Agenda and minutes

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

The Minutes of the previous meeting were agreed for publication.

Tuesday

Jane Dodds noted that she had written to the Trefnydd to request an oral statement on the current situation with the Welsh Rugby Union and the Ospreys. The Trefnydd confirmed that she would consider the request.

Business Committee noted the following:

• Voting Time will take place as the last item of business
• Plenary is unlikely to run past 7.10pm.

Wednesday

• Voting Time will take place before the Short Debate.  

• Plenary is unlikely to run past 7:00pm.

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

Tuesday 10 February 2026

• The Non-Domestic Rating (Value of Differential Multipliers) (Wales) Regulations 2026 (5 mins)
• The Non-Domestic Rating (Artificial Avoidance Arrangements) (Local Lists) (Wales) Regulations 2026 (15 mins)
• The Land Transaction Tax and Anti-avoidance of Devolved Taxes (Wales) Act 2017 (Amendments to Schedule 5) Regulations 2026 (5 mins)
• The Land Transaction Tax (Modification of Relief for Acquisitions Involving Multiple Dwellings) (Wales) Regulations 2026 (5 mins)
• The Closure of European Union Legacy Agriculture Schemes (Wales) Regulations 2026 (15 mins)
• The Renting Homes (Model Written Statements of Contract) (Wales) (Amendments etc.) Regulations 2026 (5 mins)

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

Wednesday 04 February 2026 –

• Debate on the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee report: Active Travel in Wales (60 mins)
• Debate on the Health and Social Care Committee report: Ophthalmology Services in Wales (60 mins)
• Time allocated to the Welsh Conservatives (60 mins)
• Short Debate: Buffy Williams (Rhondda) (30 mins)

Business Managers noted that it is intended that the first tranche of Standing Order change reports in preparation for the Seventh Senedd will be proposed for agreement by the Senedd in Plenary on Wednesday 25 February, and that further details will be provided at the Committee’s next meeting.

Business Managers discussed options for the scheduling of Senedd business on 4 March when Stage 3 proceedings on the British Sign Language (Wales) Bill are due to be held.

The Business Committee agreed:

• to offer James Evans MS the vacant place on the Health and Social Care Committee and, in the event that he does not take up this place, to allocate the vacant position to the Plaid Cymru Group;
• to adjust the allocation of opposition debate time to a 1:1 ratio;
• that the order in which Conservative and Plaid Cymru leaders and spokespeople are called to ask oral questions with be alternated on a weekly basis; and
• to note the Llywydd’s intention to alternate the order in which the first Conservative and Plaid Cymru speaker is called to contribute to oral statements and debates.

The Business Committee noted the letter. The Trefnydd confirmed that the Counsel General would respond to the letter.

The Business Committee noted the letter. The Trefnydd confirmed that the Government did not intend to re-schedule the debate on the LCM of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill due to take place on 24 February.

The Business Committee noted the letter and agreed to indicate to the Business Committee in the Seventh Senedd that it may need to consider the procedural implications arising from the Welsh property income tax rates, and how this would operate alongside the annual Welsh rates of income tax resolution.

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

• Refer the LCM on the Railways Bill to the Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee and the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee for scrutiny, with a reporting deadline of 20 March 2026.

The Business Committee considered advice from the Table Office and agreed:

• that the deadline for accepting Written Questions will be 4pm Friday 20 March;
• that the deadline for accepting other items of tabled business, apart for urgent business relating to any recall meetings taking place during the Easter recess, will be 4pm Friday 27 March;
• that table Office will be open between 10am and 3pm during recess, with the exception of Tuesday 7 April when it will be open until 6pm;
• that no documents can be accepted for laying if they are received after 6pm on Tuesday 7 April;
• that no changes to the Register of Interests can be made after 6pm on Tuesday 7 April; and
• that the latest date that documentation relating to the activities of Cross-Party Groups can be submitted is 6pm on Tuesday 7 April and that all Cross-Party Groups will be automatically de-registered once dissolution begins at midnight on Wednesday 8 April.

The Business Committee considered an additional note regarding matters raised at the previous meeting and agreed to return to further consideration of the recommendations made by the Standards of Conduct Committee at its meeting on Thursday 29 January, following consultation with groups.

The Business Committee agreed to write to the Standards of Conduct Committee in order to request that its proposed revisions to the guidance relating to declaring interests (the ‘test of relevance’) should cite Business Managers or the Trefnydd, when tabling on behalf of their group or the government, as an example of where it could not normally be reasonably thought that a personal interest had influenced their decision to do so.