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. Question 8 was answered by the Minister for Social Partnership. 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. Questions 6 and 7 were answered by the Minister for Mental Health and Early Years. The Presiding Officer invited party spokespeople to ask questions to the Cabinet Secretary after question 2.

To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language

Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement in response to the news that over 100 jobs with Everest are at risk of being lost in Rhondda Cynon Taf?

The item started at 15.15

Answered by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language

Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement in response to the news that over 100 jobs with Everest are at risk of being lost in Rhondda Cynon Taf?

The item started at 15.21

Heledd Fychan made a statement on - The organisation Mothers Matter, which focuses its work on supporting and improving mental health for mothers and their families through a range of services, and Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week (29 April – 5 May).

NDM8559 Jack Sargeant (Alyn and Deeside)

To propose that the Senedd:

Notes the report of the Petitions Committee, ‘A Warmer Winter: P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales’, which was laid in the Table Office on 30 November 2023.

Note: The response of the Welsh Government to the report was laid in the Table Office on 24 April 2024.

Supporting documents

Ofgem response to the Petitions Committee report

The item started at 15.23

NDM8559 Jack Sargeant (Alyn and Deeside)

To propose that the Senedd:

Notes the report of the Petitions Committee, ‘A Warmer Winter: P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales’, which was laid in the Table Office on 30 November 2023.

Note: The response of the Welsh Government to the report was laid in the Table Office on 24 April 2024.

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

NDM8563 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes the Cass review commissioned by NHS England to make recommendations on how to improve NHS gender identity services, which highlighted that there should be extreme caution in prescribing puberty blockers and hormones to under-18s due to a lack of high-quality research into their long-term effects.

2. Welcomes the fact that due to NHS England stopping puberty blockers, this has resulted in there being no pathway for under-18s in Wales to receive puberty blockers.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) adopt the recommendations of the Cass review; and

b) ensure that children and their parents are supported with common sense, fact-based guidance.

The Cass Review – Independent review of gender identity services for children and young people 

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes the publication of the Cass review.

2. Notes that NHS Wales commissions gender identity services for children and young people 17 and under from NHS England.

3. Notes that NHS England has concluded there is not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of puberty suppressing hormones for the treatment of gender dysphoria in children and young people at this time.

4. Notes the Welsh Government will continue to develop the transgender guidance for schools taking account of the Cass review and stakeholder views.

Amendment 2 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

Add as new points at end of motion:

Regrets the absence of comprehensive specialist gender identity services in Wales.

Believes that every individual, whatever their gender identity, deserves respect, understanding and access to appropriate support services and healthcare.

Calls on the Welsh Government to develop gender identity services for young people in Wales.

The item started at 16.00

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

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM8563 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes the Cass review commissioned by NHS England to make recommendations on how to improve NHS gender identity services, which highlighted that there should be extreme caution in prescribing puberty blockers and hormones to under-18s due to a lack of high-quality research into their long-term effects.

2. Welcomes the fact that due to NHS England stopping puberty blockers, this has resulted in there being no pathway for under-18s in Wales to receive puberty blockers.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) adopt the recommendations of the Cass review; and

b) ensure that children and their parents are supported with common sense, fact-based guidance.

The Cass Review – Independent review of gender identity services for children and young people

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
14	0	38	52

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes the publication of the Cass review.

2. Notes that NHS Wales commissions gender identity services for children and young people 17 and under from NHS England.

3. Notes that NHS England has concluded there is not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of puberty suppressing hormones for the treatment of gender dysphoria in children and young people at this time.

4. Notes the Welsh Government will continue to develop the transgender guidance for schools taking account of the Cass review and stakeholder views.

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
38	0	14	52

Amendment 1 was agreed.

Amendment 2 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

Add as new points at end of motion:

Regrets the absence of comprehensive specialist gender identity services in Wales.

Believes that every individual, whatever their gender identity, deserves respect, understanding and access to appropriate support services and healthcare.

Calls on the Welsh Government to develop gender identity services for young people in Wales.

A vote was taken on amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
11	0	41	52

Amendment 2 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM8563 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes the publication of the Cass review.

2. Notes that NHS Wales commissions gender identity services for children and young people 17 and under from NHS England.

3. Notes that NHS England has concluded there is not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of puberty suppressing hormones for the treatment of gender dysphoria in children and young people at this time.

4. Notes the Welsh Government will continue to develop the transgender guidance for schools taking account of the Cass review and stakeholder views.

For	Abstain	Against	Total
52	0	0	52

The motion as amended was agreed.

NDM8562 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Recognises the public concern regarding a potential breach of the Welsh Government's ministerial code in relation to donations received by the First Minister.

2. Notes that the First Minister received a £200,000 donation towards his Welsh Labour leadership campaign from the Dauson Environmental Group Limited following a £400,000 loan to the company from the Development Bank of Wales, and environment-related offences.

3. Calls on the First Minister to appoint an independent advisor to the ministerial code to investigate any conflict of interest that may exist in relation to the donation, with particular reference to points i and ii of paragraph 1.3 of the ministerial code.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Recognises that the Welsh Government takes seriously the Ministerial Code and the responsibilities it places upon Welsh Ministers.

2. Notes that loan and investment decisions taken by the Development Bank of Wales are done so entirely independently of the Welsh Government.

Amendment 2 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Regrets:

a) that the First Minister has not returned the donation to Dauson Environmental; and

b) that the Labour Party has not committed to returning any of the remaining donation from Dauson Environmental.

The item started at 16.36

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

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM8562 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Recognises the public concern regarding a potential breach of the Welsh Government's ministerial code in relation to donations received by the First Minister.

2. Notes that the First Minister received a £200,000 donation towards his Welsh Labour leadership campaign from the Dauson Environmental Group Limited following a £400,000 loan to the company from the Development Bank of Wales, and environment-related offences.

3. Calls on the First Minister to appoint an independent advisor to the ministerial code to investigate any conflict of interest that may exist in relation to the donation, with particular reference to points i and ii of paragraph 1.3 of the ministerial code.

For	Abstain	Against	Total
25	0	27	52

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Recognises that the Welsh Government takes seriously the Ministerial Code and the responsibilities it places upon Welsh Ministers.

2. Notes that loan and investment decisions taken by the Development Bank of Wales are done so entirely independently of the Welsh Government.

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
27	0	25	52

Amendment 1 was agreed.

Amendment 2 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Regrets:

a) that the First Minister has not returned the donation to Dauson Environmental; and

b) that the Labour Party has not committed to returning any of the remaining donation from Dauson Environmental.

A vote was taken on amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
25	0	27	52

Amendment 2 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM8562 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Recognises that the Welsh Government takes seriously the Ministerial Code and the responsibilities it places upon Welsh Ministers.

2. Notes that loan and investment decisions taken by the Development Bank of Wales are done so entirely independently of the Welsh Government.

For	Abstain	Against	Total
28	0	24	52

The motion as amended was agreed.

NDM8561 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes a donation of £200,000 made to the First Minister during the Welsh Labour leadership election, and its declaration on the Member’s Register of Interests.

2. Believes that this donation does not meet with public approval.

3. Agrees that there should be an annual maximum cap on the political donations that any individual Member of the Senedd can receive from any individual or entity.

4. Calls on the Business Committee and the Standards of Conduct Committee to bring forward proposals for changes to the Senedd’s Standing Orders and the Members’ Code of Conduct that would put the cap into effect.

The following amendment was tabled:

Amendment 1 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes that Members of the Senedd have a responsibility to declare interests on the Members’ Register of Interests and to identify such declarations where relevant in written and oral contributions to Senedd Business.

2. Notes that members are also required to check that donations of £500 or more are from permissible donors and report full details of those over £2230 to the Electoral Commission.

3. Recognises that political parties, and their constituent governing bodies, are responsible for setting and monitoring compliance with rules which go beyond existing legal requirements.

4. Calls on the Standards of Conduct Committee to continue to ensure that the highest standards of conduct are observed by all Members.

The item started at 17.04

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

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM8561 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes a donation of £200,000 made to the First Minister during the Welsh Labour leadership election, and its declaration on the Member’s Register of Interests.

2. Believes that this donation does not meet with public approval.

3. Agrees that there should be an annual maximum cap on the political donations that any individual Member of the Senedd can receive from any individual or entity.

4. Calls on the Business Committee and the Standards of Conduct Committee to bring forward proposals for changes to the Senedd’s Standing Orders and the Members’ Code of Conduct that would put the cap into effect.

For	Abstain	Against	Total
11	14	27	52

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes that Members of the Senedd have a responsibility to declare interests on the Members’ Register of Interests and to identify such declarations where relevant in written and oral contributions to Senedd Business.

2. Notes that members are also required to check that donations of £500 or more are from permissible donors and report full details of those over £2230 to the Electoral Commission.

3. Recognises that political parties, and their constituent governing bodies, are responsible for setting and monitoring compliance with rules which go beyond existing legal requirements.

4. Calls on the Standards of Conduct Committee to continue to ensure that the highest standards of conduct are observed by all Members.

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
27	24	1	52

Amendment 1 was agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM8561 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes that Members of the Senedd have a responsibility to declare interests on the Members’ Register of Interests and to identify such declarations where relevant in written and oral contributions to Senedd Business.

2. Notes that members are also required to check that donations of £500 or more are from permissible donors and report full details of those over £2230 to the Electoral Commission.

3. Recognises that political parties, and their constituent governing bodies, are responsible for setting and monitoring compliance with rules which go beyond existing legal requirements.

4. Calls on the Standards of Conduct Committee to continue to ensure that the highest standards of conduct are observed by all Members.

For	Abstain	Against	Total
27	25	0	52

The motion as amended was agreed.

The item started at 18.11

NDM8560 Peredur Owen Griffiths (South Wales East)

Gaza - a Welsh response.

Supporters

Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

The item started at 18.18

NDM8560 Peredur Owen Griffiths (South Wales East)

Gaza - a Welsh response.

Supporters

Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)