ministerial code does not govern the process for the receipt of donations to Senedd members. These are set and regulated by the Electoral Commission.

"There is an established system in place for the recording and safeguarding of ministers' interests and I would expect donations made during these campaigns to be included in future declarations of interest."

The code is a set of rules that government ministers are expected to follow.

It states: "Ministers must ensure that no conflict arises, or could reasonably be perceived to arise, between their public duties and their private interests, financial or otherwise."

News of the solar farm planning application emerged on Monday.

The BBC has been told Mr Gething was not aware of it before he accepted the donation.

A spokesperson for Mr Gething said he would not be in a position to decide on the application as the rules prevent ministers from deciding on business in their own constituencies.

The proposed site, in the Rumney area of Cardiff, is in Mr Gething's constituency of Cardiff South and Penarth.

If he were to win the leadership contest and become first minister, another minister appointed by him would make that decision.

Mr Neal declined to comment on the donations when approached by the BBC on Monday.