Councillor Kevin Etheridge

A councillor welcomes the decision by Nick Thomas-Symonds to employ auditors to address issues in the Civil Service Pension Scheme while questioning why Capita inherited 90,000 unresolved cases and whether sufficient resources were in place before outsourcing. The letter urges clarity on the possibility of bringing the scheme back in-house and stresses that delays for pension cases are unacceptable.

A councillor questions the transparency of Caerphilly County Council over the costs associated with terminating a private finance initiative school contract. He highlights previous spending figures, including legal and consultancy fees, and expresses frustration after being refused updated cost information by officers despite ongoing threats to local services. He argues the lack of disclosure undermines the role of elected members and scrutiny committees.