Agenda and minutes

The Llywydd welcomed the Members to the meeting.

The minutes of the previous meeting were agreed for publication.

The Trefnydd drew Business Managers’ attention to the addition of two statements to Tuesday’s agenda:

·         Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: Affordability, Second Homes and the Welsh Language (45 mins)

·         Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Curriculum Reform – Next Steps (45 mins)

The Trefnydd also drew Business Managers’ attention to the fact that she would be answering First Minister’s questions this week, and the statement on the Legislative Programme would be delivered by the Counsel General, in the absence of the First Minister.

Tuesday

·         There will be no Voting Time.

·         Plenary is unlikely to run past 7.05pm.

Wednesday 

·         Voting Time will take place before the first Short Debate.

·         Plenary is unlikely to run past 6.30pm. 

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

Tuesday 13 July 2021

·         Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: Convention on our Constitutional Future (30 mins)

·         Statement by the Minister for Education: Cymraeg 2050 (30 mins)

·         Statement by the Deputy Minister for Climate Change: Trees and Timber (30 mins)

Wednesday 14 July 2021

·         Statement by the First Minister: The Coronavirus Control Plan (45 mins)

Tuesday 14 September 2021 

·                     LCM on the Environment Bill (145 mins) 

Darren Millar and Sian Gwenllian raised concerns about significant Welsh Government policy announcements being made to the media rather than to the Senedd.

The Llywydd stated that it was her long-held view that significant policy announcements should be made in Plenary, and that she would continue to use her discretion to accept Topical Questions relating to such matters. The Trefnydd thanked Business Managers for raising the issue and agreed to feed their concerns back to Ministers.

Business Committee agreed to schedule the following items of business:

Wednesday 22 September 2021 –

·         Time allocated to the Welsh Conservatives (60 mins)

·         Time allocated to Plaid Cymru (60 mins)

Business Committee noted the latest position on LCMs, and agreed to refer the Supplementary LCM on the Armed Forces Bill to the Equality and Social Justice Committee and the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee with a reporting deadline of 21 October 2021.

The Trefnydd informed Business Committee that the Minister for Climate Change had agreed to attend the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee on 12 July, and has received the request to attend the Climate Change, Infrastructure and Environment Committee before summer recess, and will reply in due course.

The Trefnydd drew Business Committee’s attention to the fact that the government have extended the time for the LCM debate on 14 September to 45 minutes. The Minister will respond to the committees’ recommendations during the debate.

The Trefnydd also informed Business Committee that the government is currently awaiting a response from the Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on a request to reschedule the Lords Third Reading in order to provide more time for scrutiny in the Senedd.

Business Committee agreed to refer the LCM to the Legislation and Justice Committee, who may wish to invite the Equality and Social Justice Committee to attend, with a reporting deadline of 14 October 2021. The Committee asked for a paper to clarify where justice and policing should sit in the committee remits.

Business Committee confirmed the arrangements for tabling plenary business during the summer recess period and agreed the usual arrangements for the tabling of Written Questions.

Business Committee agreed the allocations of committee membership, including allocating a place to Jane Dodds on the Equality and Social Justice Committee.

Business Committee agreed a timetable which allows the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee to meet weekly, with all other committees meeting fortnightly. Some committees will also have the option of an extra slot in certain weeks. The Committee also agreed that that the Finance Committee could hold additional meetings for the purpose of budget scrutiny.

Business Committee also agreed the committee timetable for the final week of term, with an expectation that committees would meet fully virtually.

Business Committee agreed to table motions to elect Members to committees tomorrow.

Business Managers agreed to discuss with their groups and return to the matter at next week’s meeting.

Business Committee agreed that the Deputy Presiding Officer should Chair the Llywydd’s Committee, and to add motions to establish the committee and agree its membership to next Wednesday’s agenda.

Business Committee agreed to consult with the Finance Committee on the budget timetable and return to the matter at the first meeting in September.

Business Committee noted the letters, with their content having been discussed under the Three Week Timetable of Government Business item.

Procedural work

The Llywydd informed Business Committee that the secretariat will provide a paper after the summer recess on the Business Committee approach to procedural review. The Llywydd expressed that she would like the Committee to hold additional sessions, in public, for the purpose of considering procedural issues, given the Committee’s decision not to include procedures within the remit of another committee.

Member Ballot

The Llywydd informed Business Committee that she will announce in Plenary this afternoon that the first ballot of this Senedd for Member Bills will be held on 22 September. Information on the process will be circulated to Members before the end of the day.

Oral statements

The Trefnydd raised that some Members has been quoting from the text of draft oral statements issued to them under embargo , rather than the statement as delivered, and that this was not appropriate. Business Managers agreed to remind their Members that statements need to be checked against delivery in the Chamber.