Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 1 - Senedd. View directions

Contact: Graeme Francis 

Media

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Transcript: Transcript for 21/05/2019 - Petitions Committee - Fifth Senedd

Items
No. Item

1.

Introduction, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.  There were no apologies.

2.

New petitions

2.1

P-05-876 Protection of Red & Amber listed species in Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to Natural Resources Wales to seek its views in response to the issues raised by the petition.

2.2

P-05-877 Children's used uniform scheme

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

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

·         Children in Wales to make them aware of proposal for a used uniform scheme in the context of the guides they are producing in relation to the cost of the school day, and to ask for their views in relation to how widely applicable such a scheme could be; and

·         the Welsh Local Government Association to ask what the position is regarding a used school uniform policies across local authorities in Wales.

2.3

P-05-878 Shut the Door on Wasted Energy

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

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

·         the Welsh Retail Consortium to seek their views in relation to the issues raised by the petition and ask for information about relevant actions being taken by its members; and

·         the major supermarkets to seek their views on the petition.  

2.4

P-05-879 Add Mental Health Education to the mandatory teaching curriculum for all schools in Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

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

·         the Minister for Education to refer to the additional points raised by the petitioner and ask:

o   for further information in relation to how pupils should be able to access to counselling services in schools;

o   how pupil mental health and wellbeing is incorporated into teacher training and ongoing professional development; and

o   for further information about how mental health education is included in the current PSE curriculum;

·         the Children, Young People and Education Committee to make them aware of this petition in the context of their ongoing scrutiny into both the emotional and mental wellbeing of children and young peopleand the new curriculum;

·         Welsh universities providing teacher training to ask what is what is included in their training programmes relating to the mental health of children and young people.  

 

3.

Updates to previous petitions

3.1

P-04-481 Close the Gap for deaf pupils in Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update from the petitioners and agreed to share the petitioner’s evidence with the Minister for Education and ask her to work with the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) Cymru to take their recommendations forward. In doing so the Committee also agreed to close the petition.

3.2

P-05-832 To Amend the School Admissions Code Relating to Summer-Born Children

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered further correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to the Minister for Education to:

·         seek the details of any findings from her engagement work with local authorities on this issue;

·         ask for any emerging conclusions arising from the review of the School Admissions Code in relation to requests to delay entry for summer-born children; and

·         ask when a public consultation on the School Admissions Code will commence.

3.3

P-04-667 Roundabout for the A477/ A4075 Junction

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered further correspondence on the petition and agreed to await receipt of the 36 month Road Safety Audit before considering whether to take further action on the petition.

3.4

P-05-838 Support the M4 Relief Road Black Route

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the petition, together with P-05-850 Protect the Gwent Levels and stop the proposed M4 motorway, and agreed to consider both petitions again on 11 June given the First Minister’s indication that he would be in a position to announce a decision during the first week of June.  

3.5

P-05-850 Protect the Gwent Levels and stop the proposed M4 motorway

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the petition, together with P-05-838 Support the M4 Relief Road Black Route, and agreed to consider both petitions again on 11 June given the First Minister’s indication that he would be in a position to announce a decision during the first week of June.  

 

3.6

P-05-851 Remove time restrictions on the layby to the east of Crickhowell

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered further correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to Powys County Council to seek their views on the petition and the provision of parking in and around Crickhowell.

3.7

P-05-853 No to any Closure of Junction 41

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered further correspondence on the petition and agreed to keep a watching brief on the issue and seek a further update in six months’ time, or sooner if the situation changes.

3.8

P-05-786 Save our Countryside - Revise TAN 1

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered further correspondence on the petition and agreed to invite the Minister for Housing and Local Government to attend an evidence session with the Committee at a future meeting to discuss this and several other petitions relating to planning policy.

3.9

P-05-751 Recognition of Parental Alienation

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Neil McEvoy declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:

He is a former service user of Families Need Fathers/Both Parents Matter Cymru and he has previously employed the lead petitioner.

 

The Committee considered further correspondence on the petition and agreed to accept Cafcass Cymru’s offer of a copy of its practice guidance following its launch.

3.10

P-05-812 We call for the Welsh Government to encourage trusts to implement the NICE guidelines for Borderline Personality Disorder or justify why they do not do so

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered further correspondence on the petition and agreed to write back to the Minister for Health and Social Services to ask for further information on:

  • how the additional funding for psychological therapies will be spent;
  • the content of the National Psychological Therapies Management Committee’s implementation plan;
  • the number of therapists currently available, the per person cost of providing treatment – including for out of area placements - and any analysis relating to the effectiveness of treatment for borderline personality disorder.

 

3.11

P-05-817 Specialist prosthetics for child amputees

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered further correspondence on the petition and agreed to write back to the Minister for Health and Social Services to ask:

·         for an update about his intentions in relation to the future availability of sports prosthetics,

·         for his anticipated timescales for considering a full business case on this issue and to request a copy of the business case once it has been produced; and

·         whether the Welsh Government is aware of, or has supported, research into the development or suitability of 3D printing for this purpose.

3.12

P-05-849 All men in Wales should have access through the NHS to the best possible diagnostic tests for prostate cancer

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered further correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to the Minister for Health and Social Services to:

 

·         seek an update on the actions of the Welsh Government and the Wales Urology Board to ensure that the final NICE Guideline on prostate cancer is implemented across Wales; and

·         ask for consideration to be given to the interim solution proposed by the petitioner to enable patients to access private scanning facilities whilst capacity and equipment is built up within the NHS.

 

3.13

P-05-866 Sepsis Public Awareness Campaign - Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered further correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to the Health and Social Care Committee to share details about the petition and the evidence received to date, and ask whether the Committee has any plans to look into this subject.

3.14

P-05-743 End the Exotic Pet Trade in Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Janet Finch-Saunders declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:

She has previously been involved in the pet trade.

 

The Committee considered further correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs to ask when the process of updating existing animal welfare codes of practice, and the development of new codes of practice as required, will be complete.

 

 

3.15

P-05-822 Ban plastic straws (when drinking milk) in our schools

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered further correspondence on the petition and agreed to:

·         write to WRAP Cymru to seek its views on the petition; and

·         await the publication of the evaluation report on the recent pilot exercise in Pembrokeshire.

3.16

P-05-868 Water Safety/Drowning Prevention and the effects of Cold Water Shock to be taught in all Schools in Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered further comments from the petitioner and agreed to write to the Royal Life Saving Society to seek further information about the work being undertaken to develop a Water Safety Plan for Wales and how his could support the development of safe outdoor swimming opportunities.

4.

Motion under Standing Order 17.42 to resolve to exclude the public from the meeting for the following business:

Item 5

Minutes:

The motion was agreed.

5.

Eligibility for signing petitions

Minutes:

The Committee considered a paper about eligibility for signing petitions to the Assembly. In response to some concerns raised with the Committee, Members discussed whether people living outside of Wales should continue to be able to sign petitions.

 

The Committee decided not to propose any restrictions on the ability of people to sign petitions, in the context of other recent changes made to the rules governing the submission of petitions and the collection of signatures.

 

In relation to petitions with more than 5000 signatures, Members agreed to consider the number of signatures gathered from within Wales when deciding whether to request time for a Plenary debate in the future.