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 Question 1 was withdrawn. Questions 3, 5, and 7 were answered by the Deputy Minister for Health.
The Presiding Officer invited party leaders to ask questions to the First Minister after Question 2.

The item started at 14.16

No questions tabled.

NDM5707 Rosemary Butler (Newport West)

 

To propose that the National Assembly, in accordance with Standing Order 33.2:

 

1. Considers the Report of the Business Committee 'Amending Standing Orders: Standing Order 30: Notification in Relation to UK Parliament Bills' laid in the Table Office on 24 February 2015; and

 

2. Approves the proposal to revise Standing Order 30, as set out in Annex B of the Report of the Business Committee.

The item started at 15.08

NDM5707 Rosemary Butler (Newport West)

 

To propose that the National Assembly, in accordance with Standing Order 33.2:

 

1. Considers the Report of the Business Committee 'Amending Standing Orders: Standing Order 30: Notification in Relation to UK Parliament Bills' laid in the Table Office on 24 February 2015; and

 

2. Approves the proposal to revise Standing Order 30, as set out in Annex B of the Report of the Business Committee.

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

NDM5709 David Rees (Aberavon)

 

The National Assembly for Wales:

 

Notes the report by the Health and Social Care Committee on its post-legislative scrutiny of the Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010, which was laid in the Table Office on 15 January 2015.

 

Note: The response of the Minister for Health and Social Services was laid on 25 February 2015.

 

Supporting Documents

 

Health and Social Care Committee’s Report

Welsh Government’s Response

The item started at 15.08

NDM5709 David Rees (Aberavon)

 

The National Assembly for Wales:

 

Notes the report by the Health and Social Care Committee on its post-legislative scrutiny of the Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010, which was laid in the Table Office on 15 January 2015.

 

Note: The response of the Minister for Health and Social Services was laid on 25 February 2015.

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

NDM5711 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Notes that the UK Government has halved the deficit as a share of GDP;

 

2. Recognises that there are an extra 41,000 people in work in Wales compared with 2010 and the UK was the fastest growing country in the G7 in 2014; and

 

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to contribute to the UK Government's long-term economic plan to invest in infrastructure and create the conditions for private sector growth to create jobs and prosperity.

 

The following amendments have been tabled:

 

Amendment 1 - Elin Jones (Ceredigion)

 

Insert as new point 1 and renumber accordingly:

 

Notes that the UK Government has failed to meet its objectives of eliminating the UK's budget deficit by 2015 and maintaining its AAA credit rating.

 

Amendment 2 – Elin Jones (Ceredigion)

 

Insert as new point 2 and renumber accordingly:

 

Regrets that the UK Government's austerity measures have led to a 10% real terms cut to the Welsh budget since 2010; and the resulting economic and social impacts on Welsh communities and families.

 

Amendment 3 – Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

 

In point 2, after '2014' insert ', though concerns remain about the level of youth unemployment and the impact of zero-hours contracts on in-work poverty'.

 

Amendment 4 – Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Insert as new point 3 and renumber accordingly:

 

Welcomes the positive impact on the Welsh economy of the UK Government's decision to raise the income tax threshold to £10,500, resulting in 1.2 million Welsh workers seeing their income tax cut by £800, with 153,000 taken out of paying income tax altogether.

 

Amendment 5 – Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Delete point 3 and replace with:

 

Calls on the Welsh Government to deliver a balanced, integrated, export-led economic strategy and address Wales's underdevelopment with a long-term commitment to investing in Wales's people, business and infrastructure in order to build a stronger economy and a fairer society for Wales.

 

[If amendment 5 is agreed, amendment 6 will be de-selected]

 

Amendment 6 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

 

In point 3, after 'prosperity' insert 'and notes that despite cuts of some 30% in the Capital Budget, the Welsh Government has continued to make significant capital investment across Wales to support the economy and public services'.

The item started at 15.44

 

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

 

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

 

NDM5711 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Notes that the UK Government has halved the deficit as a share of GDP;

 

2. Recognises that there are an extra 41,000 people in work in Wales compared with 2010 and the UK was the fastest growing country in the G7 in 2014; and

 

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to contribute to the UK Government's long-term economic plan to invest in infrastructure and create the conditions for private sector growth to create jobs and prosperity.

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
9	0	35	44

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

 

The following amendments were tabled:

 

Amendment 1 Elin Jones (Ceredigion)

 

Insert as new point 1 and renumber accordingly:

 

Notes that the UK Government has failed to meet its objectives of eliminating the UK's budget deficit by 2015 and maintaining its AAA credit rating.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
32	0	12	44

Amendment 1 was agreed.

 

Amendment 2 – Elin Jones (Ceredigion)

 

Insert as new point 2 and renumber accordingly:

 

Regrets that the UK Government's austerity measures have led to a 10% real terms cut to the Welsh budget since 2010; and the resulting economic and social impacts on Welsh communities and families.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
32	0	12	44

Amendment 2 was agreed.

 

Amendment 3 – Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

 

In point 2, after '2014' insert ', though concerns remain about the level of youth unemployment and the impact of zero-hours contracts on in-work poverty'.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 3:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
35	9	0	44

Amendment 3 was agreed.

 

Amendment 4 – Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Insert as new point 3 and renumber accordingly:

 

Welcomes the positive impact on the Welsh economy of the UK Government's decision to raise the income tax threshold to £10,500, resulting in 1.2 million Welsh workers seeing their income tax cut by £800, with 153,000 taken out of paying income tax altogether.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 4:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
12	9	23	44

Amendment 4 was not agreed.

 

Amendment 5 – Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Delete point 3 and replace with:

 

Calls on the Welsh Government to deliver a balanced, integrated, export-led economic strategy and address Wales's underdevelopment with a long-term commitment to investing in Wales's people, business and infrastructure in order to build a stronger economy and a fairer society for Wales.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 5:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
12	0	32	44

Amendment 5 was not agreed.

 

Amendment 6 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

 

In point 3, after 'prosperity' insert 'and notes that despite cuts of some 30% in the Capital Budget, the Welsh Government has continued to make significant capital investment across Wales to support the economy and public services'.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 6:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
23	12	9	44

Amendment 6 was agreed.

 

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

 

NDM5711 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Notes that the UK Government has failed to meet its objectives of eliminating the UK's budget deficit by 2015 and maintaining its AAA credit rating;

 

2. Notes that the UK Government has halved the deficit as a share of GDP;

 

3. Regrets that the UK Government's austerity measures have led to a 10% real terms cut to the Welsh budget since 2010; and the resulting economic and social impacts on Welsh communities and families;

 

4. Recognises that there are an extra 41,000 people in work in Wales compared with 2010 and the UK was the fastest growing country in the G7 in 2014 though concerns remain about the level of youth unemployment and the impact of zero-hours contracts on in-work poverty; and

 

5. Calls on the Welsh Government to contribute to the UK Government's long-term economic plan to invest in infrastructure and create the conditions for private sector growth to create jobs and prosperity and notes that despite cuts of some 30% in the Capital Budget, the Welsh Government has continued to make significant capital investment across Wales to support the economy and public services.

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
31	0	12	43

The motion as amended was agreed.

NDM5710 Elin Jones (Ceredigion)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Believes that Wales's level of self-government should not be secondary to any other part of the UK;

 

2. Regrets that the UK Government has failed to deliver equality of powers and esteem for Wales during its tenure;

 

3. Calls for full parity of powers and funding for Wales with Scotland;

 

4. Calls for the transfer of responsibility for Wales's constitution to the National Assembly for Wales through a new home rule Bill;

 

5. Asserts that the home rule Bill should include the full devolution of responsibility of Wales's natural resources;

 

6. Further calls for the creation of a Welsh legal jurisdiction and the devolution of policing, prisons, courts and criminal justice; and

 

7. Believes that the National Assembly for Wales should be empowered to support those requiring social protection through increased powers on welfare benefits as recommended by the Smith Commission for Scotland.

 

The following amendments have been tabled:

 

Amendment 1 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Delete all and replace with:

 

1. Welcomes the substantial steps forward in the devolution settlement for Wales taken since 2010 including:

 

a) a referendum on law-making powers for the National Assembly for Wales;

 

b) the establishment of the Silk Commission;

 

c) the delivery of the Wales Act 2014 which has devolved stamp duty, business rates and landfill tax to the National Assembly for Wales and provided for a referendum on whether an element of income tax should be devolved.

 

2. Welcomes the St. David's Day announcement which proposes:

 

a) devolving the responsibility for all energy planning development consents for projects up to 350 MW onshore and in Welsh territorial waters;

 

b) devolving speed limits, bus and taxi regulations, and the functions of the Traffic Commissioner;

 

c) introducing a Reserved Powers model;

 

d) devolving port development;

 

e) devolving powers relating to Assembly and local government elections;

 

f) devolving competence over equality duties for devolved public sector; and

 

g) devolving the licensing of onshore oil and gas extraction in Wales.

 

3. Believes that we must go further in securing Home Rule for Wales and calls for:

 

a) full devolution of the remaining Silk Part 1 proposals on financial powers for Wales;

 

b) full devolution of the remaining Silk Part 2 proposals on legislative powers for Wales;

 

c) the devolution of funding of Network Rail in relation to the Wales network;

 

d) the devolution of drink drive limits;

 

e) devolution of the responsibility for funding public expenditure to S4C to the Assembly;

 

f) the devolution of youth justice, policing and in the longer term other justice powers;

 

g) the transferral of powers to manage the Crown Estate's economic assets;

 

h) the transferral of control over a range of benefits for older people, carers and disabled people;

 

i) the devolution of powers to lower the voting age to 16 in Welsh national and local elections;

 

j) the Welsh Government to be allowed to set its own bank holidays; and

 

k) the Children's Commissioner for Wales to be given the power to examine issues that affect children in Wales but are not within the control of the Welsh Government.

 

4. Calls for the establishment of a UK-wide constitutional convention to draft a plan for a new union. 

 

The Wales Act 2014 is available at:

 

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/29/contents/enacted

 

The Silk Part 1 and Part 2 reports are available at:

 

Supporting Document

 

[If amendment 1 is agreed, amendments 2 and 3 will be de-selected]

 

Amendment 2 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

 

Delete all and replace with:

 

1. Notes the Assembly's resolution, supported by all parties and approved on 22 October 2014, setting out its aspirations for the future of devolution in Wales;

 

2. Notes the publication by the UK Government of a Command Paper setting out proposals for the next stages of devolution;

 

3. Recognises that progress has been made against some of the Assembly's agreed aspirations for devolution, including  a reserved powers model for Wales, and new powers for the

 

Assembly on transport, natural resources and elections;

 

4. Welcomes the recognition by the UK Government that Wales should have a fairer funding settlement, but expresses disappointment that this falls short of the Assembly's unanimous request for the UK Government to commit to a specific mechanism to stop further convergence.

 

5. Expresses disappointment about the lack of progress on devolving other powers recommended by the UK Government's Commission on Devolution in Wales; and

 

6. Calls on the next UK Government to address these outstanding matters following the UK General Election.

 

The Command Paper is available at:

 

Supporting Document

[If amendment 2 is agreed, amendment 3 will be de-selected]

 

Amendment 3 - Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

 

Delete all and replace with:

 

Welcomes the major constitutional changes which have taken place to the Welsh devolution settlement since 2010 and calls upon the next UK Government to honour the cross-party St David's Day agreement recently announced by the UK Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.

The item started at 16.45

 

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

 

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

 

NDM5710 Elin Jones (Ceredigion)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Believes that Wales's level of self-government should not be secondary to any other part of the UK;

 

2. Regrets that the UK Government has failed to deliver equality of powers and esteem for Wales during its tenure;

 

3. Calls for full parity of powers and funding for Wales with Scotland;

 

4. Calls for the transfer of responsibility for Wales's constitution to the National Assembly for Wales through a new home rule Bill;

 

5. Asserts that the home rule Bill should include the full devolution of responsibility of Wales's natural resources;

 

6. Further calls for the creation of a Welsh legal jurisdiction and the devolution of policing, prisons, courts and criminal justice; and

 

7. Believes that the National Assembly for Wales should be empowered to support those requiring social protection through increased powers on welfare benefits as recommended by the Smith Commission for Scotland.

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
9	0	35	44

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

 

The following amendments were tabled:

 

Amendment 1 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Delete all and replace with:

 

1. Welcomes the substantial steps forward in the devolution settlement for Wales taken since 2010 including:

 

a) a referendum on law-making powers for the National Assembly for Wales;

 

b) the establishment of the Silk Commission;

 

c) the delivery of the Wales Act 2014 which has devolved stamp duty, business rates and landfill tax to the National Assembly for Wales and provided for a referendum on whether an element of income tax should be devolved.

 

2. Welcomes the St. David's Day announcement which proposes:

 

a) devolving the responsibility for all energy planning development consents for projects up to 350 MW onshore and in Welsh territorial waters;

 

b) devolving speed limits, bus and taxi regulations, and the functions of the Traffic Commissioner;

 

c) introducing a Reserved Powers model;

 

d) devolving port development;

 

e) devolving powers relating to Assembly and local government elections;

 

f) devolving competence over equality duties for devolved public sector; and

 

g) devolving the licensing of onshore oil and gas extraction in Wales.

 

3. Believes that we must go further in securing Home Rule for Wales and calls for:

 

a) full devolution of the remaining Silk Part 1 proposals on financial powers for Wales;

 

b) full devolution of the remaining Silk Part 2 proposals on legislative powers for Wales;

 

c) the devolution of funding of Network Rail in relation to the Wales network;

 

d) the devolution of drink drive limits;

 

e) devolution of the responsibility for funding public expenditure to S4C to the Assembly;

 

f) the devolution of youth justice, policing and in the longer term other justice powers;

 

g) the transferral of powers to manage the Crown Estate's economic assets;

 

h) the transferral of control over a range of benefits for older people, carers and disabled people;

 

i) the devolution of powers to lower the voting age to 16 in Welsh national and local elections;

 

j) the Welsh Government to be allowed to set its own bank holidays; and

 

k) the Children's Commissioner for Wales to be given the power to examine issues that affect children in Wales but are not within the control of the Welsh Government.

 

4. Calls for the establishment of a UK-wide constitutional convention to draft a plan for a new union.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
3	0	41	44

Amendment 1 was not agreed.

 

Amendment 2 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

 

Delete all and replace with:

 

1. Notes the Assembly's resolution, supported by all parties and approved on 22 October 2014, setting out its aspirations for the future of devolution in Wales;

 

2. Notes the publication by the UK Government of a Command Paper setting out proposals for the next stages of devolution;

 

3. Recognises that progress has been made against some of the Assembly's agreed aspirations for devolution, including  a reserved powers model for Wales, and new powers for the Assembly on transport, natural resources and elections;

 

4. Welcomes the recognition by the UK Government that Wales should have a fairer funding settlement, but expresses disappointment that this falls short of the Assembly's unanimous request for the UK Government to commit to a specific mechanism to stop further convergence;

 

5. Expresses disappointment about the lack of progress on devolving other powers recommended by the UK Government's Commission on Devolution in Wales; and

 

6. Calls on the next UK Government to address these outstanding matters following the UK General Election.

 

 A vote was taken on Amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
26	0	18	44

Amendment 2 was agreed.

 

As amendment 2 was agreed, amendment 3 was de-selected

 

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM5710 Elin Jones (Ceredigion)

 

1. Notes the Assembly's resolution, supported by all parties and approved on 22 October 2014, setting out its aspirations for the future of devolution in Wales;

 

2. Notes the publication by the UK Government of a Command Paper setting out proposals for the next stages of devolution;

 

3. Recognises that progress has been made against some of the Assembly's agreed aspirations for devolution, including  a reserved powers model for Wales, and new powers for the Assembly on transport, natural resources and elections;

 

4. Welcomes the recognition by the UK Government that Wales should have a fairer funding settlement, but expresses disappointment that this falls short of the Assembly's unanimous request for the UK Government to commit to a specific mechanism to stop further convergence.

 

5. Expresses disappointment about the lack of progress on devolving other powers recommended by the UK Government's Commission on Devolution in Wales; and

 

6. Calls on the next UK Government to address these outstanding matters following the UK General Election.

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
35	0	9	44

The motion as amended was agreed.

Mick Antoniw raised a Point of Order regarding Leanne Wood’s remark in the previous debate that something he had said was ‘a lie’. The Presiding Officer ruled that she considered that Leanne Wood had adequately clarified her remarks following his previous intervention, but that she would review the Record and return to the matter if necessary.

 

The item started at 17.38

NDM5708 Mike Hedges (Swansea East)

 

Befriending – ending loneliness and isolation

 

Using befriending to stop people becoming lonely and isolated.

The item started at 17.43

 

NDM5708 Mike Hedges (Swansea East)

 

Befriending – ending loneliness and isolation

 

Using befriending to stop people becoming lonely and isolated.