Meeting Venue:
Y Siambr - Y Senedd
Meeting date:
Wednesday, 1 March 2023
Meeting time: 13.30
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This meeting will be held in a hybrid format, with some Members in the Senedd Chamber and others joining by video-conference.
1 Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
(45 mins)
The Presiding Officer will call Party Spokespeople to ask questions without notice to the Minister after Question 2.
2 Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
(45 mins)
The Presiding Officer will call Party Spokespeople to ask questions without notice to the Counsel General after Question 2.
3 Questions to the Senedd Commission
(15 mins)
4 Topical Questions
(20 mins)
To ask the Minister for Social Justice
Jack Sargeant (Alyn and Deeside): What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact of Ofgem's new price cap on residents in Wales?
To ask the Minister for Health and Social Justice
Adam Price (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): Will the Minister provide a statement following RCN Wales’s rejection of the Welsh Government’s additional NHS pay offer for 2022-23?
5 90 Second Statements
(5 mins)
6 Plaid Cymru Debate - Industrial relations
(60 mins)
NDM8210 Sian Gwenllian (Arfon)
To propose that the Senedd:
1. Expresses solidarity with public sector workers throughout Wales who are undertaking industrial action in response to years of real-term cuts to their wages.
2. Believes that the ability of workers to undertake strike action to improve their pay and conditions is a fundamental democratic right.
3. Believes that the UK Government’s Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill is a full-frontal attack on working people and the trade unions they organise within.
4. Regrets that the Bill would give the UK Government significant coercive power to curtail trade unions' and workers' ability to engage in lawful industrial action.
5. Regrets that the Bill also conflicts with the aims of the Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill, particularly the commitment of making Wales a fair work nation.
6. Supports all trade unions and public sector workers in their efforts to resist the Bill.
7. Calls on the Welsh Government to open discussions around the devolution of employment law to secure the collective rights and bargaining powers of workers in Wales.
Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill
The following amendments were tabled:
Amendment 1 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)
Delete all and replace with:
Welcomes the action being taken by the UK Government to amend the legal framework governing industrial action to ensure that minimum service levels are set in key sectors during periods of strike action.
If amendment 1 is agreed, amendment 2 will be de-selected.
Amendment 2 Lesley Griffiths (Wrexham)
Delete all and replace with:
To propose that the Senedd:
1. Acknowledges and respects the strength of feeling demonstrated by trade union members through strike ballots and industrial action taken.
2. Believes that the UK Government’s Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill is an attack on trade unions and a workers' fundamental right to strike.
3. Regrets the complete lack of engagement by the UK Government on this legislation prior to its introduction and notes the position of the Welsh Government as set out in its Written Statement and Legislative Consent Memorandum.
4. Supports the Welsh Government, and all trade unions and public sector workers in their efforts to resist the Bill.
Written Statement: Welsh Government position on the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill
Legislative Consent: Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill
7 Welsh Conservatives Debate - The Welsh language
(60 mins)
NDM8212 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)
To propose that the Senedd:
1. Notes the Cymraeg 2050: Work Programme 2021 to 2026.
2. Expresses concern that the 2021 Census revealed that the number of people who say they can speak Welsh decreased by more than 20,000.
3. Believes that the Welsh language is a cultural asset which brings many benefits to Wales.
4. Recognises the disparity in confidence amongst Welsh speakers.
5. Calls on the Welsh Government to explore opportunities to expand and promote the day-to-day use of the Welsh language.
Cymraeg 2050: Work Programme 2021 to 2026
The following amendment was tabled:
Amendment 1 Lesley Griffiths (Wrexham)
Add as new points at end of motion:
Recognises that other data sources show that an increasing amount of people have some Welsh-speaking ability and that increasing numbers of children are attending Welsh-medium education.
Welcomes:
(a) that all local authorities in Wales have published new Welsh in Education Strategic Plans to increase access to Welsh language learning across all school language categories;
(b) the work of the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities to strengthen Welsh at a community level; and
(c) the work of our partner organisations such as Mudiad Meithrin, the National Centre for Learning Welsh, the Urdd, the National Eisteddfod, the Mentrau Iaith, and others, to provide opportunities to use the language.
8 Voting Time
9 Short Debate
(30 mins)
NDM8211 John Griffiths (Newport East)
Dydd Gŵyl Dewi - Welsh identity in Newport
The Senedd will sit again in Plenary at 13.30, Tuesday, 7 March 2023