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 Minister after Question 2.

View Questions

The item started at 13.30

The first 8 questions were asked. Questions 2, 4, 5 and 7 were answered by the Deputy Minister for Climate Change. The Presiding Officer invited party spokespeople to ask questions to the Minister and Deputy Minister after question 2.

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

View Questions

The item started at 14.22

The first 9 questions were asked. The Presiding Officer invited party spokespeople to ask questions to the Minister after question 2.

To ask the Minister for Economy

Sarah Murphy (Bridgend): Will the Minister make a statement in response to the announcement by Zimmer Biomet that it will cease manufacturing at its plant in Bridgend?

To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services

Mabon ap Gwynfor (Dwyfor Meirionnydd): Will the Minister make a statement following the evidence given by the First Minister and Minister for Economy relating to the lack of pandemic preparedness in Wales at the UK Covid-19 inquiry yesterday?

The item started at 15.08

Answered by the Minister for Economy

Sarah Murphy (Bridgend): Will the Minister make a statement in response to the announcement by Zimmer Biomet that it will cease manufacturing at its plant in Bridgend?

Before moving to the second Topical Question, the Llywydd provided guidance to Members on questions relating to the Covid-19 enquiry. The Llywydd advised there may be circumstances in which Ministers are unable to respond in detail, particularly where questions relate to inquiry modules that have opened, but not yet concluded.

Answered by the Minister for Health and Social Services

Mabon ap Gwynfor (Dwyfor Meirionnydd): Will the Minister make a statement following the evidence given by the First Minister and Minister for Economy relating to the lack of pandemic preparedness in Wales at the UK Covid-19 inquiry yesterday?

The item started at 15.29

Sioned Williams made a statement on - Trebanos RFC’s 125 year anniversary.

This item was postponed

NDM8273 Luke Fletcher (South Wales West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes:

a) that across Wales, the prevalence of epilepsy is 1 per cent (approximately 32,000 people with epilepsy), with localised variation linked to levels of deprivation;

b) that in Wales, there are 11.5 whole time equivalent epilepsy specialist nurses (ESNs), which equates to a ratio of 1 nurse to every 2,823 patients;

c) that the Steers report (2008) recommends a ratio of 300 patients to one ESN, which would equate to a total of 107 ESNs in Wales.

2. Calls for the Welsh Government to:

a) support measures to reduce current waiting times for patients and service users accessing epilepsy services;

b) support health professionals in Wales, by ensuring the levels of staffing across the health boards of Wales are appropriately resourced to achieve and maintain sustainability, patient safety, and quality of service.

Report of the Welsh Neuroscience External Expert Review Group Recommendations for Mid and South Wales

Supporters

Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

Delyth Jewell (South Wales East)

Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore)

Jane Dodds (Mid and West Wales)

Jayne Bryant (Newport West)

Joel James (South Wales Central)

Joyce Watson (Mid and West Wales)

Llyr Gruffydd (North Wales)

Mark Isherwood (North Wales)

Mike Hedges (Swansea East)

Peredur Owen Griffiths (South Wales East)

Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

Sioned Williams (South Wales West)

Tom Giffard (South Wales East)

The item started at 15.31

NDM8273 Luke Fletcher (South Wales West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes:

a) that across Wales, the prevalence of epilepsy is 1 per cent (approximately 32,000 people with epilepsy), with localised variation linked to levels of deprivation;

b) that in Wales, there are 11.5 whole time equivalent epilepsy specialist nurses (ESNs), which equates to a ratio of 1 nurse to every 2,823 patients;

c) that the Steers report (2008) recommends a ratio of 300 patients to one ESN, which would equate to a total of 107 ESNs in Wales.

2. Calls for the Welsh Government to:

a) support measures to reduce current waiting times for patients and service users accessing epilepsy services;

b) support health professionals in Wales, by ensuring the levels of staffing across the health boards of Wales are appropriately resourced to achieve and maintain sustainability, patient safety, and quality of service.

Report of the Welsh Neuroscience External Expert Review Group Recommendations for Mid and South Wales

Supporters

Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

Delyth Jewell (South Wales East)

Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore)

Jane Dodds (Mid and West Wales)

Jayne Bryant (Newport West)

Joel James (South Wales Central)

Joyce Watson (Mid and West Wales)

Llyr Gruffydd (North Wales)

Mark Isherwood (North Wales)

Mike Hedges (Swansea East)

Peredur Owen Griffiths (South Wales East)

Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

Sioned Williams (South Wales West)

Tom Giffard (South Wales East)

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

NDM8314 Delyth Jewell (South Wales East)

To propose that the Senedd:

Notes the report of the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee ‘The Legislative framework that supports Welsh-medium education provision’, which was laid in the Table Office on 19 May 2023.

Note: The response of the Welsh Government to the report was laid in the Table Office on 3 July 2023.

The item started at 16.09

NDM8314 Delyth Jewell (South Wales East)

To propose that the Senedd:

Notes the report of the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee ‘The Legislative framework that supports Welsh-medium education provision’, which was laid in the Table Office on 19 May 2023.

Note: The response of the Welsh Government to the report was laid in the Table Office on 3 July 2023.

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

NDM8315 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Celebrates the 75th anniversary of the creation of the National Health Service.

2. Notes the British Medical Association’s warning that GP services and the Welsh National Health Service is in crisis and at risk of collapse.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to secure the next 75 years of the National Health Service by meeting the needs of patients and staff and maintaining the core principle of being free at the point of need.

Save our Surgeries, GPC Wales - British Medical Association

Letter from the BMA to the Minister for Health and Social Services

The following amendment was tabled:

Amendment 1 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

Add new point at the end of motion:

Believes that National Health Service privatisation is a fundamental threat to our health service and that providing healthcare free at the point of need should remain the principle at the heart of health care provision in Wales.

The item started at 16.45

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

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM8315 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Celebrates the 75th anniversary of the creation of the National Health Service.

2. Notes the British Medical Association’s warning that GP services and the Welsh National Health Service is in crisis and at risk of collapse.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to secure the next 75 years of the National Health Service by meeting the needs of patients and staff and maintaining the core principle of being free at the point of need.

Save our Surgeries, GPC Wales - British Medical Association

Letter from the BMA to the Minister for Health and Social Services

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

Add new point at the end of motion:

Believes that National Health Service privatisation is a fundamental threat to our health service and that providing healthcare free at the point of need should remain the principle at the heart of health care provision in Wales.

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

Amendment 1 was agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM8315 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Celebrates the 75th anniversary of the creation of the National Health Service.

2. Notes the British Medical Association’s warning that GP services and the Welsh National Health Service is in crisis and at risk of collapse.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to secure the next 75 years of the National Health Service by meeting the needs of patients and staff and maintaining the core principle of being free at the point of need.

4. Believes that National Health Service privatisation is a fundamental threat to our health service and that providing healthcare free at the point of need should remain the principle at the heart of health care provision in Wales.

Save our Surgeries, GPC Wales - British Medical Association

Letter from the BMA to the Minister for Health and Social Services

The motion as amended was agreed.

The item started at 17.50

NDM8312 Samuel Kurtz (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire)

The military's footprint in Wales: the armed forces' importance to Wales’s identity

The item started at 17.52

NDM8312 Samuel Kurtz (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire)

The military's footprint in Wales: the armed forces' importance to Wales’s identity