Agenda

DRAFT MINUTES

4368

Committee

Petitions Committee

Date

21/11/2017

Attendees

David J Rowlands AM (Chair)

Rhun ap Iorwerth AM (Member)

Janet Finch-Saunders AM (Member)

Mike Hedges AM (Member)

Neil McEvoy AM (Member)

Laura Williams (Witness)

Alun Thomas (Witness)

Graeme Francis (Clerk)

Kayleigh Imperato (Deputy Clerk)

Kath Thomas (Deputy Clerk)

Jessica England (Monitor)

Hannah Mason (Monitor)

Jonathan Baxter (Researcher)

Claire O'Sullivan (Legal Adviser)

Matthew Richards (Legal Adviser)

Lisa Salkeld (Legal Adviser)

Celyn Cooper (Monitor)

Rhayna Mann (Monitor)

AMSS David J Rowlands (Monitor)

AMSS Rhun ap Iorwerth (Monitor)

AMSS Janet Finch-Saunders (Monitor)

AMSS Mike Hedges (Monitor)

AMSS Neil McEvoy (Monitor)

Access All Committees (Monitor)

Central Admin (Monitor)

Petitions Committee (Monitor)

TRS - Users (Monitor)

TRS Admin group (Monitor)

Item ID

39629

Item Title

Introduction, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

Summary

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. There were no apologies.

Attachment Titles

Members' Brief

Item ID	39630
Item Title	New petitions
Summary
Attachment Titles

Item ID

39632

Item Title

P-05-785 Suspend Marine Licence 12/45/ML to dump radioactive marine sediments from the Hinkley Point nuclear site into Wales coastal waters off Cardiff

Summary

Neil McEvoy declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:

He had signed the petition in support of the issue.

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to:

invite the petitioner to give evidence to the Committee at the nearest available meeting; and
await a response from Natural Resources Wales to detailed questions put to them in a letter from the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee.

Once these actions have been completed the Committee agreed it will consider again whether to seek time for a Plenary debate on the petition.

Attachment Titles

Cover sheet

Research brief

26.10.17 Correspondence –Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs to the Chair

13.11.17 Correspondence - Petitioner to the Committee

13.11.17 Correspondence - The Chair of the Climate, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee to Natural Resource Wales

Item ID

39633

Item Title

P-05-786 Save our Countryside - Revise TAN 1

Summary

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to await the views of the petitioner on the response provided by the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs before considering any further action.

Attachment Titles

Cover sheet

Research brief

11.10.17 Correspondence –Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs to the Chair

Item ID	39631
Item Title	Updates to previous petitions
Summary
Attachment Titles

Item ID

39758

Item Title

P-04-526 Please make Senedd TV accessible to deaf people

Summary

Members considered correspondence from the Llywydd in her capacity as Chair of the Assembly Commission and agreed to await a response from the petitioner to the latest information provided before considering whether to take any further action.

Attachment Titles

Cover sheet

09.11.17 Correspondence - Llywydd to the Chair

Item ID

39636

Item Title

P-04-408 Child and Adolescent Eating Disorder Service

Summary

Members considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write back to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services to ask for details of the timescales in which he intends the review of the Welsh Government’s Eating Disorder Framework to be carried out.

Attachment Titles

Cover sheet

06.11.17 Correspondence - Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services to the Committee

08.11.17 Correspondence - Petitioner to the Committee

Item ID

39654

Item Title

P-05-761 Demand Funding from the Welsh Government to Support Autism Spectrum Connections Cymru

Summary

The Committee considered correspondence from Autism Spectrum Connections Cymru together with further comments from the petitioner and agreed to write to the Minister for Children and Social Care to ask for details of the processes that were followed when funding for the Integrated Autism Service was awarded, and whether opportunities were given to third sector organisations to apply.

Attachment Titles

Cover sheet

29.10.17 Correspondence - Autism Spectrum Connections to the Committee

29.10.17 Correspondence - Autism Spectrum Connections to the Committee - Leaflet

12.11.17 Correspondence - Petitioner to the Committee

Item ID

39655

Item Title

P-05-763 Introduce updated stroke advice - B.E.F.A.S.T. - and help save lives and livelihoods

Summary

The Committee considered correspondence from the Stroke Association together with further comments from the petitioner and agreed to:

· write to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services to ask whether he considers that there are any additional steps which could be taken by the Welsh Government or the Stroke Implementation Group to ensure that health professionals are aware of the additional symptoms of strokes, such as problems with eyesight and balance; and in doing so

· close the petition, given the advice provided by the Stroke Association and the view of the Stroke Implementation Group that there is limited evidence to support changing current messaging around stroke symptoms, and communicating the Committee’s thanks to the petitioner for contributing to a useful discussion on this issue.

Attachment Titles

Cover sheet

07.11.17 Correspondence - Stroke Association to the Committee

14.11.17 Correspondence - Petitioner to the Committee

Item ID

39762

Item Title

P-04-667 Roundabout for the A477/ A4075 Junction

Summary

The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport and, given the detailed nature of the information provided, agreed to give the petitioners more time to prepare comments before considering any further action on the petition.

Attachment Titles

Cover sheet

06.11.17 Correspondence - Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport to the Committee

09.11.17 Correspondence - Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport to the Committee - Annex

Item ID

39661

Item Title

P-05-716 Free Train Transport for school pupils with Arriva Trains Wales

Summary

The Committee considered correspondence from Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council and agreed to await the views of the petitioner on the latest correspondence, along with a response to information previously requested from Arriva Trains Wales, before considering any further action on the petition.

Attachment Titles

Cover sheet

11.10.17 Correspondence - Rhondda Cynon Taf to the Chair

Item ID

39657

Item Title

P-05-770 Reopen Crumlin Railway Station

Summary

The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure and agreed to await the views of the petitioner on this before considering any further action in relation to the petition.

Attachment Titles

Cover sheet

26.10.17 Correspondence - Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure to the Chair

Item ID

39707

Item Title

P-05-774 Pass Wide and Slow Wales

Summary

Members considered correspondence from the British Horse Society and the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport, together with further comments from the petitioner and agreed to write to:

the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport to ask for an outline of the activities undertaken by the Welsh Government to deliver the relevant actions in the Road Safety Framework; and
Police and Crime Commissioners to ask whether any work has been undertaken by police forces in Wales to improve the safety of horses and horse riders using roads, including to promote campaigns to prevent close passes.

Attachment Titles

Cover sheet

06.11.17 Correspondence - Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport

04.11.17 Correspondence - British Horse Society to the Chair

15.11.17 Correspondence - Petitioner to the Committee

Item ID

39764

Item Title

P-05-775 Put an end to the Cross Border and Sub-contracting Taxi Licensing loophole

Summary

The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport together with further comments from the petitioner and agreed to await the publication of the Welsh Government’s summary of the outcome of their recent public consultation on possible reforms to taxi licensing, expected before the end of 2017, before considering further action on the petition.

Attachment Titles

Cover sheet

06.11.17 Correspondence - Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport to the Committee

14.11.17 Correspondence - Petitioner to the Committee

Item ID

39659

Item Title

P-05-778 Protect the Razor Clams on Llanfairfechan Beach

Summary

The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs together with further comments from the petitioner and agreed to write back to the Cabinet Secretary to seek confirmation that the fishery will not be reopened until the results of the stock assessment have been considered.

Attachment Titles

Cover sheet

29.10.17 Correspondence - Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs to the Chair

09.11.17 Correspondence - Petitioner to the Committee

Item ID

39689

Item Title

P-04-628 To improve access to Education and services in British Sign Language

Summary

The Committee considered correspondence from the WLGA together with further comments from the petitioners and agreed to:

write to the British Association of Teachers of the Deaf (BATOD) Cymru to seek their views on the issues raised by the petition, in particular the teaching of, and through, BSL in schools; and
draw together an outline of the evidence received so that Members can decide whether to produce a report on the Committee’s consideration of the petition.

Attachment Titles

Cover sheet

07.11.17 Correspondence - Welsh Local Government Association to the Chair

15.11.17 Correspondence - Petitioner to the Committee

Item ID

39634

Item Title

Evidence session for - P-05-736 To Make Mental Health Services More Accessible

Summary

The Committee heard evidence from the petitioner, Laura Williams, and Alun Thomas, Chief Executive, Hafal.

Attachment Titles

Cover sheet

Research brief

Item ID	39822
Item Title	Motion under Standing Order 17.42 to resolve to exclude the public for the remainder of the meeting
Summary	Members agreed the motion.
Attachment Titles

Item ID	39929
Item Title	Discussion of previous evidence sessions
Summary
Attachment Titles

Item ID	39989
Item Title	P-05-736 To Make Mental Health Services More Accessible
Summary	Members considered the evidence heard in the earlier session and agreed to invite the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services to give evidence to the Committee at a future meeting.
Attachment Titles

Item ID	39987
Item Title	P-04-472 Make the MTAN law
Summary	Members considered the evidence sessions held on 3 October and 7 November in relation to this petition and P-04-575 Call in all Opencast Mining Planning Applications, and agreed to produce a report on the Committee’s consideration of both petitions.
Attachment Titles

Item ID	39988
Item Title	P-04-575 Call in All Opencast Mining Planning Applications
Summary	Members considered the evidence sessions held on 3 October and 7 November in relation to this petition and P-04-472 Make the MTan Law, and agreed to produce a report on the Committee’s consideration of both petitions.
Attachment Titles

Item ID

39928

Item Title

Consideration of summary - P-04-564 Restoration of Inpatient Beds, Minor Injuries Cover and X-Ray Unit to the Ffestiniog Memorial Hospital

Summary

Members discussed the draft summary and further amendments, and agreed to publish it once finalised.

Attachment Titles

Cover sheet

Summary