Agenda and minutes
Venue: Video Conference via Zoom
Contact: Aled Elwyn Jones
No. | Item |
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Introductions, apologies and substitutions |
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Minutes of the previous meeting Minutes: The Minutes from the previous meeting were agreed for
publication. |
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Organisation of Business |
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This Week's Business Minutes: The Trefnydd raised
the issue of two Members being unable to vote at different times last week. The
Llywydd explained that it was possible for Members’ votes to be entered manually
into the system by a clerk, in the event that one or two of them experience an
insurmountable problem. This would require Members to declare their vote orally
while the vote was open. The Llywydd will use this when she considers it to be
necessary, and if there were a more wide-scale problem, would resort to
weighted voting. The Business
Committee agreed that the Llywydd should continue with the current practice of
not allowing interventions except in specific slots towards the end of a
debate. Independent Members Business
Committee agreed that as Neil Hamilton is unable to attend Plenary in person on
Wednesday, although he had been successful in the ballot, his place will be
offered to Neil McEvoy (the other non-group Member who had expressed a
preference for attending in person). Regulations The Trefnydd informed Business Managers
that the Government has withdrawn the following motions:
This is because the Health
Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2020 laid
on Friday repeal them. Start time and
break Business Managers
agreed that the break should be at around 12.30, after questions to the Counsel
General. They also agreed a short break after government business, at around
15.30. In response to a
request from the Trefnydd, the Llywydd agreed that Ministers could swap during
both breaks, so that most or all lead Ministers can participate from the
Chamber. |
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Three Week Timetable of Government Business Minutes: The Trefnydd drew
Business Managers’ attention to the fact that the Government has scheduled
business for Tuesdays and Wednesdays from September onwards. |
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Three Week Timetable of Senedd Business Minutes: Business Committee agreed to return to a more
usual schedule of business from September onwards, and so scheduled the
following: Wednesday
16 September 2020:
Wednesday
23 September 2020 – ·
Questions
to the Senedd Commission (30 mins) ·
90
Second Statements (5 mins) ·
Debate
on the Finance Committee report: Impact of variations in national and
sub-national income tax (60 mins)
·
Time
allocated to the Welsh Conservatives (60 mins) ·
Time
allocated to Plaid Cymru (60 mins) ·
Short
Debate (30 mins) Wednesday
30 September 2020 –
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Senedd Business |
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Senedd Timetable Minutes: The Business Committee agreed to return to
twice-weekly Plenaries on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, and agreed the
draft committee timetable. The Llywydd confirmed that the Commission
would be looking at issues such as how many Members could be present in the
building, and potential use of other rooms, ahead of the autumn term. It would
also consider whether there was any way more than two committees could be
broadcast simultaneously in future. |
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Recess Dates Minutes: Business Committee confirmed the autumn half
term and Christmas recess dates for 2020 and agreed provisional recess dates
for spring half term 2021 and Easter recess. |
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Summer recess 2020 tabling arrangements Minutes: Business Committee
confirmed the arrangements for tabling Plenary business during the summer
recess period and agreed the arrangements for the tabling of Written Questions. |
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Legislation |
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Letter from the Chair of the Equalities and Local Government Committee Minutes: The Business
Committee agreed to the request by the committee for an additional meeting slot
on 20 July. The Business
Committee also agreed the proposed revised timetable for the Renting Homes
(Amendment) (Wales) Bill, with a reporting deadline for Stage 1 of 2 October
2020 and for Stage 2 of 4 December 2020. |
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Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum - The Fisheries Bill Minutes: The Business Committee agreed to refer the
Supplementary LCM on the Fisheries Bill to the Climate Change, Environment and Rural
Affairs and LJC Committees, with a reporting deadline of 24 September. |
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Revised Legislative Consent Memorandum - The Non Domestic Rating (Lists) Bill Minutes: The Business Committee also agreed to refer
the revised LCM on the Non-Domestic Rating (Lists) Bill to the EIS and LJC
Committees but, as the Bill is being held in abeyance indefinitely in
Westminster, did not set a reporting deadline.
|
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Legislative Consent Memorandum - The Medicines and Medical Devices Bill Minutes: The Business Committee also agreed to refer
the LCM on the Medicines and Medical Devices Bill to the Health, Social Care
and Sport Committee, and the LJC Committee, with a reporting deadline of 22
October. |
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Committees |
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Letter from the Chair of the Committee for Senedd Electoral Reform Minutes: The Business
Committee agreed to the request from the Committee on Senedd Electoral Reform
to meet during w/c 3 August 2020. |
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Any Other Business Minutes: Recall meetings of the Senedd on 5 and
26 August The Business Committee confirmed that
the meeting will be held virtually with a start time of 1.30pm, and that any
voting will take place on the remote voting app. The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 2) (Wales)
Regulations 2020 The Business
Committee agreed a deadline of 3 August for the Legislation, Justice and
Constitution Committee to report on the regulations, ahead of the anticipated
debate on 5 August. Business Managers discussed ways of
ensuring that, in the case of made-affirmative regulations, the regulations
were debated at the first Plenary after they had been made, and the Llywydd
asked officials to consider ways of enabling that to happen. |