Meetings

Business Committee agreed the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee’s request for its Members to be excused from Plenary on Wednesday 22 November in order to undertake committee business in Edinburgh.

Jane Dodds registered her concern with committees taking internal flights in light of the climate emergency.

Business Committee agreed the request for the Equality and Social Justice Committee to meet earlier than its scheduled meeting time on 4 December, in order to facilitate an evidence session with the Minister for Social Justice and Chief Whip.

Business Committee considered and agreed the Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee’s request for its Members to be excused from Plenary on Wednesday 15 November 2023 in order to undertake committee business in Brussels.

Business Committee agreed to the Llywydd’s Committee’s request to meet on the morning of Tuesday 7 November 2023. Business Committee also agreed that the Committee should continue to request alternative meeting slots as and when it needs to meet outside of its allocated meeting slot. 

Business Committee agreed to the Petitions Committee’s request to hold a debate on petition P-06-1345 on 18 October 2023, and for a debate to be scheduled on petition P-06-1356 at a later date.

Business Committee agreed to the Covid-19 Inquiry Special Purpose Committee meeting on the dates and times requested during the autumn 2023 term.

Business Committee considered the Reform Bill Committee’s proposals for amending the timetable for scrutiny of the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill. Business Committee accepted the changes proposed to the Stage 1 and Stage 2 deadlines and subsequently agreed a revised timetable for the Bill.

Business Committee also agreed to allocate the Reform Bill Committee the permanent meeting slot it had requested, noting that it would be for the Committee to decide how the meeting time provided should be used.

Business Committee agreed the request for the committees to hold a joint debate on their reports relating to care experienced children and young people, with the resulting change to the title for the debate to be reflected on the Business Statement and Announcement. Business Committee also noted that:

• the motion for debate would propose that the Senedd notes both committees’ reports; and

• speaking allocations would be adjusted to provide the Chair of the Petitions Committee with an additional two minutes in recognition that he will be introducing the Petitions Committee report, and the Government with an additional two minutes to respond to the debate.

Business Committee considered and agreed the request for the Committee to meet for the first time on Tuesday 11 July.

The Llywydd informed Business Managers that a draft report containing the proposed Temporary Standing Orders relating to the co-chairing arrangements for the Committee will be presented at the next Business Committee meeting.

Business Committee considered and agreed a request for Committee Members to leave Plenary early on 12 July in order to undertake Committee business in Holyhead.

Business Committee discussed the practical, procedural and legal implications arising from the appointment of Co-Chairs to the Wales Covid-19 Inquiry Special Purpose Committee.

The Committee agreed in principle that:

• a protocol should be agreed between the Co-Chairs outlining how they will approach their joint procedural and operational/practical functions in practice;
• a Temporary Standing Order for the Covid Special Purpose Committee should be prepared to cover matters that require new provision or clarification in Standing Orders.

Business Committee considered several issues for inclusion within a Temporary Standing Order and agreed in principle that it should include provisions stating that:

·         references in Standing Orders to a “chair” of a committee be interpreted to mean “co-chair” of the Covid Special Purpose Committee;

·         the functions of chairs of committees outlined in Standing Orders must be exercised jointly by the Co-Chairs of the Covid Special Purpose Committee;

·         a protocol must be agreed between the Co-Chairs setting out their joint ways of working;

·         the co-chairing arrangement can comprise no more than two individual Members.

Business Committee considered the impact that a vacancy in one of the two Co-Chairs’ positions would have and concluded that each Co-Chair holds their position independently of the other and this should be covered within the Temporary Standing Order.

Business Committee also considered the impact of a temporary absence of one, or both, of its Co-Chairs, including the arrangements for temporary chairing. They discussed whether a temporary Co-Chair should be appointed from the same group as the absent Co-Chair, and agreed in principle that details of   the practical and operational issues arising from a temporary absence should be considered during the development of a protocol between the Co-Chairs. 

Business Committee also agreed that the proposed Temporary Standing Order should expire if either the Covid Special Purpose Committee is dissolved by a Senedd resolution, or at dissolution of the Sixth Senedd, whichever is the earliest.

Business Managers agreed that they would discuss these matters with the Co-Chairs of the Covid Special Purpose Committee and return to consider a draft Temporary Standing Order at a future meeting, with a view to proposing it to the Senedd prior to the summer recess.

They also agreed to share with the Independent Remuneration Board any relevant procedural details to inform its decisions on matters relating to the Co-Chairs’ remuneration.

Business Committee considered and agreed a request for Committee Members to leave Plenary early on Wednesday 21 June in order to undertake Committee engagement work.

Business Committee considered matters relating to the establishment of a Wales Covid-19 Inquiry Special Purpose Committee. Business Committee agreed to propose that the Committee should be comprised of three Labour, two Conservative and one Plaid Cymru member, including Co-Chairs.

Business Committee agreed to propose under Standing Order 17.2T to disapply the process for electing a Chair to the Committee, and to propose that Co-Chairs be appointed. It was agreed that the Co-Chairs would be Members of the Labour and Conservative groups and should be gender-balanced. Business Committee noted that the concept of Co-Chairs was novel for the Senedd.

Business Committee requested that motion(s) required to give effect to their decision be drafted, with a view to a suspension of Standing Orders being proposed to enable the Committee to be established on Wednesday 24 May. The Llywydd advised that consideration of the practical, procedural and legal implications of Co-Chairs would also be undertaken. 

Business Committee agreed to return to discuss the timetabling of meetings of the Committee at a later date.

Business Committee approved a request from the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee to undertake a visit to Brussels during the final week of the summer recess.

Business Committee agreed the request from the Standards of Conduct Committee for it to have the flexibility to meet on Monday mornings when it does not have a timetabled meeting slot when required.

Business Committee agreed to a request for Members of the Local Government and Housing Committee to leave Plenary early on 7 June in order to undertake Committee business in Edinburgh. The Committee also agreed a request for Mabon ap Gwynfor MS to not attend Plenary on 6 and 7 June due to his attendance at the International Social Housing Festival in Barcelona as part of the Committee’s work into Social Housing Supply.

Business Committee considered and agreed the request for Members of the Committee to be excused from Plenary on 26 April 2023.

Business Committee agreed to a request from the Chairs’ Forum to revise the meeting slot allocated to it, from the last Thursday of each half-term to the last available Monday morning of each half-term (when there is no clash with either the Equality and Social Justice Committee or the Senedd Commission).

Business Committee considered a request from the Petitions Committee for a debate on petition P-06-1302 - Protect Mid-Wales’ unique Cambrian Mountains: designate them an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which received 20,889 signatures, and agreed to schedule a 30 minute debate on Wednesday 30 November.  

Business Committee agreed the Petitions Committee’s request for a debate on petition P-06-1277 Save A&E. Withybush General Hospital must retain 24 hour, 7 days a week, Consultant Led urgent care, to be scheduled on 29 June.

Business Committee agreed the request to allow Members of the Committee to be excused from Plenary on Wednesday 15 June, in order to travel to Scotland to attend the inaugural meeting of the Interparliamentary Finance Committee Forum.

Business Committee agreed to return to a further discussion about its role in relation to considering requests for Members to be absent from Plenary due to committee business at a future meeting.

Business Committee agreed the Petitions Committee’s request for a debate on petition P-06-1249 Provide a clinical pathway, medical care, and specialists for people with Tourette’s syndrome in Wales to be scheduled on 25 May. 

Business Committee agreed the request for Members of the Special Purpose Committee on Senedd Reform to be excused from Plenary from 15.30 on 27 April.

Business Committee noted the letter.

Business Committee agreed to schedule a debate on petition P-05-949 Save Cowbridge Intermediate School for Girls on Wednesday 16 February 2022.

Business Committee agreed to refer the Memorandum of Understanding to the Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee and the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee for consideration and comment.  Officials were asked to liaise with Welsh Government about the timetable for this work.

Business Committee agreed to give permission for Members of the Culture, Communication, Welsh Language, Sport and International Relations Committee to leave Plenary early on Wednesday 9 February 2022.

Business Managers requested that further information on the current status of decisions relating to the future of the building be provided before they reach a decision on whether to agree to schedule a debate.

Business Committee agreed to schedule a joint committee debate by the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee and the Equality and Social Justice Committee on scrutiny of national implementation of the Well-Being of Future Generations Act (2015).

The Trefnydd highlighted that the government statement referred to in the letter was additional to, and not instead of, a response to the report on this subject published by the Public Accounts Committee at the end of the Fifth Senedd.

Business Committee agreed to schedule a debate on the petition ‘P-06-1208 New laws to protect rare red squirrels from habitat loss which causes population decline’.

Business Committee provisionally agreed the request for the Committee to meet on 21 October, subject to confirmation of the membership of the Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister.

Business Committee provisionally agreed the following requests from the committee for additional meeting slots:

·         Wednesday 20 October 2021;

·         Thursday 18 November 2021; and

·         Wednesday 15 December 2021.

Business Committee also agreed that committees should aim to make termly requests for additional meeting slots, where possible.

Business Committee agreed to schedule the debate on the petition.

Business Committee agreed its response to the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee to outline their approach to recommendations made by Public Accounts Committee of the Fifth Senedd.

Business Committee considered timetable requests from a number of committees and the impact of the Official Opening on Senedd business, noted the letters from the Health and Social Care and Culture, Communication, Welsh Language, Sport and International Relations Committees, and agreed to the following actions:

·         Finance Committee – additional meetings on Friday 8 October AM, Monday 18 October AM, Friday 19 November AM and Wednesday 22 December AM;

·         Children, Young People, and Education Committee – additional meetings on Monday 18 October AM and either Monday 13 December AM or Friday 17 December AM and/or PM;

·         Llywydd’s committee – an additional meeting on Monday 11 October AM;

·         Equality and Social Justice Committee – an additional meeting on Wednesday 20 October AM;

·         Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee – an alternative meeting slot on Wednesday 20 October AM;

·         Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee – an alternative meeting slot on Monday 18 October PM or on Friday 22 October (AM and/or PM);

·         Standards Committee - flexibility to meet on Tuesday AM if required to consider a complaint; and

·         Petitions Committee - permanent move from a Monday AM slot to a Monday PM slot.

Business Committee noted the letter and agreed to a continuation of the previous arrangements in relation to petitions being debated in plenary.

Business Committee noted that Legal Advice Notes will be prepared to help inform debates on 26 May on motions to approve made affirmative statutory instruments and agreed in principle to the establishment of an interim committee for the scrutiny of statutory instruments under Standing Order 21.

Business Committee agreed to establish an interim Statutory Instruments Committee with four members (including the Chair), with one member from the Labour Group, one from the Conservative group and one from the Plaid Cymru group, plus the Deputy Presiding Officer as Chair. Business Committee agreed to table the relevant motions for consideration in Plenary on 26 May.