Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

No apologies were submitted.

All Members were present.

The Committee considered the petition and noted that the Welsh Government is reviewing and updating how its guidance to highway authorities on setting exceptions to the new 20mph speed limit should be applied. The Committee noted that the updated guidance would be published soon, and that highway authorities would be implementing changes from September. In light of this, Members agreed that there was no further action that the Committee could take and closed the petition, thanking the petitioner.

The Committee considered the petition and welcomed the Welsh Government’s decision to commit £765,000 to the local risk management authority, Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council, to develop a flood prevention scheme for Caenant Terrace. The Committee was concerned about the decision to delay the design and funding application process until early 2025 and agreed to write to the council to emphasise the need for work to progress as soon as possible. The Committee agreed to keep the petition open until a response was received.

The Committee considered the petition and noted the Welsh Government’s decision not to make changes to the school year during this Senedd term. The Committee agreed to close the petition and congratulated the petitioner on a successful outcome.

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

Membership of Unite the Union, which created petition P-06-1442.

The Committee considered the petition and noted a similar campaign by St Joseph’s School in Wrexham, which is working with the Senedd Education team. The Committee agreed that it would like to return to the issue and hear directly from pupils at the St Joseph’s School (via the Education Team).

The Committee considered the petition and agreed to leave it open, as it had not yet received a response from Trac Cymru. The Committee noted that this was the third petition relating to cultural funding that has been considered in recent months. It agreed to return to the petition once a response had been received.

The Committee considered the petition and agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Cabinet Office to clarify the points made by the petitioner. 

The Committee considered the petition and agreed to write to Natural Resources Wales seeking clarification regarding whether a decision had been made to close Ynyslas, and when that might have occurred. The Committee agreed to copy in the Chair of the Senedd’s Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee to make them aware, as they have previously made recommendations to NRW on the issue of visitor centres.

The Committee considered the petition and agreed to keep it open until Natural Resources Wales publishes new water pollution statistics in December 2024. The Committee agreed to return to the petition in December and noted that the Cabinet Secretary had highlighted work investigating the causes of water pollution levels in the affected areas.

The Committee considered the petition and noted that the petitioner had closed the petition once it reached 10,000 signatures, the threshold for petitions to be considered for debate in the Siambr. The Committee agreed to write to the Senedd Business Committee to request a debate.

The Committee agreed to write to the Competition and Markets Authority to outline the petition, highlight the evidence it had gathered and to seek confirmation that they will consider the evidence in their deliberations.

The Committee agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change to encourage resolution by Easter 2025. The Committee also agreed to keep the petition open pending a further consultation being conducted by the Welsh Government.

The Committee noted that Natural Resources Wales is funded by the Welsh Government. The Committee agreed that the petitioners should arrange individual discussions with Members of the Senedd ahead of the Welsh Government’s Budget so that Members could reflect their views during Budget debates. The Committee noted an upcoming Finance Committee-led debate on funding priorities for the next Budget and agreed that the Chair would seek to contribute on behalf of the Committee. The Committee agreed to close the petition.

The Committee agreed to keep the petition open pending the Welsh Government’s response and the upcoming debate in the Siambr. The Committee agreed to return to the petition in the autumn.

The Chair thanked Rhiannon Passmore MS, who led the debate on this petition in the Siambr on 26 June. The Committee noted that the petition had been shared with the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport and International Relations Committee and the Finance Committee. The Committee thanked the petitioner and closed the petition.

This paper was noted by the Committee.

This paper was noted by the Committee.

The motion was agreed.

The Committee discussed its plans for the summer recess, including the publication of its Annual Report and visibility at the National Eisteddfod.