Agenda and minutes

The Llywydd welcomed Members to the meeting. Darren Millar MS sent his apologies, Paul Davies MS attended in his place.

The minutes of the previous meeting were agreed for publication.

Tuesday 

The Trefnydd informed Business Managers of the following change:

·         Statement by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: Storm Darragh (45 mins)

Business Managers also agreed to schedule the following items:

·         Motion to suspend Standing Orders (5 mins)

·         Motion to annul the National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) (Prescription of Drugs Etc.) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2024 (30 mins)

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

·         Plenary is unlikely to run past 8.45pm

Jane Dodds followed up a query she had raised at the previous meeting regarding when an Oral Statement on the Animal Welfare Plan would be scheduled, and noted a previous indication that this would happen before the end of this year. The Trefnydd indicated that a Written Statement on the response to a public consultation will be issued before Christmas and that she would discuss the matter of an Oral Statement further with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs.

The Llywydd informed Business Managers that she will announce the new membership of the Welsh Youth Parliament at the beginning of Plenary on Tuesday. The announcement will precede FMQs and will be accompanied by visuals.

Wednesday

The Llywydd informed Business Managers of the following change:

• Motion to elect a Member to a committee (5 mins)
• Voting Time will take place before the Short Debate.  

• Plenary is unlikely to run past 7.20pm

The Trefnydd informed Business Managers the following changes to the Three Week Timetable of Government Business.

Tuesday 7 January 2025

·         Statement by the First Minister: Delivering for Wales (60 mins)

·         Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language: Welsh language technology (45 mins)

Tuesday 14 January 2025

·         Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care: NHS winter pressures (45 mins)

·         Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip: Income Maximisation and update on work to implement the Welsh Benefits Charter (45 mins)

·         The Representation of the People (Electoral Registration without Applications) (Pilot Scheme) (Wales) Regulations 2025 (15 mins)

Heledd Fychan requested that the Government consider bringing forward oral statements on the Learner Travel Measure and how it plans to maximise the benefits of the Wales women's national football team’s qualification for Euro 2025. The Trefnydd responded that she would give consideration to both matters.

The following changes to the Three Week Timetable of Senedd Business were agreed: 

Wednesday 22 January 2025 –

• Time allocated to the Welsh Conservatives (60 mins)
• Time allocated to the Welsh Conservatives (60 mins)
• Short Debate (30 mins)

Business Committee considered a request received from Adam Price MS to schedule a debate on a Motion to annul the National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) (Prescription of Drugs Etc.) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2024, which he had tabled on 4 December. Business Committee noted that the 40 period for such a motion to be considered under Standing Order 27.2 would expire on 10 December 2024.

Business Committee agreed to make time available for the motion to be debated by the Senedd today, and to table a motion to suspend Standing Orders to enable the debate to take place.

Business Committee considered a request received from Mabon ap Gwynfor MS to schedule a debate on a No Named Day Motion tabled in his name concerning Natural Resources Wales’ 'Case for Change' agenda. A majority of Business Committee agreed that a debate should be scheduled at a date to be confirmed during the next term. 

Business Committee considered an update on LCMs and agreed to:

• refer the LCM on the Employment Rights Bill for scrutiny to the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee, the Equality and Social Justice Committee and the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee for scrutiny, with a reporting deadline of 7 March 2025; and
• refer the supplementary LCM (Memorandum No. 4) on the Water (Special Measures) Bill to the Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee and the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee for scrutiny, with a reporting deadline of 17 January 2025 for this and all previous LCMs on the Bill.

Business Committee noted that discussions would continue between Senedd Commission and Welsh Government officials in respect of whether it will be possible to extend further the deadline for LCMs on the Water (Special Measures) Bill and the Renters Rights Bill.

The Trefnydd also noted that the Government will lay an LCM for the Data (Use and Access) Bill this week, for formal referral for scrutiny in January, and that the Government currently envisages recommending a reporting deadline of 7 March for this LCM.

Business Committee considered responses received from Members and party groups to the proposal for a trial of a new format for occasional longer-form debates and agreed to proceed with the trial. The Committee agreed:

• to return at a subsequent meeting to consider a proposal to amend Standing Order 12.19 – to enable debates to take place on the basis of topics as opposed to motions - and agree additions to guidance relating to the new format;
• to provisionally allocate the first debate for Wednesday 19 March, subject to the required change to Standing Orders and updated guidance being agreed;

• to schedule the first debate for 120 minutes, with a review of this to follow the first debate;  

• to schedule each of the debates in place of a Member Debate and a Short Debate; 

• to use the title ‘Open debate / Dadl Agored’ for the new item;

• that the following time limits for contributions should be set out in guidance: 20 minutes in total for an opening and closing contribution,  Members’ first contributions limited to eight minutes and any subsequent contributions to three minutes, and an allocation of 10 minutes to a Member speaking as a representative of the Government;
• that any Government contribution would not be made as a response to the debate;
• to return at a subsequent meeting to consider how the topic for each debate will be selected.