Gareth Wardell

Gareth Lodwig Wardell (born 29 November, 1944) is a British Labour Party politician. He was elected as Member of Parliament for Gower in a 1982 by-election, and held the seat until he stood down at the 1997 general election.

career

Gareth Wardell was born and lives in Carmarthenshire. He was educated at the London School of Economics and Political Science. After holding a number of educational appointments he was elected Member of Parliament for Gower in 1982, a seat he held until his retirement from that position in 1997. In that role, e Chaired the Select Committee on Welsh Affairs for an uninterepted fourteen years. Since 1997, he has held the positions of Head of the Geography Department at Trinity College, Carmarthen; Chaired the Standing Orders Commission for the National Assembly for Wales, a Forestry Commissioner, a Non Executive Director of the Milford Docks Company; and was the Board member for Wales on the Environment Agency. He is currently Chair of the Industry and National Assembly for Wales Association; Chair of the Megan and Trevor Griffiths Trust and is a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Dyfed.

conflicts of interest?

KL considered that GW’s extensive portfolio of interests has areas of potential conflict. In his role as Forestry Commissioner, GW is privy to insider information relating to forestry policy, which could be very helpful to so called ‘green’ energy companies, in particular wind developers. Until August 2004, he was also Chair of the Environment Agency in Wales, a statutory consultee for many major industrial developments. Given GW’s continuing support for wind power stations (he chaired the Parliamentary Welsh Affairs Select Committee on wind in 1994), we feel that he cannot be regarded as objective in matters relating to wind developments on FC land, and that there is a clear conflict of interest. We question whether it is wise to permit Commissioners to hold so many positions, given the heavy responsibility of being a Forestry Commissioner, and suggest that in future Commissioners’ other interests are limited. GW informed us that his FC position terminates after 6 years in March 2006, and that he has resigned as a special adviser to ECO2 – a company developing wind power stations in South Wales (although his name is still on the register of Commissioners’ interests).

Affiliations

• Environment Agency Board Member for Wales, served for 7 years, second term of appointment ended on 7 August 2004.
• Industry and National Assembly for Wales Association, Chair
• 7 April 2006 The Queen has approved the re-appointment of Gareth Wardell as a non-executive Forestry Commissioner for Wales until 17 January 2007.
• Carmarthenshire NHS Trust, non executive director.