Agenda and minutes

Venue: Presiding Officer’s office, 4th floor - Tŷ Hywel. View directions

Contact: Aled Elwyn Jones 

Items
No. Item

1.

Introductions, apologies and substitutions

2.

Minutes of the previous meeting

Minutes:

The minutes for the meeting were agreed by the Committee for publication.

3.

Organisation of Business

3.1

This Week's Business

Minutes:

The statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure on the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales was postponed until 18 October.

 

The Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure will be making a statement on the M4 Corridor around Newport Project on Tuesday.

 

Plaid Cymru will use their allocated time to hold two 30 minute debates on Wednesday.

 

On Tuesday, Voting Time would be after the final item of business. On Wednesday, Business Committee agreed that Voting Time would take place before the Short Debate.

3.2

Three Week Timetable of Government Business

Minutes:

Business Committee noted the 3 Week Timetable of Government Business.

3.3

Three week timetable of Assembly Business

Minutes:

Business Committee determined the organisation of Assembly business and agreed to schedule the following items of business:

 

Wednesday 19 October 2016 –

 

  • The 50th Anniversary of the Aberfan Disaster (10 mins)

 

Wednesday 2 November 2016 –

  • Time allocated to Plaid Cymru (120 mins)
  • Time allocated to the Welsh Conservatives (60 mins)

4.

The Assembly Timetable

4.1

Recess Dates

Minutes:

Business Managers agreed provisional dates for Easter, Whitsun and Summer 2017 recess.

 

5.

Use of Plenary Time

5.1

Members' Statements

Minutes:

Business Managers discussed a paper on introducing a new procedure for Members to make short statements in Plenary and agreed to introduce this procedure after October half term. In the meantime, Business Managers requested that guidance be made available for Members setting out the new procedure.

5.2

Topical Questions

Minutes:

Business Managers discussed options for amending Standing Orders to introduce a new procedure for Members to ask topical questions to the First Minister and Cabinet Secretaries in Plenary.

 

Jane Hutt suggested a further paper on the process for OAQs more generally in line with the recommendation of the previous Business Committee in its legacy report, and for a comparison with other parliaments. Jane Hutt also requested that the paper includes a summary of the reforms made in the previous Assembly.

6.

Papers to note

6.1

Summary Paper on Members' Bills

Minutes:

Business Managers noted a summary paper on proposed changes to procedures around Member Bills to inform Business Managers’ discussion with party groups, before returning to the matter in two weeks’ time.

Matters Arising

Following up a request from the Llywydd at last week’s meeting, Jane Hutt told the Committee that the Government would be laying an LCM for the Wales Bill keeping in mind adequate time for committee scrutiny, but were waiting for agreement on the fiscal framework and other matters before doing so. She agreed to keep Business Committee informed of developments.

Any Other Business

Jane Hutt informed Business Committee that the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs needed to move her OAQs from 16 November to 23 November as she would be attending the UN Climate Change Conference.  The usual rotation would then resume.