Private, Hybrid
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Attendance
|
Category
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Names
|
|
Committee Members:
|
Elin Jones MS,
Llywydd (Chair)
Paul Davies MS
Heledd Fychan
MS
Jane Hutt MS
|
|
Committee Staff:
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Graeme Francis
(Clerk)
Steffan Lewis
(Deputy Clerk)
|
|
Others in attendance
|
Jane Dodds
MS
David Rees MS,
Deputy Presiding Officer
Manon
Antoniazzi, Chief Executive and Clerk
Julian Luke,
Director of Senedd Business
Bethan Davies,
Head of Chamber and Committee Service
Marc Wyn
Jones, Head of Policy and Legislation Committee Service
Lisa
Griffiths, Procedures Clerk
Helen Carey,
Welsh Government
|
<AI1>
1
Introductions, apologies and
substitutions
The Llywydd welcomed Members to the meeting.
No apologies were received.
</AI1>
<AI2>
2
Minutes of the previous
meeting
The Minutes of the previous meeting were
agreed for publication.
</AI2>
<AI3>
3
Organisation of Business
</AI3>
<AI4>
3.1
This week's business
Tuesday
Jane Dodds noted that she had written to the
Trefnydd to request an oral statement on the current situation with
the Welsh Rugby Union and the Ospreys. The Trefnydd confirmed that
she would consider the request.
Business Committee noted the following:
- Voting Time will take place as the last item
of business
- Plenary is unlikely to run past 7.10pm.
Wednesday
- Voting Time will take place before the Short
Debate.
- Plenary is unlikely to run past 7:00pm.
</AI4>
<AI5>
3.2
Three week timetable of Government
Business
The Trefnydd informed Business Managers of the
following changes to the Three Week Timetable of Government
Business:
Tuesday 10 February
2026
- The Non-Domestic Rating (Value of
Differential Multipliers) (Wales) Regulations 2026 (5
mins)
- The Non-Domestic Rating (Artificial
Avoidance Arrangements) (Local Lists) (Wales) Regulations 2026 (15
mins)
- The Land Transaction Tax and
Anti-avoidance of Devolved Taxes (Wales) Act 2017 (Amendments to
Schedule 5) Regulations 2026 (5 mins)
- The Land Transaction Tax (Modification of
Relief for Acquisitions Involving Multiple Dwellings) (Wales)
Regulations 2026 (5 mins)
- The Closure of European Union Legacy
Agriculture Schemes (Wales) Regulations 2026 (15 mins)
- The Renting Homes (Model Written
Statements of Contract) (Wales) (Amendments etc.) Regulations 2026
(5 mins)
</AI5>
<AI6>
3.3
Three week timetable of Senedd
Business
Business Managers agreed the following changes
to the Three Week Timetable of Senedd Business:
Wednesday 04
February 2026 –
- Debate on the Public Accounts and Public
Administration Committee report: Active Travel in Wales (60
mins)
- Debate on the Health and Social Care
Committee report: Ophthalmology Services in Wales (60
mins)
- Time allocated to the Welsh Conservatives
(60 mins)
- Short Debate: Buffy Williams (Rhondda) (30
mins)
Business Managers noted that it is intended
that the first tranche of Standing Order change reports in
preparation for the Seventh Senedd will be proposed for agreement
by the Senedd in Plenary on Wednesday 25 February, and that further
details will be provided at the Committee’s next meeting.
Business Managers discussed options for the
scheduling of Senedd business on 4 March when Stage 3 proceedings
on the British Sign Language (Wales) Bill are due to be held.
</AI6>
<AI7>
3.4
The effect of a Member leaving a
political group
The Business Committee agreed:
- to offer James Evans MS the vacant place on
the Health and Social Care Committee and, in the event that he does
not take up this place, to allocate the vacant position to the
Plaid Cymru Group;
- to adjust the allocation of opposition debate
time to a 1:1 ratio;
- that the order in which Conservative and
Plaid Cymru leaders and spokespeople are called to ask oral
questions with be alternated on a weekly basis; and
- to note the Llywydd’s intention to
alternate the order in which the first Conservative and Plaid Cymru
speaker is called to contribute to oral statements and
debates.
</AI7>
<AI8>
4
Legislation
</AI8>
<AI9>
4.1
Letter from the Member Accountability
Bill Committee to the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery in
relation to Senedd Cymru (Member Accountability and Elections) Bill
financial resolution
The Business Committee noted the letter. The
Trefnydd confirmed that the Counsel General would respond to the
letter.
</AI9>
<AI10>
4.2
Letter from the Chair of the Culture,
Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations
Committee regarding a scheduling clash with the Terminally Ill
Adults (End of Life) Bill LCM debate
The Business Committee noted the letter. The
Trefnydd confirmed that the Government did not intend to
re-schedule the debate on the LCM of the Terminally Ill Adults (End
of Life) Bill due to take place on 24 February.
</AI10>
<AI11>
4.3
Letter from the Finance Committee to the
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language in relation to the
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Finance (No. 2)
Bill
The Business Committee noted the letter and
agreed to indicate to the Business Committee in the Seventh Senedd
that it may need to consider the procedural implications arising
from the Welsh property income tax rates, and how this would
operate alongside the annual Welsh rates of income tax
resolution.
</AI11>
<AI12>
4.4
Update on LCMs
The Business Committee considered an update
from the Trefnydd and agreed to:
- Refer the LCM on the Railways Bill to the
Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee and the
Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee for scrutiny, with
a reporting deadline of 20 March 2026.
</AI12>
<AI13>
5
Tabling Arrangements
</AI13>
<AI14>
5.1
Easter Recess and Dissolution Tabling
Arrangements
The Business Committee considered advice from
the Table Office and agreed:
- that the deadline for accepting Written
Questions will be 4pm Friday 20 March;
- that the deadline for accepting other items
of tabled business, apart for urgent business relating to any
recall meetings taking place during the Easter recess, will be 4pm
Friday 27 March;
- that table Office will be open between 10am
and 3pm during recess, with the exception of Tuesday 7 April when
it will be open until 6pm;
- that no documents can be accepted for laying
if they are received after 6pm on Tuesday 7 April;
- that no changes to the Register of Interests
can be made after 6pm on Tuesday 7 April; and
- that the latest date that documentation
relating to the activities of Cross-Party Groups can be submitted
is 6pm on Tuesday 7 April and that all Cross-Party Groups will be
automatically de-registered once dissolution begins at midnight on
Wednesday 8 April.
</AI14>
<AI15>
6
Procedural Work
</AI15>
<AI16>
6.1
Declarations of interest: additional
note
The Business Committee considered an
additional note regarding matters raised at the previous meeting
and agreed to return to further consideration of the
recommendations made by the Standards of Conduct Committee at its
meeting on Thursday 29 January, following consultation with
groups.
The Business Committee agreed to write to the
Standards of Conduct Committee in order to request that its
proposed revisions to the guidance relating to declaring interests
(the ‘test of relevance’) should cite Business Managers
or the Trefnydd, when tabling on behalf of their group or the
government, as an example of where it could not normally be
reasonably thought that a personal interest had influenced their
decision to do so.
</AI16>
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