Agenda and minutes

This meeting was held in a hybrid format, with some Members in Siambr Hywel, Tŷ Hywel and others joining by video-conference.

At 13.30 the Llywydd referred to Voting Time during the previous day’s Plenary meeting and made a statement on voting in virtual and hybrid proceedings.

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. 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 14.26 

The first 8 questions were asked. The Presiding Officer invited party spokespeople to ask questions to the Cabinet Secretary after question 2. 

View Questions

The item started at 15.17 

The 2 questions were asked. 

No Topical Questions have been accepted

No Topical Questions have been accepted

The item started at 15.21 

Rhys ab Owen made a statement on His Honour Philip Richards and his contribution to the Welsh language and the justice system in Wales.   

NDM8982 Carolyn Thomas (North Wales) 

To propose that the Senedd: 

Notes the petition ‘P-06-1494 Welsh Government to protect funding in education from WG and Local Authority cuts’ which received 11,040 signatures. 

The item started at 15.24 

NDM8982 Carolyn Thomas (North Wales)   

To propose that the Senedd:   

Notes the petition ‘P-06-1494 Welsh Government to protect funding in education from WG and Local Authority cuts’ which received 11,040 signatures.   

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36. 

NDM8983 Andrew R.T. Davies (South Wales Central)  

To propose that the Senedd notes: 

The report of the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee, ‘AI and the Welsh Economy: Can Welsh androids dream of electric sheep?’, which was laid in the Table Office on 20 May 2025, and on which the Welsh Government laid its response on 16 September 2025.

The item started at 15.50 

NDM8983 Andrew R.T. Davies (South Wales Central)    

To propose that the Senedd notes:   

The report of the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee, ‘AI and the Welsh Economy: Can Welsh androids dream of electric sheep?’, which was laid in the Table Office on 20 May 2025, and on which the Welsh Government laid its response on 16 September 2025.  

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36 

NDM8986 Llyr Gruffydd (North Wales)  

To propose that the Senedd: 

Notes the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee report: Annual scrutiny: National Infrastructure Commission for Wales 2024, laid on 24 April 2025. 

Note: The response from the Welsh Government to the report was laid in the Table Office on 16 September 2025. The National Infrastructure Commission for Wales responded on 8 May 2025. 

The item started at 16.20 

NDM8986 Llyr Gruffydd (North Wales)    

To propose that the Senedd:   

Notes the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee report: Annual scrutiny: National Infrastructure Commission for Wales 2024, laid on 24 April 2025.   

Note: The response from the Welsh Government to the report was laid in the Table Office on 16 September 2025. The National Infrastructure Commission for Wales responded on 8 May 2025.   

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36. 

NDM8984 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)  

To propose that the Senedd: 

1. Reaffirms that the Welsh NHS should always remain free at the point of delivery, publicly funded, and not replaced by an insurance-based system. 

2. Regrets that, since the 2021 Senedd election and the Welsh Government’s Co-operation Agreement with Plaid Cymru: 

a)    over 38,000 Welsh people have died while waiting for NHS treatment; and 

b)    total patient pathways have increased by around a third. 

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to prevent more needless deaths by: 

a)    declaring a health emergency to direct the resources and apparatus of the Welsh Government at cutting NHS waiting lists; 

b)    guaranteeing one year maximum waits for treatment; 

c)    introducing a seven-day GP appointment wait guarantee; 

d)    carrying out a comprehensive Welsh NHS recruitment and retention plan; 

e)    building more surgical hubs and expanding rapid diagnostic centres; 

f)    restoring patient choice in where they can access healthcare; and 

g)   launching a cancer action plan. 
The following amendments were tabled:  

Amendment 1 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)   

Delete all after point 1 and replace with:  

Welcomes the additional £120 million funding to eliminate all two-year waits and reduce the overall size of the waiting list by the end of March 2026.  

Welcomes action to prevent more cancer deaths by launching a national targeted lung cancer screening programme in Wales and increasing access to bowel cancer screening.  

Notes:  

a) long waits of more than two years for treatment are now 88.6 per cent lower than their peak in March 2022; and  

b) the average waiting time for treatment is just over 21 weeks. 

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

Amendment 2 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)   

Delete all after point 1 and replace with:  

Regrets:  

a) the policies of successive Westminster Governments in opening the door to privatisation in the NHS, including the private finance initiative;  

b) the failure of the previous Conservative UK Government and the current Labour UK Government to provide Wales with a fair funding settlement reflective of its health and social care needs; 

c) the austerity policies of the previous Conservative UK Government, which directly contributed to excess deaths in Wales and deteriorating health outcomes; and  

d) the double standards of the previous Conservative UK Government with respect to the observance of COVID regulations, which eroded trust in public health measures.  

Further regrets that since the 2021 Senedd election total patient pathways have increased by around a third.  

Calls on the Welsh Government to prevent more needless deaths by:  

a) declaring a health emergency; and  

b) implementing Plaid Cymru's plan, published in January 2025, to tackle waiting lists. 

 

The item started at 16.40 

Llyr Gruffydd raised a point of order concerning comments made by Janet Finch-Saunders during her contribution to the debate. The Member indicated that she would review the Record of Proceedings.

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

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment: 

NDM8984 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)    

To propose that the Senedd:   

1. Reaffirms that the Welsh NHS should always remain free at the point of delivery, publicly funded, and not replaced by an insurance-based system.   

2. Regrets that, since the 2021 Senedd election and the Welsh Government’s Co-operation Agreement with Plaid Cymru:   

a)    over 38,000 Welsh people have died while waiting for NHS treatment; and   

b)    total patient pathways have increased by around a third.   

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to prevent more needless deaths by:   

a)    declaring a health emergency to direct the resources and apparatus of the Welsh Government at cutting NHS waiting lists;   

b)    guaranteeing one year maximum waits for treatment;   

c)    introducing a seven-day GP appointment wait guarantee;   

d)    carrying out a comprehensive Welsh NHS recruitment and retention plan;   

e)    building more surgical hubs and expanding rapid diagnostic centres;   

f)    restoring patient choice in where they can access healthcare; and   

g)   launching a cancer action plan.   
 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
15	0	34	49

The motion without amendment was not agreed. 

The following amendments were tabled: 

Amendment 1 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)     

Delete all after point 1 and replace with:    

Welcomes the additional £120 million funding to eliminate all two-year waits and reduce the overall size of the waiting list by the end of March 2026.    

Welcomes action to prevent more cancer deaths by launching a national targeted lung cancer screening programme in Wales and increasing access to bowel cancer screening.    

Notes:    

a) long waits of more than two years for treatment are now 88.6 per cent lower than their peak in March 2022; and    

b) the average waiting time for treatment is just over 21 weeks.   

A vote was taken on amendment 1: 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
25	0	24	49

Amendment 1 was agreed. 

As amendment 1 was agreed, amendment 2 was de-selected.  

A vote was taken on the motion as amended: 

To propose that the Senedd:    

1. Reaffirms that the Welsh NHS should always remain free at the point of delivery, publicly funded, and not replaced by an insurance-based system.  

Welcomes the additional £120 million funding to eliminate all two-year waits and reduce the overall size of the waiting list by the end of March 2026.    

Welcomes action to prevent more cancer deaths by launching a national targeted lung cancer screening programme in Wales and increasing access to bowel cancer screening.    

Notes:    

a) long waits of more than two years for treatment are now 88.6 per cent lower than their peak in March 2022; and    

b) the average waiting time for treatment is just over 21 weeks.   

For	Abstain	Against	Total
24	0	25	49

The motion as amended was not agreed. 

As the Senedd did not agree the motion without amendment, and did not agree the amendments tabled to the motion, the motion was therefore not agreed. 

The item started at 17.47

NDM8966 Mark Isherwood (North Wales)  

Securing Welsh hospice care for the future 

The item started at 17.51
NDM8966 Mark Isherwood (North Wales)    

Securing Welsh hospice care for the future