Concise Minutes - Petitions Committee

Meeting Venue:

Committee Room 1 - Senedd

Meeting date: Tuesday, 2 April 2019

Meeting time: 09.00 - 10.17
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/5290

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Attendance

Category	Names
Assembly Members:	Janet Finch-Saunders AM (Chair) Mike Hedges AM Neil McEvoy AM Leanne Wood AM
Witnesses:	Kirsty Williams AM, Minister for Education Neil Welch, Welsh Government
Committee Staff:	Graeme Francis (Clerk) Ross Davies (Deputy Clerk) Kathryn Thomas (Deputy Clerk) Samiwel Davies (Legal Adviser) Sian Hughes (Researcher)

<AI1>

1 Introduction, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

</AI1>

<AI2>

2 Evidence Session P-05-805 Fair Deal For Supply Teachers

The Committee heard evidence from the Minister for Education and Neil Welch.

</AI2>

<AI3>

3 New petitions

</AI3>

<AI4>

3.1 P-05-868 Water Safety/Drowning Prevention and the effects of Cold Water Shock to be taught in all Schools in Wales

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write back to the Welsh Government to provide the further information submitted by the petitioners and ask for its views in response to the proposals made, including for a Water Safety Plan for Wales.

</AI4>

<AI5>

3.2 P-05-870 Let’s Get Every Young Heart Screened (Age 10-35)

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write back to the Minister for Health and Social Services to ask for details of current Welsh Government and NHS Wales policy and actions in relation to identifying undiagnosed heart conditions amongst young people.

</AI5>

<AI6>

3.3 P-05-871 Make baby and toddler changing available in both male/female toilets

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write back to the Deputy Minister and Chief Whip to:

· share the petitioner’s comments, and seek clarification about the reference made within design standards to baby changing provisions not being provided in ‘unisex’ toilets;

· ask what analysis the Welsh Government intends to do of the local toilet strategies produced by local authorities;

· ask whether the Welsh Government has held any discussions with the private sector, or representative bodies, over the provision of changing facilities in premises open to the public; and 

· ask for information about relevant actions carried out following the Health and Social Care Committee’s 2012 inquiry Public health implications of inadequate public toilet facilities.

</AI6>

<AI7>

3.4 P-05-872 Protect school funding or admit to the weakening of service provision

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to the Children, Young People and Education Committee to share details of the petition in relation to their current inquiry into school funding, and keep a watching brief during the course of that Committee’s inquiry.

</AI7>

<AI8>

4 Updates to previous petitions

</AI8>

<AI9>

4.1 P-05-732 Unacceptable Waiting Times for NHS patients in A & E Wrecsam/Wrexham Maelor Hospital

The Committee considered correspondence from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and agreed to accept their offer of a further update on developments in six months.

</AI9>

<AI10>

4.2 P-05-797 Ensure access to the cystic fibrosis medicine, Orkambi, as a matter of urgency

The Committee considered further correspondence on the petition and agreed to keep a watching brief on developments in Wales and across the UK. The Committee also agreed to write to the Minister for Health and Social Services to ask for his view on the possibility of issuing a Crown licence pursuant to provisions contained within the Patents Act 1977 to potentially make use of the patent for Orkambi without the authorisation of the patent holder, if the current impasse in discussions cannot be resolved.

</AI10>

<AI11>

4.3 P-05-804 We need Welsh Government funding for play!!

The Committee considered further correspondence and agreed to write back to the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services to ask her to consider adding to guidance which accompanies future grants for play to ensure that local voluntary organisations receive sufficient benefit from such funding.

</AI11>

<AI12>

4.4 P-05-857 Create a national task force for children’s mental health

The Committee considered further correspondence and agreed to keep a watching brief on this subject in light of the ongoing scrutiny being carried out by the Children, Young People and Education Committee following its Mind over Matter report and the existence of the Joint Ministerial Task & Finish Group.

</AI12>

<AI13>

4.5 P-05-759 Re-open the Cwmcarn Forest Drive at Easter 2018

The Committee considered further correspondence from Natural Resources Wales and the petitioners and agreed to close the petition in light of NRW’s intention to reopen the Forest Drive in spring 2020.

</AI13>

<AI14>

4.6 P-05-801 Save the trees and ground in Roath Mill and Roath Brook Gardens before it's too late

The Committee considered further correspondence from Natural Resources Wales and agreed to keep a watching brief on the issue and request an update in six months’ time.

</AI14>

<AI15>

4.7 P-05-815 Control Rapidly Expanding Intensive Poultry Industry in Wales

The Committee considered further correspondence and agreed to write back to the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs to:

· ask for a list of the membership of the working group and confirmation of its title and final terms of reference;

· propose that the group’s membership should include representation from environmental organisations and/or independent scientist(s); and

· seek further information about the interaction between this strand of work and the Intensive Agriculture Health Working Group.

</AI15>

<AI16>

4.8 P-05-825 Protect children's lungs from harmful pollution whilst at school

The Committee considered further correspondence and agreed to:

· write to other groups such as Natural Resources Wales, Public Health Wales and the Health & Safety Executive to seek their views on the petition; and

· request a legal paper clarifying the legal powers of the commissioners.

</AI16>

<AI17>

4.9 P-05-750 For single use items: introduce a Deposit Return System for drink containers and make fast food containers and utensils compostable

The Committee considered the petition alongside P-05-803 and P-05-829, and agreed to await the outcome of the relevant joint consultations being held by the UK and Welsh Governments, before considering whether it should take further action on the petitions.

</AI17>

<AI18>

4.10 P-05-803 Our natural world is being poisoned by single use plastics...it’s time to introduce a tax!

The Committee considered the petition alongside P-05-750 and P-05-829, and agreed to await the outcome of the relevant joint consultations being held by the UK and Welsh Governments, before considering whether it should take further action on the petitions.

</AI18>

<AI19>

4.11 P-05-829 Ban Single Use Plastic Items in Wales

The Committee considered the petition alongside P-05-750 and P-05-803, and agreed to await the outcome of the relevant joint consultations being held by the UK and Welsh Governments, before considering whether it should take further action on the petitions.

</AI19>

<AI20>

4.12 P-05-862 Tackling school bullying

The Committee considered further correspondence and agreed to:

· write back to the Minister for Education to request a response to the specific proposal made by the petitioner for a Wales-wide anti-bullying framework, containing strengthened legal requirements for schools, and relating to recording incidents of bullying in particular; and

· write to the Welsh Youth Parliament to make them aware of the current petition and to seek their views on the topic of bullying in schools.

</AI20>

<AI21>

4.13 P-05-793 Hi speed broadband to Llangenny village

The Committee considered further correspondence and agreed that, whilst it had great sympathy with the residents of Llangenny over this issue, it would close the petition at this point as it does not seem possible to make further progress in relation to broadband services in Llangenny at this time.

</AI21>

<AI22>

5 Motion under Standing Order 17.42 to resolve to exclude the public from the meeting for the following business:

</AI22>

<AI23>

6 Discussion of Previous Evidence Session

The Committee considered the evidence provided by the Minister for Education and agreed to:

· write to other organisations such as the WLGA, NUT, NASUWT and NAHT for their views on the topic of the petition; and

· seek the views of the petitioner on the evidence provided by the Minister.

</AI23>

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