Karen Sinclair

Karen Sinclair - Business Manager for the Welsh Assembly.

Karen Sinclair (Labour - Clwyd South) Business Minister. Born in Wrexham in 1952, she worked for 14 years in the Youth Service, 12 years as a contract service manager with Social Services (Adult Learning Disabilities) and is a former Citizens Advice Bureau volunteer and school Governor. She has served as a member of both District and County Councils. An active union member and her interests are Agriculture/Rural Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Health, Social Services and Education. She is a keen horsewoman.

Welsh stand up for seats

THE Welsh Assembly teetered on the brink of what would have been its most embarrassing episode yesterday - a 12-hour debate on the seating arrangements in the assembly.

But the assembly members (AMs) were saved from having the marathon debate by the last-minute intervention of Rhodri Morgan, the first minister, who brokered a deal to cancel the debate.

AMs from all parties were painfully aware that a 12-hour debate on seating arrangements inside the assembly would have battered the already tarnished reputation of the institution within Wales and made it a laughing stock outside the principality.

But they seemed unable to avoid it until Mr Morgan and stepped in and agreed to set up an all-party committee to look into would sit where.

The assembly got itself into the pickle after Labour announced it wanted to change the seating arrangements in the chamber so that all of its members could sit together. Karen Sinclair, the assembly's business minister, scheduled the debate after failing to reach an agreement on seating with opposition parties.

But the debate threatened to spiral out of control when the opposition parties tabled more than 800 amendments to the labour motion.

Labour had the choice of pressing on with the debate or giving in and pulling the debate. Eventually Mr Morgan gave in and agreed to set up the all-party group to look into the issue. For their part, the opposition parties agreed to withdraw a motion to censure Ms Sinclair, for organising the debate.

The Plaid Cymru leader, Leuan Wyn Jones, welcomed the deal as an "outbreak of

Sanity”.

“We have been putting pressure on the government all along to put a stop to this ridiculous charade and I am delighted the pressure seems to have paid off; he said.

The Welsh Tory leader, Nick Bourne, hailed the decision a "victory for common sense”.

Liberal Democrat assembly leader, Michael German, welcomed the decision but said it had tarnished the standing of the institution.

Hamish MacDonell

The Scotsman

16^th July 2003

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