Agenda and decisions

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

View Questions

The item started at 13.30.

 

Question 1 and questions 3-14 were asked.  Question 2 was withdrawn.  The Presiding Officer invited party leaders to ask questions to the First Minister after Question 2.

The Presiding Officer drew Members’ attention to Her Majesty the Queen’s Commonwealth Day address on Monday 12 March, which would be published as part of the Record of Proceedings.

View Business Statement and Announcement

The item started at 14.28.

 

 

The item started at 14.40.

 

 

NDM4934 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

The National Assembly for Wales:

1. Regrets the impact that the UK Government's proposed changes to housing benefit will have on the poorest people in Wales;

2. Notes the continuing work that the Welsh Government is undertaking with stakeholders to help people cope with the changes.

The following amendments have been tabled:

[If Amendment 1 is agreed, amendments 2 and 4 will be deselected]

Amendment 1 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes the UK Government’s proposed changes to housing benefit, which are necessary in order to tackle the deficit left by the previous Labour Government.

2. Welcomes the UK Government’s intention to incorporate housing support into a Universal Credit.

Amendment 2 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

Insert at the end of point 1 ‘including low paid workers’.

Amendment 3 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

Add as new point 2 and renumber accordingly:

2. Notes the report from Cuts Watch Cymru 'Wales on the Edge' and its recommendations in relation to the changes in housing benefit.

A link to the report can be found here:

http://www.cutswatchcymru.org

Amendment 4 - William Graham (South Wales East)

Insert at end of point 2:

‘, but believes that the time has come for talking with stakeholders to end and for good models of delivery to begin’

Amendment 5 -  William Graham (South Wales East)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Notes that the previous UK Government’s consultation on Housing Benefit showed that in “some areas, Housing Benefit can support customers to live in accommodation that many people in work cannot afford” and argued that “further reforms are needed”.

The previous UK Government’s consultation on Housing Benefit can be accessed on the following link:

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/consultations/2009/supportingpeopleintowork.shtml

 

The item started at 15.15

NDM4934 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

The National Assembly for Wales:

1. Regrets the impact that the UK Government's proposed changes to housing benefit will have on the poorest people in Wales;

2. Notes the continuing work that the Welsh Government is undertaking with stakeholders to help people cope with the changes.

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

The following amendments were tabled:

 [If Amendment 1 is agreed, amendments 2 and 4 will be deselected]

Amendment 1 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes the UK Government’s proposed changes to housing benefit, which are necessary in order to tackle the deficit left by the previous Labour Government.

2. Welcomes the UK Government’s intention to incorporate housing support into a Universal Credit.

A vote was taken on Amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	0	38	55

Amendment 1 was not agreed.

Amendment 2 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

Insert at the end of point 1 ‘including low paid workers’.

A vote was taken on Amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
38	13	4	55

Amendment 2 was agreed.

Amendment 3 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

Add as new point 2 and renumber accordingly:

2. Notes the report from Cuts Watch Cymru 'Wales on the Edge' and its recommendations in relation to the changes in housing benefit.

A vote was taken on Amendment 3:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
42	13	0	55

Amendment 3 was agreed.

Amendment 4 - William Graham (South Wales East)

Insert at end of point 2:

‘, but believes that the time has come for talking with stakeholders to end and for good models of delivery to begin’

A vote was taken on Amendment 4:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	0	38	55

Amendment 4 was not agreed.

Amendment 5 -  William Graham (South Wales East)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Notes that the previous UK Government’s consultation on Housing Benefit showed that in “some areas, Housing Benefit can support customers to live in accommodation that many people in work cannot afford” and argued that “further reforms are needed”.

A vote was taken on Amendment 5:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	0	38	55

Amendment 5 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM4934 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

The National Assembly for Wales:

1. Regrets the impact that the UK Government's proposed changes to housing benefit will have on the poorest people in Wales including low paid workers.

2. Notes the report from Cuts Watch Cymru 'Wales on the Edge' and its recommendations in relation to the changes in housing benefit.

3. Notes the continuing work that the Welsh Government is undertaking with stakeholders to help people cope with the changes

For	Abstain	Against	Total
38	0	17	55

The motion as amended was agreed.

 

NDM4935 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes the publication of the Welsh Government’s new Welsh Language Strategy, A living language: a language for living, adopted in accordance with section 78 of the Government of Wales Act 2006; and

2. Further notes the Strategy's commitment to seeing the Welsh language thriving in Wales and to see an increase in the number of people who both speak and use the language.

The Welsh Language Strategy, A living language: a language for living can be accessed on the following link:

http://wales.gov.uk/topics/welshlanguage/publications/wlstrategy2012/?lang=en

The following amendments have been tabled:

Amendment 1 - William Graham (South Wales East)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to clarify the level of involvement which voluntary, independent and private organisations will have in the delivery of the strategy.

Amendment 2 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Notes with concern that the number of communities where 70% of the population speak Welsh has greatly decreased according to the last census.

Amendment 3 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Government to establish a task and finish group to plan to increase the number of communities where Welsh is the main language.

Amendment 4 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Government to include measures to revive Welsh as a community language in its legislative programme.

Amendment 5 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Government to identify the finance necessary to implement the strategy.

Amendment 6 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to identify how its targets to increase the number of pupils who learn through the medium of Welsh will be met.

 

The item started at 16.20

NDM4935 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes the publication of the Welsh Government’s new Welsh Language Strategy, A living language: a language for living, adopted in accordance with section 78 of the Government of Wales Act 2006; and

2. Further notes the Strategy's commitment to seeing the Welsh language thriving in Wales and to see an increase in the number of people who both speak and use the language.

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

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 - William Graham (South Wales East)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to clarify the level of involvement which voluntary, independent and private organisations will have in the delivery of the strategy.

A vote was taken on Amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	9	29	55

Amendment 1 was not agreed.

Amendment 2 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Notes with concern that the number of communities where 70% of the population speak Welsh has greatly decreased according to the last census.

A vote was taken on Amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
55	0	0	55

Amendment 2 was agreed.

Amendment 3 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Government to establish a task and finish group to plan to increase the number of communities where Welsh is the main language.

A vote was taken on Amendment 3:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
55	0	0	55

Amendment 3 was agreed.

Amendment 4 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Government to include measures to revive Welsh as a community language in its legislative programme.

A vote was taken on Amendment 4:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
26	0	29	55

Amendment 4 was not agreed.

Amendment 5 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Government to identify the finance necessary to implement the strategy.

A vote was taken on Amendment 5:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
55	0	0	55

Amendment 5 was agreed.

Amendment 6 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to identify how its targets to increase the number of pupils who learn through the medium of Welsh will be met.

A vote was taken on Amendment 6:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
26	0	29	55

Amendment 6 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM4935 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes the publication of the Welsh Government’s new Welsh Language Strategy, A living language: a language for living, adopted in accordance with section 78 of the Government of Wales Act 2006;  

2. Further notes the Strategy's commitment to seeing the Welsh language thriving in Wales and to see an increase in the number of people who both speak and use the language;

3. Notes with concern that the number of communities where 70% of the population speak Welsh has greatly decreased according to the last census;

4. Calls on the Government to establish a task and finish group to plan to increase the number of communities where Welsh is the main language; and

5. Calls on the Government to identify the finance necessary to implement the strategy.

For	Abstain	Against	Total
55	0	0	55

The motion as amended was agreed.

 

The item started at 17.11