Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 3 - Senedd. View directions

Contact: Gareth Price 

Media

Senedd.TV: View the webcast

Transcript: Transcript for 03/07/2023 - Petitions Committee

Items
No. Item

1.

Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

 

Apologies were received from Luke Fletcher MS and Buffy Williams MS.

2.

Petition of the year

The Chair will announce the Petition of the year.

 

Minutes:

The Chair announced that the petition of the year voted by the people of Wales was P-06-1212 Mark Allen's Law - we want throwline stations around all open water sites in Wales.

Members congratulated lead petitioner Leeanne Bartley and all those who contributed to the petition.

3.

New Petitions

3.1

P-06-1338 Extend the bus emergency scheme and develop national bus recovery plan

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Jack Sargeant MS declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:

 

He is a member of Unite the Union and has received many e-mails and letters from people signing their campaign.

 

The Committee considered the petition and agreed to write back to the Deputy Minister for Climate Change to:

 

  • ask whether a financial solution has been secured for the remainder of the year as noted in May statement, and
  • answer the specific questions raised by the petitioner.

 

3.2

P-06-1339 Require all new Welsh homes to be fitted with solar panels as a condition of planning permission

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the petition and noted that the Minister is very clear about her approach and why. 

 

In light of the Minister’s response Members agreed that they are unable to take the issue any further and agreed to thank the petitioner and close the petition.

3.3

P-06-1342 Fund more specialist school places and staff for children with additional learning needs in Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the petition and agreed to:

  • write to the Chair of the Children, Young People and Education Committee to raise awareness of the petition in light of their current inquiry;
  • await for the report from the Estyn thematic review in September; and

provide a further opportunity for the petitioner to comment on the correspondence received from the Welsh Government.

3.4

P-06-1343 Provide free public transport for all secondary school pupils

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the petition and noted that the Welsh Youth Parliament has conducted an extensive survey on transport which closes over the summer. In light of this Members agreed to invite some of the Members of the Welsh Youth Parliament to present their findings to the Petitions Committee at a meeting towards the end of November.

 

In addition to this Members also agreed to seek an update from the Minister on the review of the Learner Travel Measure.

3.5

P-06-1348 Commission suitable NHS services in Wales for people with EDS or hypermobility spectrum disorders

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

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

 

He has family members who suffer with the condition.

 

The Committee considered the petition and agreed to write back to the Minister for Health and Social Services to share the concerns and experiences of patients and ask her to address the questions raised by the petitioner.

4.

Updates to previous petitions

4.1

P-06-1161 Routine collection and publication of data of how many babies/children return to their care experienced parents care at the end of a Parent and Child Placement

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the petition and noted that a joint debate will take place in plenary on 12 July on the reports by the Petitions Committee, and the Children, Young People and Education Committee.

 

The Chair thanked everyone involved and noted that a wide range of stakeholders who gave evidence for both inquiries have been invited to the Senedd to watch the debate.

4.2

P-06-1232 Stop the proliferation of intensive poultry units (IPUs) by legislating and introduce a moratorium until this can be achieved

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the petition and agreed to:

 

  • forward the petitioner’s questions to the Minister seeking greater precision, particularly around timing; and

await the Minister’s update on the decision regarding calling in of planning applications for poultry units.

4.3

P-06-1287 Investigate C&V UHB’s refusal to keep north Penarth’s surgery, allocating patients to distant GPs

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the petition and agreed there is nothing more the Committee can do to take the petition forward given that the Minister is unable to intervene in decisions which remain the responsibility of the local health board. In light of this the Committee agreed to thank the petitioner and close the petition.

4.4

P-06-1291 Hold an enquiry into the corporate takeover of the veterinary profession in Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Chair gave an overview of the recent event held in the Senedd by the petitioner on 21 June.

 

Members considered the petition and noted that while there is support on Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee for an inquiry into veterinary services in Wales, it is not currently on their forward work plan, so unlikely to take place in the next two terms.

 

In light of this the Committee agreed to conduct a one day inquiry in the Autumn term inviting the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, and representatives of the industry to give evidence. Members noted that a short inquiry on the petition would still leave open the possibility of more detailed work by the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee at a later stage and when they have the capacity to do so.

4.5

P-06-1306 More protection for ancient & veteran trees in Wales. Old Trees can be relocated. Stop The Chop

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the petition and noted the Agriculture (Wales) Bill have now passed stage 4. In light of this Members agreed to thank the petitioner and closed the petition.

4.6

P-06-1313 Allow exemptions to the 182-day occupancy rule to reduce harm to real Welsh self-catering businesses

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the petition and agreed that as the Council Tax (Exceptions to Higher Amounts) (Wales) Regulations 2023 have now been implemented there is no further action the Committee can take. Members thanked the petitioner and closed the petition.

4.7

P-06-1317 Recognise Teaching Assistants as an important asset to schools by raising wage

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the petition and noted the ongoing work and discussions around standardising and improving conditions for Teaching Assistants. 

 

In light of the work already underway to address the issues Members agreed to keep the petition open and seek an update from the Minister for Education and Welsh Language in January 2024.

4.8

P-06-1319 Provide a pedestrian crossing on A4042 at Goytre Arms crossroads and reduce the speed limit to 20mph

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the petition and noted that:

 

·       work on the crossing has commenced;

·       the Minister has provided a comprehensive response to the issues raised by the petitioner; and

·       new guidance regarding speed limits will be published later this year.

 

In light of this the Committee congratulated the petitioner on their campaign to secure the crossing and agreed to close the petition.

4.9

P-06-1320 Allocate additional funding to Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council to ensure its sustainability

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the petition and noted their previous action to await the final budget and Local Government settlement. Given that this has now passed Members agreed to thank the petitioner and closed the petition. 

4.10

P-05-1106 Introduce Personal Health Budgets and Personalised Care in Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the petition and congratulated the petitioner on his successful campaigning over many years, Members welcomed the positive outcome of the Welsh Government committing to introduce legislation to introduce direct payments for continuing health care. Considering this Members agreed to close the petition.

4.11

Paper to note - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The papers were noted.

4.12

P-05-859 Provide Child Houses in Wales for victims of child sexual abuse

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee agreed to close the petition.

4.13

P-05-914 Equal Access to Health Care for the Disabled

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee agreed to close the petition.

5.

Motion under Standing Order 17.42(ix) to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of the meeting

Minutes:

The motion was agreed.

6.

Forward Work Plan Autumn 2023

Minutes:

The Committee discussed their forward work plan for the Autumn term.