Agenda and minutes

The Llywydd welcomed Members to the meeting. Apologies were received from Jane Dodds

The Minutes of the previous meeting were agreed for publication

Tuesday

The Trefnydd drew Business Managers’ attention to the following changes:

·         Statement by the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd: Government response to the second phase of the Sustainable Farming Scheme co-design (30 mins) Postponed until 11 July

·         Motion to suspend Standing Orders (5 Mins)

·         Motion to suspend Standing Orders (5 Mins)

·         LCM on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill (30 mins)

·         Voting Time will take place as the last item of business.

·         Plenary is unlikely to run past 5.55pm.

The Llywydd informed Business Managers that she will pay tribute to former Secretary of State for Wales, Lord John Morris, at the start of Plenary and will also invite the First Minister to make a tribute.

Wednesday

• Voting Time will take place before the Short Debate.
• Plenary is unlikely to run past 7.10pm.

Business Committee discussed again the practice of opposition groups tabling two motions for debate during a single block of allocated time, in light of the subject-matter of the motions tabled by the Welsh Conservatives for debate on Wednesday 7 June. The Llywydd noted the potential high demand for speaking time and indicated that she would seek to ensure an appropriate balance of views was able to be accommodated during the debate. The Llywydd requested that Business Managers remind Members of their groups that the time allowed for individual contributions is restricted during debates scheduled for 30-minutes.

The Trefnydd drew Business Managers’ attention to the following changes:

Tuesday 13 June 2023

·         Statement by the Minister for Social Justice and Chief Whip: Refugee Week, 19-25 June – Compassion (30 mins) – brought forward from 20 June

·         LCM on the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill (30 mins) - postponed

·         Motion to vary the order of consideration of Report Stage amendments to The Agriculture (Wales) Bill (5 mins)

Tuesday 20 June 2023

·         Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Winter Planning for Respiratory Viruses (30 mins) – will issue as a written statement

·         Statement by the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being Minister for Health and Social Services: Launch of 111 press 2 for urgent mental health (30 mins)

·         Statement by the Minister for Social Justice and Chief Whip: Refugee Week – Compassion (30 mins) – brought forward to 13 June

·         Debate: Report Stage for the Agriculture (Wales) Bill (90 mins)

Business Committee considered a letter from the Petitions Committee requesting debates on three petitions that have received in excess of 10,000 signatures:

·         P-06-1332 Fund vaccine research to protect red squirrels from deadly Squirrelpox virus

·         P-06-1337 Sycharth, the home of Owain Glyndwr, should be bought to safeguard the site for future generations

·         P-06-1340 Stop the change of speed limits to 20mph on 17th September

Business Committee agreed to schedule debates on all three petitions and, specifically, to accommodate the debate on petition P-06-1340 prior to the summer recess due to the time sensitive nature of the action it calls for, and to schedule a debate on petition P-06-1337 on Wednesday 13 September to coincide with Owain Glyndŵr day on 16 September. A debate on P-06-1332 will be scheduled during the autumn term.

Consequently, the following additions were agreed to the Three Week Timetable of Senedd Business:  

Wednesday 28 June 2023 -

• Debate on the Equality and Social Justice Committee report: 60% - Giving them a voice Speech, language and communication needs in the youth justice system (60 mins)
• Debate on petition P-06-1340: Stop the change of speed limits to 20mph on 17th September (60 mins)
• Time allocated to the Welsh Conservatives (60 mins)
• Short Debate: Mabon ap Gwynfor (Dwyfor Meirionnydd) (30 mins)

Business Committee considered the proposed motions for debate and agreed to schedule the following motions for debate:

14 June: 

Hefin David

NNDM8275

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes that Wales and the rest of the United Kingdom are in the grips of multiple crises, namely the cost-of-living crisis, energy crisis, and the climate and nature emergencies, and that the Warm this Winter campaign recognises that these crises are connected and intertwined, and that they have shared causes and shared solutions.

2. Notes that the Warm this Winter campaign in Wales is calling for emergency support for the most vulnerable.

3. Notes that the Welsh Government has put investment in place to support vulnerable households last winter, that they have announced a new public energy company for Wales, and additional energy efficiency schemes for our homes, but that more needs to be done.

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to work to implement solutions for a genuine pathway out of the cost-of-living crisis, by recognising that there are key steps to addressing energy security and the climate crisis – like a rapid scale up of energy efficiency and rolling out community energy all over Wales.

5. Calls on the Welsh Government to raise concerns with the UK Government on the cost of energy, and the need to ensure that there are UK support schemes in place to ensure that people are warm this winter, and every winter to come.

5 July:

Luke Fletcher

NNDM8273

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes:

a) that across Wales, the prevalence of epilepsy is 1 per cent (approximately 32,000 people with epilepsy), with localised variation linked to levels of deprivation;

b) that in Wales, there are 11.5 whole time equivalent epilepsy specialist nurses (ESNs), which equates to a ratio of 1 nurse to every 2,823 patients;

c) that the Steers report (2008) recommends a ratio of 300 patients to one ESN, which would equate to a total of 107 ESNs in Wales.

2. Calls for the Welsh Government to:

a) support measures to reduce current waiting times for patients and service users accessing epilepsy services;

b) support health professionals in Wales, by ensuring the levels of staffing across the health boards of Wales are appropriately resourced to achieve and maintain sustainability, patient safety, and quality of service.

Report of the Welsh Neuroscience External Expert Review Group Recommendations for Mid and South Wales

Business Committee considered an update on current LCMs and agreed to:

• note the supplementary LCM (Memorandum No. 5) on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill laid on 26 May, and agree to not refer for reporting in light of the fact that a second legislative consent debate will be held today;
• refer the supplementary LCM (Memorandum No. 5) on the Online Safety Bill laid on 1 June to the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee and the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee for scrutiny, with a reporting deadline of 26 June;
• refer the supplementary LCM (Memorandum No. 2) on the Data Protection and Digital Information (No.2) Bill laid on 25 May to the Culture, Communication, Welsh Language, Sport and International Relations Committee and the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee for scrutiny, with a reporting deadline of 15 September for this and all other LCMs on this Bill.

Business Committee agreed the proposed timetable for scrutiny of the Infrastructure (Wales) Bill timetable.

The Committee noted the Committee’s request that the Government takes into account the Committee’s existing legislative scrutiny commitments when proposing a timetable for a Bill on Disused Spoil Tip Safety, if one is introduced during the third year of the legislative programme

Business Committee noted the letter, which would be attached to the plenary agenda to help inform the debate on the SLCM that afternoon.

Business Committee confirmed the dates for Autumn Half Term and Christmas Recess 2023 and agreed provisional recess dates for Spring Half Term and Easter Recess 2024. They are:

* Provisional dates to be confirmed by Business Committee.

Business Committee discussed the ongoing matter of the Senedd’s nominations for representatives on the Congress of the Council of Europe, noting the difference in views between party groups on the issue of nominations and agreed to return to a final decision on the matter at the following meeting.