Labour criticises appointment of counsel to North Wales Tribunal into Child Abuse

Labour's health and social services spokesman in Wales yesterday criticised the appointment of the leading counsel to the North Wales Tribunal into Child Abuse. In a letter to the Secretary of State for Wales, William Hague, Rhodri Morgan says that Gerard Elias QC is a prominent freemason and a member of the same Cardiff lodge as Welsh Office Minister Gwilym Jones.

The Welsh Office social services inspectorate is likely to be criticised during the tribunal hearings, and Mr Morgan says: "Any possible critical examination of the role and possible failures of the social services inspectorate of your department may well be perceived to be more difficult, given the fellow freemason links between Mr Elias and Mr Jones."