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A plan to nominate former First Minister Carwyn Jones for a peerage has been shelved while inquiries continue into his treatment of the late Carl Sargeant, we can reveal.

It was originally mooted that Mr Jones should be included in Theresa May's resignation honours list, published earlier this month, but we understand his name did not appear after the conclusion was reached that it would be inappropriate to nominate him before all the inquiries relating to his treatment of Mr Sargeant have been concluded.

In July, an inquest into Mr Sargeant's death concluded that he had taken his own life in November 2017, four days after he was dismissed from his post as Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children following unspecified allegations of sexual harassment that he denied.

In response to an order made by Mr Gittins at the conclusion of the inquest, the Welsh Government has introduced new procedures for supporting Ministers after they are sacked.

An inquiry to be undertaken by Paul Bowen QC into Mr Jones' treatment of Mr Sargeant has still not got under way.

We have been told that Mr Jones’ name was put to the Cabinet Office by Labour and the Welsh Government for a steer on whether he would be accepted for a peerage by the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

According to a well-placed source the Cabinet Office said the nomination would not be approved. The matter was not pursued further.

A senior Labour source said: "You are on safe ground to say that the peerage for Carwyn was blocked because the inquiries into his treatment of Carl Sargeant have not been completed.

"That doesn't mean he won't necessarily go to the Lords in the future."

A second senior Labour source suggested that the former First Minister's name was "discounted" because of concerns about inconsistencies in his evidence to the inquest.

(Image: Ian Cooper/Daily Post Wales) (Image: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)

Vale of Clwyd Labour AM Ann Jones, the National Assembly's deputy presiding officer, gave evidence to the inquest disputing earlier testimony from Mr Jones that she had been appointed to a pastoral care role to help Mr Sargeant after he was sacked. Mr Jones has since said he made a mistake in his initial evidence.

A spokesman for the Welsh Government would only say: “The awarding of peerages is a matter for the Prime Minister and the House of Lords Appointments Commission.”

The Cabinet Office said it did not discuss honours lists.

Carl Sargeant’s son Jack Sargeant, who succeeded his father as the Labour AM for Alyn & Deeside, said: “There remain so many unanswered questions over the former First Minister’s conduct. Until these are answered, any peerage would be disturbing, distressing and wholly

inappropriate.”

Mr Jones, who has said in several interviews since he announced he was standing down that he would like to go to the Lords, did not comment.

He stepped down as First Minister in December 2018 and will not seek re-election as Labour AM for Bridgend at the next Assembly election in 2021.