Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 1 - Senedd

Contact: Graeme Francis 

Media

Senedd.TV: View the webcast

Transcript: Transcript for 01/05/2018 - Petitions Committee - Fifth Senedd

Items
Expected timing No. Item

1.

Introduction, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.  Suzy Davies attended the meeting in place of Janet Finch-Saunders from item 3.2.

2.

New petitions

2.1

P-05-805 Fair Deal For Supply Teachers

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Neil McEvoy declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:

 

He has previously worked as a supply teacher.

 

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and, in light of the range of issues and concerns raised by the petition, agreed to ask the petitioners whether there are any specific solutions to the issues raised that they would like the Committee to explore in taking consideration of the petition forward.

2.2

P-05-808 Welsh should not be compulsory for Children with Dyslexia and Special Needs

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

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

 

·         request information about the level of support available in the teaching of Welsh to pupils with dyslexia and what happens in extreme cases where it is identified that a pupil is struggling to learn a second language; and

·         await the views of the petitioner on the response from the Minister for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning before deciding whether to take any further action on the petition.

 

 

 

2.3

P-05-809 Proposed New Fishing Bylaws and Failings of NRW

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

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

 

·         consider this petition in future alongside P-05-810 Give Welsh Fishing Clubs and Salmon and Seatrout a Chance;

·         write to the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs to provide the detailed comments from the petitioner for P-05-810 and to ask for an update on her consideration of NRW’s application for the determination of bylaws.

2.4

P-05-810 Give Welsh Fishing Clubs and Salmon and Seatrout a Chance

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

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

 

  • consider this petition in future alongside P-05-809 Proposed New Fishing Byelaws and Failings of NRW;
  • write to the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs to provide the detailed comments from the petitioner and to ask for an update on her consideration of NRW’s application for the determination of bylaws.

 

2.5

P-05-811 Stop Using Worker Certification On Welsh Government Projects

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance to:

 

·         seek a response to the detailed comments provided by the petitioner and the alternative approach proposed; and

·         ask whether Welsh Government has made any assessment of the impact of certification schemes such as CSCS on insurance costs for individuals or companies.

3.

Updates to previous petitions

3.1

P-05-780 Reopen Carno Station

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered comments from the petitioners and agreed to write to:

·         the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport to share the petitioners’ comments and ask when, and for what reasons, the Welsh Government revised its policy in relation to directly funding new station development; and

·         the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee to ask whether it has any intention to look at the issue of Welsh Government funding for new station development in Wales, including as part of any future consideration of the rail franchise, or if it would consider allocating time to do so, as requested by the petitioners.

 

 

 

3.2

P-04-481 Close the Gap for deaf pupils in Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update from the petitioners following their meeting with the Cabinet Secretary for Education and agreed to keep a watching brief and await a further update from the petitioners, before considering the petition again.

 

3.3

P-05-757 Remove the Obligation on Schools to Hold Acts of Religious Worship

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered this petition together with P-05-765 Keeping Current Guidelines for Religious Assemblies and agreed to:

 

·         write back to the Cabinet Secretary to press for further clarity on the timescale for providing a substantive response; and

·         consider taking further evidence once that response has been received. 

3.4

P-05-765 Keeping Current Guidelines for Religious Assemblies

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered this petition together with P-05-757 Remove the Obligation on Schools to Hold Acts of Religious Worship

and agreed to:

 

  • write back to the Cabinet Secretary to press for further clarity on the timescale for providing a substantive response; and

·         consider taking further evidence once that response has been received. 

3.5

P-05-783 Ensuring Equality of Curriculum for Welsh Medium Schools e.g. GCSE Psychology

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee indicated that they would be interested in considering the issues raised by this petition further and agreed to give the petitioner an opportunity to provide his comments in response to the correspondence received, but close the petition at the next meeting if this is not forthcoming.

3.6

P-05-802 Protecting Class Sizes in Design and Technology Classrooms and Workshops

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary together with further comments from the petitioner and agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education to ask:

·         if her commitment to remind Headteachers, and others, of their duties in this area will take the form of an advice note as requested by the petitioner; and

·         for her to provide a copy of this to the Committee once it has been produced.

3.7

P-05-781 Port Talbot Community Against the Super Prison

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee agreed to await the petitioners’ response to the Welsh Government’s Written Statement on Justice Policy in Wales, issued on 6 April, before considering further action on the petition.

3.8

P-05-800 Urgent Appeal for a Welsh Veterans Commissioner

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services and agreed to await the views of the petitioner on that, and on the Cabinet Secretary’s Written Statement of 23 April, before considering whether it can take any further action on the petition.

3.9

P-05-784 Prescription drug dependence and withdrawal - recognition and support

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the evidence received to date and agreed to:

·         write to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services to ask when the Substance Misuse Treatment Framework is expected to be published; and

·         prepare a draft letter to the Cabinet Secretary, outlining the evidence received together with any recommendations which the Committee might wish to make.

3.10

P-05-793 Hi speed broadband to Llangenny village

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update from the petitioners and agreed to write back to the Leader of the House and Chief Whip and BT Openreach, to ask them to expedite the installation of high speed broadband to the village given previous assurances that it had been done.

3.11

P-05-798 Male domestic violence victim support services to be independently run & funded

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered correspondence from the Leader of the House and Chief Whip together with further comments from the petitioner and agreed to:

·         encourage the petitioner to contribute to the consultation on the draft guidance for the commissioning of violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence services in Wales; and

·         write to the Leader of the House to ask for reassurance that the Welsh Government will proactively seek the views of those affected by male domestic abuse and report back to the Committee about how they have addressed the issue of male domestic abuse as part of the consultation.

 

 

 

3.12

P-05-804 We need Welsh Government funding for play!!

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered correspondence from the Minister for Children and Social Care and from the Chair of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, and agreed to await the views of the petitioners on the answers provided by the Minister before considering further action on the petition.

4.

P-04-479 Tywyn Memorial Hospital X-ray & Minor Injuries Unit Petition

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee noted both papers.

(10:00)

5.

Evidence session - P-05-751 Recognition of Parental Alienation

Huw Irranca-Davies AM, Minister for Children and Social Care

Albert Heaney, Director of Social Services and Integration, Welsh Government

Nigel Brown, Chief Executive, CAFCASS Cymru

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee heard evidence from the Minister for Children and Social Care, Albert Heaney and Nigel Brown.

6.

Motion under Standing Order 17.42 to resolve to exclude the public from the meeting for the following business:

The remainder of today’s business.

Minutes:

The motion was agreed.

7.

Discussion of Previous Evidence Session

Minutes:

The Committee considered the evidence heard and agreed to:

·         write to the Minister for Children and Social Care to ask for more detail of the future intentions of the Welsh Government and Cafcass Cymru to revise policies and pathways in relation to parental alienation, including training for staff; and

·         seek the views of the petitioners on the recent evidence received by the Committee.

8.

Consideration of draft report - P-05-785 Suspend Marine Licence 12/45/ML to dump radioactive marine sediments from the Hinkley Point nuclear site into Wales coastal waters off Cardiff

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee agreed the Report with some minor changes.