Meetings

Business Committee considered the proposed motions for debate and agreed to schedule the following proposal on 24 April:

Janet Finch-Saunders

NNDM8504 

To propose that the Senedd: 

1. Notes a proposal for a Bill that would make provisions for targets to strengthen food security in Wales.  

2. Notes that the purpose of the Bill would be to create a duty for the Welsh Government to set targets to improve food security in Wales. 

Business Committee considered the proposed motions for debate and agreed to schedule the following proposal on 31 January: 

Mabon ap Gwynfor

NNDM8434

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes a proposal for a Bill to establish structured oversight of NHS managers, in the form of a regulatory body.

2. Notes that the purpose of the Bill would be to:

a) establish a professional regulatory body for NHS Wales to define the professional standards expected of NHS Wales managers and be a place of recourse for those who feel that those standards have not been met by any one individual NHS Wales manager, and which would have the power to warn, sanction or strike off any NHS Wales manager from its maintained register;

b) define what an NHS Wales manager is and maintain a register of NHS Wales managers;

c) require all NHS managers to be registered with the professional regulatory body.

Business Committee considered the proposed motions for debate and agreed to schedule the following proposal on 13 December 2023:

Jack Sargeant

NNDM8419

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes a proposal for a Bill on the further regulation of debt collectors in Wales.

2. Notes the purpose of the Bill would be to:

a) place a duty on public service providers to only use debt collectors who sign up to a code of conduct that protects vulnerable people in a cost-of-living crisis;

b) introduce a Wales-wide code of conduct for all debt collection agents registered in Wales; and

c) further empower local trading standards authorities to take action against agents who mislead residents about their powers and residents rights.

And the following proposal for 17 January 2024:

Delyth Jewell

NNDM8370

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes a proposal for a Bill on climate assurance for children and young people.

2. Notes that the purpose of this Bill would be to:

a) amend the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021 to ensure the school curriculum includes an understanding of the severity and urgency of the climate crisis and ecological emergency as a key concept across all areas of learning and experience;

b) ensure the curriculum reflects the urgency and necessity of tackling the climate crisis and protecting the ecological environment;

c) ensure that such teaching is not confined to traditional subjects that cover this area, but is embedded across all areas of learning and experience;

d) recognise the importance of subliminal learning and promote a sustainable environment in which learning can take place; and

e) begin to address climate anxiety amongst children and young people

Business Committee considered the proposed motions for debate and agreed to schedule the following proposal on 11 October:

Peredur Owen Griffiths

NNDM8368

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes a proposal for a Bill to promote responsible dog ownership.

2. Notes that the purpose of the Bill would be to:

a) promote community safety following an increasing number of serious dog attacks across Wales including some tragic fatalities;

b) introduce guidance and regulations for anyone wishing to own certain dog breeds, whereby owners have to fulfil certain criteria to own a potentially dangerous dog;

c) consult with stakeholders to establish a definition of a potentially dangerous dog;

d) place a duty on local authorities to set up partnerships to administer the regulations and achieve a consistent pan-Wales approach; and

e) promote local and national initiatives aimed at improving animal welfare, improving public awareness and educating the public on responsible dog ownership. 

Business Committee also agreed to schedule the following proposal on 15 November:

Jenny Rathbone

NNDM8366

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes a proposal for a Bill that would prevent the sale of single-use vapes.

2. Notes that the purpose the Bill would be to:

a) remove from sale all single-use vapes;

b) meet Wales’s global responsibilities under the Well-being of Future Generations Act;

c) address the fact that single use vapes are a danger to public health;

d) protect future generations from health problems including damaged lungs; and

e) end the use of lithium in single-use products.

Business Committee considered the proposed motions and agreed to schedule the following motion for debate on 21 June:

Adam Price

NNDM8293 

To propose that the Senedd:  

1. Notes a proposal for a Bill on the introduction of a civic duty to vote. 

2. Notes that the purpose of this Bill would be to: 

a) to seek to emulate the success of other democracies that have introduced a civic duty to vote in increasing levels of voter turnout at elections and thereby improving the level of engagement and representativeness across all ages, classes and communities; 

b) to introduce a civic duty for all those eligible to vote to participate in Senedd and county council elections; 

c) to allow those wishing to indicate their dissatisfaction with a candidate, party or politics more broadly to so by means of a positive abstention option on the ballot paper; 

d) to allow for the introduction of an appropriate sanction for non-compliance with the civic obligation to vote or positively abstain, with legitimate exemptions; and 

e) to provide for the introduction of a pilot phase for the introduction of the duty on an age-specific basis. 

Business Committee considered the proposed motion for debate and agreed to schedule it on 17 May: 

Janet Finch-Saunders 

NNDM8230 

To propose that the Senedd:  

1. Notes a proposal for a Bill to ensure that high-rise building developers are responsible for safety issues.  

2. Notes that the purpose of this Bill would be to:  

a) create a duty on developers to refund leaseholders for reasonable costs accrued due to building safety issues; and  

b) prohibit any developer who refuses to remediate the fire safety defects on buildings they developed from being awarded planning permission for any new developments in Wales.  

Business Committee considered the proposed motions for debate and agreed to schedule the following motion on 29 March: 

Tom Giffard

NNDM8232

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes a proposal to create a Wales tourism Bill.

2. Notes that the purpose of this Bill would be to:

a) revoke the Wales Tourist Board (Transfer of Functions to the National Assembly for Wales and Abolition) Order 2005;

b) create a new board of tourism for Wales;

c) transfer the functions of Visit Wales and associated Welsh Government powers to the new board, including but not exclusive to:

i) encouraging people to visit Wales and people living in Wales and the United Kingdom to take their holidays there;

ii) encouraging the provision and improvement of tourist amenities and facilities in Wales;

iii) promotion of publicity;

iv) provision of advisory and information services; and

v) establishment of committees to advise it in the performance of its functions.

Business Committee considered the motions tabled and agreed to schedule the following motion for debate on 25 January:

Rhun ap Iorwerth

NNDM8155

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes a proposal for a Bill on digital carbon footprint reduction.

2. Notes that the purpose of this Bill would be to:

a) respond to the need to be more efficient in our use of digital in Wales, as part of the effort to reach net zero, specifically in relation to the use of energy to run digital platforms;

b) include a strategy to deal with data that is created, stored and processed in a more energy efficient way;

c) set targets for ensuring that data centres run in the most efficient manner, including through the use of renewable energy sources, thereby supporting the development of a green data sector in Wales;

d) ensure that sustainability is the basis of all decisions made when public bodies deal with data;

e) encourage innovation to help decarbonise and reach national net-zero objectives.

Business Committee considered the motions tabled and agreed to schedule the following motion for debate on 7 December:

NNDM8093

Mark Isherwood

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes a proposal for a Bill that would make provision to encourage the use of British Sign Language (BSL) in Wales, and improve access to education and services in BSL.

2. Notes that the purpose of the Bill would be to:

a) remove the barriers that exist for deaf people and their families in education, health, public services, support services and in the workplace;

b) strengthen the seven well-being goals of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 as they relate to BSL;

c) work towards ensuring that deaf people who use BSL are not treated less favourably than those who speak Welsh or English;

d) ensure that deaf communities have a voice in the design and delivery of services to ensure they meet their needs;

e) establish a BSL Commissioner who will:

(i) formulate BSL standards;.

(ii) establish a BSL advisory panel;

(iii) produce reports every five years in BSL, Welsh and English on the position of BSL in that period;

(iv) provide guidance and a process for public bodies to promote and facilitate BSL in their respective domains;

f) establish a procedure for the investigation of complaints;

g) require public bodies to report on their progress in promoting and facilitating BSL through their Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 reporting cycle;

h) place a duty on the Welsh Government to prepare and publish an annual BSL report describing what Welsh Government departments have done to promote the use of BSL.

Business Committee agreed to schedule the following motion for debate on Wednesday 26 October 2022: 

NNDM8108 Sioned Williams

To propose that the Senedd: 

1. Notes a proposal for a take-up of benefits Bill

2. Notes that the purpose of the Bill would be to: 

a) ensure that more money ends up in Welsh people’s pockets by increasing take up of Welsh and local authority support payments;

b) place a duty on all public sector organisations to maximise take-up of Welsh and local authority benefits;

c) require public bodies to streamline and make consistent throughout Wales the method of application for such benefits.

Business Committee agreed to schedule the following motion for debate on Wednesday 6 July 2022:

NNDM8038 Luke Fletcher

NNDM8038

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes a proposal for a Bill to ban ‘no pet’ clauses in rented accommodation.

2. Notes that the purpose of this Bill would be to:

a) introduce a standard tenancy agreement similar to the UK Parliament’s model tenancy agreement announced in January 2021;

b) propose a series of measures which would ensure that responsible pet owners are not treated unfairly as a consequence of the type of accommodation they live in;

c) allow consent for pets as the legal default in social housing and the private rented sector, unless there is a justifiable reason not to do so;

d) extend the allowing of pets in homeless shelters and accommodation.

Business Committee agreed to schedule the following motions for debate:

On Wednesday 9 February 2022:

NNDM7831 Mabon ap Gwynfor

To propose that Senedd:

1. Notes a proposal for a Bill on rent controls.

2. Notes that the purpose of this Bill would be to:

a) help combat some of the more severe effects of Wales’s housing

emergency, affecting over a million people across the nation;

b) mitigate significant future rent increases, such as those seen in the

rented sector over the last 12 months;

c) introduce a system which restricts rents and rent increases to

affordable levels and local factors, closing the gap between wage

growth and the cost of living.

On Wednesday 2 March 2022:

NNDM7833 Alun Davies

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes a proposal for a Bill to reduce the adverse impact of storm

overflows.

2. Notes that the purpose of the Bill would be to:

a) place a duty on a sewerage undertaker whose area is wholly or

mainly in Wales to secure a progressive reduction in the adverse

impact of discharges from the undertaker's storm overflows;

b) to reduce adverse impacts of sewerage discharges on both

the environment and on public health;

c) make the duty on a sewerage undertaker enforceable by the Welsh

Ministers or by the authority with the consent of, or in accordance

with a general authorisation given by, the Welsh Ministers.

On Wednesday 16 March 2022:

NNDM7896 Janet Finch-Saunders

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes a proposal for a Bill on marine planning in Wales.

2. Notes that the purpose of this Bill would be to:

a) make provisions for policies that would help guide the siting of

developments away from the most ecologically sensitive areas,

minimise the cumulative impacts on vulnerable habitats and species,

and provide greater certainty to developers;

b) create a duty for the Welsh Government to facilitate the creation of

a National Marine Development Plan, and review it at least once in

every Senedd;

c) establish strategic resource areas for marine energy;

d) publish a strategy for reversing seabirds decline;

e) require that offshore wind farms include, habitat restoration of the

seabed; strategy for sustainable seafood harvesting from within the

area of the windfarm and, environmental enhancement measures.

Business Committee agreed to schedule the following motion for debate on 24 November:

NNDM7828

Rhys Ab Owen

Peter Fox

Mike Hedges

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes a proposal for a Bill to ensure safety of cladding on buildings in Wales.

2. Notes that the purpose of this Bill would be to ensure the safety of residents by making sure safe cladding is available on buildings.

Business Committee agreed to schedule the following motion for debate on 20 October:

NDM7722 Huw Irranca-Davies

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes a proposal for an employee ownership Bill on promoting worker buy-outs and employee ownership.

2. Notes that the purpose of this Bill would be to:

a)  legislate for a Welsh Marcora law to provide the legal framework, financial support and advice for worker buy-outs;

b)  put in place a statutory duty to double the size of the co-operative economy by 2026 and to actively promote employee-ownership and worker buy-outs;

c)  provide financial support and advice for workers to buy out all or part of a business facing closure or down-sizing and to establish a workers co-operative;

d) ensure that all companies in Wales in receipt of public funding or part of the social partnership and ethical procurement chains agree to the principles of worker buy-outs and employee ownership.

Supporters:

Joyce Watson

Luke Fletcher

Sarah Murphy

Vikki Howells

Business Committee agreed to schedule the following motion for debate on 30 June:

NNDM7713 Gareth Davies

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes a proposal for a Bill that would embed a rights based approach in the development, planning and delivery of public services which affect older people in Wales.

2. Notes that the purpose of this Bill would be to:

a) place a duty on Welsh Ministers to have due regard for the United Nations Principles for Older Persons when making decisions which may impact upon older people in Wales;

b) extend the due regard duty to local authorities, local health boards and other Welsh public authorities;

c) place a duty on Welsh Ministers to promote knowledge and understanding of the UN Principles for Older Persons amongst older people and Welsh public authorities;

d) place a requirement for Welsh Ministers to consult the Older People’s Commissioner, older people, and other relevant stakeholders before making or revising the Older People’s Rights Scheme; and

e) place a duty for Welsh Ministers to issue guidance to Welsh public authorities.

UN Principles for Older Persons 

Business Committee also agreed to schedule the following motion for debate on 14 July:

NNDM7723 Jane Dodds

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes a proposal for a Bill on the regulation, monitoring and commissioning of children's residential care, including those who require inpatient mental health care, and services to people with learning disabilities or other neurodiversity in Wales.

2. Notes that the purpose of this Bill would be to:

a) improve the commissioning and delivery of children's residential care placements in Wales, including co-ordination and delivery across local authorities to improve the sufficiency of suitable placements;

b) improve the regulation and monitoring of residential care and fostering placements, including alignment with other services such as education, housing and homelessness, and health;

c) remove the provision for profit-making providers from the residential care sector for children looked after, as well as services for people with learning disabilities and neurodiveristy.

Business Committee asked for further guidance to be drafted regarding how to select Member’s Legislative Proposals.