Meeting Venue:
Committee Room 1 - Senedd
Meeting date: Tuesday, 9 July 2019
Meeting time: 09.00 - 10.25
This meeting can
be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/5478
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Category |
Names |
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Assembly Members: |
Janet Finch-Saunders AM (Chair) Michelle Brown AM Mike Hedges AM Neil McEvoy AM Leanne Wood AM |
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Witnesses: |
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Committee Staff: |
Kathryn Thomas (Clerk) Ross Davies (Deputy Clerk) Samiwel Davies (Legal Adviser) |
Apologies were received from Jack Sargeant. Mike Hedges attended in his place.
As part of the Committee’s discussion under agenda item 2.2, Members agreed to review those petitions reported on and debated in Plenary, with a view to assessing the progress made against the Committee’s recommendations.
The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to:
· write back to the Deputy Minister and Chief Whip to:
o provide the detailed comments provided by the petitioners;
o seek a further response to the issues raised, in particular the concerns that older people’s experiences are often not covered by domestic abuse services or material; and
o ask the Deputy Minister what provisions are in place for older men experiencing such abuse; and
· write to the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales to seek her response to the issues raised in the petition and ask her to share further information about the work she intends to carry out to prevent the abuse of older people.
The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write back to the Minister for Economy and Transport to share the additional comments received from the petitioners, and seek a response to the points about ensuring services are accessible for people with learning disabilities and direct engagement with those affected.
The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to await the views of the petitioner on the response provided by the Llywydd and to encourage the petitioner the engage with their elected representatives to take forward legislative amendments to the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Bill.
The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to await developments around the UK’s departure from the EU before considering what further action it could take.
The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to await the outcomes of the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee’s inquiry into empty properties in Wales.
The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to await the views of the petitioner on the response received from the Minister for Education before considering whether to take further action on the petition.
The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agree to write back to the Minister for Health and Social Services to share the additional information provided by the petitioners and to ask for information about how people with learning disabilities are supported to express concerns about services or support, and to engage in self-advocacy.
The Committee considered correspondence from the Vale of Glamorgan Council and the petitioner, and agreed to :
o an update on the situation with regards to funding to complete the WelTAG Stage 2 study into transport options in Dinas Powys; and
o further background on the reasons for the decision not to progress with further work on the ‘blue route’ option.
· write to the Minister for Economy and Transport to ask what role the Welsh Government intends to have in the development of proposals to address transport issues in Dinas Powys.
The Committee considered further correspondence from the Minister for Economy and Transport and from the petitioner and agreed to close the petition, given that there appears to be little further action that it is able to take in relation to this issue. In doing so, the Committee wished to express its sincere sympathies to the petitioner and to share details of the petition with the Children, Young People and Education Committee.
The Committee considered further correspondence from the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs and from the petitioner, and agreed to write back to the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs to:
· ask for an update on the timescales for developing a code of practice for primates kept as pets; and
· express the Committee’s support for the calls to introduce a full ban on the keeping of primates as pets.
The Committee considered further correspondence from the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs and from the petitioner and agreed to:
The Committee considered correspondence from Natural Resources Wales and agreed to:
· await further views or information from the petitioner before deciding whether to take any further action on the petition; and
· seek further information on the number of licences issued by Natural Resources Wales which would allow the killing of species categorised as Red and Amber on the RSPB’s lists.
The Committee agreed to await the views of the petitioner on the response received from the Minister for Health and Social Services before considering whether to take further action on the petition. The Committee also agreed to ask the petitioner whether her planned meeting with Cwm Taf University Health Board has taken place.
The Committee considered correspondence from Vertex Pharmaceuticals and agreed to:
The Committee considered further correspondence from the Minister for Health and Social Services and agreed to seek the views of the petitioner on the response received from the Minister and particularly whether they are content with the commitment to identify a young person to act as a representative on the Group, before considering whether to take further action on the petition.
The Committee considered a Written Statement from the Minister for Health and Social Services and agreed to request time for the petition to be debated in Plenary in the autumn term, given that it received more than 5000 signatures.
The Committee considered correspondence from the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services and agreed to:
· note the actions currently being taken in response to concerns over SARC (Sexual Abuse Referral Centres) provision and the commitment to review the outcomes of the pilot project in London; and
· seek the views of the petitioner on the National Action Plan on Preventing and Responding to Child Sexual Abuse, once it’s been published
The Committee considered correspondence from the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee and agreed to close the petition given that Committee’s plans to conduct an inquiry into sepsis in the autumn term. In doing so, Members wished to thank the petitioners for bringing the petition forward.
The Committee considered further correspondence from the Minister for Education and from Qualifications Wales, and agreed to:
The Committee considered correspondence from a range of stakeholders and agreed to:
· Seek the views of supply agencies the issues raised by the petition; and once received
· use all of the evidence gathered to date to produce a report, including recommendations, on the Committee’s consideration of the petition.
The Committee considered further correspondence from the Minister for Education and from the petitioner, and agreed to await the publication of the public consultation on a revised Schools Admissions Code in autumn 2019 before considering whether any further action is required on the petition.
The Committee considered correspondence from the WLGA and from the petitioner and agreed to close the petition, given that council tax increases are a matter for local determination.
The Committee considered correspondence from the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs and from the petitioner, and agreed to:
· provide the additional information from the petitioners to:
o the Minister for Environment. Energy and Rural Affairs and ask for her response to the proposal to apply the ‘polluter pays’ principle to the costs of regulation, monitoring and breaches; and
o the Minister for Housing and Local Government in relation to the petitioners’ comments on the terms of reference for the Town & Country Planning Intensive Agriculture Working Group and await the outcomes of its work The Committee also agreed to ask the Minister what consideration she has given to the cumulative impact of planning decision and whether she will consider amending the Planning (Wales) Act 2015 to take this into account.
The Committee considered further correspondence from the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, and a joint response from the Ministers for Health and Social Services and Education and agreed to :
o ask for information over the timescale and process for refreshing the All-Wales Nutrition and Catering Standard;
o share the view of the Committee that large scale public sector catering providers should be required to provide a vegan and vegetarian option on their menus and other public sector caterers should be required to provide a reason for opting out; and
o ask what consideration had been given to legislation in this area.
Mike Hedges declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:
His daughter is currently studying Welsh in university.
The Committee considered further correspondence from the Minister for International Relations and the Welsh Language and agreed to write back to the Minister to ask for further details on her plans now and in the future relating to the numbers of:
· people who will be trained to teach Welsh; and
· free and affordable places for Welsh learners.
The motion was agreed
The Committee agreed the draft report subject to the inclusion of some additional recommendations.