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Environment Minister Alun Davies has been fired from his role in the Welsh Government, it has been confirmed.

First Minister Carwyn Jones confirmed he had discovered communications between Mr Davies and civil servants in his department which indicated Mr Davies had asked civil servants to give him private information about other AMs.

Mr Jones said the information was about financial interests of opposition politicians including Tory leader Andrew RT Davies and Lib Dem leader Kirsty Williams, relating to farming subsidy payments paid through the Common Agricultural Policy.

Alun Davies sacking: The email that raised concerns in full

Mr Davies sent the email to officials on July 2, the day after a report from the Permanent Secretary was published.

In it, the requested “Pillar 1” and “Pillar 2” farm payment schedules of Mr Davies, Ms Williams, Plaid Cymru environment spokesman Llyr Gruffydd, Lib Dem environment spokesman William Powell and Conservative North Wales AM Antoinette Sandbach.

It is understood Mr Davies was told by officials it would be inappropriate for him to have the information for party political purposes, but he then repeated the request verbally and officials referred the matter to the First Minister.

A Welsh Government source: “The First Minister was both extremely angry and disappointed by what came to light and is firmly of the view there is no room for this kind of politics in the Welsh Government.”

Video: Andrew RT Davies and Kirsty Williams respond to Alun Davies's sacking

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Mr Jones said in a written statement to AMs: “In recent days communications between the Minister for Natural and Resources and Food and civil servants in his division have been drawn to my attention.

“The emails indicate that the Minister asked the civil service to give him private information about the financial interests of a number of Members of this chamber. These relate to CAP payments made to these individuals.”

He added: “I believe that these requests were poorly judged, inappropriate and the fact that they were made at all is unacceptable to me as First Minister. As a result, I have asked the Minister for Natural Resources and Food to leave the government.

“I made this decision with some regret and would like to record my appreciation for the contribution that Alun Davies has undoubtedly made to the work of the government during his time in office.”

Edwina Hart has been confirmed as taking overall responsibility for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Labour backbencher Rebecca Evans promoted to Deputy Minister with responsibility for those areas.

Culture and Sport Minister John Griffiths - a former Environment Minister himself - will reassume responsibility for that area.

In a brief statement issued by Mr Davies, he said: "I'm remaining absolutely focused on Blaenau Gwent. As I said when I was elected, Blaenau Gwent comes first, second and third."

It comes little more than a week after Mr Jones spared the Blaenau Gwent AM the axe, despite a report from the Permanent Secretary Sir Derek Jones finding he had breached the Ministerial Code in lobbying Natural Resources Wales (NRW) over a planned racetrack in Ebbw Vale, in his constituency.

Mr Davies had written to NRW to express frustration at its objections over the environmental impact of the planned £280m Circuit of Wales project.

While Mr Davies was not the Minister responsible for the decision on whether to “call in” the project, questions were raised over his actions given he was the Minister responsible for NRW.

NRW later withdrew its objections, though insisted during Sir Derek’s inquiry that Mr Davies’ intervention had not influenced its decision.

Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said the scandal raised wider questions for the First Minister and the Welsh Government.

He also called into question Mr Davies' position as AM for Blaenau Gwent and urged a "much wider" independent inquiry into the row.

“Efforts to gain this information – in what would appear to be attempts to smear Assembly Members – is reminiscent of Damien McBride’s era under Gordon Brown," Mr RT Davies said.

“What possible reason could the former Minister have for taking this devious action?

“His sacking was inevitable and questions must also be raised about his continuing role as an Assembly Member. This – effectively – is gross misconduct, and we have today written to the Standards Commissioner, making the case that this person may not be a fit and proper person to hold elected office.

“There are clearly much wider questions to be asked about the type of government Labour’s Carwyn Jones is running.

“That the First Minister refused to sack Alun Davies following a clear breach of the Ministerial Code – and only made the right decision following what appears to be attempts to smear – raises very real concerns over trust, procedure, and his judgement."

Mr Gruffydd said: “The public places great trust in our elected cabinet members and it is clear that Alun Davies played fast and loose with that trust.

“The First Minister should have taken this action last week when the independent report into Alun Davies’ conduct found that he had broken the Ministerial Code on more than one occasion.”

He added: "Had Alun Davies had the courtesy to ask me in person if I received the single farm payment I would have answered him directly that I do not.

“It is a great shame for the people of Wales that Alun Davies has acted inappropriately as a Minister, and it is right that the First Minister has finally taken this action."

Lib Dem leader Kirsty Williams said Mr Davies' behaviour had been "absolutely shocking" called the First Minister's judgement into question

She said: “The actions of Alun Davies as a Minister are atrocious and completely unacceptable for anyone serving in public office. The fact that Alun Davies used his Ministerial office to start a smear campaign against those that dared to hold him to account is disgraceful.

“Alun Davies has been mired with controversy throughout his ministerial term. Aside from the actions that have come to light today, his inappropriate lobbying over the Circuit of Wales left the ministerial rule book in tatters.

"His behaviour has left the First Minister with no choice but to sack him, but the fact that this was not done sooner calls into question the First Minister’s own judgement.

“It is thoroughly disappointing that it has taken the First Minister this long to act and sack Alun Davies. This whole situation has been handled shambolically from the beginning by the First Minister, and is yet another embarrassing chapter for this floundering Welsh Labour Government.”

To also read:

Revealed: Concern over Minister, his specialist adviser and their relationship