Agenda and decisions

 

View Questions

The item started at 13.30

 

Questions 1-2, 4-9 and 11-12 were asked. Question 3 was withdrawn. Question 10 was transferred for written answer. Question 12 was answered by the Deputy Minister for Skills.

 

View Questions

The item started at 14.07

 

Questions 2-13 were asked. Questions 1 and 14 were withdrawn.

The item started at 14.48

 

NDM5084 William Graham (South Wales East)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Pays tribute to the immense sacrifice and commitment of those who have served in our Armed Forces;

 

2. Expresses concern at the lack of coordination and capacity of services in Wales to support ex-service personnel suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and notes the role that the third sector can play in the delivery of coordinated services to ex-service personnel;

 

3. Notes the findings of the Healthcare and the Armed Forces Community in Wales Report and calls on the Welsh Government to give careful consideration to establishing a residential centre in Wales for ex-service personnel with PTSD; and

 

4. Recognises the vital role that war memorials play in ensuring that the sacrifices of many who have served in our Armed Forces are never forgotten, and notes the importance of protecting war memorials as an essential part of Welsh heritage and a focal point for remembrance.

 

The Healthcare and the Armed Forces Community in Wales Report can be accessed on the following link: http://www.hiw.org.uk/Documents/477/Armed%20Forces%20Report%202012-04-03%20-%20English%20-%20Web%20PDF.pdf

The following amendment has been tabled:

Amendment 1 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Vale of Glamorgan)

 

In point 2, delete all before ‘the role’ and replace with: ‘Notes the recent investment in services in Wales to support ex-service personnel suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and accepts the importance of’

 

The item started at 15.24

 

Voting on the motion was deferred until Voting Time.

 

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

 

NDM5084 William Graham (South Wales East)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Pays tribute to the immense sacrifice and commitment of those who have served in our Armed Forces;

 

2. Expresses concern at the lack of coordination and capacity of services in Wales to support ex-service personnel suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and notes the role that the third sector can play in the delivery of coordinated services to ex-service personnel;

 

3. Notes the findings of the Healthcare and the Armed Forces Community in Wales Report and calls on the Welsh Government to give careful consideration to establishing a residential centre in Wales for ex-service personnel with PTSD; and

 

4. Recognises the vital role that war memorials play in ensuring that the sacrifices of many who have served in our Armed Forces are never forgotten, and notes the importance of protecting war memorials as an essential part of Welsh heritage and a focal point for remembrance.

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
20	0	21	41

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

 

The following amendments were tabled:

 

Amendment 1 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Vale of Glamorgan)

 

In point 2, delete all before ‘the role’ and replace with: ‘Notes the recent investment in services in Wales to support ex-service personnel suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and accepts the importance of’

 

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
21	0	20	41

Amendment 1 was agreed.

 

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

 

NDM5084 William Graham (South Wales East)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Pays tribute to the immense sacrifice and commitment of those who have served in our Armed Forces;

 

2. Notes the recent investment in services in Wales to support ex-service personnel suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and accepts the importance of the role that the third sector can play in the delivery of coordinated services to ex-service personnel;

 

3. Notes the findings of the Healthcare and the Armed Forces Community in Wales Report and calls on the Welsh Government to give careful consideration to establishing a residential centre in Wales for ex-service personnel with PTSD; and

 

4. Recognises the vital role that war memorials play in ensuring that the sacrifices of many who have served in our Armed Forces are never forgotten, and notes the importance of protecting war memorials as an essential part of Welsh heritage and a focal point for remembrance.

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
40	0	1	41

The motion as amended was agreed.

 

NDM5086 Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Notes that:

 

a) regional school improvement partnerships have been identified by the Welsh Government as the answer to address the systemic failure in education;

 

b) the banding scheme for secondary schools has identified schools in Bands 4 and 5 as in need of urgent improvement;

 

2. Regrets that all the regional school improvement partnerships were not operational by September 2012 as promised; and

 

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that:

 

a) the regional education consortia are fully operational as soon as possible; and

 

b) the schools placed in lower bands are immediately provided with the necessary support to address systemic failure.

The following amendments have been tabled:

 

Amendment 1 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)
Insert as new point 1 and renumber accordingly:

Notes the important work that head teachers, teachers and governors carry out on a day to day basis to secure the best possible education for our children.

 

Amendment 2 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Vale of Glamorgan)
In sub-point 1a, after ‘regional school improvement partnerships’ insert ‘, along with the other educational reforms supported through the recently launched school improvement implementation plan and wider effective collaboration between public services,’

 

Amendment 3 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)
In point 1b delete all after ‘secondary schools’ and replace with:

is seriously flawed and does not enjoy the confidence of teachers, parents or pupils.

 

Amendment 4 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Vale of Glamorgan)
Delete point 2.

 

Amendment 5 - William Graham (South Wales East)
Add as new point 3 and re-number accordingly:

 

Calls on the Welsh Government to explain why the deadline for the implementation of regional school improvement partnerships was missed.

 

Amendment 6 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)
In point 3a delete all after ‘are’ and replace with:

populated with the highest possible quality of candidate and fully operational as soon as possible, and if this is not possible in the next six months, to review the role of regional education consortia in the future of the Welsh education system.

 

Amendment 7 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Notes the beneficial impact that the successful implementation of the Pupil Deprivation Grant could have on attainment in schools.

 

Amendment 8 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

Add as a new point at the end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to work with schools, teachers and school improvement partnerships to ensure the optimum use of the Pupil Deprivation Grant to ensure that every child can achieve their potential.   

 

Amendment 9 - William Graham (South Wales East)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Regrets that the Welsh Government has failed to implement an extensive and differentiated support package for secondary schools in Bands 4 and 5 in need of urgent improvement.

 

Amendment 10 - William Graham (South Wales East)
Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Notes that 96.5 per cent of head teachers in Welsh primary schools do not believe school banding proposals will benefit their school, and believes that such a lack of support from the sector for a key Welsh Government policy could impact negatively on any school improvement agenda.

The item started at 16:21

 

Voting on the motion was deferred until Voting Time.

 

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

 

NDM5086 Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Notes that:

 

a) regional school improvement partnerships have been identified by the Welsh Government as the answer to address the systemic failure in education;

 

b) the banding scheme for secondary schools has identified schools in Bands 4 and 5 as in need of urgent improvement;

 

2. Regrets that all the regional school improvement partnerships were not operational by September 2012 as promised; and

 

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that:

 

a) the regional education consortia are fully operational as soon as possible; and

 

b) the schools placed in lower bands are immediately provided with the necessary support to address systemic failure.

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
6	0	35	41

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

 

The following amendments were tabled:

 

Amendment 1 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Insert as new point 1 and renumber accordingly:

Notes the important work that head teachers, teachers and governors carry out on a day to day basis to secure the best possible education for our children.

 

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
39	0	2	41

Amendment 1 was agreed.

 

Amendment 2 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Vale of Glamorgan)

 

In sub-point 1a, after ‘regional school improvement partnerships’ insert ‘, along with the other educational reforms supported through the recently launched school improvement implementation plan and wider effective collaboration between public services,’

 

A vote was taken on amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
27	0	14	41

Amendment 2 was agreed.

 

Amendment 3 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

In point 1b delete all after ‘secondary schools’ and replace with:

is seriously flawed and does not enjoy the confidence of teachers, parents or pupils.

 

A vote was taken on amendment 3:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
14	0	27	41

Amendment 3 was not agreed.

 

Amendment 4 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Vale of Glamorgan)

 

Delete point 2.

 

A vote was taken on amendment 4:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
21	0	19	40

Amendment 4 was agreed.

 

Amendment 5 - William Graham (South Wales East)

 

Add as new point 3 and re-number accordingly:

 

Calls on the Welsh Government to explain why the deadline for the implementation of regional school improvement partnerships was missed.

 

A vote was taken on amendment 5:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
20	0	21	41

Amendment 5 was not agreed.

 

Amendment 6 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

In point 3a delete all after ‘are’ and replace with:

 

populated with the highest possible quality of candidate and fully operational as soon as possible, and if this is not possible in the next six months, to review the role of regional education consortia in the future of the Welsh education system.

 

A vote was taken on amendment 6:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
35	0	5	40

Amendment 6 was agreed.

 

Amendment 7 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Notes the beneficial impact that the successful implementation of the Pupil Deprivation Grant could have on attainment in schools.

 

A vote was taken on amendment 7:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
24	6	10	40

Amendment 7 was agreed.

 

Amendment 8 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Add as a new point at the end of motion:

 

Calls on the Welsh Government to work with schools, teachers and school improvement partnerships to ensure the optimum use of the Pupil Deprivation Grant to ensure that every child can achieve their potential.  

 

A vote was taken on amendment 8:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
40	0	0	40

Amendment 8 was agreed.

 

Amendment 9 - William Graham (South Wales East)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Regrets that the Welsh Government has failed to implement an extensive and differentiated support package for secondary schools in Bands 4 and 5 in need of urgent improvement.

 

A vote was taken on amendment 9:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
20	0	21	41

Amendment 9 was not agreed.

 

Amendment 10 - William Graham (South Wales East)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Notes that 96.5 per cent of head teachers in Welsh primary schools do not believe school banding proposals will benefit their school, and believes that such a lack of support from the sector for a key Welsh Government policy could impact negatively on any school improvement agenda.

 

A vote was taken on amendment 10:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
14	0	27	41

Amendment 10 was not agreed.

 

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

 

NDM5086 Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Notes the important work that head teachers, teachers and governors carry out on a day to day basis to secure the best possible education for our children.

 

2. Notes that:

 

a) regional school improvement partnerships, along with the other educational reforms supported through the recently launched school improvement implementation plan and wider effective collaboration between public services, have been identified by the Welsh Government as the answer to address the systemic failure in education;

 

b) the banding scheme for secondary schools has identified schools in Bands 4 and 5 as in need of urgent improvement;

 

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that:

 

a) the regional education consortia are populated with the highest possible quality of candidate and fully operational as soon as possible, and if this is not possible in the next six months, to review the role of regional education consortia in the future of the Welsh education system.

b) the schools placed in lower bands are immediately provided with the necessary support to address systemic failure.

 

4. Notes the beneficial impact that the successful implementation of the Pupil Deprivation Grant could have on attainment in schools.

 

5. Calls on the Welsh Government to work with schools, teachers and school improvement partnerships to ensure the optimum use of the Pupil Deprivation Grant to ensure that every child can achieve their potential.  

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
35	0	6	41

The motion as amended was agreed.

 

NDM5085 Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Notes that:

 

a) the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee has not agreed a budget with the Wales Ambulance Service for the 2012/13 financial year, as of 31/10/2012;

 

b) the Welsh Ambulance Service is unable to prepare proper service plans due to a lack of financial clarity; and

 

c) for the last four successive months the Welsh Ambulance Service has failed to meet its all-Wales target of 65% of Category A (immediately life-threatening) calls receiving an ambulance response time within 8 minutes.

 

2. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

 

a) ensure that the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee agrees a budget with the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust for the 2012/13 year as a matter of urgency;

 

b) outline the role of the Wales Ambulance Service Trust with regard to service reconfiguration and the impact that reconfiguration could have on their budget and performance;

 

c) urgently assess the support available to the Wales Ambulance Service so they can meet their agreed 65% response time targets; and

d) urgently review arrangements whereby the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee, a committee comprising representatives of all the Local Health Boards, has to agree the budget for another trust.

The following amendments have been tabled:

 

Amendment 1 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Vale of Glamorgan)

 

Delete point 1.

 

Amendment 2 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

In point 1a delete ‘has’ and replace with ‘had’

 

Amendment 3 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

In point 1b delete ‘is’ and replace with ‘was’

 

[If Amendment 4 is moved Amendment 5 will be se-selected]

Amendment 4 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Vale of Glamorgan)

 

Delete sub-point 2a.

 

Amendment 5 -  Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Delete point 2a.

 

[If Amendment 6 is agreed Amendment 7 will be se-selected]

Amendment 6 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

Delete sub-point 2d and replace with:

 

Calls on the Minister to take responsibility for setting the Welsh Ambulance Service’s budget.

 

Amendment 7 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Vale of Glamorgan)

 

Delete sub-point 2d. and replace with: ‘continue to assess arrangements between the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee, Local Health Boards and WAST, to ensure robust governance and funding arrangements remain in place.’

Amendment 8 - William Graham (South Wales East)

 

Add at the end of motion:

 

Notes the critical role played by the Wales Air Ambulance Service in assisting the Wales Ambulance Service to respond to emergencies in Wales.

 

Amendment 9 - William Graham (South Wales East)

 

Add at the end of motion:

 

Calls on the Welsh Government to work with the Wales Air Ambulance Service in the planning of emergency care and to provide adequate direct funding for those services, in order to assist the Wales Ambulance Service to meet its key objectives.

 

Amendment 10 - William Graham (South Wales East)

 

Add at the end of motion:

 

Regrets that the Welsh NHS is facing the largest real-term health cuts of any of the UK nations and that this has the potential to have a detrimental impact on the Welsh Ambulance Service.

The item started at 17:17

 

Voting on the motion was deferred until Voting Time.

 

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

 

NDM5085 Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Notes that:

 

a) the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee has not agreed a budget with the Wales Ambulance Service for the 2012/13 financial year, as of 31/10/2012;

 

b) the Welsh Ambulance Service is unable to prepare proper service plans due to a lack of financial clarity; and

 

c) for the last four successive months the Welsh Ambulance Service has failed to meet its all-Wales target of 65% of Category A (immediately life-threatening) calls receiving an ambulance response time within 8 minutes.

 

2. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

 

a) ensure that the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee agrees a budget with the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust for the 2012/13 year as a matter of urgency;

 

b) outline the role of the Wales Ambulance Service Trust with regard to service reconfiguration and the impact that reconfiguration could have on their budget and performance;

 

c) urgently assess the support available to the Wales Ambulance Service so they can meet their agreed 65% response time targets; and

d) urgently review arrangements whereby the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee, a committee comprising representatives of all the Local Health Boards, has to agree the budget for another trust.

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
10	0	31	41

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

 

The following amendments were tabled:

 

Amendment 1 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Vale of Glamorgan)

 

Delete point 1.

 

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
21	0	20	41

Amendment 1 was agreed.

 

Amendment 2 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

In point 1a delete ‘has’ and replace with ‘had’

 

A vote was taken on amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
19	0	21	40

Amendment 2 was not agreed.

 

Amendment 3 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

In point 1b delete ‘is’ and replace with ‘was’

 

A vote was taken on amendment 3:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
20	0	21	41

Amendment 3 was not agreed.

 

Amendment 4 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Vale of Glamorgan)

 

Delete sub-point 2a.

 

A vote was taken on amendment 4:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
41	0	0	41

Amendment 4 was agreed.

 

As amendment 4 was moved, amendment 5 was de-selected.

 

Amendment 6 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

 

Delete sub-point 2d and replace with:

 

Calls on the Minister to take responsibility for setting the Welsh Ambulance Service’s budget.

 

A vote was taken on amendment 6:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
20	0	21	41

Amendment 6 was not agreed.

 

Amendment 7 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Vale of Glamorgan)

 

Delete sub-point 2d. and replace with: ‘continue to assess arrangements between the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee, Local Health Boards and WAST, to ensure robust governance and funding arrangements remain in place.’

 

A vote was taken on amendment 7:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
21	0	19	40

Amendment 7 was agreed.

 

Amendment 8 - William Graham (South Wales East)

 

Add at the end of motion:

 

Notes the critical role played by the Wales Air Ambulance Service in assisting the Wales Ambulance Service to respond to emergencies in Wales.

 

A vote was taken on amendment 8:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
41	0	0	41

Amendment 8 was agreed.

 

Amendment 9 - William Graham (South Wales East)

 

Add at the end of motion:

 

Calls on the Welsh Government to work with the Wales Air Ambulance Service in the planning of emergency care and to provide adequate direct funding for those services, in order to assist the Wales Ambulance Service to meet its key objectives.

 

A vote was taken on amendment 9:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
20	0	21	41

Amendment 9 was not agreed.

 

Amendment 10 - William Graham (South Wales East)

 

Add at the end of motion:

 

Regrets that the Welsh NHS is facing the largest real-term health cuts of any of the UK nations and that this has the potential to have a detrimental impact on the Welsh Ambulance Service.

 

A vote was taken on amendment 10:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
10	6	25	41

Amendment 10 was not agreed.

 

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

 

NDM5085 Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

 

a) outline the role of the Wales Ambulance Service Trust with regard to service reconfiguration and the impact that reconfiguration could have on their budget and performance;

 

b) urgently assess the support available to the Wales Ambulance Service so they can meet their agreed 65% response time targets; and

 

c) continue to assess arrangements between the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee, Local Health Boards and WAST, to ensure robust governance and funding arrangements remain in place.

 

2. Notes the critical role played by the Wales Air Ambulance Service in assisting the Wales Ambulance Service to respond to emergencies in Wales.

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
31	0	10	41

The motion as amended was agreed.

Voting Time started at 18.08

 

NDM5083 Nick Ramsay (Monmouth):

 

Asbestos in Schools:  Revealing not concealing Parents’ right to know.