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Petitions Committee |
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Meeting Venue: |
Committee Room 1 - Senedd |
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Meeting date: |
Tuesday, 2 July 2013 |
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Meeting time: |
09:12 - 10:45 |
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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 Lindsay Whittle |
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Witnesses: |
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Helen Jones, Lead petitioner Tony Alexander, Advocate with the Alzheimers Society Lisa Morgan, Hugh James, Solicitors |
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Committee Staff: |
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Naomi Stocks (Clerk) Kayleigh Driscoll (Deputy Clerk) Helen Roberts (Legal Advisor) Stephen Boyce (Researcher) |
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1 Introduction, apologies and substitutions
The Chair welcomed everyone to the Committee. Apologies were received from Bethan Jenkins AM, who was substituted by Lindsay Whittle AM.
2 P-04-432 Stop the Army Recruiting in Schools
Members discussed the evidence session on 2 June and agreed to;
- write to the Ministry of Defence seeking more information on the desired ‘outputs’ from engagement with young people in schools;
- engage with Rhyl High School, either through a visit or taking video evidence, to look at their engagement with the armed forces; and
- write to Careers Wales asking for information on what other types of employers go into schools.
3 New petitions
3.1P-04-493 Moratorium on Local Development Plans (LDPs) in potential City Regions
The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to the Minister for Housing and Regeneration seeking his views on the petition.
4 Updates to previous petitions
4.1P-04-462 Ban the flying of Union flags from official Welsh buildings
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to close the petition in light of the Government’s intention to continue to fly the Union flag.
4.2P-04-333 Stop neglect and abandonment of horses and ponies by enforcement of microchipping laws
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to await the publication of consultation analysis.
4.3P-04-399 Slaughter Practices
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to the Minister for Natural Resources and Food asking for a timeframe for consideration of this issue.
4.4P-04-433 CCTV in Slaughterhouses
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to the Minister for Natural Resources and Food asking for a timeframe for consideration of this issue and highlighting the petitioner’s additional information.
4.5P-04-445 Save our Welsh cats & dogs from death on the roads
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to the Minister for Natural Resources and Food highlighting that CAWC are supportive of the petition aims and asking if further consideration will be taken on this issue.
4.6P-04-363 Town Centre Improvement Scheme for Fishguard
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to:
· SWWITCH asking for an update on how the Fishguard proposals are progressin; and
· Pembrokeshire Council highlighting the Welsh Government’s correspondence and encouraging them to take this forward as part of the new regeneration framework.
4.7P-04-380 Bring back our bus! Petition against the removal of scheduled bus services from east Lampeter, Cwmann & Pencarreg
The Committee considered the petition and agreed to close it due to the lack of response from the petitioner.
4.8P-04-459 A direct rail connection from Cardiff Airport to Cardiff central and west Wales
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to the Minister for Economy, Science and Transport asking for an update on her response to the South East Wales Integrated Transport Task Force report.
4.9P-04-417 Save Morfa Beach and Prevent the Closure of Public Footpaths 92 and 93
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to close the petition in light of the on-going consideration of the issue by the Planning Inspectorate.
4.10 P-04-423 Brooklands Nursing Home
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to Pembrokeshire Council copying in Pembrokeshire National Park Authority, asking if there are plans to resubmit a planning application.
4.11 P-04-473 Wind Farm Public Inquiry Financial Support
William Powell and Russell George declared an interest as Members of Powys County Council.
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to the UK Government regarding the petitioner’s concerns about the funding of the inquiry.
4.12 P-04-440 Say NO to Asset Stripping Bronllys Hospital
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to Powys Local Health Board seeking an update on the developments as it relates to Bronllys.
4.13 P-04-471 Mandatory Welsh legislation to ensure Defibrillators in all public places
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to;
· write to the Welsh Ambulance NHS Trust, the British Heart Foundation and each of the LHBs asking for an update on progress to review provision of defibrillators in public places; and
· await the outstanding responses.
4.14 P-04-481 Close the Gap for deaf pupils in Wales
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to the following stakeholders seeking their views on the issue;
· WLGA;
· Action on Hearing Loss;
· Governors Wales; and
· the Chair of the Cross Party Group on deaf issues.
4.15 P-04-397 Living Wage
The Committee considered the petition and agreed to seek a response from the Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty.
5 P-04-456 Dementia - This Could Happen to you: Evidence Session
Helen Jones, Tony Alexander and Lisa Morgan answered questions from the Committee.