Agenda and decisions

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The first 13 questions were asked.

View Questions

Item started at 14.17

 

Questions 1 – 9 and 11 - 13 were asked.  Question 10 was transferred for written answer. Questions 14 and 15 were withdrawn.

NDM4885 Ken Skates (Clwyd South)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales, in accordance with Standing Order 26.91:

 

Agrees that Ken Skates may introduce a Bill to give effect to the pre-ballot information tabled on 14 October 2011 under Standing Order 26.90.

 

The pre-ballot information can be accessed on the following link:

 

http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-legislation/bill_ballots/bill_020.htm

 

 

Item started at 15.03

 

NDM4885 Ken Skates (Clwyd South)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales, in accordance with Standing Order 26.91:

 

Agrees that Ken Skates may introduce a Bill to give effect to the pre-ballot information tabled on 14 October 2011 under Standing Order 26.90.

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

 

NDM4886 William Graham (South Wales East)

 

The National Assembly for Wales

 

1. Notes with concern the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales comments, in response to the Economic Renewal Programme 2010, that Wales has a “poor skills mix”.

 

2. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

 

a) recognise the importance of demand led skills provision in line with the recommendations of the Leitch Review; and

 

b) conduct a full assessment of Wales’ future need for specialised skills.

 

The Economic Renewal Programme 2010 “Economic Renewal – A New Direction” can be found here:

 

http://wales.gov.uk/docs/det/report/100705anewdirectionen.pdf

 

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales response to the Economic Renewal Programme 2010 can be found here:

 

http://wales.gov.uk/docs/det/consultation/101216consreponse.pdf

 

The Leitch Review can be found here:

 

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http:/www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/leitch_review/review_leitch_index.cfm

 

The following amendments have been tabled:

 

Amendment 1 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

 

Delete "with concern" from point 1.

 

Amendment 2 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

 

At end of point 1 insert "and therefore recognises the importance of the imminent re-opening of Skills Growth Wales and the ongoing Qualifications Review as part of the substantive commitment to skills set out in the Programme of Government".

 

Amendment 3 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Welcomes the additional £4.88 million for the Young Recruits Programme and the additional £3 million for Skills Growth Wales announced in the final budget in December 2011.

 

Item started at 15.56

 

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

 

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

 

NDM4886 William Graham (South Wales East)

 

The National Assembly for Wales

 

1. Notes with concern the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales comments, in response to the Economic Renewal Programme 2010, that Wales has a “poor skills mix”.

 

2. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

 

a) recognise the importance of demand led skills provision in line with the recommendations of the Leitch Review; and

 

b) conduct a full assessment of Wales’ future need for specialised skills.

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
22	0	34	56

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

 

Delete "with concern" from point 1.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
30	0	26	56

Amendment 1 was agreed.

 

Amendment 2 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

 

At end of point 1 insert "and therefore recognises the importance of the imminent re-opening of Skills Growth Wales and the ongoing Qualifications Review as part of the substantive commitment to skills set out in the Programme of Government".

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
40	0	16	56

Amendment 2 was agreed.

 

Amendment 3 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Welcomes the additional £4.88 million for the Young Recruits Programme and the additional £3 million for Skills Growth Wales announced in the final budget in December 2011.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 3:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
44	12	0	56

Amendment 3 was agreed.

 

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

 

NDM4886 William Graham (South Wales East)

 

The National Assembly for Wales

 

1. Notes the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales comments, in response to the Economic Renewal Programme 2010, that Wales has a “poor skills mix” and therefore recognises the importance of the imminent re-opening of Skills Growth Wales and the ongoing Qualifications Review as part of the substantive commitment to skills set out in the Programme of Government.

 

2. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

 

a) recognise the importance of demand led skills provision in line with the recommendations of the Leitch Review; and

 

b) conduct a full assessment of Wales’ future need for specialised skills.

 

3. Welcomes the additional £4.88 million for the Young Recruits Programme and the additional £3 million for Skills Growth Wales announced in the final budget in December 2011.

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
44	0	12	56

The motion as amended was agreed.

 

NDM4887 Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

 

The National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Notes the intention of the Welsh Government to introduce banding for both secondary and primary schools in Wales;

 

2. Believes that banding does not provide a whole view of a school’s performance and its use should be limited to securing the necessary support for any school to improve in those areas measured by banding;

 

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to introduce a constructive evaluation process which leads to targeted support to remedy poor performance in schools.

 

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 monitor parent, teacher and Governor’s understanding of the banding system given concerns raised by teaching staff and take further explanatory action if required.

 

Amendment 2 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Recognises moves by Local Authorities through consortia to reconfigure school improvement services and believes that support drawing on the expertise of leading practitioners should become a model throughout Wales.

 

Amendment 3 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Believes that the quality of teaching and school leadership are the key drivers of school improvement and pays tribute to the work of the teaching profession in Wales for delivering rising standards over the last decade.

 

Amendment 4 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Believes that in concentrating on overall school performance this banding system fails to acknowledge the individual performances of pupils and departments within those schools.

 

Amendment 5 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Is concerned that the Welsh Government has produced no specific guidance for how local authorities with a number of schools in Bands 3, 4, and 5 can make practical improvements.

 

Item started at 16.55

 

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

 

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

 

NDM4887 Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

 

The National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Notes the intention of the Welsh Government to introduce banding for both secondary and primary schools in Wales;

 

2. Believes that banding does not provide a whole view of a school’s performance and its use should be limited to securing the necessary support for any school to improve in those areas measured by banding;

 

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to introduce a constructive evaluation process which leads to targeted support to remedy poor performance in schools.

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
12	0	44	56

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

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 monitor parent, teacher and Governor’s understanding of the banding system given concerns raised by teaching staff and take further explanatory action if required.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
55	0	0	55

Amendment 1 was agreed.

Amendment 2 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Recognises moves by Local Authorities through consortia to reconfigure school improvement services and believes that support drawing on the expertise of leading practitioners should become a model throughout Wales.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
44	0	12	56

Amendment 2 was agreed.

 

Amendment 3 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Believes that the quality of teaching and school leadership are the key drivers of school improvement and pays tribute to the work of the teaching profession in Wales for delivering rising standards over the last decade.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 3:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
56	0	0	56

Amendment 3 was agreed.

 

Amendment 4 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Believes that in concentrating on overall school performance this banding system fails to acknowledge the individual performances of pupils and departments within those schools.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 4:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	0	39	56

Amendment 4 was not agreed.

 

Amendment 5 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Is concerned that the Welsh Government has produced no specific guidance for how local authorities with a number of schools in Bands 3, 4, and 5 can make practical improvements.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 5:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
27	0	29	56

Amendment 5 was not agreed.

 

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

 

NDM4887 Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

 

The National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Notes the intention of the Welsh Government to introduce banding for both secondary and primary schools in Wales;

 

2. Believes that banding does not provide a whole view of a school’s performance and its use should be limited to securing the necessary support for any school to improve in those areas measured by banding;

 

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to introduce a constructive evaluation process which leads to targeted support to remedy poor performance in schools.

 

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to monitor parent, teacher and Governor’s understanding of the banding system given concerns raised by teaching staff and take further explanatory action if required.

 

5. Recognises moves by Local Authorities through consortia to reconfigure school improvement services and believes that support drawing on the expertise of leading practitioners should become a model throughout Wales.

 

6. Believes that the quality of teaching and school leadership are the key drivers of school improvement and pays tribute to the work of the teaching profession in Wales for delivering rising standards over the last decade.

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
44	0	12	56

The motion as amended was agreed.

 

Voting Time commenced at 17.58

NDM4884 Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire):

 

Whistleblowing: Does the Welsh Government have a moral responsibility to seek to protect whistle blowers in all walks of life?

 

Item started at 18.02