Agenda and minutes

This meeting was held in a hybrid format, with some Members in the Senedd Chamber and others joining by video-conference.

 

The Presiding Officer will call party spokespeople to ask questions without notice to the Cabinet Secretary after Question 2.

View Questions

The item started at 13.30

The first 8 questions were asked. Questions 5 and 6 were answered by the Minister for Social Care. The Presiding Officer invited party spokespeople to ask questions to the Cabinet Secretary after question 2.

The Presiding Officer will call party spokespeople to ask questions without notice to the Cabinet Secretary after Question 2.

View Questions

The item started at 14.20

The first 8 questions were asked. Question 4 was answered by the Minister for Social Partnership. The Presiding Officer invited party spokespeople to ask questions to the Cabinet Secretary after question 2.

No topical questions were accepted

No topical questions were accepted 

The item started at 15.04

Carolyn Thomas made a statement on - National Meadows Day (6 July).

Mabon ap Gwynfor made a statement on - 150 years since the Dinorwic Quarry strike and the founding of the North Wales Quarrymen’s Union.

Rhys ab Owen made a statement on - Tribute to Eirlys Parri – teacher, singer and actress.

NDM8629 Vikki Howells (Cynon Valley)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Considers the Report of the Standards of Conduct Committee - Thirteenth Report to the Sixth Senedd laid before the Senedd on 26 June 2024 in accordance with Standing Order 22.9.

2. Endorses the recommendation in the report.

The item started at 15.11

NDM8629 Vikki Howells (Cynon Valley)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Considers the Report of the Standards of Conduct Committee - Thirteenth Report to the Sixth Senedd laid before the Senedd on 26 June 2024 in accordance with Standing Order 22.9.

2. Endorses the recommendation in the report.

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

NDM8600 Sian Gwenllian (Arfon)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes the concerns that are regularly raised by Members of the Senedd about the lack of NHS dental services.

2. Notes the barriers documented and the recommendations made as to the way forward in the Health and Social Care Committee’s report on dentistry.

3. Notes the specific challenges associated with planning, training, recruiting and retaining dentists in Wales.

4. Notes the publication of the Dental Strategic Workforce Plan by Health Education and Improvement Wales and the references made, within that plan, namely:

a) Wales is a net importer of dentists;

b) Wales relies on schools of dentistry beyond Wales to produce enough dentists to recruit into the workforce; and

c) the United Kingdom has the lowest number of dentists per person compared with other large members of the G7 in Europe.

5. Notes that the number of places at the only school of dentistry in Wales is limited each year.

6. Calls on the Welsh Government to increase the number of university training places for dentists in Wales.

Dental Strategic Workforce Plan

Co-submitters

Jane Dodds (Mid and West Wales)

Supporters

Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

Llyr Gruffydd (North Wales)

Peredur Owen Griffiths (South Wales East)

Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

Sam Rowlands (North Wales)

The item started at 15.13

Voting on the motion under this item was deferred until Voting Time.

NDM8600 Sian Gwenllian (Arfon)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes the concerns that are regularly raised by Members of the Senedd about the lack of NHS dental services.

2. Notes the barriers documented and the recommendations made as to the way forward in the Health and Social Care Committee’s report on dentistry.

3. Notes the specific challenges associated with planning, training, recruiting and retaining dentists in Wales.

4. Notes the publication of the Dental Strategic Workforce Plan by Health Education and Improvement Wales and the references made, within that plan, namely:

a) Wales is a net importer of dentists;

b) Wales relies on schools of dentistry beyond Wales to produce enough dentists to recruit into the workforce; and

c) the United Kingdom has the lowest number of dentists per person compared with other large members of the G7 in Europe.

5. Notes that the number of places at the only school of dentistry in Wales is limited each year.

6. Calls on the Welsh Government to increase the number of university training places for dentists in Wales.

Dental Strategic Workforce Plan

Co-submitters

Jane Dodds (Mid and West Wales)

Supporters

Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

Llyr Gruffydd (North Wales)

Peredur Owen Griffiths (South Wales East)

Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

Sam Rowlands (North Wales)

The result was as follows:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
29	15	0	44

The motion was agreed.

NDM8628 Llyr Gruffydd (North Wales)

To propose that the Senedd:

Notes the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee report, ‘Report on rail services and Transport for Wales’ performance 2023-24’, laid on 3 May 2024.

Notes: The response from the Welsh Government to the report was laid in the Table Office on 19 June 2024. Transport for Wales responded on 22 May and 17 June 2024.

The item started at 15.53

NDM8628 Llyr Gruffydd (North Wales)

To propose that the Senedd:

Notes the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee report, ‘Report on rail services and Transport for Wales’ performance 2023-24’, laid on 3 May 2024.

Notes: The response from the Welsh Government to the report was laid in the Table Office on 19 June 2024. Transport for Wales responded on 22 May and 17 June 2024.

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

NDM8630 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Celebrates the hard work and dedication of people working in the Welsh NHS.

2. Recognises the UK Government’s offer to help the Welsh Government with tackling NHS waiting lists.

3. Regrets that:

a) two-year waits for treatment have increased to 21,290 in Wales, the first time they’ve increased in two years, compared to 275 in England;

b) median waits for NHS treatment are 22 weeks in Wales, compared with 13.9 weeks in England;

c) the number of patient pathways in Wales has increased again to 775,031, the highest figure on record, while waiting lists have fallen over the last 6 months in England; and

d) 54.2 per cent of red ambulance calls don’t arrive within eight minutes.

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) begin the phasing out of outdated NHS technologies;

b) bring forward a substantial workforce plan with a tuition fee refund for healthcare workers that stay in Wales for five years after their studies;

c) ensure the full Barnett consequential arising from NHS spending by the UK Government is made available for the health service in Wales; and

d) work with the UK Government to understand best practice in cutting NHS waiting lists.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

Delete all after point 1 and replace with:

Notes the First Minister’s failure to achieve his own objective of bringing waiting lists down in Wales.

Regrets that in Wales:

a) two-year waits for treatment have increased to 21,290;

b) median waits for NHS treatment are 22 weeks;

c) the number of patient pathways has increased again to 775,031, the highest figure on record; and

d) 54.2 per cent of red ambulance calls don’t arrive within eight minutes.

Regrets that:

a) the spending plans of both the UK Conservative and UK Labour parties imply real-term cuts to non-ringfenced areas of the Welsh budget which will exacerbate pressures on the NHS; and

b) both the UK Conservative and UK Labour parties are opening the door for private providers to profit from the NHS.

Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) begin the phasing out of outdated NHS technologies;

b) bring forward a substantial workforce plan with a tuition fee refund for healthcare workers that stay in Wales for five years after their studies;

c) defend the NHS as a fully public institution that is free at the point of need; and

d) make a formal request to the next UK Government to bring the unfair Barnett formula to an end to ensure fair funding for Wales that will enable investment in our NHS workforce and recruiting 500 GPs.

Calls on the UK Government to bring the unfair Barnett formula to an end, and fund Wales according to need, in order to properly invest in all budget areas in Wales, including health and social care.

If amendment 1 is agreed, amendment 2 will be de-selected.

Amendment 2 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

Delete all after point 1 and replace with:

Recognises that:

a) long waits have fallen by 70 per cent since their peak in March 2022;

b) referral to treatment times are counted differently across the UK – in Wales they include waiting times for therapies and diagnostics; and

c) Wales spends 15 per cent more per person on health and social care than in England and in 2024-25 the Welsh Government is investing more than 4 per cent extra in the NHS compared to less than 1 per cent in England.

Welcomes ongoing Welsh Government investment and support so NHS Wales can take advantage of the latest medicines, treatments, and technologies.

The item started at 16.29

Voting on the motion and amendments under this item was deferred until Voting Time.

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM8630 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Celebrates the hard work and dedication of people working in the Welsh NHS.

2. Recognises the UK Government’s offer to help the Welsh Government with tackling NHS waiting lists.

3. Regrets that:

a) two-year waits for treatment have increased to 21,290 in Wales, the first time they’ve increased in two years, compared to 275 in England;

b) median waits for NHS treatment are 22 weeks in Wales, compared with 13.9 weeks in England;

c) the number of patient pathways in Wales has increased again to 775,031, the highest figure on record, while waiting lists have fallen over the last 6 months in England; and

d) 54.2 per cent of red ambulance calls don’t arrive within eight minutes.

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) begin the phasing out of outdated NHS technologies;

b) bring forward a substantial workforce plan with a tuition fee refund for healthcare workers that stay in Wales for five years after their studies;

c) ensure the full Barnett consequential arising from NHS spending by the UK Government is made available for the health service in Wales; and

d) work with the UK Government to understand best practice in cutting NHS waiting lists.

For	Abstain	Against	Total
12	0	32	44

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

Delete all after point 1 and replace with:

Notes the First Minister’s failure to achieve his own objective of bringing waiting lists down in Wales.

Regrets that in Wales:

a) two-year waits for treatment have increased to 21,290;

b) median waits for NHS treatment are 22 weeks;

c) the number of patient pathways has increased again to 775,031, the highest figure on record; and

d) 54.2 per cent of red ambulance calls don’t arrive within eight minutes.

Regrets that:

a) the spending plans of both the UK Conservative and UK Labour parties imply real-term cuts to non-ringfenced areas of the Welsh budget which will exacerbate pressures on the NHS; and

b) both the UK Conservative and UK Labour parties are opening the door for private providers to profit from the NHS.

Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) begin the phasing out of outdated NHS technologies;

b) bring forward a substantial workforce plan with a tuition fee refund for healthcare workers that stay in Wales for five years after their studies;

c) defend the NHS as a fully public institution that is free at the point of need; and

d) make a formal request to the next UK Government to bring the unfair Barnett formula to an end to ensure fair funding for Wales that will enable investment in our NHS workforce and recruiting 500 GPs.

Calls on the UK Government to bring the unfair Barnett formula to an end, and fund Wales according to need, in order to properly invest in all budget areas in Wales, including health and social care.

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
9	0	35	44

Amendment 1 was not agreed.

Amendment 2 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

Delete all after point 1 and replace with:

Recognises that:

a) long waits have fallen by 70 per cent since their peak in March 2022;

b) referral to treatment times are counted differently across the UK – in Wales they include waiting times for therapies and diagnostics; and

c) Wales spends 15 per cent more per person on health and social care than in England and in 2024-25 the Welsh Government is investing more than 4 per cent extra in the NHS compared to less than 1 per cent in England.

Welcomes ongoing Welsh Government investment and support so NHS Wales can take advantage of the latest medicines, treatments, and technologies.

A vote was taken on amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
23	0	21	44

Amendment 2 was agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Celebrates the hard work and dedication of people working in the Welsh NHS.

2. Recognises that:

a) long waits have fallen by 70 per cent since their peak in March 2022;

b) referral to treatment times are counted differently across the UK – in Wales they include waiting times for therapies and diagnostics; and

c) Wales spends 15 per cent more per person on health and social care than in England and in 2024-25 the Welsh Government is investing more than 4 per cent extra in the NHS compared to less than 1 per cent in England.

Welcomes ongoing Welsh Government investment and support so NHS Wales can take advantage of the latest medicines, treatments, and technologies.

For	Abstain	Against	Total
23	0	21	44

The motion as amended was agreed.

The item started at 17.18

NDM8626 Sioned Williams (South Wales West)

Safer skin: the role of schools in preventing skin cancer.

The item started at 17.22

NDM8626 Sioned Williams (South Wales West)

Safer skin: the role of schools in preventing skin cancer.