Agenda and minutes

The Llywydd welcomed Members to the meeting. No apologies were received.

The Minutes of the previous meeting were agreed for publication.

This Week’s Business

Tuesday 

The Trefnydd informed Business Managers of the following changes to Tuesday’s business:

• Statement by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: Bluetongue (45 mins)
• Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government: Automatic Voter Registration (45 mins) Withdrawn

• Voting Time will take place as the last item of business.
• Plenary is unlikely to run past 6.20pm.

Heledd Fychan asked whether the oral statement on Automatic Voter Registration will be rescheduled. The Trefnydd indicated that it will take place in the autumn term.

Wednesday

• Voting Time will take place before the Short Debate.  
• Plenary is unlikely to run past 7.15pm.

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

Tuesday 1 July 2025

·         Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care: Children’s Oral Health (45 mins)

·         The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (Exclusions and Variation of Campaign Expenditure Limits) (Wales) Regulations 2025 (15 mins)

·         Stage 3 of the Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill (180135 mins)

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

Wednesday 9 July 2025 –

·         Motion to note the annual report on the Senedd Commission's Official Languages Scheme for 2024 – 25 (30 mins)

·         Debate on petition: P-06-1525 Preserve the unique character of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal for the future generations of Wales (30 mins)

·         Debate on the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee report: The Foundational Economy (60 minutes)

·         Time allocated to Plaid Cymru (60 mins)

• Short Debate: Janet Finch-Saunders MS (Aberconwy) (30 mins)

Business Committee considered the proposed motions for debate on 25 June 2025 and agreed to schedule:

Adam Price MS

NNDM8884 

To propose that the Senedd: 

1. Notes that myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) is a chronic and disabling illness at all levels of severity. 

2. Notes that of those suffering from ME, 25 per cent are categorised by NICE as 'severe: mainly bed bound or housebound', and 'very severe: fully bedbound', requiring full-time care and, in the severest cases, palliative care and tube feeding. 

3. Regrets that it is often those with the greatest severity levels of ME who are provided with the least amount of appropriate care and treatment. 

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to: 

a) respond to the concerns raised in the Coroner in England’s Prevention of Future Deaths Report, and explain what practical steps they will take to ensure that no patient in Wales will ever be placed in such tragic circumstances as those described in the report; 

b) ensure that the Adferiad-funded ME services are making provision appropriate to the needs of patients with severe and very severe ME; 

c) bring together an expert group of health professionals and people with lived experience, at a national level, to develop all-Wales guidance and quality standards on ME, including for the most severely affected; 

d) make the appointment of an all-Wales specialist consultant for post-infectious chronic conditions - including ME and long COVID - a priority; 

e) improve the training on ME for professionals, firstly in the NHS, but also in social services and schools: in particular, raising awareness of the care needs of adults and children with severe and very severe ME; and 

f) ensure that health boards truly co-produce their ME and long COVID Adferiad services, taking into account the lived experiences of those suffering at the severest levels and of those caring for them. 

Maeve Boothby O’Neill: Prevention of Future Deaths Report 

The Business Committee considered the Government’s proposed timetable for the Bill and agreed to:

• consult the Local Government and Housing Committee on the proposed timetable for scrutiny; and
• return to the matter of the timetable and whether to refer the Bill to that Committee for consideration of the general principles, at a subsequent meeting.

Business Committee considered an update from the Trefnydd and agreed to:

• Refer the LCM on the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill to the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee and the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee for scrutiny, with a reporting deadline of 26 September 2025.
• Refer the SLCM (No.3) on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to the Children, Young People and Education Committee and the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee for scrutiny, with a reporting deadline of 19 September 2025 for all Memoranda on the Bill.
• Extend the reporting deadline for all Memoranda on the Employment Rights Bill to 11 July 2025.

The Trefnydd noted that the Government also intends to propose an extension to the reporting deadline for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill to a date in the autumn term, with the exact date to be agreed by the Business Committee at next week’s meeting.

Business Committee noted that the Equality and Social Justice Committee has written to consult the Llywydd under Standing Order 17.46 in relation to holding a meeting on Monday 21 July 2025, during recess, should it be required to consider its approach to scrutinising the British Sign Language (BSL) (Wales) Bill.

Business Committee noted the letter and that the Chairs’ Forum has agreed to consider issues around the provision of anonymous evidence as part of a Review of Committee Effectiveness that it is undertaking.