Concise Minutes - Equality and Social Justice Committee

Meeting Venue:

Committee Room 3 (Senedd)

Meeting date: Monday, 11 March 2024

Meeting time: 13.33 - 17.00
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/13732

Hybrid

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Attendance

Category	Names
Members of the Senedd:	Jenny Rathbone MS (Chair) Jane Dodds MS Altaf Hussain MS Sarah Murphy MS Sioned Williams MS Ken Skates MS
Witnesses:	Adrian Crompton, Auditor General for Wales, Audit Wales, Auditor General for Wales, Audit Wales Martin Peters, Wales Audit Office Dawn Docx, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service Gary Emery, Audit Wales Dylan Rees, North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority Gwynfor Thomas, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority Roger Thomas, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service Steven Bradwick, South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority Pamela Drake, Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) Dewi Rose, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service
Committee Staff:	Rhys Morgan (Clerk) Angharad Roche (Deputy Clerk) Sam Mason (Legal Adviser) Claire Thomas (Researcher)

<AI1>

1 Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

No apologies, substitutions or declarations of interest were received.

</AI1>

<AI2>

2 Governance of Fire and Rescue Services: panel five

Members received evidence from:

Adrian Crompton, Auditor General for Wales, Audit Wales

Gary Emery, Audit Director, Audit Wales

Martin Peters, Head of Law and Ethics, Audit Wales

</AI2>

<AI3>

3 Motion under SO17.42 (vi) to exclude the public from items four and seven of today's agenda and from item one of the agenda on the meeting of 18 March 2024

Members agreed the motion.

</AI3>

<AI4>

4 The public health approach to preventing Gender Based Violence: consideration of Welsh Government response

Members considered the response.

</AI4>

<AI5>

5 Governance of Fire and Rescue Services: panel six

Members heard evidence from:

Councillor Dylan Rees, Chair of the North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority

Dawn Docx, Chief Fire Officer of the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service

Councillor Gwynfor Thomas, Chair of the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority

Roger Thomas, Chief Fire Officer of the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority

Councillor Steven Bradwick, former Chair of the South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority

Dewi Rose, Temporary Deputy Chief Fire Officer of the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service

</AI5>

<AI6>

6 Papers to note

Members noted the papers.

</AI6>

<AI7>

6.1 Correspondence between the Minister for Social Justice and Chief Whip to the Chair regarding the Youth Justice Summit on Speech, Language and Communication needs

</AI7>

<AI8>

6.2 Correspondence from Jane Dodds to the Chair regarding the creation of a new Ministerial role for babies, children and young people

</AI8>

<AI9>

6.5 Written response from the Welsh Government regarding the Equality and Social Justice Committee's response to the 2024-25 Draft Budget

</AI9>

<AI10>

6.4 Correspondence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution to the Chair of the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee regarding Inter-ministerial standing Committee meeting

</AI10>

<AI11>

7 Governance of Fire and Rescue Services: consideration of evidence

Members considered the evidence.

</AI11>

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