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.

Following the conclusion of the Committee of the Whole Senedd. Plenary started at 13.35. The bell was rung 5 minutes before reconvening.

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 13.35

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 14.19

 

The first 8 questions were asked. Questions 1 and 2 were grouped together for answer. The Presiding Officer invited party spokespeople to ask questions to the Cabinet Secretary after question 2.

View Questions

The item started at 15.10

 

The 2 questions were asked.

To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning

Siân Gwenllian (Arfon): Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on Consumer Energy Solutions entering administration?

The item started at 15.16 

Answered by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning 
Siân Gwenllian (Arfon): Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on Consumer Energy Solutions entering administration? 

The item started at 15.33

John Griffiths made a statement on Less Survivable Cancers Awareness Week (12 to 16 January).

NDM9101 Carolyn Thomas (North Wales)

To propose that the Senedd:

Notes the petition ‘P-06-1555 To review all guidance on Home to School Transport for all of Wales. Free access to an education’ which received 11,790 signatures.

The item started at 15.35 

NDM9101 Carolyn Thomas (North Wales) 

To propose that the Senedd: 

Notes the petition ‘P-06-1555 To review all guidance on Home to School Transport for all of Wales. Free access to an education’ which received 11,790 signatures. 

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36. 

 

At 16.21 Janet Finch-Saunders raised a point of order to address a comment made by Lee Waters towards Laura Anne Jones following his intervention to her contribution during Item 6 – Debate on petition P-06-1555 To review all guidance on Home to School Transport for all of Wales. Free access to an education.

At 16.42 the Deputy Presiding Officer asked Lee Waters to withdraw his comment. The Member complied. 

 

 

NDM9100 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

To propose that the Senedd:

Calls on the Welsh Government to support Welsh Conservative calls to scrap land transaction tax for primary residences in Wales.

The following amendment was tabled:   

Amendment 1 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the Senedd:

Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) explore further reforms to the tax system as a means of eventually replacing land transaction tax in a sustainable manner; and

b) request from Westminster the further devolution of tax powers to Wales, including the ability to introduce a vacant land tax and the ability to set Welsh-specific income tax bands.

The item started at 16.43 

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

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment: 

NDM9100 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire) 

To propose that the Senedd: 

Calls on the Welsh Government to support Welsh Conservative calls to scrap land transaction tax for primary residences in Wales. 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
12	0	39	51

The motion without amendment was not agreed. 

The following amendments were tabled: 

Amendment 1 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central) 

Delete all and replace with: 

To propose that the Senedd: 

Calls on the Welsh Government to: 

a) explore further reforms to the tax system as a means of eventually replacing land transaction tax in a sustainable manner; and 

b) request from Westminster the further devolution of tax powers to Wales, including the ability to introduce a vacant land tax and the ability to set Welsh-specific income tax bands. 

A vote was taken on amendment 1: 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
13	0	38	51

Amendment 1 was not agreed. 

 

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

NDM9102 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes the upcoming Senedd election on 7 May 2026.

2. Believes that the Senedd election provides an opportunity for new leadership for Wales.

3. Calls for the implementation of Plaid Cymru’s proposals to:

a) introduce a waiting list plan to clear the current backlog, put the NHS on a more sustainable footing and ensure patients are not left waiting years in pain for treatment;

b) establish a new national development agency, providing a one-stop-shop for business support, supporting and growing Welsh-owned businesses at every stage of their development;

c) introduce a minimum 20 hour-a-week universal childcare offer to give every child the best start in life and allow parents to return to work;

d) introduce a foundational literacy and numeracy plan to establish national benchmarks, provide targeted support, and ensure high-quality teaching and transparent progress tracking; and

e) introduce a new Wales bill to secure parity of devolved powers with Scotland, as a necessary lever to unlock Wales’s potential.

4. Regrets that 26 years of a Labour Welsh Government has led to:

a) over 8,700 pathways waiting over two years for treatment despite the target to eradicate such waits completely by March 2023;

b) Wales having the second lowest gross disposable income per head and primary income per head of all the UK nations and regions, with both falling as a proportion of the UK average; and

c) Wales’s scores in literacy and numeracy being the lowest they have been since first participating in PISA in 2006, and are the lowest among UK nations for the fifth time in a row.

5. Further regrets that Labour’s partnership in power has let Wales down.

The following amendments were tabled:  

Amendment 1 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes the upcoming Senedd election on 7 May 2026.

2. Believes that the Senedd election provides an opportunity for new leadership for Wales.

3. Regrets that 26 years of a Labour Welsh Government, with the support of Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats, has led to:

a) one in four of the Welsh population on an NHS waiting list;

b) the highest unemployment rate and the lowest take-home pay in the United Kingdom;

c) Wales’s PISA results falling to their lowest level ever in maths, reading and science: the lowest of all UK nations for the fifth consecutive time;

d) taxpayer money wasted on non-devolved spending and Senedd expansion;

e) the Welsh economy being held back with the least competitive business rates offer in Great Britain, the default 20mph speed limit, and land transaction tax rates that are stifling the housing market;

f) working families being hit with the highest childcare costs and the worst childcare offer in Great Britain; and

g) the sustainable farming scheme risking the loss of jobs and livelihoods.

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to implement Welsh Conservative calls to:

a) declare a health emergency in the Welsh NHS, eliminate excessive waiting times in emergency departments, for ambulances, tests, and treatment, introduce a GP wait guarantee, and promote patient choice as a driver of healthcare improvement;

b) get the Welsh economy moving by cutting the basic rate of income tax, eliminating business rates for small businesses, restoring the default speed limit to 30mph, investing in road infrastructure, and scrapping land transaction tax for main homes;

c) improve education outcomes in Wales by restoring discipline and respect in Welsh schools, cracking down on violence and poor behaviour, banning mobile phones in Welsh classrooms, empowering teachers, and enabling the establishment of academy schools;

d) stop spending taxpayer money on non-devolved areas, and reverse Senedd expansion;

e) support working families by matching the childcare offer available in England; and

f) scrap and replace the sustainable farming scheme with a truly sustainable scheme that protects rural jobs and has food security at its heart.

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:

2. Recognises the policies of the Welsh Labour Government over this Senedd term have led to:

a) 18,652 additional homes for rent in the social sector being delivered;

b) 46,000 jobs supported;

c) almost 60 million free school meals for primary school children being served and recent improvements in educational attainment;

d) the most progressive and generous student support offer in the UK, meaning household income does not decide where you go to university;

e) long waiting times for treatment and tests falling and the NHS being on course to provide an extra 20,000 cataract operations this year;

f) a National Forest being planted and action to safeguard communities from the legacy of coalmining being taken; and

g) more than £1 billion being invested to transform the core Valleys Lines into a modern metro system.

3. Believes that Wales is ready for a new era of investment under Labour following more than a decade of Tory austerity.

The item started at 17.36 

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

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment: 

NDM9102 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central) 

To propose that the Senedd: 

1. Notes the upcoming Senedd election on 7 May 2026. 

2. Believes that the Senedd election provides an opportunity for new leadership for Wales. 

3. Calls for the implementation of Plaid Cymru’s proposals to: 

a) introduce a waiting list plan to clear the current backlog, put the NHS on a more sustainable footing and ensure patients are not left waiting years in pain for treatment; 

b) establish a new national development agency, providing a one-stop-shop for business support, supporting and growing Welsh-owned businesses at every stage of their development; 

c) introduce a minimum 20 hour-a-week universal childcare offer to give every child the best start in life and allow parents to return to work; 

d) introduce a foundational literacy and numeracy plan to establish national benchmarks, provide targeted support, and ensure high-quality teaching and transparent progress tracking; and 

e) introduce a new Wales bill to secure parity of devolved powers with Scotland, as a necessary lever to unlock Wales’s potential. 

4. Regrets that 26 years of a Labour Welsh Government has led to: 

a) over 8,700 pathways waiting over two years for treatment despite the target to eradicate such waits completely by March 2023; 

b) Wales having the second lowest gross disposable income per head and primary income per head of all the UK nations and regions, with both falling as a proportion of the UK average; and 

c) Wales’s scores in literacy and numeracy being the lowest they have been since first participating in PISA in 2006, and are the lowest among UK nations for the fifth time in a row. 

5. Further regrets that Labour’s partnership in power has let Wales down. 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
13	0	38	51

The motion without amendment was not agreed. 

The following amendments were tabled: 

Amendment 1 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire) 

Delete all and replace with: 

To propose that the Senedd: 

1. Notes the upcoming Senedd election on 7 May 2026. 

2. Believes that the Senedd election provides an opportunity for new leadership for Wales. 

3. Regrets that 26 years of a Labour Welsh Government, with the support of Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats, has led to: 

a) one in four of the Welsh population on an NHS waiting list; 

b) the highest unemployment rate and the lowest take-home pay in the United Kingdom; 

c) Wales’s PISA results falling to their lowest level ever in maths, reading and science: the lowest of all UK nations for the fifth consecutive time; 

d) taxpayer money wasted on non-devolved spending and Senedd expansion; 

e) the Welsh economy being held back with the least competitive business rates offer in Great Britain, the default 20mph speed limit, and land transaction tax rates that are stifling the housing market; 

f) working families being hit with the highest childcare costs and the worst childcare offer in Great Britain; and 

g) the sustainable farming scheme risking the loss of jobs and livelihoods. 

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to implement Welsh Conservative calls to: 

a) declare a health emergency in the Welsh NHS, eliminate excessive waiting times in emergency departments, for ambulances, tests, and treatment, introduce a GP wait guarantee, and promote patient choice as a driver of healthcare improvement; 

b) get the Welsh economy moving by cutting the basic rate of income tax, eliminating business rates for small businesses, restoring the default speed limit to 30mph, investing in road infrastructure, and scrapping land transaction tax for main homes; 

c) improve education outcomes in Wales by restoring discipline and respect in Welsh schools, cracking down on violence and poor behaviour, banning mobile phones in Welsh classrooms, empowering teachers, and enabling the establishment of academy schools; 

d) stop spending taxpayer money on non-devolved areas, and reverse Senedd expansion; 

e) support working families by matching the childcare offer available in England; and 

f) scrap and replace the sustainable farming scheme with a truly sustainable scheme that protects rural jobs and has food security at its heart. 

A vote was taken on amendment 1: 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
12	1	38	51

Amendment 1 was not agreed. 

Amendment 2 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan) 

Delete all after point 1 and replace with: 

2. Recognises the policies of the Welsh Labour Government over this Senedd term have led to: 

a) 18,652 additional homes for rent in the social sector being delivered; 

b) 46,000 jobs supported; 

c) almost 60 million free school meals for primary school children being served and recent improvements in educational attainment; 

d) the most progressive and generous student support offer in the UK, meaning household income does not decide where you go to university; 

e) long waiting times for treatment and tests falling and the NHS being on course to provide an extra 20,000 cataract operations this year; 

f) a National Forest being planted and action to safeguard communities from the legacy of coalmining being taken; and 

g) more than £1 billion being invested to transform the core Valleys Lines into a modern metro system. 

3. Believes that Wales is ready for a new era of investment under Labour following more than a decade of Tory austerity. 

A vote was taken on amendment 2: 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
26	0	25	51

Amendment 2 was agreed. 

A vote was taken on the motion as amended: 

To propose that the Senedd: 

1. Notes the upcoming Senedd election on 7 May 2026. 
2. Recognises the policies of the Welsh Labour Government over this Senedd term have led to: 

a) 18,652 additional homes for rent in the social sector being delivered; 

b) 46,000 jobs supported; 

c) almost 60 million free school meals for primary school children being served and recent improvements in educational attainment; 

d) the most progressive and generous student support offer in the UK, meaning household income does not decide where you go to university; 

e) long waiting times for treatment and tests falling and the NHS being on course to provide an extra 20,000 cataract operations this year; 

f) a National Forest being planted and action to safeguard communities from the legacy of coalmining being taken; and 

g) more than £1 billion being invested to transform the core Valleys Lines into a modern metro system. 

3. Believes that Wales is ready for a new era of investment under Labour following more than a decade of Tory austerity. 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
26	0	25	51

The motion as amended was agreed. 

 

At 17.47 Darren Millar raised a point of order to address a comment made by Rhun ap Iorwerth following Gareth Davies’ intervention to Rhun ap Iorwerth’s opening contribution during Item 8 – Plaid Cymru Debate - The Senedd election. 

At 18.55 the Deputy Presiding Officer asked Rhun ap Iorwerth and all Members to use caution in their use of language.  

The item started at 18.56

NDM9096 Adam Price (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)

Raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14 in Wales

The item started at 19.01
NDM9096 Adam Price (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) 

Raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14 in Wales 

In accordance with Standing Order 26.36, amendments are to be disposed of in the order in which the sections arise in the Bill.

The amendments have been grouped for the purposes of debate and the groupings will be debated as follows:

1. Training for non-practising medical members

2, 1

Supporting documents

Mental Health Review Tribunal for Wales (Membership) Bill, unamended at Stage 2

Explanatory memorandum

Marshalled list of amendments

Groupings of amendments

The item started at 19.21 

In accordance with Standing Order 26.36, the amendments were disposed of in the order that the sections to which they relate arose in the Bill. 

Amendment 2 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36. 

Amendment 1 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36. 

All sections of the Bill were deemed agreed, concluding Stage 3 proceedings. 

The item started at 19.34 

In accordance with Standing Order 26.50A, the Llywydd confirmed that in their view, the provisions of the Mental Health Review Tribunal for Wales (Membership) Bill do not relate to a protected subject matter. 

In accordance with Standing Order 26.48, the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery moved that the Bill be passed. 

A vote was taken in accordance with Standing Order 26.50C: 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
50	0	0	50

The motion was agreed. 

The item started at 19.41