Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

Apologies were received from Joel James MS.

Item 2.2 – Vaughan Gething MS declared that he is mentioned by name in the text of the petition

Item 2.8 – Vaughan Gething MS declared that he was Minister for Health for part of the vaccination programme

Item 3.6 - Carolyn Thomas MS declared that the petitioner is a member of her staff.

The Committee held a round table event on the issue and will be producing a report in March, containing recommendations for the Welsh Government.

The Committee considered the petition and noted that an inquiry into the registration and declaration of interests is being undertaken by the Standards Committee on this issue, therefore agreed to keep the petition open until that work has been completed.

The Committee considered the petition and agreed that £10 million was an unrealistic limit. The Senedd already has a clearly set out process for budget scrutiny and previous petitions calling for similar measures have made no headway. In light of this, the Committee agreed to close the petition and thank the petitioner.

When discussing the petition, Members noted that the Anti-racist Wales Action Plan had been endorsed by the Senedd across all parties and that there was no more action the Committee could take. In light of this, Members agreed to close the petition.

The Committee considered the petition and noted that the Cabinet Secretary’s response states that the current ethical framework for Councillors was judged fit for purpose by independent review. Members also noted that there were existing mechanisms to remove councillors and that it was unclear what more the Committee could do. In light of this, Members agreed to thank the petitioner and close the petition.

The Committee agreed to highlight the petition to the Local Government and Housing Committee for consideration in their forward work programme as well as write to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government seeking further views on the issue. Members agreed to keep the petition open pending the two responses.

The Committee considered the petition and noted that constituency Members in both Parliaments have made representations on the issue. The Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales has asked officials to arrange a meeting with the petitioner. Members agreed to keep the petition open pending an update on the outcome of the meeting.

The Committee considered the petition and noted that module four of the COVID-19 inquiry are beginning work on this issue and that it will also be considered by the Senedd’s COVID-19 Inquiry Special Purpose Committee. The Committee agreed it was not appropriate for the petition to be debated in the Senedd given that it is currently being addressed in other forums. In light of this, the Committee expressed their sympathy, thanked the petitioner and closed the petition.

The Committee considered the petition and acknowledged it had exceeded the threshold to be considered for a debate. However Members agreed that there was little point in asking for a debate on this specific issue immediately because of the upcoming budget debate in February.

The Committee agreed to forward the petitioner’s comments to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and copy in the Chair of the Senedd’s Children, Young People and Education Committee, as a priority for consideration in its budget scrutiny reporting.

The Committee considered the petition and congratulated the petitioner on his success. The Health and Safety Executive has announced plans for a three nation ban (England, Wales and Scotland). Before closing the petition, Members agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs to confirm the date a ban will come into force.

This petition and ‘P-06-1220 Increase funding available for Women’s Health Services, Education and Awareness’ and ‘P-06-1444 Women of North Wales have the right to have a Menopause Services/Clinic in Ysbyty Gwynedd’ were considered together.

The Committee considered the petitions and noted the publication of the Women’s Health Plan. Members agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to seek further clarity on a question asked by Jenny Rathbone in the 10 December 2024 debate regarding tertiary care in the Women’s Health Plan. The Committee will also share the response from Fair Treatment for Women in Wales with the Cabinet Secretary.

Members agreed to close the petition.

This petition and ‘P-06-1220 Increase funding available for Women’s Health Services, Education and Awareness’ and ‘P-06-1444 Women of North Wales have the right to have a Menopause Services/Clinic in Ysbyty Gwynedd’ were considered together.

The Committee considered the petitions and noted the publication of the Women’s Health Plan. Members agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to seek further clarity on a question asked by Jenny Rathbone in the 10 December 2024 debate regarding tertiary care in the Women’s Health Plan. The Committee will also share the response from Fair Treatment for Women in Wales with the Cabinet Secretary. The Committee will also write to the Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing to ask how specific data collection on endometriosis is being addressed in the Plan. Correspondence will be copied to the Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee to inform its scrutiny of the Health Plan.

The Committee considered the petition and noted that the petitioner did not feel her questions had been adequately answered. Members agreed to write to Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board to ask whether more clinics could be held at Ysbyty Gwynedd (meaning one consultant has to travel to Bangor, rather than dozens of women needing to make arrangements to travel to hospitals in east Wales) to receive specialist services. The Committee will also ask which menopause services can be provided through the medium of Welsh. The Committee will also write to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to ask what plans they have to publish an easy-read version of the Women’s Health Plan.

The Committee considered the petition and noted that the Government have commissioned research on this issue and to keep the petition open pending publication of the research (later this year).

The Committee considered the petition and noted that the First Minister’s response was helpful and constructive. Since the last consideration, there has been a ceasefire deal and it is hard to see what more the Committee could do. In light of this, the Committee thanked the petitioner and closed the petition.

The Committee considered the petition and noted the strength of feeling locally. An online meeting on the issue is set to be held in February and Members agreed to wait for the outcome before closing the petition.

The Committee considered the petition and expressed sympathy with the petitioner. As the transport issues are recognised by the Cabinet Secretary and have been brought to the attention of the local authority, there seems little more that the Committee can do at this time. The Committee thanked the petitioner and closed the petition.

The Committee congratulated the petitioner on the impact they have had regarding this issue. In her response, the Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing confirmed work was underway on a pathway to support dads and partners of individuals under the care of the specialist perinatal mental health team. Members agreed there was little else they could do on this issue and to close the petition.

The Committee congratulated the petitioner for using the petitions system to raise an important issue. The Cabinet Secretary’s response stated that a public consultation on the Healthy Eating in Schools Regulations is being developed and revised regulations will be laid before the Senedd in January 2026. In light of this, Members agreed to thank the petitioner and close the petition.

This petition and ‘P-06-1447 Stop Natural Resources Wales closing the visitor centre at Ynyslas National Nature Reserve’ were considered together.

The Chair agreed to raise the petitions in the upcoming 22 January 2025 debate on Natural Resources Wales. The Committee agreed to write to Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee to highlight petitioner’s concerns ahead of scrutiny in March and to Natural Resources Wales.

This petition and ‘P-06-1474 Stop Natural Resources Wales closing Bwlch Nant yr Arian, Coed y Brenin & Ynyslas visitor centres’ were considered together.

The Chair agreed to raise the petitions in the upcoming 22 January 2025 debate on Natural Resources Wales. The Committee agreed to write to Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee to highlight petitioner’s concerns ahead of scrutiny in March and to Natural Resources Wales.

The Committee agreed to keep the petition open and write to the Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing requesting a date on when discussions between the Welsh and UK Governments will conclude, in the expectation of closing the petition next time.

The motion was agreed.