Minutes

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

Tuesday

·         Business Managers agreed that Voting Time would take place as the last item of business.

Wednesday

·         Business Managers agreed that Voting Time would take before the short debate.

Business Committee noted the 3 Week Timetable of Government Business.

·         Business Managers agreed to bring forward the next Members’ Legislative Proposal debate from 12 to 5 July, as there is already an Individual Members’ Debate scheduled on 12 July. 

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

Wednesday 5 July 2017 –

·         Debate on a Members’ Legislative Proposal (30 mins)

·         Time allocated to the Welsh Conservatives (60 mins)

·         Time allocated to Plaid Cymru (60 mins)

Business Managers agreed a request by the Petitions Committee to hold a Plenary debate on the ‘Live Music Protection in Wales’ petition, which has reached 5383 signatures.  This is the first such request under the new process which was agreed by Business and Petitions Committees earlier this year.  It was provisionally agreed to schedule the debate for 12 July.

·         Business Managers agreed the final report on amending Standing Orders in relation to the budget process.  The report would be laid the following day, alongside a motion to amend Standing Orders and to agree the protocol agreed between the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Finance Committee. Both will be added to the agenda for next Wednesday’s Plenary.

Business Managers discussed proposals for trialling a new debate structure and agreed:

·         to remove the requirement that documents be made available to the Secretary of State at the same time as to Members, and to replace the provisions regarding the Secretary of State’s participation with a general provision that non-Members may participate in proceedings

·         to remove the requirement in Standing Order 11.21(i) that time be made available each year to debate the UK government’s legislative programme, and allow the government and/or opposition parties to schedule a debate on the issue should they so wish

·         to request further information regarding the practice in Scotland and Northern Ireland of debating the UK government’s legislative programme, in the absence of Standing Order requirements there

·         to trial a new structure for the Welsh Government’s legislative programme before the summer recess to give the debate a higher profile in future, with a view to changing Standing Orders in the longer term.

The Llywydd placed on record her congratulations to the Deputy Presiding Officer, who was the recipient of the National Fire Protection Association James M Shannon Advocacy Medal last week. 

The Llywydd informed Business Managers that the paper on the vacancy in the chair of the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee would be on the agenda for the next meeting.