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Petitions Committee |
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Meeting Venue: |
Committee Room 1 - Senedd |
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Meeting date: |
Tuesday, 1 November 2011 |
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Meeting time: |
09:10 - 10:50 |
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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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Rhodri Glyn Thomas Mike Clark, Hijinx Theatre Hill, Hijinx Theatre Steve Matthews, PCS Union Graham Warlow, Coastguard campaign Gaynor Lougher, Hijinx Theatre |
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Committee Staff: |
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Abigail Phillips (Clerk) Sarita Marshall (Deputy Clerk) Helen Roberts (Legal Advisor) Rachel O'Toole |
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1. Introduction, apologies and substitutions
The Chair welcomed Committee Members and members of the public.
There were no apologies.
2. New petitions
2.1 P-04-339 Enforcement of Animal Welfare Standards in the Puppy Farming Industry in South West Wales
The Committee agreed to await a response from the Minister and to defer consideration of the issue until the call for evidence has closed.
2.2 P-04-340 Create an Enterprise Zone in Newport
The Committee agreed to ask the relevant constituency and regional Members to consider raising the issue in Plenary.
The Clerk to provide Committee with details of the Minister’s response to the point recently raised by Eluned Parrott on this issue in Plenary.
3. P-03-317 Hijinx funding for arts - oral evidence session
The petitioners gave a presentation on the issue with support from Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM, and answered questions from the Committee.
4. P-04-328 MCA modernising coastguard proposals - oral evidence session
The petitioners gave a presentation on the issue, and answered questions from the Committee.
5. Discussion of oral evidence
5.1 P-03-317 Hijinx Funding for Arts
The Committee agreed to:
write to the Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee to request that a task and finish group be established to review the implementation of the Report on Accessibility of Arts and Cultural Activities in Wales recommendations accepted by the Minister;
write to the Minister for Finance and Leader of the House, as the Minister responsible for equality of opportunity, seeking her view on the issues raised by the petition;
write to the Minister for Housing, Regeneration and Heritage to enquire how he will decide on the priorities set out in future remit letters to the Arts Council of Wales and whether Members could have an input into that.
5.2 P-04-328 MCA Modernising Coastguard Proposals
The Committee agreed to:
write to tourism bodies and operators in the Gower and Snowdonia and to the four Regional Tourism Partnerships on this issue;
write to the Minister to ask whether the Government would be willing to undertake a risk assessment of the safety of tourists in coastal areas in the context of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency proposals for the future of coastguard stations in Wales;
produce an interim report on the subject, using the evidence collated as part of the Committee’s consideration of the issue;
write to the UK Government to enquire how the proposals relating to Wales were arrived at and expressing concern about the potential impact on the safety of tourists in Wales;
write to Pembrokeshire Tourism Association , and the north, mid, south west and south east tourism organisations , and the National Parks of Wales to seek their view on the issues raised by the petition.
6. Updates to previous petitions
6.1 P-03-288 National Strategy on Independent Living
The Committee agreed to close the petition.
6.2 P-03-308 Save Gwent Theatre
The Committee agreed to write to the Auditor General for Wales asking for the issue to be included in his forward work programme for future consideration.
6.3 P-03-311 Spectacle Theatre
The Committee agreed to write to the Auditor General for Wales asking for the issue to be included in his forward work programme for future consideration.
6.4 P-03-314 Save Theatr Powys & Mid Powys Youth
The Committee agreed to write to the Auditor General for Wales asking for the issue to be included in his forward work programme for future consideration.
6.5 P-03-261 Local Solutions to Newtown Traffic
The Committee agreed to invite the Minister for Local Government and Communities to give evidence to the Committee in relation to these petitions.
6.6 P-04-319 Newtown Traffic Petition
The Committee agreed to invite the Minister for Local Government and Communities to give evidence to the Committee in relation to these petitions.
6.7 P-04-321 Arriva Trains Wales services between South West and South East Wales
The Committee agreed to close the petition but to ask the Minister for Local Government and Communities to keep the situation under review.
6.8 P-03-310 Policies to Help Pupils' Needs and Rights
The Committee agreed to:
Forward the petition and relating correspondence to the consultation on the Schools and Standards (Wales) Bill;
Close the petition, but notify the petitioner that should the consultation not address her concerns, the Committee would be happy to consider a reworded petition.
6.9 P-04-323 Save our Small Schools from Closure
Forward the petition and relating correspondence to the consultation on the Schools and Standards (Wales) Bill;
Close the petition, but notify the petitioner that should the consultation not address her concerns, the Committee would be happy to consider a reworded petition.
6.10 P-03-153 Body Piercing
The Committee agreed to close the petition.
6.11 P-03-292 Public Toilet Provision
The Committee agreed to write to the petitioner explaining that the Health and Social Services Committee and the Enterprise and Business Committee will consider this issue, and then close the petition.
6.12 P-03-318 Cross Border Maternity Services
The Committee agreed to write to the Chief Executive of Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust on this issue, and to the Minister for Health and Social Services, encouraging her to make representations to the Secretary of State for Health in England in relation to the issue.
7. Papers to note
7.1 P-03-222 National Osteoporosis Society
These papers were noted by the committee.
7.2 P-03-302 Compost Processing Plant
These papers were noted by the committee.
Transcript
View the meeting transcript.