Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Vaughan Gething MS, there was no substitute.

Steve Gittins, Lead petitioner

The Committee heard evidence from lead petitioner Steve Gittins.

Members agreed to request a debate but discussed the availability of data on corridor care, and whether it would be better to seek a debate before the Christmas recess, or defer to the New Year when updated figures for the difficult December period are available to Members. It was agreed to ask Welsh Government for the data they hold, and information on how it defines ‘corridor care’. Members agreed to ask the petitioners’ preference for the timing of the debate before writing to the Business Committee.

It was agreed to write back to Hywel Dda University Health Board with the full transcript of the debate so that they could see the strength of cross-party feeling and Members’ suggestions relating to the proposals. The petition would be kept open pending a response from the Board.

Members paid tribute to the important work done on this issue by the late Hefin David MS but felt that the Petitions Committee had now reached the limits of what could be done. In closing the petition, it was agreed to write to the Local Government and Housing Committee and the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government to remind them of the importance of this live issue, and the need to resolve it if not in this Senedd then early in the next. The issue could also be noted in the Committee’s legacy report as a priority for follow-up in the next Senedd.

The Committee agreed to close the petition, noting that the Children, Young People and Education Committee was best placed to take this forward and that consideration of the budget for 2026-2027 was ongoing.

Credit was due to the petitioner for keeping this bus service at the forefront of the minds of transport decision-makers, and it was noted there would be a re-tendering process. It was hoped that an operator would come forward, but the Committee had taken the matter as far as it could, so thanked the petitioner and agreed to close the petition.

Members were grateful for the petitioners’ continued engagement, but it was now going beyond the scope of the Petitions Committee, and the Health and Social Care Committee was in a better position to take the petitioners’ detailed questions forward. It was agreed to close the petition and forward the information from the petitioner to the Health and Social Care Committee.

Information received from the police indicated that the desired outcome had been achieved with fewer collisions, albeit that the situation would require ongoing monitoring. The petitioner was therefore thanked for their petition which was closed by the Committee.

The petitioners were thanked for highlighting the issue. The Government response set out the way that services were being delivered. It was felt that the Committee had taken the petition as far as it could, and it was agreed to close the petition.

It was clear that the Welsh Government was not going to change its position on Land Transaction Tax. Joel James MS expressed disappointment with the Cabinet Secretary’s response. Going forward it would be a matter for party manifestos. Therefore, the committee agreed to close the petition.

Joel James MS declared a relevant interest in accordance with Standing Order 17.42A as he knew the lead petitioner.

Members welcomed developments outlined by the Cabinet Secretary and noted that the matter was being taken forward actively as a local issue by local elected members. The majority view of Members was that it was best left in the hands of local members now, and so it was agreed to close the petition.

Members noted the Minister had said there were technical issues to be resolved before introducing the certificates in Wales. It was a national issue and the Committee agreed that all that was needed was for the government to provide it with a date that the certificates would be introduced in Wales, particularly now they are available in England. A further letter would be sent to the Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing to respond with a specific date. The petition would be held open until that date was confirmed.

The committee was not convinced by the Cabinet Secretary’s argument for not requiring developers to install swift bricks. Going forward this issue would now be a matter for party manifestos and Members to raise individually. The committee therefore agreed to close the petition.

Members noted the paper.

The procedural motion was agreed.

The Committee considered the evidence heard. A report would be drafted for agreement at a future meeting.

Members considered the paper and agreed to:

a) write to the Business Committee with some proposed changes to Standing Order 23 for that Committee to consider - relating to the status of the committee as dedicated to considering petitions, and to clarify the process of consideration of petitions;

b) propose some minor amendments to the Presiding Officer’s Determination on the Proper Form of Public Petitions for clarity, in particular in relation to the inadmissibility of petitions on planning consents for Developments of National Significance (DNS);

c) note that the current thresholds for consideration and debate remained appropriate;

c) note the published responses to its targeted consultation on the future petitions process and issues raised by respondents, including the suggestion that a successor committee might wish to hold thematic inquiries on particular topics with a number of related petitions;

d) take a similar approach to the transition of petitions between the Sixth and Seventh Seneddau as that adopted between the Fifth and Sixth Seneddau. This would include the suspension of signatures on open petitions during the pre-election period, and a review of all petitions under consideration before dissolution to decide further actions, including whether to close or to refer on to the Seventh Senedd; and

e) note some issues discussed would be noted in the committee’s legacy report, for consideration by the Seventh Senedd.