Agenda and minutes

Luke Fletcher MS declared a relevant interest in relation to Item 2.1 - he has worked with residents and the lead petitioner over the past few years on their campaign on Arbed/CESP.

The Committee agreed to: write to the Welsh Government for confirmation of the position regarding the petitioners’ request for a public inquiry;  write to the Equality and Social Justice Committee to ask to what extent it had looked at the situation in Caerau and how that had influenced the Government in its new Warm Homes programme; invite the petitioners and the local councillor supporting their campaign to come and meet with the Committee; and write to Bridgend County Borough Council to ask about progress with the remedial work funded by Welsh Government and the UK Government. In light of those agreed actions the Committee would keep the petition open.

In light of the Welsh Government’s forthcoming bus franchising Bill, the Committee agreed to keep the petition open and maintain a watching brief.

The Committee agreed to close the petition and continue to raise the issue as individual Members in the Siambr.

It was agreed that the Chair would write again to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to ask about progress with implementing the scheme in Wales. The Chair also undertook to raise the matter in the Siambr with the Trefnydd under the Business Statement and Announcement.

The Committee agreed to write back to the Finance Secretary to commend the Welsh Government for funding the programme for as long as it had, given that policing is not devolved, but to highlight the concerns of Policing in Wales about the planning and consultation process. The Committee also agreed to write to the Home Office to stress the importance of funding the provision of this work in Wales.

Joel James MS declared a relevant interest in knowing the petitioner concerned. The Committee agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport to ask for more details of the study; if the time frames for its completion can be provided to the community and the petitioner; will the public, the petitioner and the community council be consulted as part of the study; will the results/options which are then considered be shared with them; and is there an ultimate timeframe for implementing any proposed recommendations or measures. The petition would be kept open pending that response.

The Committee agreed to write to the Business Committee and ask for the petition to be debated, highlighting how important it would be to have the debate sooner rather than later, and noting that new information was now available following Heledd Fychan’s Debate on a Member’s Legislative Proposal - A Bill relating to planning processes for quarry developments, held on 16 October 2024.

The Committee agreed to close the petition but before doing so to write to the Deputy First Minister to seek a response to the petitioner’s latest questions. The response would be forwarded to the petitioner. Members also agreed to write to the Wales species champion for red squirrels, Darren Millar MS; Alun Davies MS, who had raised the matter in the Siambr; and Senedd Members for North Wales - the area with the highest red squirrel population - to highlight the petition for their awareness.