Agenda and minutes

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

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

View Questions

The item started at 13.30

Questions 1-5 and 7-8 were asked. Question 6 was withdrawn. The Presiding Officer invited Party Spokespeople to ask questions to the Minister and Deputy Minister for Social Partnership after question 2.

At 14.23, the Llywydd made a ruling that in her view, language used by Gareth Davies relating to a question on Gypsy and Traveller sites was discriminatory and expected the Member to apologise for his choice of words.

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

View Questions

The item started at 14.24

All 8 questions were asked. The Presiding Officer invited Party Spokespeople to ask questions to the Minister after question 2.

View Questions

The item started at 15.02

The 3 questions were asked.

To ask the Minister for Social Justice

Jack Sargeant (Alyn and Deeside): What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact of Ofgem's new price cap on residents in Wales?

To ask the Minister for Health and Social Justice

Adam Price (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): Will the Minister provide a statement following RCN Wales’s rejection of the Welsh Government’s additional NHS pay offer for 2022-23?

The item started at 15.15

Answered by the Minister for Social Justice

Jack Sargeant (Alyn and Deeside): What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact of Ofgem's new price cap on residents in Wales?

Answered by the Minister for Health and Social Services

Adam Price (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): Will the Minister provide a statement following RCN Wales’s rejection of the Welsh Government’s additional NHS pay offer for 2022-23?

The item started at 15.39

Jenny Rathbone made a statement on – The leek as a symbol of Welsh culture.

Sarah Murphy made a statement on – Eating Disorder Awareness Week (27 February to 5 March).

NDM8210 Sian Gwenllian (Arfon)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Expresses solidarity with public sector workers throughout Wales who are undertaking industrial action in response to years of real-term cuts to their wages.

2. Believes that the ability of workers to undertake strike action to improve their pay and conditions is a fundamental democratic right.

3. Believes that the UK Government’s Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill is a full-frontal attack on working people and the trade unions they organise within.

4. Regrets that the Bill would give the UK Government significant coercive power to curtail trade unions' and workers' ability to engage in lawful industrial action.

5. Regrets that the Bill also conflicts with the aims of the Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill, particularly the commitment of making Wales a fair work nation.

6. Supports all trade unions and public sector workers in their efforts to resist the Bill.

7. Calls on the Welsh Government to open discussions around the devolution of employment law to secure the collective rights and bargaining powers of workers in Wales.

Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

Delete all and replace with:

Welcomes the action being taken by the UK Government to amend the legal framework governing industrial action to ensure that minimum service levels are set in key sectors during periods of strike action.

If amendment 1 is agreed, amendment 2 will be de-selected.

Amendment 2 Lesley Griffiths (Wrexham)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Acknowledges and respects the strength of feeling demonstrated by trade union members through strike ballots and industrial action taken.

2. Believes that the UK Government’s Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill is an attack on trade unions and a workers' fundamental right to strike.

3. Regrets the complete lack of engagement by the UK Government on this legislation prior to its introduction and notes the position of the Welsh Government as set out in its Written Statement and Legislative Consent Memorandum.

4. Supports the Welsh Government, and all trade unions and public sector workers in their efforts to resist the Bill.

Written Statement: Welsh Government position on the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill

Legislative Consent: Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill

The item started at 15.43

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

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM8210 Sian Gwenllian (Arfon)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Expresses solidarity with public sector workers throughout Wales who are undertaking industrial action in response to years of real-term cuts to their wages.

2. Believes that the ability of workers to undertake strike action to improve their pay and conditions is a fundamental democratic right.

3. Believes that the UK Government’s Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill is a full-frontal attack on working people and the trade unions they organise within.

4. Regrets that the Bill would give the UK Government significant coercive power to curtail trade unions' and workers' ability to engage in lawful industrial action.

5. Regrets that the Bill also conflicts with the aims of the Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill, particularly the commitment of making Wales a fair work nation.

6. Supports all trade unions and public sector workers in their efforts to resist the Bill.

7. Calls on the Welsh Government to open discussions around the devolution of employment law to secure the collective rights and bargaining powers of workers in Wales.

Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill

For	Abstain	Against	Total
10	0	35	45

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

Delete all and replace with:

Welcomes the action being taken by the UK Government to amend the legal framework governing industrial action to ensure that minimum service levels are set in key sectors during periods of strike action.

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
12	0	33	45

Amendment 1 was not agreed.

Amendment 2 Lesley Griffiths (Wrexham)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Acknowledges and respects the strength of feeling demonstrated by trade union members through strike ballots and industrial action taken.

2. Believes that the UK Government’s Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill is an attack on trade unions and a workers' fundamental right to strike.

3. Regrets the complete lack of engagement by the UK Government on this legislation prior to its introduction and notes the position of the Welsh Government as set out in its Written Statement and Legislative Consent Memorandum.

4. Supports the Welsh Government, and all trade unions and public sector workers in their efforts to resist the Bill.

Written Statement: Welsh Government position on the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill

Legislative Consent: Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill

A vote was taken on amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
24	0	21	45

Amendment 2 was agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM8210 Sian Gwenllian (Arfon)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Acknowledges and respects the strength of feeling demonstrated by trade union members through strike ballots and industrial action taken.

2. Believes that the UK Government’s Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill is an attack on trade unions and a workers' fundamental right to strike.

3. Regrets the complete lack of engagement by the UK Government on this legislation prior to its introduction and notes the position of the Welsh Government as set out in its Written Statement and Legislative Consent Memorandum.

4. Supports the Welsh Government, and all trade unions and public sector workers in their efforts to resist the Bill.

Written Statement: Welsh Government position on the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill

Legislative Consent: Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill

For	Abstain	Against	Total
32	0	13	45

The motion as amended was agreed.

NDM8212 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes the Cymraeg 2050: Work Programme 2021 to 2026.

2. Expresses concern that the 2021 Census revealed that the number of people who say they can speak Welsh decreased by more than 20,000.

3. Believes that the Welsh language is a cultural asset which brings many benefits to Wales.

4. Recognises the disparity in confidence amongst Welsh speakers.

5. Calls on the Welsh Government to explore opportunities to expand and promote the day-to-day use of the Welsh language.

Cymraeg 2050: Work Programme 2021 to 2026

The following amendment was tabled:

Amendment 1 Lesley Griffiths (Wrexham)

Add as new points at end of motion:

Recognises that other data sources show that an increasing amount of people have some Welsh-speaking ability and that increasing numbers of children are attending Welsh-medium education.

Welcomes:

(a) that all local authorities in Wales have published new Welsh in Education Strategic Plans to increase access to Welsh language learning across all school language categories;

(b) the work of the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities to strengthen Welsh at a community level; and

(c) the work of our partner organisations such as Mudiad Meithrin, the National Centre for Learning Welsh, the Urdd, the National Eisteddfod, the Mentrau Iaith, and others, to provide opportunities to use the language.

The item started at 16.20

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

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM8212 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes the Cymraeg 2050: Work Programme 2021 to 2026.

2. Expresses concern that the 2021 Census revealed that the number of people who say they can speak Welsh decreased by more than 20,000.

3. Believes that the Welsh language is a cultural asset which brings many benefits to Wales.

4. Recognises the disparity in confidence amongst Welsh speakers.

5. Calls on the Welsh Government to explore opportunities to expand and promote the day-to-day use of the Welsh language.

Cymraeg 2050: Work Programme 2021 to 2026

For	Abstain	Against	Total
22	0	23	45

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendment was tabled:

Amendment 1 Lesley Griffiths (Wrexham)

Add as new points at end of motion:

Recognises that other data sources show that an increasing amount of people have some Welsh-speaking ability and that increasing numbers of children are attending Welsh-medium education.

Welcomes:

(a) that all local authorities in Wales have published new Welsh in Education Strategic Plans to increase access to Welsh language learning across all school language categories;

(b) the work of the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities to strengthen Welsh at a community level; and

(c) the work of our partner organisations such as Mudiad Meithrin, the National Centre for Learning Welsh, the Urdd, the National Eisteddfod, the Mentrau Iaith, and others, to provide opportunities to use the language.

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
24	9	12	45

Amendment 1 was agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM8212 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes the Cymraeg 2050: Work Programme 2021 to 2026.

2. Expresses concern that the 2021 Census revealed that the number of people who say they can speak Welsh decreased by more than 20,000.

3. Believes that the Welsh language is a cultural asset which brings many benefits to Wales.

4. Recognises the disparity in confidence amongst Welsh speakers.

5. Calls on the Welsh Government to explore opportunities to expand and promote the day-to-day use of the Welsh language.

Cymraeg 2050: Work Programme 2021 to 2026

6. Recognises that other data sources show that an increasing amount of people have some Welsh-speaking ability and that increasing numbers of children are attending Welsh-medium education.

7. Welcomes:

(a) that all local authorities in Wales have published new Welsh in Education Strategic Plans to increase access to Welsh language learning across all school language categories;

(b) the work of the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities to strengthen Welsh at a community level; and

(c) the work of our partner organisations such as Mudiad Meithrin, the National Centre for Learning Welsh, the Urdd, the National Eisteddfod, the Mentrau Iaith, and others, to provide opportunities to use the language.

For	Abstain	Against	Total
45	0	0	45

The motion as amended was agreed.

In accordance with Standing Order 12.44, at 17.07 the bell was rung and the meeting suspended until Voting Time.

The item started at 17.13

NDM8211 John Griffiths (Newport East)

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi - Welsh identity in Newport

The item started at 17.17

NDM8211 John Griffiths (Newport East)

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi - Welsh identity in Newport