Agenda and decisions

 

View Questions

The item started at 13:30

 

All 15 questions were asked. Questions 4 and 8 were answered by the Deputy Minister for Skills.

 

View Questions

The item started at 14:18

All 15 questions were asked.

 

The item started at 15:01

 

Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Further to the Minister's written statement on the Mid-Year Review of NHS Finances, will the Minister make an urgent statement on the sustainability of NHS finances in Wales.

 

The item started at 15:11

 

NDM5116 Mark Drakeford (Cardiff West)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

Notes the report of the Health and Social Care Committee on its one-day inquiry into venous thrombo embolism prevention in hospitalised patients in Wales, which was laid in the Table Office on 10 October 2012.

 

Note: The response of the Minister for Health and Social Services to the report was laid in the Table Office on 28 November 2012.

 

Supporting documents:

Health and Social Care Committee’s report

Welsh Government’s response

The item started at 15:43

NDM5116 Mark Drakeford (Cardiff West)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

Notes the report of the Health and Social Care Committee on its one-day inquiry into venous thrombo embolism prevention in hospitalised patients in Wales, which was laid in the Table Office on 10 October 2012.

 

Note: The response of the Minister for Health and Social Services to the report was laid in the Table Office on 28 November 2012.

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

NDM5114 William Graham (South Wales East)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

Believes that the First Minister’s Delivery Unit is ineffective, given the continued failure of the Welsh Government to improve the lives of the people of Wales.

 

The following amendments have been tabled:

 

Amendment 1 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

 

Delete all and replace with:

 

Calls on the First Minister to publish an annual report outlining the Delivery Unit’s progress in improving public services.

 

Amendment 2 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Insert as new points at start of motion:

 

Regrets that, since the Delivery Unit was established:

 

a) the number of patients being treated within 26 weeks and within 36 weeks has fallen, according to the September 2011 and September 2012 figures from StatsWales;

 

b) the number of students that achieved 5A*-C GCSEs in Wales was considerably lower than in England;

 

c) long-term youth unemployment has risen by 400%, according to  August 2011 and August 2012 figures from the Office of National Statistics;

 

Further regrets that, despite the Delivery Unit the government is still unlikely to meet its target to eliminate fuel poverty amongst people living in social housing by 2012.

 

The waiting time statistics can be found on the following link:

 

http://wales.gov.uk/docs/statistics/2012/121108sdr1942012en.pdf

 

The youth unemployment figures can be found on the following link:

 

http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/gor/2013265930/subreports/gor_ccadr_time_series/report.aspx?

The item started at 16:22

 

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

 

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

 

NDM5114 William Graham (South Wales East)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

Believes that the First Minister’s Delivery Unit is ineffective, given the continued failure of the Welsh Government to improve the lives of the people of Wales.

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
13	0	39	52

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

 

The following amendments were tabled:

 

Amendment 1 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

 

Delete all and replace with:

 

Calls on the First Minister to publish an annual report outlining the Delivery Unit’s progress in improving public services.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
13	0	39	52

Amendment 1 was not agreed.

Amendment 2 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Insert as new points at start of motion:

 

Regrets that, since the Delivery Unit was established:

 

a) the number of patients being treated within 26 weeks and within 36 weeks has fallen, according to the September 2011 and September 2012 figures from StatsWales;

 

b) the number of students that achieved 5A*-C GCSEs in Wales was considerably lower than in England;

 

c) long-term youth unemployment has risen by 400%, according to  August 2011 and August 2012 figures from the Office of National Statistics;

 

Further regrets that, despite the Delivery Unit the government is still unlikely to meet its target to eliminate fuel poverty amongst people living in social housing by 2012.

 

The waiting time statistics can be found on the following link:

 

http://wales.gov.uk/docs/statistics/2012/121108sdr1942012en.pdf

 

The youth unemployment figures can be found on the following link:

 

http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/gor/2013265930/subreports/gor_ccadr_time_series/report.aspx?

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
25	0	26	51

Amendment 2 was not agreed.

 

As the Assembly has not agreed the Motion without amendment, and has not agreed the amendments tabled to the Motion, the Motion is therefore not agreed.

 

NDM5115 Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

 

The National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Regrets the continued high level of youth unemployment;

 

2. Welcomes the Welsh Government’s agreement to provide an additional £20m for 2013-14, and a similar indicative sum for 2014-15, to fund extra apprenticeships and training opportunities for 16-24 year olds;

 

3. Recognises the need to further incentivise small and medium size employers to offer apprenticeships which can offer a range of skills to young people.

 

The following amendments have been tabled:

 

Amendment 1 - William Graham (South Wales East)

 

Delete point 2 and replace with:

 

Expresses concern that the Welsh Government’s spending plans do not adequately ensure permanent youth job creation.

 

[If amendment 1 is agreed, amendment 2 will be deselected]

 

Amendment 2 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Delete point 2 and replace with:

 

Notes that it is not clear precisely which government programmes will be expanded, or new programmes created, as a result of the Welsh Government’s agreement to provide an additional funding for apprenticeships and training opportunities , and therefore calls on the government to make a statement about where it intends to allocate this money as soon as possible.

 

Amendment 3 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Insert as new point 2 and re-number accordingly:

 

Regrets that youth unemployment was higher in Wales (43%) than in England (39%) in 2011/12.

 

Amendment 4 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Insert at end of point 3:

 

‘, potentially including training grants to businesses that take on young unemployed people’

 

Amendment 5 - William Graham (South Wales East)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Regrets that under successive Welsh Governments, since the onset of devolution, the claimant count rate for 18-24 year olds has never been below the UK average.

The item started at 17:23

 

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

 

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

 

NDM5115 Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

 

The National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Regrets the continued high level of youth unemployment;

 

2. Welcomes the Welsh Government’s agreement to provide an additional £20m for 2013-14, and a similar indicative sum for 2014-15, to fund extra apprenticeships and training opportunities for 16-24 year olds;

 

3. Recognises the need to further incentivise small and medium size employers to offer apprenticeships which can offer a range of skills to young people.

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
34	0	18	52

The motion without amendment was agreed.

 

NDM5113 Ken Skates (Clwyd South):

 

The Nutritional Recession – The impact of rising food prices and shrinking budgets on the nutritional health of Wales

NDM5113 Ken Skates (Clwyd South):

 

The Nutritional Recession – The impact of rising food prices and shrinking budgets on the nutritional health of Wales

 

Antoinette Sandbach raised a Point of Order regarding the timing of the Motion to suspend Standing Orders and the Motions to agree the Regulations. She asked how the Presiding Officer was satisfied that allowing the Motion to suspend Standing Orders was not an abuse of the rights of minorities within the Assembly.

 

The Presiding Officer confirmed that the Motion was in order as the Assembly had been given a week’s notice that the Regulations would be debated.

 

 

Simon Thomas raised a Point of Order on the laying of legislation by the Welsh Government in English only.

 

The Presiding Officer clarified that Standing Orders permit this to happen in exceptional circumstances.

 

 

The item started at 18:20

 

NDM5117 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales, in accordance with Standing Orders 33.6 and 33.8:

 

Suspends Standing Order 12.20(i) and Standing Order 27.7 to allow NDM5118 and NDM5119 to be considered in Plenary on Wednesday 5 December 2012.

 

A vote was taken on the Motion:

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
33	0	18	51

 

As 2/3rds of the Members voting did not support the Motion, the Motion was not agreed.

 

 

The First Minister raised a Point of Order putting the Assembly on notice that he may consider writing to the Presiding Officer requesting a recall of the Assembly.

 

The Presiding Officer stated that she would consider any formal request she receives, but that she would want to know what circumstances had changed to justify a recall.

 

 

NDM5118 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales; in accordance with Standing Order 27.5

 

Approves that the draft The Council Tax Reduction Schemes and Prescribed Requirements (Wales) Regulations 2012, is made in accordance with the draft laid in the Table Office on 5 December 2012.

 

Supporting Documents:

The Council Tax Reduction Schemes and Prescribed Requirements (Wales) Regulations 2012

Explanatory Memorandum

As 2/3rds of the Members voting did not support the Motion to suspend Standing Orders, items 8 and 9 could not be debated.

 

NDM5119 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales; in accordance with Standing Order 27.5

 

Approves that the draft The Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Default Scheme)(Wales) Regulations 2012 is made in accordance with the draft laid in the Table Office on 5 December 2012.

 

Supporting Documents:

The Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Default Scheme) (Wales Regulations) Regulations 2012

Explanatory Memorandum

As 2/3rds of the Members voting did not support the Motion to suspend Standing Orders, items 8 and 9 could not be debated.

 

The item started at 18:57