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 16.28.

 

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

 

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

 

NDM5016 Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Believes that:

 

a) there is no room for complacency in delivering maternity and neonatal  services across Wales;

 

b) it is the responsibility of the Welsh Government to hold Local Health Boards to account through a meaningful mechanism for monitoring the quality of maternity and neonatal care across Wales;

 

c) there are new challenges facing Wales and that the social and economic context in which maternity and neonatal services operate is constantly changing;

 

d) every woman in Wales, irrespective of her location, social background, circumstances or ethnicity, should have access to, and receive, safe high quality maternity and neonatal care;

 

e) there has been a lack of significant improvement in maternity and neonatal Services since 1999; and

 

f) that the current statistics for neo-natal and maternity services are unacceptable.

 

2. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

 

a) provide strong, strategic leadership to Local Health Boards throughout Wales to ensure that maternity and neonatal services improve;

 

b) ensure that any review of neo-natal services undertaken by Local Health Boards are endorsed by the Neonatal Network to ensure that any proposals do not compromise the provision of a comprehensive All-Wales service; and

 

c) ensure that any review of maternity services undertaken by Local Health Boards are endorsed by the All Wales Implementation Group to ensure that any proposals do not compromise the provision of a comprehensive All-Wales service.

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
4	0	41	45

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

 

Delete sub-points 1e and 1f.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
23	7	15	45

Amendment 1 was agreed.

 

Amendment 2 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

 

Add as new sub-point at end of point 2:

 

undertake long term work force planning to ensure sufficient specialist staff are available for neonatal services throughout the country.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
45	0	0	45

Amendment 2 was agreed.

 

Amendment 3 - William Graham (South Wales East)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Notes the Welsh Government’s record-breaking cuts to the Welsh National Health Service budget and that these have the potential to jeopardise any attempts to improve maternity and neonatal services across Wales.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 3:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
12	0	33	45

Amendment 3 was not agreed.

 

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

 

NDM5016 Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Believes that:

 

a) there is no room for complacency in delivering maternity and neonatal  services across Wales;

 

b) it is the responsibility of the Welsh Government to hold Local Health Boards to account through a meaningful mechanism for monitoring the quality of maternity and neonatal care across Wales;

 

c) there are new challenges facing Wales and that the social and economic context in which maternity and neonatal services operate is constantly changing; and

 

d) every woman in Wales, irrespective of her location, social background, circumstances or ethnicity, should have access to, and receive, safe high quality maternity and neonatal care.

 

2. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

 

a) provide strong, strategic leadership to Local Health Boards throughout Wales to ensure that maternity and neonatal services improve;

 

b) ensure that any review of neo-natal services undertaken by Local Health Boards are endorsed by the Neonatal Network to ensure that any proposals do not compromise the provision of a comprehensive All-Wales service;

 

c) ensure that any review of maternity services undertaken by Local Health Boards are endorsed by the All Wales Implementation Group to ensure that any proposals do not compromise the provision of a comprehensive All-Wales service; and

 

d) undertake long term work force planning to ensure sufficient specialist staff are available for neonatal services throughout the country.

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
45	0	0	45

The motion as amended was agreed.