Agenda and minutes

The Presiding Officer will call Party Spokespeople to ask questions without notice to the Cabinet Secretary after Question 2.

View Questions

The item started at 13.30

Questions 1, 3 – 7 and 9 were asked. Questions  3 and 5  were grouped together for answer. Question 2 was withdrawn. Question 4 was answered by the Minister for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning. Question 8 was transferred for written answer. The Presiding Officer invited party spokespeople to ask questions to the Cabinet Secretary and Minister for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning after question 3.

 

The Presiding Officer will call Party Spokespeople to ask questions without notice to the Cabinet Secretary after Question 2.

View Questions

The item started at 14.19

Questions 1 – 6, 8 and 9 were asked. Question 7 was withdrawn. Question 8 was answered by the Minister for Children, Older People and Social Care. The Presiding Officer invited party spokespeople to ask questions to the Cabinet Secretary after question 2.

 

[To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs]

 

Neil McEvoy (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary support the scientists seeking answers from Magnox Ltd as to the number and extent of cooling pond accidents at Hinckley Point A that could have resulted in significant amounts of uranium and plutonium in the mud being dumped by EDF in Cardiff Bay?

The item started at 15.15

To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs:

 

Neil McEvoy (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary support the scientists seeking answers from Magnox Ltd as to the number and extent of cooling pond accidents at Hinckley Point A that could have resulted in significant amounts of uranium and plutonium in the mud being dumped by EDF in Cardiff Bay?

 

The item started at 15.27

Nick Ramsay made a statement on Welcoming Chief Chinamhora to the Assembly today helping to build strong Wales/Zimbabwe relations.

Ann Jones made a statement on Max Bentley – a future star.

 

NDM6780 Russell George (Montgomeryshire)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

Notes the report of the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee on its inquiry into Post-Legislative Scrutiny of the Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013 which was laid in the Table Office on 13 June 2018.

Note: The response by the Welsh Government was laid on 12 September 2018.

 

The item started at 15.30

NDM6780 Russell George (Montgomeryshire)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

Notes the report of the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee on its inquiry into Post-Legislative Scrutiny of the Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013 which was laid in the Table Office on 13 June 2018.

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

NDM6776 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Regrets that the GCSE attainment of A*-C grades in Wales for summer 2018 were the worst since 2005.

2. Expresses concern over school standards, given the number of Welsh schools placed in special measures by Estyn and in receipt of warning notices from Welsh local education authorities.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to invest more in education to address the funding gap per pupil between England and Wales.

The following amendments have been tabled:

Amendment 1 - Julie James (Swansea West)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1.    Welcomes:

a.    that the proportion of pupils being awarded top grades at A*-A in GCSE and A-levels has increased;

b.    an increase of 50 per cent in the number of entries for GCSE Science, with more entries gaining A*-C;

c.    an increase in A*-C in GCSE Mathematics and Mathematics-Numeracy when recognising best outcome obtained by 16-year-olds across November and summer series; and

d.    that 76.3 per cent of A-Level pupils gained A*-C, the highest since 2009.  

2. Notes:

a.   Qualification Wales’s warning that with the scale and complexity of recent changes, care should be taken when drawing any conclusions from comparing summer 2018 GCSE results and previous years but overall performance remains broadly stable;

b.   that the OECD reported progress in several policy areas and a shift in the Welsh approach to school improvement away from a piecemeal and short-term policy orientation towards one that is guided by a long-term vision; and

c.   the Institute for Fiscal Studies’ conclusion that school spending per pupil has fallen by more in England than in Wales over the last eight years, virtually eliminating the gap in spending per pupil between the two countries.

Qualifications Wales Report - Overview of GCSE Results in Wales Summer 2018

OECD Report - The Welsh Education Reform Journey

The Institute for Fiscal Studies’ Report – Comparing Schools Spending per Pupil in Wales and England

 

Amendment 2 - Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to provide enough investment in education to ensure that the whole education workforce receives sufficient training of a high standard.

 

Amendment 3 - Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to provide enough investment in education to ensure that the pay and conditions on the whole education workforce attracts a highly skilled workforce.

 

The item started at 16.41

Voting on the motion and amendments under this item was deferred until Voting Time.

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM6776 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Regrets that the GCSE attainment of A*-C grades in Wales for summer 2018 were the worst since 2005.

2. Expresses concern over school standards, given the number of Welsh schools placed in special measures by Estyn and in receipt of warning notices from Welsh local education authorities.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to invest more in education to address the funding gap per pupil between England and Wales.

For	Abstain	Against	Total
16	0	35	51

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 - Julie James (Swansea West)

 

Delete all and replace with:

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1.    Welcomes:

 

a.    that the proportion of pupils being awarded top grades at A*-A in GCSE and A-levels has increased;

 

b.    an increase of 50 per cent in the number of entries for GCSE Science, with more entries gaining A*-C;

 

c.    an increase in A*-C in GCSE Mathematics and Mathematics-Numeracy when recognising best outcome obtained by 16-year-olds across November and summer series; and

 

d.    that 76.3 per cent of A-Level pupils gained A*-C, the highest since 2009.

 

2. Notes:

 

a.   Qualification Wales’s warning that with the scale and complexity of recent changes, care should be taken when drawing any conclusions from comparing summer 2018 GCSE results and previous years but overall performance remains broadly stable;

 

b.   that the OECD reported progress in several policy areas and a shift in the Welsh approach to school improvement away from a piecemeal and short-term policy orientation towards one that is guided by a long-term vision; and

 

c.   the Institute for Fiscal Studies’ conclusion that school spending per pupil has fallen by more in England than in Wales over the last eight years, virtually eliminating the gap in spending per pupil between the two countries.

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
29	0	23	52

Amendment 1 was agreed.

Amendment 2 - Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Calls on the Welsh Government to provide enough investment in education to ensure that the whole education workforce receives sufficient training of a high standard.

A vote was taken on amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
50	0	2	52

Amendment 2 was agreed.

Amendment 3 - Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to provide enough investment in education to ensure that the pay and conditions on the whole education workforce attracts a highly skilled workforce.

 A vote was taken on amendment 3:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
50	0	1	51

Amendment 3 was agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM6776 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1.    Welcomes:

 

a.    that the proportion of pupils being awarded top grades at A*-A in GCSE and A-levels has increased;

 

b.    an increase of 50 per cent in the number of entries for GCSE Science, with more entries gaining A*-C;

 

c.    an increase in A*-C in GCSE Mathematics and Mathematics-Numeracy when recognising best outcome obtained by 16-year-olds across November and summer series; and

 

d.    that 76.3 per cent of A-Level pupils gained A*-C, the highest since 2009.

 

2. Notes:

 

a.   Qualification Wales’s warning that with the scale and complexity of recent changes, care should be taken when drawing any conclusions from comparing summer 2018 GCSE results and previous years but overall performance remains broadly stable;

 

b.   that the OECD reported progress in several policy areas and a shift in the Welsh approach to school improvement away from a piecemeal and short-term policy orientation towards one that is guided by a long-term vision; and

 

c.   the Institute for Fiscal Studies’ conclusion that school spending per pupil has fallen by more in England than in Wales over the last eight years, virtually eliminating the gap in spending per pupil between the two countries.

3.       Calls on the Welsh Government to provide enough investment in education to ensure that the whole education workforce receives sufficient training of a high standard.

4.       Calls on the Welsh Government to provide enough investment in education to ensure that the pay and conditions on the whole education workforce attracts a highly skilled workforce.

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
35	0	16	51

The motion as amended was agreed.

NDM6779 Gareth Bennett (South Wales Central)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Believes that sheep, which have previously been referred to as woolly maggots, should be returned to Welsh hillsides.

2. Regrets that the decision to remove grazing rights from the Welsh uplands has resulted in huge damage to the Welsh uplands, wildlife and general environment.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to remove any incentives that encourage the removal of livestock from upland areas and, instead, provide incentives for those areas to be repopulated with livestock.

The following amendments have been tabled:

Amendment 1 - Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Recognises the importance of Welsh livestock in supporting the agri-food industry across Wales and the rest of the United Kingdom.

2. Believes that the Welsh livestock industry is an integrated sector and that upland and lowland livestock are dependent on each other.

3. Notes the importance of upland farming to rural communities, and believes that the Welsh Government needs to prioritise the promotion of greater processing capacity in Wales in order to add value to the livestock sector.

4. Encourages the Welsh Government to work with the UK Government to secure a change in the distribution of the promotional levy income and, by doing so achieve a greater return, particularly for the Welsh sheep industry and Hybu Cig Cymru, the organisation responsible for the development, promotion and marketing of Welsh red meat.

[If amendment 1 is agreed, amendments 2 and 3 will be de-selected] 

Amendment 2 - Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Believes that upland sheep farms are an important part of the Welsh economy.

2. Notes with concern the dangers posed by leaving the single market and customs union on upland sheep farms.

3. Supports remaining in the EU as a means of retaining single market status but, in the event of leaving the EU and losing single market membership, calls on the Welsh Government to provide upland sheep farms with adequate support whilst building on high animal welfare and environmental standards.

[If amendment 2 is agreed, amendment 3 will be de-selected] 

Amendment 3 - Julie James (Swansea West)

Delete all and replace with

The National Assembly for Wales:

1. Believes the result of the Brexit referendum and resulting trade challenges for Welsh upland agriculture mean we must look to the future, not the past, in developing a new model of support for land managers.

2. Notes the results of various scenario planning exercises for post-Brexit agriculture in Wales, all of which predict a difficult future for sheep farming in the uplands should the UK leave the single market and customs union.

3. Supports the Welsh Government’s intention to create a programme, to include upland farmers, addressing the issues noted above with two large and flexible schemes: an Economic Resilience scheme and a Public Goods scheme.

 Consultation - Support for Welsh Farming after Brexit

 

The item started at 17.35

Voting on the motion and amendments under this item was deferred until Voting Time.

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM6779 Gareth Bennett (South Wales Central)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Believes that sheep, which have previously been referred to as woolly maggots, should be returned to Welsh hillsides.

2. Regrets that the decision to remove grazing rights from the Welsh uplands has resulted in huge damage to the Welsh uplands, wildlife and general environment.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to remove any incentives that encourage the removal of livestock from upland areas and, instead, provide incentives for those areas to be repopulated with livestock.

For	Abstain	Against	Total
4	0	48	52

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 - Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Recognises the importance of Welsh livestock in supporting the agri-food industry across Wales and the rest of the United Kingdom.

2. Believes that the Welsh livestock industry is an integrated sector and that upland and lowland livestock are dependent on each other.

3. Notes the importance of upland farming to rural communities, and believes that the Welsh Government needs to prioritise the promotion of greater processing capacity in Wales in order to add value to the livestock sector.

4. Encourages the Welsh Government to work with the UK Government to secure a change in the distribution of the promotional levy income and, by doing so achieve a greater return, particularly for the Welsh sheep industry and Hybu Cig Cymru, the organisation responsible for the development, promotion and marketing of Welsh red meat.

[If amendment 1 is agreed, amendments 2 and 3 will be de-selected]

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
13	0	39	52

Amendment 1 was not agreed.

Amendment 2 - Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Believes that upland sheep farms are an important part of the Welsh economy.

2. Notes with concern the dangers posed by leaving the single market and customs union on upland sheep farms.

3. Supports remaining in the EU as a means of retaining single market status but, in the event of leaving the EU and losing single market membership, calls on the Welsh Government to provide upland sheep farms with adequate support whilst building on high animal welfare and environmental standards.

[If amendment 2 is agreed, amendment 3 will be de-selected]

A vote was taken on amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
6	1	45	52

Amendment 2 was not agreed.

Amendment 3 - Julie James (Swansea West)

Delete all and replace with

The National Assembly for Wales:

1. Believes the result of the Brexit referendum and resulting trade challenges for Welsh upland agriculture mean we must look to the future, not the past, in developing a new model of support for land managers.

2. Notes the results of various scenario planning exercises for post-Brexit agriculture in Wales, all of which predict a difficult future for sheep farming in the uplands should the UK leave the single market and customs union.

3. Supports the Welsh Government’s intention to create a programme, to include upland farmers, addressing the issues noted above with two large and flexible schemes: an Economic Resilience scheme and a Public Goods scheme.

A vote was taken on amendment 3:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
30	0	22	52

Amendment 3 was agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM6779 Gareth Bennett (South Wales Central)

The National Assembly for Wales:

1. Believes the result of the Brexit referendum and resulting trade challenges for Welsh upland agriculture mean we must look to the future, not the past, in developing a new model of support for land managers.

2. Notes the results of various scenario planning exercises for post-Brexit agriculture in Wales, all of which predict a difficult future for sheep farming in the uplands should the UK leave the single market and customs union.

3. Supports the Welsh Government’s intention to create a programme, to include upland farmers, addressing the issues noted above with two large and flexible schemes: an Economic Resilience scheme and a Public Goods scheme.

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
30	0	22	52

The motion as amended was agreed.

 

The item started at 18.12

NDM6775 Jack Sargeant (Alyn and Deeside)

Improving our democracy and political debate: Why Wales must lead the way in creating and delivering a kinder politics.

 

The item started at 18.17

NDM6775 Jack Sargeant (Alyn and Deeside)

Improving our democracy and political debate: Why Wales must lead the way in creating and delivering a kinder politics.