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Petitions Committee |
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Meeting Venue: |
Committee Room 1 - Senedd |
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Meeting date: |
Tuesday, 13 May 2014 |
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Meeting time: |
09.02 - 10.36 |
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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 Bethan Jenkins Joyce Watson |
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Witnesses: |
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Daniel Thomas, Petitioner |
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Committee Staff: |
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Steve George (Clerk) Kayleigh Driscoll (Deputy Clerk) |
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1 Introduction, apologies and substitutions
The Chair welcomed everyone to the Committee. There were no apologies.
2 Motion under Standing Order 17.42 to resolve to exclude the public from the meeting for the following business:
The motion was agreed and Members considered issues arising from a petition in private.
3 P-04-471 Mandatory Welsh legislation to ensure Defibrillators in all public places
The Committee discussed the evidence session that took place on 29 April and agreed to prepare a report on the petition so that the issues raised can be debated more fully by the Assembly in Plenary.
4.1 P-04-494 Robotic assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy must be made available to men in Wales now
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write:
· again to Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University (ABMU) Local Health Board asking for a response to earlier correspondence; and
· to the Minister asking for his comments on the petitioner’s further comments and drawing his attention to the failure of ABMU to respond to correspondence.
4.2 P-04-527 Campaign for a Special Cancer Drug Fund in Wales
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to:
· write to the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group on its processes for evaluating cancer drugs of the sort the petition is concerned about;
· seek further comments from the petitioner to ask whether the Minister’s written statement meets any of his concerns; and
· seek the outstanding response from ABMU Health Board which has not responded to the Committee’s original letter.
4.3 P-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 await a further update from the Minister in June once the Metro Implementation Group has announced their proposals in relation to the South East Wales Metro.
4.4 P-04-506 Free bus pass / concessionary travel for benefit claimants , students and under 18s
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to close the petition given that there seems little likelihood of a change in Government policy.
4.5 P-04-510 Public inquiry into the Breckman case in Carmarthenshire
The Committee considered the legal briefing on the petition and agreed to close the petition.
5 New petitions
5.1 P-04-550 Planning Powers
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 particularly in relation to whether the forthcoming Planning Bill will contain any proposals to address the issue of concern to the petitioners; and
· copy the Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee and Vaughan Gething AM to the letter to the Minister.
5.2 P-04-551 Basic First Aid To Be Taught In Schools
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 taking account of the consideration given to a previous petition which was considered by the Committee on a similar matter.
5.3 P-04-552 Child Protection
The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to:
· to the Minister for Health and Social Services; and
· the Welsh Local Government Association
seeking their views on the petition.
5.4 P-04-553 A full and independent investigation in to the health risks of wireless and mobile phone technologies in Wales including all schools
The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to:
· the Minister for Health and Social Services; and
· OFcom
seeking their views on the petition and, in the case of OFCOM, to see if they knew of any recent research into this matter.
5.5 P-04-554 An official Welsh Government policy that prohibits non transparent training organisations from working within public bodies
The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to the Petitioner seeking further clarification on any specific concerns that form the background to the petition.
5.6 P-04-555 Stop the unethical and draconian proposed compulsory microchipping of dogs
The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to
write to the Petitioner seeking further clarification on any specific concerns that form the background to the petition.
5.7 P-04-556 No to Junction 41 closure
The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to
write to:
- the Minister for Economy, Science and Transport seeking her views on the petition and asking for further information on why this particular junction had been identified for possible closure; and
- Neath Port Talbot Council for their views on the matter.
6 Updates to previous petitions
6.1 P-04-385 Petition regarding balloon and lantern releases
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to close the Petition.
6.2 P-04-439 Ancient veteran and heritage trees of Wales to be given greater protection
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and noted that Coed Cadw are now members of the Task and Finish Group and agreed to await the Minister informing the Committee of the outcome of the Group’s findings.
6.3 P-04-445 Save our Welsh cats & dogs from death on the roads
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and given the Committee’s workload and Members’ other commitments agreed to decline the invitation but in doing so, pass the invitation to the Minister and ask that he or his officials consider the invitation as part of their review of the legislation in this area.
6.4 P-04-458 Keep Further Education in the Public Sector
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to Collegau Cymru seeking information which college had yet to commit to the all-Wales contract for FE lecturers.
6.5 P-04-518 Universal Free School Lunches
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to seek further comments from the Minister in the light of the Petitioner’s response.
6.6 P-04-533 Environmental Planning for Small Scale Wind Turbine Sites
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to allow the petitioners further time to produce a more detailed response to the Minister’s letter, as they have requested.
6.7 P-04-534 A campaign to secure CARDIGAN HOSPITAL
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to seek the petitioners’ views on the correspondence received.
6.8 P-04-539 Save Cardiff Coal Exchange
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to seek an urgent response from Cardiff City Council to the Committee’s request for information and a visit to the building.
7 Evidence Session - Bus Services in Wales
The witness responded to questions from Committee Members.
7.1 P-04-475 Wanted - Buses for Meirionnydd
7.2 P-04-513 Save the Wrexham/Barmouth X94 bus service
7.3 P-04-515 Increase Funding for Welsh Bus Services