Agenda and minutes

The Minutes from the previous meeting were agreed for publication.

BSA

Business Committee agreed to continue with the practice of there being no questions on the BSA for this week.

Interventions

The Llywydd reminded Business Managers that before the last speaker responds to the debate she will take one-minute contributions from Members who are responding to something that has been said during the course of the debate. That could include Members who have already spoken.

Joining instructions

Business Committee were informed that, differently to previous weeks and now there are up to 60 Members attending, ICT would focus their resources on ensuring that the First Minister and Party Leaders who are speaking on the First Minister’s statement have joined the meeting before the start time. ICT Account Managers will be on hand as always to assist any other Members to join.

Break

Business Managers agreed that the break should come after Topical Questions, at approximately 12.20. However, in the event that no Topical Questions are selected, the break will be earlier.

Business Managers noted the three week timetable of government business.

Business Managers discussed the timetable in conjunction with the requests for debates at items 5.1 and 5.2, and the timetabling issues raised at item 6.1.

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

Wednesday 24 June 2020: -

• Motion to amend Standing Order 34
• Debate on the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee report: Impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the arts sector (30 minutes)

Wednesday 8 July 2020: -

• Time allocated to the Welsh Conservatives (60 minutes)

Business Committee agreed to refer the Bill to the Children, Young People, and Education Committee and to consult with the Committee on the proposed timetable.

Business Committee agreed to refer this SLCM to the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee and the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee for consideration,  with a reporting deadline of 9 July.

Business Committee agreed to schedule the debate for 30 minutes next week.

Business Committee declined to schedule the debate before the summer recess as it was not directly related to Covid-19, but agreed in principle to schedule the debate in the autumn.

Business Committee noted the letter and noted that the Chair’s Forum will consider the wider issue of remote committee meetings at their meeting later this week.

Business Committee agreed in principle to the Standing Order changes to provide for remote voting for Members, and to make use of remote voting as soon as the Llywydd determines the system is ready for use. A motion will be added to next week’s Plenary agenda.

Business Committee also decided that the mechanism for alerting Members to an upcoming vote should be an  oral or other alert within the virtual or hybrid meeting .

Business Managers agreed that the Llywydd should  reintroduce Oral Questions from next week. Oral Questions would:

•        consist of questions to the First Minister and to two other Ministers each week, with every session being 45 minutes long;

•        questions can be on any issue within the relevant portfolio, and need not be limited to Covid-19 issues;

•        time limits will be applied similar to those used for statements.

The Trefnydd informed Business Committee that with the return of First Minister’s Questions, the government is unlikely to continue scheduling a statement by the First Minister every week.

Business Committee agreed that neither opposition debates nor government business should be limited to Covid-19 issues in future if there are other issues that are particularly pertinent, but that the expectation is that business will remain largely focussed on Covid-19 issues.

Business Committee discussed the current limit placed on WQs during this pandemic of 10 per Member per week. The Llywydd stated that they would return to the matter next week and asked the Secretariat for further guidance on practice elsewhere.

Business Committee agreed that the Llywydd should call questions on the BSA for a reduced 15 minute slot, starting next week.. Members’ contributions will be limited to 1 minute and the expectation is that the Minister will also keep her responses brief.

The Llywydd informed Business Managers that she will be bringing proposals on recess and on hybrid Plenary to next week’s meeting and asked that Business Managers discuss this with their groups in the meantime.