Decision details

Plaid Cymru Debate

Decision Maker: Plenary - Fourth Assembly

Status: Recommendations approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Purpose:

Debates are one of the most frequent items of business on the Plenary agenda. Many types of debate are brought forward in Plenary, including:

  • Opposition party debates on a topic of their choice;

Other than in the case of Government debates, the time allocated for all other types of debates and their frequency are determined by the Business Committee

Decision:

The item started at 17.35

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

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM5984 Elin Jones (Ceredigion)

1. Regrets that Wales has one of the lowest survival rates for cancer in the UK and EU;

2. Notes waiting times for diagnostic tests are unacceptably high and considerably higher than England and Scotland;

3. Regrets the inequality of access to cancer drugs and treatments for patients across Wales; and

4. Calls on the next Welsh Government to:

a) substantially improve performance on diagnostic waiting times, so that 95 per cent of people suspected of having cancer by a GP can receive a diagnosis or the all clear within 28 days of referral for testing;

b) introduce a new treatments fund to ensure a national approach to access to treatments to ensure access to treatments based on clinical need not where a patient lives or whether they meet exceptionality criteria; and

c) ensure all cancer patients have access to a key worker, with the regular collection and publication of data to demonstrate performance against this target.

For

Abstain

Against

Total

8

0

38

46

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 - Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Insert at end of point 3:

'and between Wales and other parts of the UK.'

A vote was taken on Amendment 1:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

23

0

24

47

As required by Standing Order 6.20 the Deputy Presiding Officer exercised his casting vote by voting against the Amendment. Therefore, the Amendment was not agreed.

Amendment 2 – Aled Roberts (North Wales)

In point 4b), replace 'introduce a new treatments fund' with 'extend the health technologies fund to new medicines'.

A vote was taken on Amendment 2:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

4

0

42

46

Amendment 2 was not agreed.

Amendment 3 – Aled Roberts (North Wales):

Insert as new sub-point at end of point 4:

'develop an all-Wales individual patient funding requests panel to avoid the existing postcode lotteries for cancer treatments in Wales.'

A vote was taken on Amendment 3:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

12

0

34

46

Amendment 3 was not agreed.

Amendment 4 – Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Insert as new sub-point at end of point 4:

'establish a national mobile cancer treatment service to prevent long round trip journeys for patients accessing clinics and chemotherapy treatment'.

A vote was taken on Amendment 4:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

46

0

0

46

Amendment 4 was agreed.

Amendment 5 - Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Insert as new sub-point at end of point 4:

'establish an annual public education campaign to raise awareness of the causes and symptoms of cancer'.

A vote was taken on Amendment 5:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

46

0

0

46

Amendment 5 was agreed.

Amendment 6 - Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Insert as new sub-point at end of point 4:

'provide a follow-up appointment guarantee so that all patients are seen within a maximum of six months of the conclusion of their initial cancer treatment episode, and further calls for data to be collected and published regularly to monitor performance against the guarantee.'

A vote was taken on Amendment 6:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

15

8

23

46

Amendment 6 was not agreed.

Amendment 7 - Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Insert as new sub-point at end of point 4:

'appoint a cancer patient's champion to hold the Welsh Government and local health boards to account for the delivery of national and local cancer delivery plans.'

A vote was taken on Amendment 7:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

15

0

31

46

Amendment 7 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM5984 Elin Jones (Ceredigion)

1. Regrets that Wales has one of the lowest survival rates for cancer in the UK and EU;

2. Notes waiting times for diagnostic tests are unacceptably high and considerably higher than England and Scotland;

3. Regrets the inequality of access to cancer drugs and treatments for patients across Wales; and

4. Calls on the next Welsh Government to:

a) substantially improve performance on diagnostic waiting times, so that 95 per cent of people suspected of having cancer by a GP can receive a diagnosis or the all clear within 28 days of referral for testing;

b) introduce a new treatments fund to ensure a national approach to access to treatments to ensure access to treatments based on clinical need not where a patient lives or whether they meet exceptionality criteria; and

c) ensure all cancer patients have access to a key worker, with the regular collection and publication of data to demonstrate performance against this target.

d) establish a national mobile cancer treatment service to prevent long round trip journeys for patients accessing clinics and chemotherapy treatment.

e) establish an annual public education campaign to raise awareness of the causes and symptoms of cancer.

For

Abstain

Against

Total

23

0

24

47

As required by Standing Order 6.20 the Deputy Presiding Officer exercised his casting vote by voting against the motion as amended. Therefore, the motion as amended was not agreed.

Publication date: 02/03/2016

Date of decision: 02/03/2016

Decided at meeting: 02/03/2016 - Plenary - Fourth Assembly