Agenda and minutes

1.1        Apologies were received from Janet Finch-Saunders.

1.2        The Chair placed on record his thanks to Mike Hedges AM, for his work as Chair of the Committee and also to Gareth Bennett AM who has moved to be a member of the Business Committee.

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to:

·         Consider it alongside P-05-765 Keeping Current Guidelines for Religious Assemblies in future; and

·         Write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education to ask whether the Welsh Government will consider reviewing the current law and guidelines surrounding collective worship, and if any consideration has been given to the compatibility of the current requirements with human rights law.

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to:

• Consider it alongside P-05-757 Remove the Obligation on Schools to Hold Acts of Religious Worship in future; and
• Return to this petition once they have received a response from the Cabinet Secretary for Education asking whether the Welsh Government will consider reviewing the current law and guidelines surrounding collective worship, and if any consideration has been given to the compatibility of the current requirements with human rights law – the action agreed for P-05-757.

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to Autism Spectrum Connections Cymru to seek their reflections on the petition and the response from the Minister for Social Services and Public Health.

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to await the views of the petitioner before deciding what further action to take on the petition.

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to await the views of the petitioner on the response from the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport before deciding what further action to take on the petition.

The Committee considered the petition alongside P-04-575 Call in All Opencast Mining Planning Applications and agreed to ask both petitioners and the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs to give evidence to the Committee early in the Autumn term.

The Committee considered the petition alongside P-04-472 Make the MTAN Law and agreed to ask both petitioners and the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs to give evidence to the Committee early in the Autumn term.

The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs and agreed to await the views of the petitioner on the information provided by the Cabinet Secretary before deciding what further action to take on the petition.

The Committee considered the petition alongside P-04-606 Ensure schools exercise their statutory powers under regulation 7 of The Education (Pupil Registration) (Wales) Regulations 2010 without interference or bias and agreed to await an update from the Cabinet Secretary for Education following the completion of the attendance review later this year, before considering further action on the petition.

The Committee considered the petition alongside P-04-576 Allow Children in Wales to Have a Family Holiday During Term Time and agreed to await an update from the Cabinet Secretary for Education following the completion of the attendance review later this year, before considering further action on the petition.

The Committee agreed to close the petition because it is not possible to identify how to take the petition forward in the absence of contact with the petitioner, and given the categorical commitment to the Welsh Baccalaureate previously communicated by the Welsh Government.

The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Education and agreed to await the views of the petitioner on the information provided by the Cabinet Secretary before deciding whether to take further action on the petition.

• The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure along with further comments from the petitioner and agreed to write to the Welsh Local Government Association to seek their views on the petition and the potential for local authorities to provide access to dedicated learner travel for all children (over and above the current statutory requirements), and to consider at that stage, whether to invite the petitioner to attend Committee to discuss the petition.

The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport and agreed to await the views of the petitioner on the information provided by the Cabinet Secretary before deciding whether to take further action on the petition.

The Committee considered further comments from the petitioner and, given the detailed consideration given to this petition over a number of years and the comprehensive recent responses from health boards, agreed to close the petition on the basis that the outstanding issues would be best taken forward at an operational level. In doing so, Members agreed to provide the petitioners’ further proposals to the Welsh Government for information and ask if the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport would be prepared to meet with them.

The Committee considered correspondence from the Minister for Skills and Science and agreed to close the petition on the basis that rollout of fibre optic broadband is scheduled to be completed shortly, and that specific issues can be raised directly with the Welsh Government using the contact information provided by the Minister.

The Committee agreed to close the petition because it is difficult to identify how to take the petition forward in the absence of contact with the petitioner.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to:

·         the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children to ask for an update on the development of the Welsh Government’s new approach to building resilient communities; and

·         the centre management, to ask for a comparison on how the service provision will differ following the changes.

Members noted both papers.

Alun Davies AM, Minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh Language

Ruth Conway, Welsh Government

Claire Rowlands, Welsh Government

The Minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh Language answered questions from the Committee.