Concise Minutes - Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee

Meeting Venue:

Committee Room 2 - Senedd

Meeting date: Wednesday, 1 May 2019

Meeting time: 09.35 - 11.02
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/5485

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Attendance

Category	Names
Assembly Members:	John Griffiths AM (Chair) Mohammad Asghar (Oscar) AM Huw Irranca-Davies AM Mark Isherwood AM Jenny Rathbone AM Leanne Wood AM
Witnesses:	Ken Skates AM, Minister for Economy and Transport Simon Jones, Welsh Government Dewi Rowlands, Welsh Government
Committee Staff:	Catherine Hunt (Second Clerk) Lisa Griffiths (Deputy Clerk) Megan Jones (Researcher)

<AI1>

1 Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

1.1 The Chair welcomed Members and members of the public to the meeting.

1.2 Apologies for absence were received from Carwyn Jones AM.

</AI1>

<AI2>

2 Motion under Standing Order 17.42 to resolve to exclude the public from the meeting for items 3 and 6 of this meeting and from the meeting

2.1 The Committee agreed the motion.

</AI2>

<AI3>

3 Inquiry into the Blue Badge Scheme in Wales: Eligibility and Implementation: Feedback from focus group sessions

3.1 The Committee discussed the feedback received from the focus group sessions. 

</AI3>

<AI4>

4 Inquiry into the Blue Badge Scheme in Wales: Eligibility and Implementation: Evidence Session 5

4.1 The Committee received evidence from:

· Ken Skates, Minister for Economy and Transport

· Simon Jones, Director of Economic Infrastructure

· Dewi Rowlands, Deputy Director, Transport Policy, Planning and Partnerships

4.2 The Minister agreed:

· to provide further information on the prevalence of abuse in the blue badge scheme in Wales, including details of National Fraud Authority data that indicated that 20 per cent of blue badges are being misused across the UK;

· to provide details on local authorities’ engagement with the Welsh Government’s training workshops and toolkit for blue badge assessments; and

· to provide details on the proportion of system abuse that can be eradicated by the cleansing of invalid badges.

</AI4>

<AI5>

5 Papers to note

</AI5>

<AI6>

5.1 Letter from the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee - Making Scrutiny ‘Fit for the Future’

5.1a The Committee noted the letter from the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee regarding making scrutiny ‘Fit for the Future’

</AI6>

<AI7>

5.2 Letter from the Minister for Housing and Local Government - Prison Service Order 4650 on Prisoners’ Voting Rights

5.2a The Committee noted the letter from the Minister for Housing and Local Government regarding Prison Service Order 4650 on Prisoners’ Voting Rights.

</AI7>

<AI8>

5.3 Letter to the Minister for Health and Social Services - the Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales consultation

5.3a The Committee noted the letter to the Minister for Health and Social Services regarding the Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales consultation.

</AI8>

<AI9>

6 Inquiry into the Blue Badge Scheme in Wales: Eligibility and  Implementation: Consideration of Evidence

6.1 The Committee discussed the evidence received under item 4.

</AI9>

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