Agenda and minutes

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to the Minister for Housing and Local Government to:

·         ask for her views specifically in relation to the merits and practicality of the petition’s call for a ban or moratorium on the use of hostile architecture in Wales;

·         ask her to consider issuing a Technical Advice Note on the use of hostile architecture; and

·         ask her what planning controls could be put in place in order to provide closer oversight of the retrospective installation of hostile architecture.

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to the Minister for Health and Social Services and the Minister for Education to ask what assessment or research has been carried out in relation to the sufficiency of menu options currently available in Welsh hospitals and schools for people following a vegan diet.

The Committee considered correspondence from the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs and agreed to close the petition in light of the confirmation that Welsh Government policy has been amended to the effect that Ministers will be notified about, and will consider calling in, all future planning applications for unconventional oil and gas development, where local planning authorities are not minded to reject them.

The Committee agreed to:

·         await the publication of the Children, Young People and Education Committee’s report on the status of the Welsh Baccalaureate and to send it to petitioner for comment; and

·         write again to the WJEC to request a response on this matter and to express disappointment at the lack of response to previous correspondence. 

The Committee considered further correspondence and agreed to invite the Minister for Education to attend a Committee meeting in order to provide further evidence on this issue.

The Committee considered further correspondence and agreed to:

·         write to the petitioners and others to advise them that the appropriate course of action is for them to raise their concerns directly with the Minister for Education and request that she considers whether there is justification for her to intervene in this case, as outlined in her letter; and 

·         write to the Minister for Education to ask her for a response to the proposal that there should be a direct route for school governors to appeal decisions reached under the School Organisation Code, and to provide details of any consideration given to an appeals process during the review of the Code.

The Committee considered further correspondence from the petitioner and agreed to write to the Minister for Health and Social Services to request an update on the development of psychological therapy services, including the funding awarded to health boards, since his previous letter in June 2018.

The Committee considered further correspondence and agreed to await the expected announcement of funding to support the Improving Lives Programme and the outcome of the consultation being run by the Department of Health in England, before considering further actions on the petition.

The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Economy and Transport to seek a response to the information and suggestions provided by Pembrokeshire County Council, to ask for an update on further assessments made in relation to the road design and safety at the junction, and request a copy of the RSA 36 month review.

The Committee agreed to write to Children’s Commissioner for Wales to seek her views on the issues raised in the petition and ask for any reflections she has about the appropriateness and safety of children using public buses to travel to and from school.

The Committee considered further correspondence and, in light of the information provided by the Minister for Economy and Transport, agreed to close the petition on the basis that there appears to be little further which could be achieved at this time.

The Committee agreed to write to the Chair of the Standards Committee to ask:

• for an outline of any consideration the Committee has previously given to the merits of introducing a statutory register of lobbyists in Wales;
• whether the Committee looked at models for registering lobbyists in use in other places, including the European Parliament;
• if consideration was given to the possibility of charging individuals or organisations to register in order to manage the cost of introducing this measure; and
• for information about any further work it intends to do on this issue.

The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs and Natural Resources Wales in order to highlight the information received from a range of stakeholders, and seek responses to the concerns raised about the use and regulation of Larsen traps as well as further information about any action being taken or considered in this area.

Julie Morgan AM, Deputy Minister for Health and Social Service

Gareth Griffiths, Head of Paying for Care, Welsh Government

The Committee heard evidence from the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services and Gareth Griffiths.

Item 6

The Committee considered the evidence provided by the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services and agreed to request an update on the transition process and the outcomes of reviews carried out by independent social workers in six months.