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Petitions Committee |
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Meeting Venue: |
Committee Room 1 - Senedd |
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Meeting date: |
Tuesday, 19 February 2013 |
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Meeting time: |
09:00 - 10:30 |
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This meeting can be viewed on Senedd
TV at: |
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Concise Minutes: |
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Assembly Members: |
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William Powell (Chair) Russell George Joyce Watson Bethan Jenkins |
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Witnesses: |
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Committee Staff: |
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Naomi Stocks (Clerk) Kayleigh Driscoll (Deputy Clerk) Helen Roberts (Legal Advisor) |
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Transcript
View the meeting transcript.
1. Introduction, apologies and substitutions
The Chair welcomed everyone to the Committee. Apologies were received from Elin Jones AM, who was substituted by Bethan Jenkins AM.
2. New petitions
2.1P-04-456 Dementia - This Could Happen to you
The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to:
· the Minister for Health and Social Services;
· Dementia UK; and
· Alzheimer’s Society seeking their views on the petition.
The Committee may invite the petitioner to give oral evidence in the future.
2.2P-04-457 The Charitable Chaplaincy Campaign
The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to the Minister for Health and Social Services seeking her views on the petition. Dependent on the Minister’s response the Committee may issue a public consultation on the petition.
2.3P-04-458 Keep Further Education in the Public Sector
The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to the Minister for Education and Skills seeking his views on the petition.
3. Updates to previous petitions
3.1P-03-317 Hijinx Funding for Arts
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to Hijinx seeking an update on whether additional funding streams have been secured, and how the reduction in funding from the Arts Council has affected their work.
3.2P-04-407 Save Kennard Court Sheltered Accommodation for Older People
The Committee considered the petition and in light of the recent correspondence received from the Assembly Member for Torfaen, it was agreed to defer consideration of the petition to the next Committee meeting.
3.3P-04-366 Closure of Aberystwyth Day Centre
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to;
· await the findings of the independent review; and
· write to Ceredigion Council highlighting the on-going concerns raised by the petitioners about service provision and the concerns about the independent review.
3.4P-04-424 Retain services at Neath Port Talbot Hospital
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to;
· await the publication of the consultation into healthcare services in South East Wales to see what proposals are made in relation to services at Neath Port Talbot Hospital; and
· write to the Wales Deanery expressing concern about the timing of announcements.
3.5P-04-343 Prevent the destruction of amenities on common land - Anglesey
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to the petitioners seeking an update on the issue, and highlight the recent response received from the Deputy Minister.
3.6P-04-385 Petition regarding balloon and lantern releases
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to the Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development, asking that the Committee be kept updated with progress of the research and that the study be shared with the Committee when published.
3.7P-04-398 Campaign for a Welsh Animal Offenders Register
The Committee considered the consultation responses on the petition and agreed to;
· seek the views of stakeholders who have not responded to the consultation but whose views may be useful: Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), Dog’s Trust and Cat’s Protection;
· write to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to ask if any consideration has been given to this idea in England;
· write to the Scottish, Northern Ireland, and Irish governments to ask if consideration has been given to this idea; and
· investigate raising the issue at the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly.
3.8P-03-144 Guide Dogs for the Blind - Shared Space
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to;
· the Enterprise and Business Committee asking that they consider these issues when considering the Active Travel (Wales) Bill; and
· the Minister for Local Government and Communities asking that the Committee is kept updated with progress on this issue.
3.9P-04-370 Petition for the improvement of Psychic and Intuitive services in Wales
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and in light of the Committee’s previous work on this petition, it was agreed to close the petition.
3.10 P-04-393 Llanymynech and Pant Bypass Action Group
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to;
· Powys County Council to seek their views on the petition; and
· secure an update from the Minister for Local Government and Communities.
3.11 P-04-402 Council Prayers
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to;
· the Minister for Local Government and Communities asking if he would consider issuing a note summarising the legal advice that has been received on this issue, as requested by the WLGA; and
· One Voice Wales, seeking their views on the petition.
3.12 P-04-416 North-South Rail Services
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to;
· write to the Minister for Local Government and Communities highlighting the difficulties faced as a result of the timetabling, asking him to consider these issues in more detail, and whether any discussions have taken place between the Welsh Government and Arriva; and
· share with the petitioner when published, the Enterprise and Business Committees’ report on Integrated Public Transport.
3.13 P-04-426 Introduce a mandatory 40mph speed limit on the A487 at Blaenporth Ceredigion
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to the Minister for Local Government and Communities;
· highlighting the additional information provided by the petitioner;
· seeking an update on the speed limit review;
· asking for confirmation that the review will be completed by the end of the current financial year; and
· if a revised speed limit is proposed, how long it will take to be implemented.
3.14 P-04-428 Alternative energy for street lighting
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to the WLGA to seek their views on the petition.
3.15 P-04-438 Shopping Access
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to accept the invitation from the petitioners to go out in Cardiff to experience first-hand some of the issues raised by the petition.
3.16 P-04-414 Welsh Jobs
The Committee discussed the petition in private session and agreed to defer consideration to a future Committee meeting.
3.17 P-04-446 Business Rate Relief for Welsh Charity Shops
The Committee considered ministerial correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to the Minister for Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science asking that the Committee be kept updated once a decision has been made.
3.18 P-04-396 Emergency Life Support Skills (ELS) for Wales Schoolchildren
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to;
· the petitioners to ask whether they feel the Committee could add further value to the consideration of this issue, in light of the Government’s position; and
· Investigate whether the Welsh Baccalaureate could encompass ELS.
3.19 P-04-441 Gwaith i Gymru - Work for Wales
The Committee considered ministerial correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to the petitioner to seek their views on the Deputy Minister for Skills correspondence.
4. Motion under Standing Order 17.42 to resolve to exclude the public from the meeting for the following business:
The motion was agreed.
5. Review of Committee support
The Committee held a discussion on Committee support.