Agenda and minutes

Venue: Zoom

Contact: Graeme Francis 

Items
No. Item

1.

Introductions, apologies and substitutions

Minutes:

The Llywydd welcomed the Members to the meeting.

2.

Minutes of the previous meeting

Minutes:

The minutes of the previous meeting were agreed for publication.

3.

Organisation of Business

3.1

This week's business

Minutes:

Tuesday

 

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

·         Plenary is unlikely to run past 6.55pm.

Wednesday 

 

·         Voting Time will take place before the Short Debate.

·         Plenary is unlikely to run past 6.20pm. 

 

The Trefnydd drew Business Committee’s attention to the change to the title of an item on Tuesday:

 

·         Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Response to the Public Accounts Committee Report ‘Delivering for Future Generations: The Story so Far’ Well-being of Future Generations national implementation  (45 mins)

 

The Llywydd informed Business Committee of her intention to allow the Chair of the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee additional time to contribute during the item, in light of the fact that the statement contained reference to a report by the Public Accounts Committee of the Fifth Senedd.

 

3.2

Three week timetable of Government Business

Minutes:

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

 

Tuesday 19 October 2021 -

 

·         Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: The Constitutional Commission (45 mins)

·         The Trade in Animals and Related Products (Wales) (Amendment) (EU Exit) (No. 3) Regulations 2021 (10 mins)

Wednesday 20 October 2021 -

 

·         Statement by the Deputy Minister for Climate Change: Update on the Metro (45 mins)

 

3.3

Three week timetable of Senedd Business

Minutes:

Business Committee agreed to schedule the following items of business:

 

Wednesday 3 November 2021 –

 

  • Debate on petition P-05-912 Supporting Sudden and Unexpected Death in Children and Young Adults (60 mins)
  • Time allocated to the Welsh Conservatives (60 mins)

 

 

3.4

Member Debates: Selection of Motion for Debate

Minutes:

Business Committee agreed to schedule the following motion for debate on 13 October:

 

NDM7794 Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes the importance of renewable energy in efforts to reduce our carbon footprint.

2. Agrees that there is a need to ensure that energy developments bring benefits to the communities in which they are located.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government, either through regulations or new legislation to insist that developers of energy projects must prove the community benefits of their proposed developments by having to conduct community impact assessments and present a community-benefit plan as part of the planning process.

 

Supporters:

 

Janet Finch-Saunders

Altaf Hussain

Tom Giffard

Heledd Fychan

Sioned Williams

Luke Fletcher

 

4.

Legislation

4.1

The Trade in Animals and Related Products (Wales) (Amendment) (EU Exit) (No. 3) Regulations 2021

Minutes:

Business Committee agreed that the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee should report on the Trade in Animals and Related Products (Wales) (Amendment) (EU  Exit) (No. 3) Regulations 2021 by Monday 18 October.  

 

4.2

Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill - Timetable

Minutes:

Business Committee agreed to refer the Bill to the Children, Young People and Education Committee, and defer a decision on the timetable for the Bill in order to consult the Committee and return to the matter at a future meeting. Given the relevance of the subject matter, the Committee agreed that correspondence would also be copied to the Chair of the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee.

 

5.

Committees

5.1

Letter from the Chair of the Petitions Committee

Minutes:

Business Committee agreed to schedule a debate on the petition ‘P-06-1208 New laws to protect rare red squirrels from habitat loss which causes population decline’.

 

5.2

Letter from the Chair of the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee

Minutes:

Business Committee provisionally agreed the request for the Committee to meet on 21 October, subject to confirmation of the membership of the Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister.

 

5.3

Letter from the Chair of the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee

Minutes:

Business Committee provisionally agreed the following requests from the committee for additional meeting slots:

 

·         Wednesday 20 October 2021;

·         Thursday 18 November 2021; and

·         Wednesday 15 December 2021.

Business Committee also agreed that committees should aim to make termly requests for additional meeting slots, where possible.

 

6.

Establishment and remits of Committees

6.1

Sixth Senedd Committees - Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister

Minutes:

Business Committee has previously decided that the Committee should have a membership of six which would comprise chairs of committees, to be nominated by groups - 3 Labour, 2 Conservative, 1 Plaid Cymru. 

 

Business Committee agreed that substitutes could be any Member from a group, other than Party Leaders. They also agreed that the Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister should meet once per term, ideally in a location outside of Cardiff.

 

Business Committee agreed that the motions to establish the Committee should be taken tomorrow, which would require a suspension of Standing Orders.

 

6.2

Establishment of Special Purpose Committee for developing policy proposals on Senedd Reform

Minutes:

Business Committee agreed to propose that a Special Purpose Committee on Senedd Reform be established with the following remit:

 

·         To consider the conclusions previously reached by the Committee on Senedd Electoral Reform in the Fifth Senedd.

·         By 31 May 2022, to make recommendations for policy instructions for a Welsh Government Bill on Senedd Reform.

·         To be dissolved following a plenary debate on its final report.

 

Business Committee agreed to propose the following membership:

 

·         Chair - Huw Irranca-Davies MS (as Chair of the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee) in a non-voting role;

·         Llywydd – also in a non-voting role; and

·         a further four Members, with one from each of the Senedd’s four political parties. Weighted voting to be proposed, with each of the four voting Members having a vote equivalent to the number of Members in their group, or one vote if they are without a group.

 

Business Committee agreed to propose that the Committee’s recommendations to the Senedd must be supported by a weighted vote of at least 40. It was also suggested that any debate on the Committee’s report and recommendations should be subject to a super-majority in Plenary.

 

Business Committee agreed that the relevant motions should be taken tomorrow, which would require a suspension of Standing Orders.

 

Any Other Business

The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill LCM

 

Business Committee agreed to extend the reporting deadline for the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee and the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee on the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill LCM to 11 November 2021, following new information about the Bill timetable at Westminster.