Agenda and minutes

Carolyn Thomas MS and Luke Fletcher MS declared relevant interests at the start of discussion of Items 3.10 and 3.11.

The Committee agreed to write back to the Deputy First Minister to ask for a coordinated response on the cross-governmental approach to this issue, including understanding the position on matters under the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning’s portfolio, and to copy in all the relevant Cabinet Members (for Economy, Energy and Planning; Housing and Local Government; and Finance and Welsh Language). The Committee would consider the petition again, including whether to request a debate, once that response has been received.

There was discussion of the importance of the Senedd continuing to debate this issue – and the wider HE sector, although it had not reached the 10,000 signature threshold to be considered for a Petitions Committee debate. The Chair undertook to speak on the Lampeter petition in the Siambr in future debate on the future of the Higher Education sector, and would write to the Chairs of the Children, Young People and Education Committee and Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee, to highlight the petition and the petitioner’s alternative proposals in their scrutiny work. A majority of Members supported then closing the petition, but it was noted for the record that Joel James did not support that decision.

The Cabinet Secretary’s response was very clear and at odds with the petitioner’s views on the matter. The Committee agreed that there was little more the Petitions Committee could do, and therefore thanked the petitioner and agreed to close the petition.

The Committee has previously agreed to request a debate on this petition once the Bangor-Afon Wen Feasibility Report was available, and Members agreed to honour that commitment. Members noted the Feasibility Report; Traws Link Cymru’s strategic case for reconnecting both Bangor to Afon Wen and Aberystwyth to Carmarthen by rail; and Welsh Government’s published business case for a new Bangor-Carmarthen express coach service as a competitive alternative to rail travel between North and South Wales. The debate would be an opportunity to look at both the Bangon-Afon Wen and Aberystwyth-Carmarthen links and future priorities for infrastructure investment. The Chair would write to the Business Committee to request the debate.

It was noted that this petition had been under consideration for some time, and a number of meetings had taken place on the issue, which cut across several cabinet portfolios. The Committee agreed that enough information was available to draft and agree a 1-2 page report with recommendations to the Welsh Government, and to then thank the petitioner and close the petition.

The Committee agreed to write to the Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee to highlight the petitioner’s latest comments - for its inquiry into the future of general practice in Wales which will be taking evidence shortly - and to thank the petitioner and close the petition.

The Committee thanked the petitioner for keeping it updated, and would welcome being kept informed on further developments, but agreed that there was not much more the Petitions Committee could now do, given the petitioner and stakeholders were in discussions, and so agreed to close the petition.

Vaughan Gething noted that the petitioner was a constituent but that lung cancer screening was a Wales-wide issue and would remain under scrutiny in the Senedd. The Committee agreed to write to the Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee to highlight the latest correspondence, and inform him that the Petitions Committee would be thanking the petitioner and closing the petition.

Members would continue to raise the importance of adequate public toilet provision but it was felt that the Committee had taken the issue as far as they could, and so would thank the petitioners for raising the issue and close the petition.

The Committee noted the Task and Finish Group looking at this issue and agreed to keep the petition open pending the outcome of that work.

The Committee noted the helpful response from the General Medical Council and agreed to share it with the Health and Social Care Committee, which was likely to consider menopause service provision in future scrutiny of the Women’s Health Plan. Members thanked the petitioner for raising an important issue and agreed to close the petition.

The Committee noted that the issue had been raised by Members in the Siambr and in the Committee for Scrutiny of the First Minister, and that the Minister for Higher and Further Education had invited those directly affected by this complex issue to contact her. Luke Fletcher MS noted that there might be some specific issues related to the UN Declaration and Wales’s role as a nation of sanctuary that the Equality and Social Justice Committee might be in a position to take up. He would provide those details to the clerking team. The Committee would write to the petitioner to urge them to take up the Minister’s offer, and thanked the petitioner for highlighting the issue before agreeing to close the petition.

The petitions under Item 3.10 – P-06-1253 - and Item 3.11 – P-06-1354 – were considered together. The Chair Carolyn Thomas MS declared an interest that as the Chair of the Cross-Party Group on Animal Welfare she had been fighting strongly for a ban on greyhound racing in Wales, and had led a short debate on the issue. Luke Fletcher MS also declared an 1interest as a member of Greyhound Rescue Wales. It was noted that the Welsh Government’s intention to introduce a ban was clear, and the Committee agreed to write to the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee to make them aware of the petitions but then to close both petitions and allow the Senedd scrutiny process to take place.

The petitions under Item 3.10 – P-06-1253 - and Item 3.11 – P-06-1354 – were considered together. The Chair Carolyn Thomas MS declared an interest that as the Chair of the Cross-Party Group on Animal Welfare she had been fighting strongly for a ban on greyhound racing in Wales, and had led a short debate on the issue. Luke Fletcher MS also declared an interest as a member of Greyhound Rescue Wales. It was noted that the Welsh Government’s intention was clear, and the Committee agreed to write to the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee to make them aware of the petitions but then to close both petitions and allow the Senedd scrutiny process to take place. The letter would also reference the other issues raised in the wider consultation on the Licensing of Animal Welfare Establishments, Activities and Exhibits, including on licensing of the dog grooming sector. The views of Joel James MS on the best way to address the animal welfare issues – as expressed in paragraph 27 of the Committee’s 2022 report ‘The Final Bend?’ – were noted on the record.

Vaughan Gething MS declared an interest as a dog owner who regularly uses a dog groomer. The Committee agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs for a timescale on the delivery of Welsh government’s national model for the regulation of animal welfare , to deal with licensing of the dog grooming sector, and to keep the petition open pending a response. The Committee’s action on this petition would be included in the letter to be sent to the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee in relation to the greyhound racing petitions P-06-1253 and P-06-1354.