Agenda and minutes
Venue: Y Siambr - Y Senedd. View directions
Expected timing: 196(v4)
Media
Senedd.TV: View the webcast
Transcript: Transcript for 13/03/2019 - Plenary - Fifth Senedd
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Nominations for a committee chair Item started at
13.30 The Presiding Officer invited nominations for the
chair of the following committee, in accordance with Standing Order 17.2F: (i)
Petitions
Committee – Conservatives David Melding nominated
Janet Finch-Saunders As there were
two nominations, the Presiding Officer referred the nominations to a secret
ballot in accordance with Standing Order 17.2I. |
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Emergency Question To ask the First Minister: Adam Price (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): Will
the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government’s policy on Brexit following
the rejection of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement in the House of Commons last
night? |
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(45 mins) |
Questions to the Minister for Education The Presiding Officer will call party
spokespeople to ask questions without notice after Question 2. Supporting documents: Minutes: The item started at
13.49 Questions 1 – 8 and
10 were asked. Question 9 was not asked. The Presiding Officer invited party
spokespeople to ask questions to the Minister after question 2. |
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(45 mins) |
Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services The Presiding Officer will call party spokespeople to ask questions without notice after Question 2. Minutes: The item started at
14.46 The first 8
questions were asked. Question 3 was answered by the Deputy Minister for Health
and Social Services. The Presiding Officer invited party spokespeople to ask
questions to the Minister after question 2. |
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Topical Questions No
Topical Questions were accepted Minutes: No Topical Questions were accepted |
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(5 mins) |
90 Second Statements Minutes: No 90 Second Statements were submitted |
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(30 mins) |
Statement by the Chair of the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee: The effect of Brexit on the arts, creative industries, heritage and the Welsh language Minutes: The item started at
15.37 |
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PO Statement: Election of Petitions Committee Chair The item started at
16.05 The Presiding Officer
announced the result of the election of the Petitions Committee Chair: Petitions Committee
The Presiding Officer declared Janet Finch-Saunders AM
elected as Chair of the Petitions
Committee. |
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(120 mins) |
Debate: Stage 3 of the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Bill The amendments will
be disposed of in the order that the sections and schedules to which they
relate were set out in the motion under Standing Order 26.36 as agreed by the
Assembly on 6 March 2019. The amendments have been grouped for the
purposes of debate and the groupings will be debated as follows: Group 1:
Gender-neutral language 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36,
37, 38, 16, 21 Group 2:
Appointment of Ombudsman 44, 45 Group 3:
Investigation of a health related service: Costs recovery 30, 6, 8, 9 Group 4: Auditor
General: Laying the certified accounts 49 Group 5: Drafting
corrections 2, 7, 10, 12, 13 Group 6: Own
initiative investigations 3, 4, 14, 15, 19 Group 7: Making
complaints 5, 17, 18 Group 8: Nolan
Principles 46 Group 9:
Complaints-handling procedures 47, 11, 48 Group 10:
Regulation making powers 20 Group 11: Review of
Act 39, 40, 41, 42 Group 12: Functions
of the Assembly 43 Group 13: Overview
1 Supporting
documents Minutes: The item started at
16.06 Amendment 22 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 23 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 24 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 25 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 26 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 44 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 45 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 27 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 28 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 29 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 30 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 31 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 32 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 33 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 34 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 35 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 36 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. A vote was taken on amendment 49:
Amendment
49 was not agreed. Amendment 37 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 2 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 3 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 4 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 5 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 38 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 6 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 7 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 8 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 9 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 10 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 46 was withdrawn A vote was taken on amendment 47:
Amendment
47 was not agreed. Amendment 11 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. A vote was taken on amendment 48:
Amendment
48 was not agreed. Amendment 12 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 13 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 14 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 15 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 16 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 17 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 18 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 19 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 20 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 39 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 40 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 41 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 42 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 43 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 21 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. Amendment 1 was agreed, in accordance with
Standing Order 12.36. All
sections and schedules of the Bill were deemed agreed, concluding Stage 3
proceedings. |
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(60 mins) |
Welsh Conservatives debate - Natural Resources Wales NDM6989 Darren Millar (Clwyd West) To propose that the National Assembly for
Wales; 1. Notes the Welsh Government’s decision to
merge the Countryside Council for Wales, Environment Agency Wales, and the
Forestry Commission Wales with the formation of Natural Resources Wales (NRW)
in 2013. 2. Recognises the hard work of frontline
staff in the organisation but acknowledges their dissatisfaction and lack of
confidence in the decisions taken by senior management, as regularly expressed
in staff surveys since NRW’s inception. 3. Regrets that NRW has systematically
failed the people of Wales through a number of high-profile scandals,
including: a) serious failings in the handling of
timber contracts which auditors, Grant Thornton, stated were so bad they
"heightened exposure to the risk of fraud"; b) the ‘qualification’ of the
organisation’s accounts by the Wales Audit Office for three years running,
indicating that there were questions over whether the organisation had acted
within the rules; c) the contradictory approach led by NRW
when deciding to intervene on matters of public interest such as shooting on
public land and nuclear mud dumping. 4. Calls on the Welsh Government to
instigate an independent review/inquiry into the organisation’s failings and to
investigate alternative proposals for the management of the natural resources
of Wales. Grant Thornton - Natural Resources Wales - Governance of
Timber Sales - 3 February 2019 Natural Resources Wales - Annual Report and Accounts
2015-16 Natural Resources Wales - Annual Report and Accounts
2016-17 Natural Resources Wales - Annual Report and Accounts
2017-18 The following amendments were tabled: Amendment 1 - Rebecca Evans (Gower) Delete points 3 and 4 replace with new points: Notes the findings and recommendations of the
reports by: a) National Assembly Public Accounts Committee
inquiry into NRW’s annual report and accounts 2017-2018 – November 2018; b) Grant Thornton - Natural Resources Wales -
Governance of Timber Sales - February 2019. Welcomes the appointment of a new chief executive
and interim chair of NRW and their commitment to implement the recommendations
of the two reports and improve the management and governance of NRW. Public Accounts
Committee - Natural Resources Wales Scrutiny of
Annual Report and Accounts 2017-18 – November 2018 [If amendment 1 is agreed, amendments 2 and
3 will be de-selected] Amendment 2 - Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn) In point 3, replace “Regrets that NRW has
systematically failed the people of Wales through a number of high-profile
scandals” with “Regrets the series of high profile failures in NRW”. Amendment 3 - Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn) Delete point 4 and replace with: Calls on the Welsh Government to establish an independent
review to ascertain whether it is still appropriate for NRW to continue to
manage the commercial forest estate in Wales and consider any potential
alternative models. Amendment 4 - Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn) Add as new point at end of motion: Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that NRW is
properly resourced to adequately fulfil all of its duties. Minutes: The item started at 17.13 Voting on the motion and
amendments under this item was deferred until Voting Time. A vote was taken on the
motion without amendment: NDM6989 Darren
Millar (Clwyd West) To propose that the
National Assembly for Wales; 1. Notes the Welsh
Government’s decision to merge the Countryside Council for Wales, Environment
Agency Wales, and the Forestry Commission Wales with the formation of Natural
Resources Wales (NRW) in 2013. 2. Recognises the hard work
of frontline staff in the organisation but acknowledges their dissatisfaction
and lack of confidence in the decisions taken by senior management, as
regularly expressed in staff surveys since NRW’s inception. 3. Regrets that NRW has
systematically failed the people of Wales through a number of high-profile
scandals, including: a) serious failings in the
handling of timber contracts which auditors, Grant Thornton, stated were so bad
they "heightened exposure to the risk of fraud"; b) the ‘qualification’ of
the organisation’s accounts by the Wales Audit Office for three years running,
indicating that there were questions over whether the organisation had acted
within the rules; c) the contradictory
approach led by NRW when deciding to intervene on matters of public interest
such as shooting on public land and nuclear mud dumping. 4. Calls on the Welsh
Government to instigate an independent review/inquiry into the organisation’s
failings and to investigate alternative proposals for the management of the
natural resources of Wales.
The motion without
amendment was not agreed. The following amendments
were tabled: Amendment 1 - Rebecca Evans (Gower) Delete points 3 and 4 replace with new points: Notes the findings and recommendations of the reports by: a) National Assembly Public Accounts Committee inquiry into NRW’s annual
report and accounts 2017-2018 – November 2018; b) Grant Thornton - Natural Resources Wales - Governance of Timber Sales
- February 2019. Welcomes the appointment of a new chief executive and interim chair of
NRW and their commitment to implement the recommendations of the two reports
and improve the management and governance of NRW. A vote was taken on amendment 1:
Amendment 1 was agreed. As Amendment 1 was agreed, amendments 2 and 3 were de-selected. Amendment 4 - Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn) Add as new point at end of motion: Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that
NRW is properly resourced to adequately fulfil all of its duties. A vote was taken on amendment 4:
Amendment 4 was not agreed. A vote was taken on the
motion as amended: NDM6989 Darren
Millar (Clwyd West) To propose that the
National Assembly for Wales; 1. Notes the Welsh
Government’s decision to merge the Countryside Council for Wales, Environment
Agency Wales, and the Forestry Commission Wales with the formation of Natural
Resources Wales (NRW) in 2013. 2. Recognises the hard work
of frontline staff in the organisation but acknowledges their dissatisfaction
and lack of confidence in the decisions taken by senior management, as
regularly expressed in staff surveys since NRW’s inception. 3. Notes the findings and recommendations of the reports by: a) National Assembly Public Accounts Committee inquiry into NRW’s annual
report and accounts 2017-2018 – November 2018; b) Grant Thornton - Natural Resources Wales - Governance of Timber Sales
- February 2019. 4. Welcomes the appointment of a new chief executive and interim chair
of NRW and their commitment to implement the recommendations of the two reports
and improve the management and governance of NRW.
The motion as amended was
agreed. |
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Voting Time Minutes: The item started at 18.04 |
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(30 mins) |
Short Debate NDM6988 Mike Hedges (Swansea East) The importance of apprenticeships: Why we
need people qualified in trades. Minutes: The item started at 18.07 NDM6988 Mike Hedges (Swansea East) The importance of apprenticeships: Why we need people qualified in
trades. |
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Votes Summary Supporting documents: |