Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed Members to the meeting. Apologies were received from Buffy Williams MS.

The Committee noted that all health boards are now inviting children age 12-17 to be vaccinated, and that the actions called for in the petition are now happening. The Committee agreed to congratulate the petitioner and close the petition.

Members agreed that given the First Minister’s response and the role of the Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales to explore all options through engaging the Welsh people, there was little further the Committee could do at this time. It therefore agreed to thank the petitioner and close the petition.

The Committee noted that the petitioner is satisfied with the response from the Minister. It therefore thanked the petitioner for highlighting this issue and agreed to close the petition.

Joel James MS declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:

He has previously been contacted by the petitioner on this issue.

Members noted the Minister’s response, agreeing that it was difficult to see much space to progress on an independent inquiry. Members however agreed to arrange a meeting with the petitioner, to discuss whether there are other elements of their campaign which could be taken forward.

The Committee noted that the Welsh Government’s approach to this issue is based on advise by the National Screening Committee, which does not consider such screening appropriate at present. However the Committee agreed to write back to the Welsh Government to share the petitioner’s view and ask them to consider undertaking a Wales-specific longitudinal study for the reasons outlined by the petitioner.

The Committee noted that the Minister’s response states that horses are afforded protection through legislation in Wales and concerns should be reported to the local authority. However the Committee noted that while horses are afforded protection through legislation in Wales, the petitioner expresses serious concern about the lack of enforcement.

The Committee therefore agreed to seek further information from Animal Welfare organisations regarding this practice in Wales and any concerns about enforcement of the law.

Joel James MS declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:

He is a member of British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC)

The Committee noted that the Minister has asked for further evidence before taking any further action, such as considering the removal of species from the red list to provide protection from shooting, the Committee therefore agreed to write to the RSPB and other relevant organisations to seek their views on the matter.

Joel James MS declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:

He has previously been contacted by the petitioner.

The Committee agreed to write to seek expert views and further clarification on this issue, before deciding how to proceed with the consideration of this petition.

The Committee agreed to write to Natural Resources Wales to ascertain whether there is a flood scheme being brought forward in relation to the Towy.

Joel James MS declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:

He knows the Petitioner.

The Committee noted that while the Welsh Government is working to increase awareness and support, the issue of identifying carers has not yet been resolved. The Committee therefore accepted the Deputy Minister’s offer to report back following further discussion by the Ministerial Advisory Group.

Members wished to put on record their thanks to all unpaid carers for their work.

The Committee noted that while there has been some additional information since December 2020 it doesn’t seem substantial enough to change Welsh Government minds, it therefore reluctantly agreed to close the petition.      

The Committee noted that given this issue was debated and approved in the Senedd, and has since been implemented, that there was no further action it could take and agreed to close the petition and thank the petitioner.

The Committee noted that it had discussed the petition on numerous occasions and that it was also debated in Plenary, and concluded that it was unclear what more could be done on this issue. It therefore agreed to thank the petitioners and close the petition.

Joel James MS declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:

He knows the petitioner.

The Committee agreed that it was unclear what further actions could be taken on this issue, noting that there are some actions from the Government to tackle the underlying problem. It therefore agreed to thank the petitioner and close the petition.

The Committee noted that while this issue was not fully complete, it agreed that it had reached a suitable point to note that work is heading in the right direction. It therefore agreed to thank the petitioner and close the petition.

Luke Fletcher MS declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:

He knows the petitioner.

The Committee noted the Ministers response and the progress to date, and that there will be further steps in the future. The Committee also agreed to thank the petitioner for the work they’ve done to raise awareness of the issues, and close the petition.

The Committee agreed to note the Minister’s response and the funding of roles to “promote and celebrate Black history”. The Committee also agreed to write to Heritage & Cultural Exchange asking for an update on discussions for a permanent home for the Tiger Bay collection, and any related issues.

The Committee noted that the building has been sold on, and expressed the hope that  the new owners can work with campaigners to develop the site, for the benefit of the community. The Chair noted the passion of petitioners who had written in support of the petition. The Committee agreed to thank the petitioners and close the petition.

The Committee noted that the Minister has set out how he is attempting to support education professionals through this extremely challenging time, the Committee therefore agreed to thank the petitioner and close the petition.

After considering all the data, and the recommendation of the predecessor committee, Members agreed that a change in signature threshold for a petition to be considered by the Committee was justified, and that this should be changed to 250 signatures. Members also agreed to seek to make this change in threshold by the start of the New Year in January 2022. The Chair will write to Business Committee recommending the relevant change to Standing Order 23.4(i)

The motion was agreed.

The Committee considered the forward work programme and agreed to invite witnesses to give evidence in relation to petition P-06-1224 Design a ‘Care Leavers Plus’ Universal Basic Income pilot that includes a range of people. Evidence sessions will take place on 15 and 29 November.