Agenda and minutes

The Llywydd welcomed Members to the meeting. Apologies were received from Jane Dodds.

The Minutes of the previous meeting were agreed for publication.

The Trefnydd notified Business Managers that she will answer questions on behalf of the First Minister this week and drew Business Managers’ attention to the following changes:

Tuesday

• Statement by the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Response to the UK Government Financial Statement (45 mins) 
• Statement by the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd: The Agriculture (Wales) Bill (60 mins) – re-ordered from item 3 to item 8
• Statement by the Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, and Chief Whip: World Heritage in Northwest Wales (30 mins) – postponed until 4 October 

• There will be no voting time.
• Plenary is unlikely to run past 6.30pm.

Wednesday 

• Voting Time will take place before the Short Debate.
• Plenary is unlikely to run past 7.10pm. 

The Trefnydd drew Business Managers’ attention to the following changes:

Tuesday 4 October 2022 –

·         Statement by the Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, and Chief Whip: World Heritage in Northwest Wales (30 mins) – Postponed from 27 September 

The Trefnydd indicated that the Government was considering whether any items of business could be brought forward from 11 October to 4 October in order to improve the balance of business scheduled for those meetings.

Tuesday 11 October 2022 –

·         The Marine, Fisheries and Aquaculture (Financial Assistance) Scheme (Wales) Regulations 2022 (15 mins) – postponed to 18 October 

·         The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) (No. 3) Order 2022 (15 mins) – postponed to 18 October  

Business Committee agreed in principle to replace oral questions to the Minister for Economy on 12 October with either oral questions to the Minister for Climate Change or the Minister for Education and Welsh Language, scheduled for 19 October, subject to confirmation being received from the Government.

Business Committee agreed to schedule the following items of business:

Wednesday 19 October 2022 –

• Debate on the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee report: Renewable energy in Wales (60 mins)
• Debate on the Public Accounts and Public Administration report – Care Home Commissioning (60 mins)
• Time allocated to the Welsh Conservatives (60 mins) 

Business Committee considered the motions tabled and agreed to schedule the following motion for debate on 5 October:

NNDM8074

Mark Isherwood

Co-submitters:

Rhun Ap Iorwerth

Sam Rowlands

Tom Giffard

Mabon ap Gwynfor

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes:   

a) the impact that migraine has on the in 1 in 10 children and young people who live with it, including at school and their day-to-day lives; 

b) that young people who are affected often report that migraine makes it harder to do their schoolwork, meaning that without proper support, the condition can impact their educational attainment, as well as disrupt their family and social life; 

c) that research by The Migraine Trust suggests that education and health professionals often don’t understand migraine, or have access to training and resources to effectively support children and young people who are impacted; 

2. Calls on the Welsh Government to work with The Migraine Trust and representative bodies for schools, health services, and parents/carers to: 

a) strengthen guidance; 

b) provide training on how to support and accommodate young people impacted by migraine; and 

c) provide resources for the parents/carers of children living with migraine and for the young people themselves on how to take control of their own care. 

Business Committee noted the correspondence received from the Chair of the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee and agreed to respond to the letter. Business Committee agreed not to refer the Bill to a responsible Committee for consideration of the general principles in light of the work that the Committee has been able to carry out in recent weeks, and to agree the proposed timetable for consideration of the Bill.

Business Committee agreed the guidance subject to consultation with the Chairs’ Forum on the elements that relate to committee business at its next meeting. The updated guidance relating to Plenary business will be published and provided to Members following the resolution of a technical query relating to the use by Members of iPads for voting, with the final guidance to follow once the Chairs’ Forum has been consulted.

Update on LCMs  

The Trefnydd provided an oral update on LCMs relating to the Bill of Rights Bill and the Data Protection & Digital Information Bill. The Trefnydd informed the Committee that the Welsh Government will not introduce Legislative Consent Memorandums on these Bills at this time due to uncertainties around their passage at Westminster, but will provide a further update once the situation becomes clearer.

Senedd Reform

The Llywydd informed Business Managers that a paper containing further details of the proposed approach to considering matters relating to the anticipated Senedd Reform Bill will be brought forward for consideration at the meeting on 4 October, and that Business Managers will be offered the opportunity for a briefing with officials supporting Business Committee prior to that.

Committee Timetable

Siân Gwenllian raised an issue relating to the timetabling of the Children and Young People Committee and the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee and the impact on Members of the Plaid Cymru group, due to the committees making regular use of their reserve slots. Business Committee noted that the changes to the timetable had been made in response to committees’ requests for more meeting time and that there were currently no membership clashes within the timetable. It was agreed that officials would discuss the current issue directly with the committees concerned in order to identify any practical solutions.