Minutes

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

The Government added two statements:

·         Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport: The Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon (45 mins)

·         Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport: The Recent Airbus Group Announcement (45 mins)

To accommodate the extra statements, the Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education: Initial Teacher Education (45 mins) – will be issued as a Written Statement.

Business Managers decided to schedule the No Named Day Motion tabled by Rhun ap Iorwerth for debate tomorrow, alongside a motion to suspend Standing Orders 11.16, 12.20(i) and 12.22(ii) to allow the debate to happen.  Paul Davies requested that his objection to both decisions be minuted.  The Llywydd informed the Committee that the deadline for tabling amendments to the motion will be 6pm today.

NNDM6753 Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. No longer has confidence in the Secretary of State for Wales to deliver major infrastructure projects, following the decision of the Westminster government not to support the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon.

2. Has no confidence in the post of the Secretary of State for Wales and believes it should be abolished and replaced with a properly constituted UK Council of Ministers with shared and equal decision-making powers.

Tuesday

·         There will be no voting time

Wednesday

·         Voting Time will take place before the Short Debate.

Business Committee noted the 3 Week Timetable of Government Business.

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

Wednesday 18 July 2018 –

·         Questions to the Assembly Commission (30 mins)

·         Statement: Introduction of a Member-proposed Bill—Autism (Wales) Bill (30 mins)

·         Statement by the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee on the outgoing Auditor General for Wales (30 mins)

·         Motion to note the annual report on the Official Languages Scheme for 2017 – 18 (30 mins)

·         Debate on the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee report: Making the economy work for people on low incomes (60 mins)

Business Managers made a decision by majority vote to expand the committee’s membership to 6 Members, and to make it more politically balanced by adding 2 Labour Members to the current membership, before it became the sifting committee under the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill. Paul Davies requested that his objection be minuted. 

Business Managers agreed that the membership change should be timed so that it takes effect in parallel to changes to Standing Orders on a sifting committee.

The majority of Business Managers supported the proposal, and so the Llywydd stated that the guidance will be changed to make it clear that Party Leaders are unable to enter the FMQ ballot.

Business Managers discussed the Llywydd’s proposal to extend the summer term by one week, and agreed unanimously to stick to the current pattern of summer recess.

Business Managers confirmed the recess dates for Spring Half Term and Easter Recess 2019, and agreed the provisional dates for Whitsun Half Term and Summer Recess 2019, as following:

* Provisional dates to be considered by Business Committee.