Following a request by a local paper under the Freedom of Information Act, the assembly admitted that five guards received disciplinary penalties for misusing the security system by ‘turning the cameras towards private dwellings’.
None of the guards, who are employed by the National Assembly, lost their job. However, the terms and conditions of their employment are expected to change, including ‘exclusion from promotion opportunities’.
Conservative AM Jonathan Morgan said the guards should have been sacked.
“The privileges of MI5 or M16 to spy on people do not extend to security guards in Cardiff Bay”, he said.
However, a spokesperson at the assembly said that legal and police advice was taken before taking the decision not to prosecute.
A statement from the assembly read:
“Penalties were applied for the occasional misuse or suspected misuse of equipment by turning the cameras towards private dwellings therefore failing to focus on the security of the estate.
“Formal warnings were issued in all cases together with sanctions including amendments to terms and conditions and exclusion from promotion opportunities.”
An assembly representative also said that the incidents of cameras being pointed towards private dwellings were ‘isolated occurrences’.
“There has been no evidence of any similar incidents since.
“Regular checks of the use of cameras are undertaken by management and action was taken quickly when these matters were discovered.”