Expense and bullying investigations at Welcome to Yorkshire completed

The board of the private company, which is part-funded by millions of pounds from the public sector, met for the first time today since the resignation of chairman Ron McMillan in April to hear “initial feedback and recommendations” from the separate investigations.

Mr McMillan’s departure was announced at the same time that the details of the two investigations were confirmed following the departure of Sir Gary on health grounds in March in the wake of allegations about his expense spending and conduct towards employees.

A Welcome to Yorkshire spokesperson said they were currently unable to say whether Sir Gary had been interviewed for the independent investigations.

Forensic accountants BDO were appointed to examine all expenses claimed by current and former members of the senior management team and board over the past six years, with solicitors Clarion heading a separate investigation into the management culture.

At the time, Welcome to Yorkshire said it was “hoped” both investigations would be completed by the end of June.

Keith Stewart, interim chairman of Welcome to Yorkshire, said there are still several stages of the investigation process to go through before the findings can be made public.

“Today the Welcome To Yorkshire board were able to hear initial feedback and recommendations from both investigations,” he said.

“It is important that the information is properly considered and that there is an opportunity for questions and clarifications and for Clarion and BDO to respond to those in a reasonable timeframe.

"Welcome to Yorkshire also needs to look at the recommendations and, if they have not already been implemented, investigate the merits and practicalities of each of them.

“The organisation also has a responsibility to communicate with past and present staff who took part in the investigations as a priority and we are looking at the best way of enabling this.

“Once this process has been concluded we will look to make the key themes, findings and recommendations available to the public in a timely way.”

The agency has faced criticism over its intention not to publish the direct findings of the two independent investigations in full, instead promising “a report outlining the key themes, finding and recommendations will be made publicly available”.

The company has claimed that commercial sensitivities and protecting the identity of witnesses mean the direct reports cannot be published in their entirety and said the form the publicly-available report takes is yet to be decided.

Sir Gary is reported to have repaid £40,000 to the tourism agency after making “errors of judgement” with his expenses.

Sources have told The Yorkshire Post more than 50 people have contacted the Clarion investigation.