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 16.12

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

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM5939 Elin Jones (Ceredigion)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Believes that closing the prosperity gap with the rest of the UK should be a priority for the Welsh Government;

2. Notes Plaid Cymru's long-term economic plan as a means to drive sustainable economic growth to include establishing a new trade body, a national bank of Wales, and a national infrastructure commission; and

3. Supports a successful and sustainable future for foundation industries, in particular, the steel industry.

For	Abstain	Against	Total
9	0	39	48

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 - Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Insert as new point 1 and re-number accordingly:

Regrets that, since 1999, successive Welsh Government administrations have failed to address closing the prosperity gap effectively.

A vote was taken on Amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
16	0	32	48

Amendment 1 was not agreed.

Amendment 2 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

Delete point 2 and replace with:

Believes in the importance of delivering a balanced, integrated, export-led economic strategy that addresses Wales's underdevelopment and the need for a Welsh development bank to support a long-term commitment to investing in Wales's people, business and infrastructure.

A vote was taken on Amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
28	0	20	48

Amendment 2 was agreed.

As Amendment 2 was agreed, amendment 3 was de-selected

Amendment 4 - Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Insert a new point 3 and renumber accordingly:

Acknowledges that the policies detailed in 'Destination Cymru', 'Invest Wales' and 'A Vision for the Welsh High Street' will deliver sustainable economic and social development throughout Wales.

A vote was taken on Amendment 4:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
11	0	37	48

Amendment 4 was not agreed.

Amendment 5 - Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Insert a new point 3 and renumber accordingly:

Acknowledges that a successful and sustainable future for the steel industry requires:

a) action from the European Union to deal with Chinese dumping of steel;

b) continued action from the UK Government to deal with Labour's legacy of high energy prices;

c) business rate relief to be brought forward by the Welsh Government;

d) minimum steel standards for public sector procurement;

e) a package of support for staff set to lose their jobs.

A vote was taken on Amendment 5:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
15	0	33	48

Amendment 5 was not agreed.

Amendment 6 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

Insert at end of point 3:

'and calls for the scrapping of business rates on plant and machinery and the establishment of an urban regeneration company for Port Talbot.'

A vote was taken on Amendment 6:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
15	0	33	48

Amendment 6 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM5939 Elin Jones (Ceredigion)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Believes that closing the prosperity gap with the rest of the UK should be a priority for the Welsh Government;

2. Believes in the importance of delivering a balanced, integrated, export-led economic strategy that addresses Wales's underdevelopment and the need for a Welsh development bank to support a long-term commitment to investing in Wales's people, business and infrastructure; and

3. Supports a successful and sustainable future for foundation industries, in particular, the steel industry.

For	Abstain	Against	Total
36	0	11	47

The motion as amended was agreed.