Purpose

1.        The paper sets out the remit and responsibilities of the Health and Social Care Committee.

Recommendation

2.        The Committee is invited to note its remit.

Background

3.        The rules and procedures of the Senedd are laid out in Standing Orders. Standing Order 16.1 requires the Senedd to establish committees with power within their remit to:

“(i) examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the government and associated public bodies;

(ii) examine legislation;

(iii) undertake other functions specified in Standing Orders; and

(iv) consider any matter affecting Wales.”

4.        In doing this, the Business Committee has to ensure that every area of responsibility of the Welsh Government and associated public bodies, and all matters relating to the legislative competence of the Senedd and functions of the Welsh Ministers and of the Counsel General, are subject to committee scrutiny.

Committee remit

5.        The remit of this Committee, as agreed by the Senedd on 23 June 2021, is:

to examine legislation and hold the Welsh Government to account by scrutinising its expenditure, administration and policy matters, encompassing (but not restricted to): the physical, mental and public health and well-being of the people of Wales, including the social care system.

6.        Further details on the wider roles and responsibilities of Senedd committees are set out in the Business Committee’s report Sixth Senedd Committees: Titles and remits laid before the Senedd on 23 June 2021. This report states:

“As was the case in the Fifth Senedd, it is important to understand that, in the case of the policy and legislation committees, their remits are not prescriptive or restrictive. We have deliberately allowed them to remain broad and we decided not to provide a list of subjects attached to each committee. As in the previous two Seneddau, we believe that providing committees with the ability to pursue issues across portfolios and subject areas makes for better scrutiny and avoids the risk of too narrow an approach.”

7.        Notwithstanding this, an indicative list of the Ministerial responsibilities that broadly fall within the Committee’s remit is attached at Annex 1 for information.

Annex 1: Ministerial responsibilities within the Committee’s remit

§    Public health: Covid 19 response, screening and vaccination

§    NHS delivery and performance

§    Escalation procedures

§    Receipt of, response to, and direction of reports from Health Inspectorate Wales

§    Oversight of the Welsh Government’s relationship with Audit Wales regarding activities relating to the NHS

§    Medical workforce training and development [with the exception of years 1-5 of University Education for Doctors]

§    Research and development in health and social care

§    Health innovation and Digital

§    Mental health services

§    Suicide prevention

§    Dementia

§    Autism

§    Health impact of problem gambling

§    Substance misuse

§    Armed Forces and Veterans’ Health

§    Public Health: Health improvement and wellbeing services

§    Obesity strategy

§    Food Standards Agency in Wales, including food safety

§    Genetically-modified food (but not genetically-modified crops)

§    Patient experience, involvement and the citizen’s voice

§    Safeguarding

§    Policy and oversight of the provision of all social service activities of Local Authorities in Wales, including the issue of statutory guidance

§    Oversight of Social Care Wales

§    Regulation of residential, domiciliary, adult placements, foster care, under 8’s care provision and private healthcare

§    Inspection of, and reporting on, the provision of social services by Local Authorities (via Care Inspectorate Wales), including joint reviews of social services and responding to reports

8.        Matters relating to the health and social care of children and young people fall primarily within the remit of the Children, Young People and Education Committee. However, in line with the Business Committee’s view that remits are not prescriptive or restrictive, this would not prevent the Health and Social Care Committee considering matters relating children and young people.