Agenda and minutes

The Llywydd welcomed Members to the meeting.

The Minutes of the previous meeting were agreed for publication.

Tuesday

There are no changes to this week’s government business. The Trefnydd informed the committee that she will answer questions on behalf of the First Minister today.

• Voting Time will take place as item 5.
• Plenary is unlikely to run past 5.40pm.

Wednesday 

• Voting Time will take place before the Short Debate.
• Plenary is unlikely to run past 7.55pm. 

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

Tuesday 29 November

·       Motion to vary the order of consideration of Stage 3 amendments to The Environmental Protection (Single-Use Plastics) (Wales) Bill (5 mins)

Tuesday 6 December

·       Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: Climate Change – Final Statement for Carbon Budget 1 (30 mins)

Business Committee agreed to the following additions to the timetable:

Wednesday 14 December 2022

• Statement by Peter Fox: Introduction of a Member Proposed Bill - Food (Wales) Bill (60 mins)
• Debate on the Equality and Social Justice Committee report: Gender based violence – The needs of Migrant women (60 mins)
• Time allocated to Plaid Cymru (60 mins) 

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

• refer the supplementary LCM (Memorandum No 3) on the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill laid on 17 November to the Local Government and Housing Committee and the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee for scrutiny, with a reporting deadline of 13 January 2023; and
• extend the reporting deadline for the LCM on the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill to 16 February 2023, in anticipation of a revised LCM being laid.

Business Committee noted the letter.

Business Committee returned to consideration of two recommendations made by the Special Purpose Committee on Senedd Reform:

1.     The size of the Welsh Government in a larger Senedd

The Committee agreed to defer further discussion of this matter to the following meeting.

2.   The number of Deputy Presiding Officers in a larger Senedd

Further to the conclusion reached at the previous meeting - that Senedd Reform legislation should amend the current statutory provisions in the Government of Wales Act 2006 to provide for a revised limit of two Deputy Presiding Officers - Business Committee agreed that the legislation should require that Members elected to the roles of Presiding Officer and Deputy Presiding Officer should represent at least two party groups. The Committee also concluded that the legislation should state that, when the Senedd elects two Deputy Presiding Officers, these office holders should represent three different parties, where possible.

A majority of the Business Committee agreed to conclude that the legislation should amend the titles ‘Presiding Officer’ and ‘Deputy Presiding Officer’ to ‘Speaker’ and ‘Llywydd’, and ‘Deputy Speaker’ and ‘Dirprwy Lywydd’, subject to the Welsh Government giving consideration to whether the Senedd has legislative competence to do this. Siân Gwenllian and Jane Dodds noted that they favoured the use of ‘Llywydd’ and ‘Dirprwy Llywydd’ only in the legislation.

Business Committee considered a paper consulting it on a number of assumptions that will underpin the information to be provided by the Senedd Commission to inform the Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Senedd Reform Bill. The Committee agreed that further consideration should be given to assumptions around the possible number of committees in a larger Senedd.  They also agreed that the assumptions and information which will be presented around Parliamentary activity should outline the range of activity carried out by the Senedd. They requested that a further paper be produced for discussion at a future meeting.