Agenda and minutes

View the meeting transcript.

1.1 No apologies were received.

Mark Drakeford AM, Minister for Health and Social Services, Member in charge

Dr Ruth Hussey, Chief Medical Officer

Chris Tudor-Smith, Senior Responsible Officer

Sue Bowker, Head of Tobacco Policy Branch

Dewi Jones, Legal Services Department

Public Health (Wales) Bill (PDF, 316KB)

Explanatory Memorandum (PDF, 3MB)

2.1 The Minister responded to questions from Members.

2.2 The Minister agreed to provide the Committee with a note to:

·         outline the Welsh Government’s view of the National Assembly for Wales’ legislative competence to:

-        impose restrictions on the sale of high sugar products and alcohol; and

-        ban the sale of conventional cigarettes in Wales.

·         detail the number of people requiring medical assistance over the last 5 years as a consequence of  undergoing any of the special procedures noted in the Bill, including the cost of providing the treatment, broken down to each of the four procedures;

·         detail the evidence he referred to that most users of e-cigarettes also use  conventional tobacco cigarettes; and

·         outline the success rate of using e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation method in comparison to other options.

3.1a The Committee noted the minutes of the meeting held on 11 June.

3.2a The Committee noted the correspondence.

Correspondence from the Minister for Health and Social Services

Correspondence from Kirsty Williams AM, the Member in charge

3.3a The Committee noted the correspondence and agreed to return to the subject at its next discussion of the Committee’s forward work programme.

Additional information from RNIB Cymru

Additional information from Association of Directors for Social Services Cymru

Additional information from National Autistic Society Cymru

3.4a The Committee noted the additional information.

3.5a The Committee noted the correspondence and welcomed the progress made to date. The Committee agreed to write to the Chief Medical Officer to:

·         ask to be kept informed about any further progress with the clinical consensus document being developed by the All Wales Neonatal Network Management Group and the All Wales Maternity Network; and

·         seek further information about the timescales for the work that is underway by the Maternity Group and Neonatal Network to develop care pathways for parents and babies, including the provision of palliative and bereavement care.

4.1 The motion was agreed.

5.1 The Committee considered the evidence received.

6.1 The Committee considered and agreed a draft letter to the Minister for Health and Social Services, subject to minor amendments.