Meeting Venue:
Y Siambr - Y Senedd
Meeting date:
Wednesday, 15 September 2021
Meeting time: 13.30
This meeting can be
viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/12430
------
1 Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
The item started at 13.30
The first 8 questions were asked. The Presiding Officer invited party spokespeople to ask questions to the Minister after question 2.
2 Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
The item started at 14.19
The first 8 questions were asked. Questions 1 and 9 were grouped together for answer. The Presiding Officer invited party spokespeople to ask questions to the Minister after question 2.
3 Topical Questions
No Topical Questions were accepted
4 90 Second Statements
The item started at 15.10
Samuel Kurtz made a statement on Back British Farming Day (15 September).
Jack Sargeant made a statement on World Suicide Prevention Day (10 September).
Heledd Fychan made a statement on CND Cymru's 40th anniversary (September 1981).
Sioned Williams made a statement on 10 years since the Gleision colliery disaster (15 September 2011).
In accordance with Standing Order 12.18, at 15.17 the meeting was suspended by the Presiding Officer.
5 Welsh Conservatives Debate – Access to defibrillators
The item started at 15.32
Voting on the motion and amendments under this item was deferred until Voting Time.
A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:
NDM7771 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)
To propose that the Senedd:
1. Notes that only 1 in 10 people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
2. Further notes that for every minute a patient does not have access to a defibrillator or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), their chances of survival drops by 10 per cent.
3. Recognises that a network of defibrillators will save lives.
4. Calls on the Welsh Government to provide grant funding or loans to enable community halls, sports grounds and independent shops to buy and install a defibrillator.
|
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|
27 |
0 |
28 |
55 |
As required by Standing Order 6.20 the Presiding Officer exercised her casting vote by voting against the motion. Therefore, the motion was not agreed.
The following amendments were tabled:
Amendment 1. Lesley Griffiths (Wrexham)
Delete point 4 and replace with new points:
4. Recognises the £2.5 million funding provided by Welsh Government to Save a Life Cymru to improve awareness and access to CPR and defibrillation.
5. Notes the Welsh Government commits to extending this support by £500k this year to further increase the number of defibrillators in community settings across Wales.
A vote was taken on amendment 1:
|
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|
42 |
0 |
12 |
54 |
Amendment 1 was agreed.
A vote was taken on the motion as amended:
NDM7771 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)
To propose that the Senedd:
1. Notes that only 1 in 10 people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
2. Further notes that for every minute a patient does not have access to a defibrillator or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), their chances of survival drops by 10 per cent.
3. Recognises that a network of defibrillators will save lives.
4. Recognises the £2.5 million funding provided by Welsh Government to Save a Life Cymru to improve awareness and access to CPR and defibrillation.
5. Notes the Welsh Government commits to extending this support by £500k this year to further increase the number of defibrillators in community settings across Wales.
|
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|
43 |
11 |
0 |
54 |
The motion as amended was agreed.
6 Plaid Cymru Debate – Universal Credit
The item started at 16.23
Voting on the motion and amendments under this item was deferred until Voting Time.
A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:
NDM7772 Sian Gwenllian (Arfon)
To propose that the Senedd:
1. Opposes the UK Government's proposal to scrap the £20 uplift in universal credit, which has been a vital helpline for families in Wales during the pandemic.
2. Recognises that a higher proportion of families in Wales will be affected by the cut to universal credit than the UK average according to the Bevan Foundation.
3. Calls on the Welsh Government to:
a) pursue the devolution of welfare in order to tackle poverty in Wales.
b) publish a robust and meaningful plan to tackle poverty that contains clear performance targets and indications to measure progress.
c) maintain flexibility around the discretionary assistance fund in order to mitigate the impact of any universal credit reduction on people in Wales.
|
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|
13 |
0 |
41 |
54 |
The motion without amendment was not agreed.
The following amendments were tabled:
Amendment 1. Darren Millar (Clwyd West)
Delete point 1 and replace with:
Welcomes the UK Government's decision to provide an extra £20 per week in universal credit to support those on low incomes during the coronavirus pandemic and recognises that this temporary measure has already been extended from 12 to 18 months.
A vote was taken on amendment 1:
|
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|
14 |
0 |
40 |
54 |
Amendment 1 was not agreed.
Amendment 2. Darren Millar (Clwyd West)
Delete point 2 and replace with:
Regrets that poverty levels in Wales are higher than in other parts of the UK due to the failure of successive Welsh Governments.
A vote was taken on amendment 2:
|
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|
14 |
0 |
40 |
54 |
Amendment 2 was not agreed.
Amendment 3. Lesley Griffiths (Wrexham)
Delete point 3 and replace with:
3. Notes the income maximisation work done by the Welsh Government to support families on low incomes.
4. Urges the Welsh Government to:
a) continue to explore the case for the devolution of the administration of welfare; and
b) maintain the current flexibility around the discretionary assistance fund to mitigate the impact of any universal credit reduction and the ending of furlough on people in Wales.
A vote was taken on amendment 3:
|
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|
27 |
11 |
16 |
54 |
Amendment 3 was agreed.
As amendment 3 was agreed, amendments 4 and 5 were de-selected
A vote was taken on the motion as amended:
NDM7772 Sian Gwenllian (Arfon)
To propose that the Senedd:
1. Opposes the UK Government's proposal to scrap the £20 uplift in universal credit, which has been a vital helpline for families in Wales during the pandemic.
2. Recognises that a higher proportion of families in Wales will be affected by the cut to universal credit than the UK average according to the Bevan Foundation.
3. Notes the income maximisation work done by the Welsh Government to support families on low incomes.
4. Urges the Welsh Government to:
a) continue to explore the case for the devolution of the administration of welfare; and
b) maintain the current flexibility around the discretionary assistance fund to mitigate the impact of any universal credit reduction and the ending of furlough on people in Wales.
|
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|
40 |
0 |
14 |
54 |
The motion as amended was agreed.
7 Voting Time
In accordance with Standing Order 12.18, at 17.23 proceedings were suspended to allow a technical break before voting time.
The item started at 17.31
8 Short Debate
The item started at 17.41
NDM7770 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)
We will remember them: why we must protect Wales’s war memorials
The meeting concluded at 18.07
The Senedd will sit again in Plenary at 13.30, Tuesday, 21 September 2021