Meetings

Business Committee considered the proposed topics and agreed to schedule the following topic on 19 November 2025:

Julie Morgan: NNDM9046 Would a wealth tax work for Wales?

Business Managers noted that this debate would mark the end of the agreed trial and would likely be the final Open Debate to be scheduled during this Senedd term.

Following the interim review conducted on 23 September, Business Managers indicated that they did not intend to undertake a further review of the format at this time. The Business Committee agreed to retain Open Debates in their current format within the relevant guidance for potential use in future Senedd terms, at the discretion of future Business Committees.

Business Committee reviewed the experience of the two open debates held to date, noted their positive views of the format and agreed not to make any adjustments ahead of the final debate to be scheduled as part of the trial.

Heledd Fychan MS declared an interest as she had tabled one of the proposals for consideration. Business Committee considered the motions and agreed to schedule the following motion on 18 June 2025:  

Heledd Fychan: NNDM8914 Arts and Culture - nice to have or integral to the future of Wales? 

Business Committee considered the motions and agreed to schedule the following motion on 19 March 2025: Carolyn Thomas: NNDM8839 Can renewables alone meet the energy needs of Wales? 

Business Committee considered and agreed the guidance for publication.

Business Committee considered the proposal and agreed that Members should table proposed topics and that they should be published at the point of tabling. The Business Committee would then select one topic for each debate, leaving unselected topics on the Record. It has been provisionally agreed that the first debate will take place on Wednesday 19 March.

Business Committee considered responses received from Members and party groups to the proposal for a trial of a new format for occasional longer-form debates and agreed to proceed with the trial. The Committee agreed:

• to return at a subsequent meeting to consider a proposal to amend Standing Order 12.19 – to enable debates to take place on the basis of topics as opposed to motions - and agree additions to guidance relating to the new format;
• to provisionally allocate the first debate for Wednesday 19 March, subject to the required change to Standing Orders and updated guidance being agreed;

• to schedule the first debate for 120 minutes, with a review of this to follow the first debate;  

• to schedule each of the debates in place of a Member Debate and a Short Debate; 

• to use the title ‘Open debate / Dadl Agored’ for the new item;

• that the following time limits for contributions should be set out in guidance: 20 minutes in total for an opening and closing contribution,  Members’ first contributions limited to eight minutes and any subsequent contributions to three minutes, and an allocation of 10 minutes to a Member speaking as a representative of the Government;
• that any Government contribution would not be made as a response to the debate;
• to return at a subsequent meeting to consider how the topic for each debate will be selected.

Business Committee considered options around the scheduling, nature and structure of a potential trial of an occasional longer-form debate to be held in Senedd Business time during 2025.

Business Committee agreed to consult with the Members of the Senedd behind the original proposal and party groups on a proposed approach to the trial, on the following basis:

• to schedule three debates on a termly basis during 2025, commencing in the spring term;
• schedule the debates for 120 minutes, primarily in place of one Member debate and one Short Debate opportunity on the Senedd business timetable, with some flexibility around committee debates if appropriate;
• debates should proceed on the basis of topics, not motions, and that therefore there would be no amendments nor a vote;
• Members would be invited to propose potential topics for selection by the Business Committee;
• Members to be facilitated to contribute on more than one occasion, with interventions also to be encouraged;
• the Member(s) who had originally proposed the motion making the opening and closing contribution, with no further stipulations on order of speakers;
• Members of the Government being able to contribute, though not in the form of a reply.

Business Committee discussed further the merits of introducing a new format for occasional extended debates to be held on Wednesday afternoons on a trial basis, following its previous consideration of correspondence from several Members.

Business Managers agreed to discuss the proposal and options presented with party groups and to return to consider a detailed proposal at a meeting early in the autumn term.

Business Committee considered a letter from Mark Drakeford, Adam Price, Jane Dodds and Paul Davies containing a proposal to trial a new occasional format for Plenary debates on Wednesdays, and agreed that the secretariat would bring forward a paper for further consideration. Business Managers expressed a desire to discuss this proposal and other possible alternatives with their groups prior to deciding whether any new approach should be trialled.