Agenda and minutes

View the meeting transcript.

The Chair welcomed everyone to the Committee.  Joyce Watson sent her apologies.

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to the:

·         Minister for Local Government and Government Business seeking her views;

·         Public Services Ombudsman to ask if he is content with the action taken by the local authority; and

·         the local authority seeking their views on the petition.

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to the Minister for Education and Skills seeking his views.

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to the:

• Minister for Health and Social Services seeking his views;
• Cardiff and Vale University Health Board seeking clarification on a number of points, including the downgrading of posts and what factors the LHB had taken into account in reaching their decisions; and
• The Trades Unions asking them to set out their concerns.

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to:

·         write to the Minister for Economy Science and Transport;

·         write to Arriva and the regional transport consortia seeking their views on the petition; and

·         request a research paper drawing together the various issues concerning integrated and regional transport.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to:

·         write to the Minister seeking further details on the purpose of the expert scrutiny panel;

·         draw the Minister’s attention to the further correspondence from the petitioners and ask that this is taken into account by the panel;

·         await the Minister’s decision in the light of the advice he receives from the panel; and

·         seek a response from Hywel Dda Health Board, copying in the Minister and raising concern about the length of time taken to respond to the Committee’s correspondence.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to:

·                     ask the petitioners whether they are satisfied with the Minister’s response;

·                     write to the Minister asking him to review the position after 12 months and for a plenary debate on the issue in the light of any review; and

·                     ask the Research Service to produce a paper on the position once the Minister has completed a review, possibly with a view to a short Committee report to help inform any plenary debate.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to:

·                     Invite the WHSSC to give oral evidence around the concerns raised by the petitioner, and also express concern over the lack of response; and

·                     write to the Minister asking for a timeframe of the review of rare diseases and whether that will impact on the matters covered by the petition.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to:

·         await the Deputy Minister’s update on implementation of Hywel Dda’s action plan to address the waiting list in Pembrokeshire; and

·         return to the petition once the Deputy Minister’s update is received around February next year.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed  to:

·         write to the Cross-party Group to keep them informed of the latest correspondence; and

·         clarify with the petitioner whether they are satisfied with the correspondence received, and

·         depending on the petitioner’s response, the Committee may commission a short piece of work on the petition.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to close the petition in light of the petitioner’s comments being taken in to account for the review of Welsh second language at key stages 3 and 4.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to seek the petitioner’s views on the Ministerial correspondence.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to seek the petitioner’s views on the Ministerial correspondence.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to:

• close the petition, in light of the report being debated in Plenary, which has contributed to the wider public debate on the issue; and
• Refer the report to the cross-party group on sport to consider.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to;

·         await the Minister’s attendance in February;

·         write to the Minister to seek clarification of the sort of questions he will be unable to address until the Varteg Hill application has been decided; and

·         consider inviting stakeholders to give evidence in the New Year.

The Committee also noted with sadness the death of the lead petitioner’s wife and agreed that the Chair should write to Dr Cox to express Members’ condolences.

Mike Parry, Lead Petitioner

Councillor Anwen Davies, Gwynedd Council

Dr Delyth Davies (Rtd)

Brian Mintoft, Lead Petitioner

Diane Tucker, Petitioner

Mike Parry, Dr Delyth Davies, Brian Mintoft and Jennie Windsor answered questions from the Committee.

Mr Tom Pollock, Lead Petitioner

Dr Karen Pollock, Petitioner

Councillor Lewis Davies, Petitioner

Tom Pollock, Dr Karen Pollock and Lewis Davies answered questions from the Committee.

Dawn Docx, Lead Petitioner

Anna Gresty, St Brigid’s Action Group

Dawn Docx and Anna Gresty answered questions from the Committee.

Members discussed the evidence which was gathered by speaking to a group of pupils informally. Alex Barons, one of the staff, and Daisy Major, Holly Hinson and Sebastian Collings, pupils from Prestatyn High School contributed towards the discussion.

The Committee noted its gratitude to the pupils and staff they had met at Prestatyn High School and to the school for its warm welcome and help.