Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:18 pm on 5 November 2019.
Reference has already been made in this Chamber, First Minister, to the outrage that is taking place across north Wales as a result of this £2,000 per day that is being paid to the recovery director at the Betsi Cadwaladr health board. You will know that the Public Accounts Committee has previously reported on senior management pay in the public sector and made clear recommendations about guidance for the appointment of consultants, and indeed senior managers, in the public sector to ensure that there's transparency and accountability.
One thing that I think is absolutely astonishing is that health board members, independent members of this health board, do not appear to have had any role or knowledge about this particular appointment of this particular individual, and indeed other individuals who are also being paid what appear to be eye-watering amounts. Can you tell us whether new guidance will be issued as a result of this situation in north Wales, whether the Welsh Government will intervene to make sure that money is being spent appropriately, and whether the Welsh Government has confidence in the health board's own executive team given that there seems to be so much external capacity that is required in order to support this particular health board? We've got people at that health board, the chief executive, who's paid in excess of £200,000. If he's not competent to do the job, why on earth is he still there?