Minutes

The minutes were noted by the Committee for publication.

Business Committee agreed to postpone Leanne Woods’s Short Debate until 22 April.

Business Committee agreed that Voting Time would take place after the last item of business on both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Business Committee noted the 3 Week Timetable of Government Business.

Business Committee determined the organisation of business and agreed to schedule the following items of business:

Wednesday 29 April 2015 –

• Debate on the Finance Committee’s report on Best Practice Budget Process Part 2 - Planning and implementing new budget procedures (60 mins)
  
  
• Time allocated to the Welsh Conservatives (60 mins)
  
  
• Time allocated to Plaid Cymru (60 mins)

Business Committee agreed to schedule the following Individual Member debate after the Easter recess and will confirm the date at its next meeting:

After Easter Recess –

·         Debate by Individual Members under Standing Order 11.21(iv) (60 mins)

NNDM5715
Bethan Jenkins (South Wales West)
William Graham (South Wales East)
Lynne Neagle (Torfaen)
William Powell (Mid and West Wales)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

Calls upon the Welsh Government to

a) Instigate a moratorium on opencast mining across Wales, in order to ascertain whether planning law and current guidance provides sufficient protection for communities affected by opencast mining;

b) Respond to the Research into the Failure to Restore Opencast Coal Sites in South Wales, stating specifically how it might address concerns about the workability of MTAN2 and the 500m buffer zone; and

c) Support affected local authorities to make legal challenges, where required, when pursing restoration.

Business Managers considered provisional recess dates up until the end of the Fourth Assembly. Given the timing of Easter in 2016, and the proximity of this to the Assembly’s dissolution, the Committee considered various options in respect of that recess.

In light of assurances provided by the Minister for Government Business that sufficient time appeared to be available for the Government’s legislative programme, Business Managers agreed to consult with their groups on their preferred option and return to the matter at their meeting of 21 April 2015.

Business Committee approved the proposed tabling arrangements for the Easter recess period.

The Minister updated the Committee on receiving LCMs due to late amendments being tabled before dissolution of the current UK Parliament on 30 March. There is no expectation of any further late amendments which would require LCMs. In the unlikely event that the UK Government did give notification of another late amendment next week which it would be prudent to apply to Wales, the Minister suggested that there would not be any time to lay a memorandum and hold a debate to agree an LCM.