Decision details

Debates are one of the most frequent items of business on the Plenary agenda. Many types of debate are brought forward in Plenary, including:

• Opposition party debates on a topic of their choice;

Other than in the case of Government debates, the time allocated for all other types of debates and their frequency are determined by the Business Committee

The item started at 15.30

Voting on the motion and amendments under this item was deferred until Voting Time.

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM5205 William Graham (South Wales East)

The National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes that the UK Government has made support available to local authorities in England to freeze council tax for a third successive year.

2. Further notes that the Scottish Government has made support available to local authorities in Scotland to freeze council tax for 2013/2014; and that such a freeze has been in place since 2008/2009.

3. Believes local authorities have a moral imperative to spend public money with care and prudence; ensuring council tax rates are as low as possible for residents. 

4. Regrets the persistent refusal of the Welsh Government to utilise consequential funding to support local authorities to deliver a Wales-wide council tax freeze; placing communities at a disadvantage in comparison to those in England and Scotland.

5. Further regrets that, since 1997/1998, council tax bills in Wales have increased by 148 per cent and believes such crippling rises have placed undue pressure on hard-pressed households.

The motion without amendment not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

Delete point 4 and replace with:

Believes that council tax and local authority expenditure levels should be decided by local authorities, as part of a comprehensive localism agenda.

A vote was taken on Amendment 1:

Amendment 1 was agreed.

Amendment 2 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Believes that council tax is not a progressive system of taxation and calls on the Welsh Government to examine whether new powers proposed by the Silk Commission could allow it to develop a fairer system of taxation to fund local authority expenditure.

A vote was taken on Amendment 2:

Amendment 2 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM5205 William Graham (South Wales East)

The National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes that the UK Government has made support available to local authorities in England to freeze council tax for a third successive year.

2. Further notes that the Scottish Government has made support available to local authorities in Scotland to freeze council tax for 2013/2014; and that such a freeze has been in place since 2008/2009.

3. Believes local authorities have a moral imperative to spend public money with care and prudence; ensuring council tax rates are as low as possible for residents. 

4. Believes that council tax and local authority expenditure levels should be decided by local authorities, as part of a comprehensive localism agenda.

5. Further regrets that, since 1997/1998, council tax bills in Wales have increased by 148 per cent and believes such crippling rises have placed undue pressure on hard-pressed households.

As required by Standing Order 6.20 the Deputy Presiding Officer exercised his casting vote by voting against the motion, as amended. Therefore, the motion, as amended was not agreed.