Agenda and decisions

The Presiding Officer will call Party Spokespeople to ask questions without notice to the Minister after Question 2.

 

View Questions

 

The item started at 13.30

 

The first 7 questions were asked. Question 5 was answered by the Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology.

 

The Presiding Officer invited party spokespeople to ask questions to the Minister after Question 2.

 

The Presiding Officer will call Party Spokespeople to ask questions without notice to the Minister after Question 2.

 

View Questions

 

The item started at 14.18

 

The first 10 questions were asked.

 

The Presiding Officer invited party spokespeople to ask questions to the Minister after Question 2.

 

The item started at 15.04

 

NDM5666 Rosemary Butler (Newport West)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales, in accordance with Standing Order 17.14, elects Jocelyn Davies (Plaid Cymru) as a Member of the Public Accounts Committee in place of Alun Ffred Jones (Plaid Cymru).

 

The Motion was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

NDM5664 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

 

The National Assembly for Wales:

 

Notes the Report of the Public Accounts Committee - Senior Management Pay, which was laid in the Table Office on 6 November 2014.

 

Note: The Welsh Government's response to the report was laid in the Table Office on 7 January 2015.

Supporting Documents

 

Public Accounts Committee's Report

Welsh Government’s Response

 

The item started at 15.04

 

NDM5664 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

 

The National Assembly for Wales:

 

Notes the Report of the Public Accounts Committee - Senior Management Pay, which was laid in the Table Office on 6 November 2014.

 

The Motion was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

NNDM5630

Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales)

Bethan Jenkins (South Wales West)

Jenny Rathbone (Cardiff Central)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Notes that:

 

a) women have made a huge contribution to the working life of Wales and continue to be a vital part of the Welsh economy;

 

b) it is nearly 100 years since women got the vote and nearly 40 years since the Equal Pay Act;

 

c) the Welsh Government has an important part to play in ensuring that there is not institutional discrimination present in the workplace.

 

2. Calls on the Welsh Government not to award any procurement contracts or Welsh Government grant monies to any company that does not have any female directors on their board.

 

The item started at 15.47

 

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

 

NNDM5630

Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales)

Bethan Jenkins (South Wales West)

Jenny Rathbone (Cardiff Central)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Notes that:

 

a) women have made a huge contribution to the working life of Wales and continue to be a vital part of the Welsh economy;

 

b) it is nearly 100 years since women got the vote and nearly 40 years since the Equal Pay Act;

 

c) the Welsh Government has an important part to play in ensuring that there is not institutional discrimination present in the workplace.

 

2. Calls on the Welsh Government not to award any procurement contracts or Welsh Government grant monies to any company that does not have any female directors on their board.

 

The result was as follows:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
21	32	1	54

The Motion was agreed .

NDM5665 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Notes that:

 

a) the Welsh Government is providing small business rate relief until March 2015;

 

b) the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his Autumn Statement of 3 December 2014 that the Welsh Government will have full control of business rates in March 2015.

 

2. Calls on the Welsh Government to extend business rate support for small businesses.

 

3. Further calls on the Welsh Government to help strengthen ties between higher education institutions and the business community to create a more dynamic economy.

 

The following amendments have been tabled:

 

Amendment 1 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Insert as new sub-point at the end of point 1:

 

universities can play a vital role in creating high-value business start-ups such as by adding 261 new spin-off companies to the Welsh economy in 2012/13.

 

Amendment 2 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Insert as new sub-point at the end of point 1:

 

the only Welsh city in the UK's top 20 cities for business start-ups is Cardiff.

 

Amendment 3 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Insert as new point 2 and renumber accordingly:

 

Calls on the Welsh Government to assess options to ensure that business rate valuations more accurately track the market and ameliorate future large increases in rate bills.

 

Amendment 4 - Elin Jones (Ceredigion)

 

Delete point 2 and replace with:

 

Calls on the Welsh Government to renew the current small business rate relief scheme for another year.

 

Amendment 5 - Elin Jones (Ceredigion)

 

Insert as new point 3 and renumber accordingly:

 

Calls on the Welsh Government to extend the eligibility criteria for the small business rate relief scheme from April 2015 onwards to reach all businesses with a rateable value of £15,000 or less.

 

Amendment  6 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Calls on the Welsh Government to establish a successor to the POWIS scheme to encourage partnership working and the development of spin-out companies in Welsh HEIs.

 

The item started at 16.35

 

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

 

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

 

NDM5665 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Notes that:

 

a) the Welsh Government is providing small business rate relief until March 2015;

 

b) the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his Autumn Statement of 3 December 2014 that the Welsh Government will have full control of business rates in March 2015.

 

2. Calls on the Welsh Government to extend business rate support for small businesses.

 

3. Further calls on the Welsh Government to help strengthen ties between higher education institutions and the business community to create a more dynamic economy.

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
49	0	5	54

The motion without amendment was agreed.

The item started at 17.31

NDM5663 Lynne Neagle (Torfaen)

 

The Price of Coal - The impact of opencast in Varteg and the implications for communities beyond

 

The item started at 17.33