Meeting Venue:
Committee Room 1 - Senedd
Meeting date: Tuesday, 7 November 2017
Meeting time: 09.15 - 10.51
This meeting can
be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/4367
------
Category |
Names |
Assembly Members: |
David J Rowlands AM (Chair) Rhun ap Iorwerth AM Janet Finch-Saunders AM Neil McEvoy AM David Rees AM (In place of Mike Hedges AM) |
Witnesses: |
Lesley Griffiths AM, Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs Neil Hemington, Welsh Government Joanne Smith, Welsh Government |
Committee Staff: |
Graeme Francis (Clerk) Kayleigh Imperato (Deputy Clerk) Kath Thomas (Deputy Clerk) |
The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting, and
Rhun ap Iorwerth AM and Neil McEvoy AM to the Petitions Committee.
Mike Hedges AM sent his apologies and David Rees AM attended as a substitute.
David Rees declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:
He is in support of the petition as it directly affects his constituency.
The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to:
The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to await the views of the petitioner on the response received from the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure before considering further action on the petition.
The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to await the views of the petitioner on the responses received from the Welsh Government and Qualifications Wales before considering further action on the petition.
The Committee considered the responses from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services, local health boards and professional bodies, and agreed to invite the Cabinet Secretary to a future Committee meeting to provide further evidence prior to producing a report on the petition.
The Committee discussed the lack of a response from the Welsh Local Government Association to the Committee’s correspondence, and agreed to write a further letter to the WLGA expressing their disappointment and to ask for an urgent response to the letter dated 3 August.
Following the meeting, a response from the WLGA has been received.
The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Education and agreed to close the petition in light of the unequivocal commitment expressed by the Cabinet Secretary to the compulsory study of the Welsh language at GCSE, and her answers to the concerns raised by the petitioner.
The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure and agreed to await the views of the petitioner on the latest information before considering closing the petition, in light of the information received and further funding committed by the Welsh Government in the draft budget for 2018-19.
The Committee considered correspondence from the Vale of Glamorgan Council along with further comments from the petitioner and agreed to write to the Vale of Glamorgan Council to request an update when the results of the WelTAG Stage 2 report have been considered by the Council’s Cabinet.
The Committee discussed the lack of response from the Welsh Local Government Association to the Committee’s correspondence and agreed to write a further letter to the WLGA expressing their disappointment and asking for an urgent response to the letter of 24 July.
The Committee considered correspondence from the petitioner and agreed to ask the petitioner to provide the Committee with a further update on the project in due course.
Rhun ap Iorwerth declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:
He is in contact with the lead petitioner regarding the matter.
The Committee considered correspondence from the Arts Council for Wales and agreed to write to the petitioner to share information about the recent event in the Senedd and the answers given by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure, and ask if he knows of any suitable organisations or individuals who could bring forward concrete proposals.
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council and 3Gs Development Trust to ask for an update on the current and future provision of services for young people at Forsythia Youth Centre.
The Committee considered correspondence from the petitioner and agreed to close the petition given the issue has recently been the subject of detailed attention by the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee, and that the Welsh Government has accepted that committee’s recommendations.
The Committee considered correspondence from the petitioner and agreed to write to Cardiff Council to share the petitioner’s comments on the recycling bags used in Cardiff and her proposal that stickers should be placed on black bins to raise awareness that waste in them is destined for landfill.
The Committee heard evidence from Lesley Griffiths AM, Neil Hemington and Joanne Smith.
The Cabinet Secretary agreed to investigate further, comments attributed to the planning inspector during an appeal hearing over an application for an opencast mine at Varteg Hill, and write to the Committee.
The Committee heard evidence from Lesley Griffiths AM, Neil Hemington and Joanne Smith.
The Cabinet Secretary agreed to investigate further, comments attributed to the planning inspector during an appeal hearing over an application for an opencast mine at Varteg Hill, and write to the Committee.