Decision details

Stage 3 Standing Order 26.44 debate on the Higher Education (Wales) Bill

Decision Maker: Children, Young People and Education Committee - Fourth Assembly, Business Committee - Fourth Assembly, Plenary - Fourth Assembly

Is Key decision?: Yes

Purpose:

A Government Bill, introduced by Huw Lewis, Minister for Education and Skills.  The Business Committee remitted the Bill to the Children, Young People and Education Committee.

 

About the Bill

 

The Higher Education (Wales) Bill seeks to legislate to:

  • ensure robust and proportionate regulation of institutions in Wales whose courses are supported by Welsh Government backed higher education grants and loans;
  • safeguard the contribution made to the public good arising from the Welsh Government’s financial subsidy of higher education;
  • maintain a strong focus on fair access to higher education; and
  • preserve and protect the institutional autonomy and academic freedom of universities.

 

The Bill seeks to achieve these objectives through:

  • establishing a new regulatory framework applicable to all providers of higher education in Wales which seek automatic designation of their higher education courses for the purpose of student support;
  • ensuring the new regulatory controls do not rely on HEFCW providing funding to those institutions and providers;
  • requiring all higher education providers that benefit from the Welsh Government’s financial subsidy in the form of statutory student fee loans or grants to have charitable status;
  • requiring all higher education providers whose courses are automatically designated for statutory student support to commit to activity in support of equality of access to higher education; and
  • building, as far as possible, on the existing system of controls established by HEFCW under its terms and conditions of funding.

 

Current Stage

 

The Higher Education (Wales) Act 2015 (external website) became law in Wales on 12 March 2015 (external website).

 

Welsh Glossary (Only available in Welsh) (PDF, 123KB)

 

Record of Passage in the National Assembly for Wales

 

The following table sets out the dates for each stage of the Bill’s passage through the National Assembly for Wales.

 

Stage

 

 

Bill introduced – 19 May 2014


Higher Education (Wales) Bill, as introduced (PDF, 215KB)

Explanatory Memorandum (PDF, 1.0MB)

Presiding Officer’s Statement: 19 May 2014 (PDF, 126KB)

Business Committee’s Report on the timetable for consideration of the Bill: 19 May 2014 (PDF, 56kb)

Table of Derivations (PDF, 283KB)


Policy Intent Statement (PDF, 256KB)

 

Stage 1 - Committee consideration of general principles


Consultation -
public consultation closed on 20 June 2014

 

 

The Committee considered the Bill on the following dates:

5 June 2014
11 June 2014
19 June 2014 (PDF, 427KB)
25 June 2014 (PDF, 538KB)
9 July 2014 (PDF 448KB)
17 July 2014 (private)

 

Committee Stage 1 Report (PDF, 642KB)

 

Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee report (PDF, 713KB)

 

Letter from the Minister for Education and Skills following the Stage 1 commitment to provide drafts of regulations (PDF, 421KB)

 

 

Stage 1  - Debate in plenary on general principles

 


A debate took place in Plenary on 14 October 2014.  The motion to agree the general principles of the Bill was agreed.

 

Financial Resolution


A Financial Resolution in relation to the Higher Education (Wales) Bill was agreed in Plenary on 14 October 2014.

 

Stage 2 - Committee consideration of amendments

 


Stage 2 consideration took place on Wednesday 5 November (PDF, 591KB) and Thursday 13 November.

 

Notices of Amendments

Notice of Amendments: 15 October 2014 (PDF, 65KB)

Welsh Government - Purpose and Effect table: 15 October 2014 (PDF, 63KB)

 

Notice of Amendments: 22 October 2014 (PDF, 76KB)

Welsh Government - Purpose and Effect table: 22 October 2014 (PDF, 74KB)

 

Notice of Amendments: 29 October 2014 (PDF, 100kb)

 

Marshalled List of Amendments: 5 November 2014 (PDF, 126KB)

 

Groupings of Amendments: 5 November 2014 (PDF, 61KB)

 

Marshalled List of Amendments: 13 November 2014 (PDF, 107KB)

 

Groupings of Amendments: 13 November 2014 (PDF, 64KB)

 

Higher Education (Wales) Bill, as amended at Stage 2 (PDF, 217KB)

 

Revised Explanatory Memorandum (PDF, 1.0MB)

 

 

Stage 3 - Plenary consideration of amendments

 


Stage 3 consideration and disposal of amendments took place in Plenary on 20 January 2015.

 

Notices of Amendments

 

Notice of Amendments: 7 January 2015 (PDF, 85KB)

Welsh Government - Purpose and Effect table: 7 January 2015 (PDF105KB)

 

Notice of Amendments: 13 January 2015 (PDF, 100KB)

 

Marshalled List of Amendments: 20 January 2015 (PDF, 113KB)

 

Groupings of Amendments: 20 January 2015 (PDF, 63KB)

 

Higher Education (Wales) Bill, as amended at Stage 3 (PDF, 237KB)

 

 

Stage 4 - Passing of the Bill in Plenary

 


The Bill was agreed by the Assembly in accordance with SO 12.36 on 27 January 2015.

 

Higher Education (Wales) Bill, As Passed (PDF, 234KB)

Higher Education (Wales) Bill, as passed (Crown XML)

 

Post-stage 4

 


The four week period of intimation has ended. Letters patent for the Bill have been submitted to Her Majesty The Queen for Royal Assent.

 

The Attorney General (PDF, 440KB), Counsel General (PDF, 141KB) and Secretary of State for Wales (PDF, 100KB) wrote to the Chief Executive and Clerk of the Assembly to advise that they would not be referring the Higher Education (Wales) Bill to the Supreme Court under Sections 112 or 114 of the Government of Wales Act 2006.

Date of Royal Assent

Royal Assent (PDF, 50KB) was given on 12 March 2015.

 

Contact information

 

This bill has been remitted to the Children, Young People and Education Committee

 

Clerk: Gareth Rogers

Deputy Clerk: Sarah Bartlett

Phone: 0300 200 6565

Email: SeneddCYPE@assembly.wales

Decision:

The item started at 15.45 

 

The amendments will be disposed of in the order that the sections and schedules to which they relate were set out in the motion under Standing Order 26.36 agreed by the Assembly on 13 January 2015.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 26:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

27

0

28

55

As required by Standing Order 6.20 the Deputy Presiding Officer exercised his casting vote by voting against the amendment.  Therefore, the amendment was not agreed.

Amendment 1 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

Amendment 2 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 34:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

26

0

27

53

Amendment 34 was not agreed. 

A vote was taken on Amendment 28:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

27

0

28

55

As required by Standing Order 6.20 the Deputy Presiding Officer exercised his casting vote by voting against the amendment.  Therefore, the amendment was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 35:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

27

0

28

55

As required by Standing Order 6.20 the Deputy Presiding Officer exercised his casting vote by voting against the amendment.  Therefore, the amendment was not agreed.

Amendment 3 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

Amendment 4 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

As amendment 28 was not agreed, amendment 29 fell.

Amendment 5 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 27:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

27

0

28

55

As required by Standing Order 6.20 the Deputy Presiding Officer exercised his casting vote by voting against the amendment.  Therefore, the amendment was not agreed.

As amendment 28 was not agreed, amendment 30 fell.

A vote was taken on Amendment 6A:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

27

0

28

55

As required by Standing Order 6.20 the Deputy Presiding Officer exercised his casting vote by voting against the amendment.  Therefore, the amendment was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 6B:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

27

0

28

55

As required by Standing Order 6.20 the Deputy Presiding Officer exercised his casting vote by voting against the amendment.  Therefore, the amendment was not agreed.

Amendment 6 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 31:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

27

0

28

55

As required by Standing Order 6.20 the Deputy Presiding Officer exercised his casting vote by voting against the amendment.  Therefore, the amendment was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 32:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

27

0

28

55

As required by Standing Order 6.20 the Deputy Presiding Officer exercised his casting vote by voting against the amendment.  Therefore, the amendment was not agreed.

Amendment 7 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

Amendment 8 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 36:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

27

0

28

55

As required by Standing Order 6.20 the Deputy Presiding Officer exercised his casting vote by voting against the amendment.  Therefore, the amendment was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 37:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

26

0

27

53

Amendment 37 was not agreed. 

Amendment 9 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

Amendment 10 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

Amendment 11 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

Amendment 12 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

Amendment 13 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

Amendment 14 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 38:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

27

0

28

55

As required by Standing Order 6.20 the Deputy Presiding Officer exercised his casting vote by voting against the amendment.  Therefore, the amendment was not agreed.

Amendment 15 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 16:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

49

0

5

54

Amendment 16 was agreed.       

A vote was taken on Amendment 39:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

27

0

28

55

As required by Standing Order 6.20 the Deputy Presiding Officer exercised his casting vote by voting against the amendment.  Therefore, the amendment was not agreed.

Amendment 17 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 43:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

27

0

28

55

As required by Standing Order 6.20 the Deputy Presiding Officer exercised his casting vote by voting against the amendment.  Therefore, the amendment was not agreed.    

A vote was taken on Amendment 40:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

15

12

27

54

Amendment 40 was not agreed. 

A vote was taken on Amendment 44:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

27

0

28

55

As required by Standing Order 6.20 the Deputy Presiding Officer exercised his casting vote by voting against the amendment.  Therefore, the amendment was not agreed.

As amendment 28 was not agreed, amendment 33 fell.       

A vote was taken on Amendment 41:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

27

0

28

55

As required by Standing Order 6.20 the Deputy Presiding Officer exercised his casting vote by voting against the amendment.  Therefore, the amendment was not agreed.

Amendment 18 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

Amendment 19 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

Amendment 20 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

Amendment 21 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

Amendment 22 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 42:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

14

0

39

53

Amendment 42 was not agreed. 

Amendment 23 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

Amendment 24 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

Amendment 25 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

All sections and schedules of the Bill were deemed agreed, concluding Stage 3 proceedings.    

 

Publication date: 20/01/2015

Date of decision: 20/01/2015

Decided at meeting: 20/01/2015 - Plenary - Fourth Assembly