Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. There were no apologies.

Vaughan Gething MS declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:

When the Committee came to consider Petition P-06-1450, under item 3.6, he would absent himself from discussions at that point, given that it substantially dealt with some of his record in Government.

Carolyn Thomas MS declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:

Before she was a member of the Committee she had signed two petitions on the agenda – item 3.1, petition P-06-1272, 'Ban the use of "no pet clauses" in tenancy agreements in Wales', which she declared had also been submitted by a member of her staff, and item 3.4, petition P-06-1394 in regard to Penrhos coastal park.

The Committee considered the petition and there was a divergence of views on whether to keep it open, given that the matter was likely to be raised in plenary. However, the majority view was to highlight the petition with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care (also noting the separate non-Senedd petition from the campaign group SOSPPAN with over 10,000 signatures), and to keep the petition open a further six months to see the outcome of the Cabinet Secretary and Health Board’s monitoring of the situation.

Following discussion there was a consensus that, as the matter was being taken forward by the Standards of Conduct Committee, it was appropriate to thank the petitioner and to close the petition.

Members appreciated this was an important and sensitive issue. However it was clear from the evidence of the experts that advise the UK nations that they do not recommend this for the time being, and it is not something that the Welsh Government are looking to do. The Committee therefore thanked the petitioner but agreed to close the petition.

Members noted the work done on this issue by the Senedd Local Government and Housing committee, and that the Welsh Government has set out in its White Paper the way it intends to address the barriers facing pet owners. Members therefore decided to thank the petitioner and to close the petition.

Members agreed to share the petitioner’s latest comments and questions with the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales and to keep the petition open until a further update on the agreed option for the road was received, but to close the petition the next time it was considered with a view to local Members then taking it forward. The Committee would ensure local Members knew about the issue, in case they were unaware.

The petitioner had secured explanations from both the Permanent Secretary and the Llywydd of the extent and rationale for catering subsidies in both the Welsh Government and Welsh Parliament. Members therefore thanked the petitioner and agreed to close the petition.

In discussing the petition there was a divergence of views between Members. However, the majority view of the Committee was not to take any further action, but to thank the petitioner and close the petition without requesting a plenary debate. The Chair noted that she would continue to pursue the issue in her capacity as Member for North Wales.

The Committee considered the petition, and also noted that petition P-06-1478 at Item 3.7 on the agenda also referred to issues with water quality at Ogmore by Sea, so deferred a final decision on action until consideration of that item. The Committee subsequently agreed to thank the petitioner and close the petition, but in doing so to highlight the petition and the petitioner’s comments to the Chair of the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee for consideration in its forthcoming scrutiny of NRW in March 2025.

Vaughan Gething had declared an interest at the start of the meeting for this item, given that the petition substantially dealt with some of his record in Government, and recused himself from consideration of the petition.

The rest of the Committee considered the petition. Members agreed that because of the nature of the petition, that the Petitions Committee was not the best place to take forward what the petition is asking for. Members therefore agreed to close the petition and to forward the petitioner’s response to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, and the co-chairs of the Wales Covid-19 Inquiry Special Purpose Committee, for awareness. 

Members also noted that it was possible to follow the work of the Wales Covid-19 Inquiry Special Purpose Committee on the Senedd’s website.

Members agreed it was most appropriate for the Senedd Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee to pursue these matters in its scrutiny of NRW in March 2025. The petitioners’ questions and comments - along with those of petition 1448 Stop pollution at Watchtower Bay and Ogmore by Sea – would be sent to the Chair of that Committee. Members thanked the petitioner and agreed to close the petition.

The petitioner had had an encouraging response to his proposal and the Committee was pleased to have helped. There was little more the Committee could now do on the issue however, so Members thanked the petitioner and agreed to close the petition.

Members noted the papers.

The motion was approved.

The Committee considered a first draft of the report and agreed it in principle, subject to minor amendments to the report text being agreed via email.