Agenda and minutes

Venue: Y Siambr - Y Senedd. View directions

Expected timing: 31(v4) 

Media

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Transcript: Transcript for 10/11/2021 - Plenary

Items
Expected timing No. Item

This meeting was held in a hybrid format, with some Members in the Senedd Chamber and others joining by video-conference.

(45 mins)

1.

Questions to the Minister for Climate Change

The Presiding Officer will call Party Spokespeople to ask questions without notice after Question 3.

View Questions

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The item started at 13.30

Questions 1 and 3–8 were asked. Question 2 was withdrawn. Questions 6–8 were answered by the Deputy Minister for Climate Change. The Presiding Officer invited party spokespeople to ask questions to the Minister and the Deputy Minister after question 3.

(45 mins)

2.

Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language

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

View Questions

Minutes:

The item started at 14.23

The first 8 questions were asked. The Presiding Officer invited party spokespeople to ask questions to the Minister after question 2.

(0 mins)

3.

Topical Questions

No Topical Questions have been accepted.

Minutes:

No Topical Questions were accepted.

(5 mins)

4.

90 Second Statements

Minutes:

The item started at 15.14

Peredur Owen Griffiths made a statement to note the 50th anniversary of Abertillery Town Band.

Sarah Murphy made a statement to note the 40th anniversary of Seren Books.

David Rees made a statement to note 20 years since the Blast Furnace No. 5 explosion at the Port Talbot steelworks.

In accordance with Standing Order 12.18, at 15.19 the meeting was suspended by the Presiding Officer.

(60 mins)

5.

Welsh Conservatives debate – Spiking

NDM7824 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes with concern the distressing increase in spiking incidents in venues across Wales.

2. Calls on the Welsh Government to take urgent action to work with stakeholders to:

a) provide bottle stoppers and drinks covers free of charge at venues;

b) improve security, including checks on pockets, bags, jackets and coats;

c) train staff on how to spot and deal with spiking incidents;

d) enhance CCTV in venues to assist with evidence to secure the prosecution of those responsible.

The following amendments have been tabled:

Amendment 1. Siân Gwenllian (Arfon)

Delete point 1 and replace with:

1. Notes with concern the distressing increase in spiking incidents in venues across Wales and recognises that this is part of a wider issue of sexual assault and harassment towards women that is rooted in sexism and misogyny. 

Amendment 2. Lesley Griffiths (Wrexham)

Delete all after point 1 and replace with:

Believes that the act of spiking is an insidious crime that removes a person’s dignity, rights and freedom and firmly asserts that it is the fundamental right of women to feel safe and to live freely.

Firmly asserts that the onus falls not on the victims of such crimes but on the perpetrators and those who know individuals that are involved in committing these crimes and fail to report perpetrators when it is safe to do so.

Commits the Welsh Government to push ahead with its work on violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence and the renewed focus on holding perpetrators to account.

Commits the Welsh Government to work with key stakeholders, particularly those in the night time economy, to review and implement all possible safety options as a matter of urgency.

Amendment 3. Siân Gwenllian (Arfon)

Add as new points at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) support initiatives which actively challenge cultural attitudes that allow sexual assault and harassment to take place;

b) produce a comprehensive strategy on preventing sexual assault and harassment in Wales’s night-time economy;

c) seek clarity from the UK Government on its plans to classify misogyny as a hate crime, which would encourage reporting of spiking incidents and enable better categorisation of crime to understand the scale of the issue.

Calls on the Welsh Government to work with the UK Government to:

a) improve reporting mechanisms and processes around sexual assault and harassment;

b) improve support for victims of spiking and other forms of sexual assault and harassment.

Minutes:

The item started at 15.28

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

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM7824 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes with concern the distressing increase in spiking incidents in venues across Wales.

2. Calls on the Welsh Government to take urgent action to work with stakeholders to:

a) provide bottle stoppers and drinks covers free of charge at venues;

b) improve security, including checks on pockets, bags, jackets and coats;

c) train staff on how to spot and deal with spiking incidents;

d) enhance CCTV in venues to assist with evidence to secure the prosecution of those responsible.

For

Abstain

Against

Total

13

0

34

47

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1. Siân Gwenllian (Arfon)

Delete point 1 and replace with:

1. Notes with concern the distressing increase in spiking incidents in venues across Wales and recognises that this is part of a wider issue of sexual assault and harassment towards women that is rooted in sexism and misogyny.

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

44

3

0

47

Amendment 1 was agreed.

Amendment 2. Lesley Griffiths (Wrexham)

Delete all after point 1 and replace with:

Believes that the act of spiking is an insidious crime that removes a person’s dignity, rights and freedom and firmly asserts that it is the fundamental right of women to feel safe and to live freely.

Firmly asserts that the onus falls not on the victims of such crimes but on the perpetrators and those who know individuals that are involved in committing these crimes and fail to report perpetrators when it is safe to do so.

Commits the Welsh Government to push ahead with its work on violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence and the renewed focus on holding perpetrators to account.

Commits the Welsh Government to work with key stakeholders, particularly those in the night time economy, to review and implement all possible safety options as a matter of urgency.

A vote was taken on amendment 2:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

24

23

0

47

Amendment 2 was agreed.

Amendment 3. Siân Gwenllian (Arfon)

Add as new points at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) support initiatives which actively challenge cultural attitudes that allow sexual assault and harassment to take place;

b) produce a comprehensive strategy on preventing sexual assault and harassment in Wales’s night-time economy;

c) seek clarity from the UK Government on its plans to classify misogyny as a hate crime, which would encourage reporting of spiking incidents and enable better categorisation of crime to understand the scale of the issue.

Calls on the Welsh Government to work with the UK Government to:

a) improve reporting mechanisms and processes around sexual assault and harassment;

b) improve support for victims of spiking and other forms of sexual assault and harassment.

A vote was taken on amendment 3:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

34

13

0

47

Amendment 3 was agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes with concern the distressing increase in spiking incidents in venues across Wales and recognises that this is part of a wider issue of sexual assault and harassment towards women that is rooted in sexism and misogyny.

2. Believes that the act of spiking is an insidious crime that removes a person’s dignity, rights and freedom and firmly asserts that it is the fundamental right of women to feel safe and to live freely.

3. Firmly asserts that the onus falls not on the victims of such crimes but on the perpetrators and those who know individuals that are involved in committing these crimes and fail to report perpetrators when it is safe to do so.

4. Commits the Welsh Government to push ahead with its work on violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence and the renewed focus on holding perpetrators to account.

5. Commits the Welsh Government to work with key stakeholders, particularly those in the night time economy, to review and implement all possible safety options as a matter of urgency.

6. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) support initiatives which actively challenge cultural attitudes that allow sexual assault and harassment to take place;

b) produce a comprehensive strategy on preventing sexual assault and harassment in Wales’s night-time economy;

c) seek clarity from the UK Government on its plans to classify misogyny as a hate crime, which would encourage reporting of spiking incidents and enable better categorisation of crime to understand the scale of the issue.

7. Calls on the Welsh Government to work with the UK Government to:

a) improve reporting mechanisms and processes around sexual assault and harassment;

b) improve support for victims of spiking and other forms of sexual assault and harassment.

For

Abstain

Against

Total

34

13

0

47

The motion as amended was agreed.

(60 mins)

6.

Plaid Cymru debate – Fisheries and aquaculture

NDM7825 Siân Gwenllian (Arfon)

To propose that the Senedd:

Calls on the Welsh Government to work with industry stakeholders to further develop a fisheries and aquaculture policy, backed by a strategy that has sustainability, investment and industry engagement at its core.

Minutes:

The item started at 16.24

NDM7825 Siân Gwenllian (Arfon)

To propose that the Senedd:

Calls on the Welsh Government to work with industry stakeholders to further develop a fisheries and aquaculture policy, backed by a strategy that has sustainability, investment and industry engagement at its core.

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

In accordance with Standing Order 12.18, at 17.07 proceedings were suspended to allow a technical break before Voting Time.

7.

Voting Time

Minutes:

The item started at 17.11

Votes Summary

Supporting documents:

(30 mins)

8.

Short Debate

NDM7823 Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy)

Focus on fighting floods: explore options to strengthen the approach to reducing flood risk and the response to flood events

Minutes:

The item started at 17.14

NDM7823 Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy)

Focus on fighting floods: explore options to strengthen the approach to reducing flood risk and the response to flood events