Agenda and minutes

Venue: Y Siambr - Y Senedd. View directions

Expected timing: 36(v6) 

Media

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Transcript: Transcript for 30/11/2016 - Plenary - Fifth Senedd

Items
Expected timing No. Item

Record of Proceedings

Statement by the Llywydd

The Llywydd made a statement reminding Members about her expectations that they show respect and courtesy towards other Members at all times.  She stated that there have recently been exchanges that have been unfitting and unpleasant, and that Members should be able to disagree on issues without resorting to personal insults.

(45 mins)

1.

Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education

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

View Questions

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The item started at 13.31

Questions 2-6, 8 and 9 were asked. Questions 1 and 7 were withdrawn. Questions 4, 6, 8 and 9 were answered by the Minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh Language. The Presiding Officer invited party spokespeople to ask questions to the Cabinet Secretary after Question 3.

(35 mins)

2.

Questions to the Counsel General

Minutes:

The item started at 14.20

The 7 questions were asked.

Urgent Question 1

The item started at 14.54

Bethan Jenkins (South Wales West): Will the Minister make a statement on discussions he has had with Trinity Mirror about their proposal to close the Cardiff based printing press, cutting 33 jobs at the site?

Urgent Question 2

The item started at 14.58

Adam Price (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): Will the Minister make a statement on reports of potential job losses at Tata Steel’s Port Talbot steelworks?

Urgent Question 3

The item started at 15.11

Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Will the Minister please make a statement on the reports of a police investigation into historical sexual abuse within football in north Wales?

(5 mins)

3.

90 Second Statements

Minutes:

The item started at 15.16

Steffan Lewis made a statement on the contribution of Irish people to Wales on the centenary of the Easter Rising.

Janet Finch-Saunders made a statement on tinnitus.

Eluned Morgan made a statement on the Cross-Party Group on Arts and Health.

(30 mins)

4.

Standards of Conduct Committee Statement on the incoming Standards Commissioner

Minutes:

The item started at 15.21

(60 mins)

5.

Plaid Cymru debate

NDM6176 Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes successful schemes such as small business Saturday for increasing footfall in town centres across Wales.

2. Notes that, following the Plaid Cymru budget deal with the Welsh Government, a fund will be established that will enable local authorities to offer free car parking in town centres throughout Wales, providing a vital boost to town centre regeneration.

3. Regrets that the current business rates system places a disproportionate burden on small businesses with premises in Wales compared to the rest of the UK.

4. Regrets the impact of the recent business rates revaluation on some small businesses in Wales.

5. Calls upon the Welsh Government to:

a) Expand the transitional relief available to small businesses affected by the 2017 non-domestic rates revaluation:

b) explore the designation of the whole of Wales as an enterprise zone in order to provide Wales with kind of competitive advantage needed in order to close the economic gap between Wales and the rest of the UK;

 c) ensure that the interests of small businesses are given due weight in the work of the new National Infrastructure Commission for Wales and the National Development Bank;

d) set a target to increase the current levels of procurement from 55 per cent to at least 75 per cent of Welsh public sector spending within Wales; and

e) introduce a 'buy local' campaign aimed at Welsh consumers and major purchasers.

The following amendments have been tabled:

Amendment 1. Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

Delete all and replace with:

Notes:

a) the impact of successful schemes such as small business Saturday which increases footfall in town centres across Wales;

b) the draft budget agreement with Plaid Cymru, which includes £3m for local authorities to run pilot schemes to evaluate the impact of free town centre parking;

c) that the current business rates system raises £1bn which supports public services in Wales that small businesses rely on;

d) that the revaluation of business rates by the independent Valuation Office Agency is not designed to raise additional revenue and that while some rateable values have increased, overall they have fallen;

e) the Welsh Government's commitment to introducing a new permanent small business rates relief scheme in 2018;

f) that the National Procurement Service has increased the number of Welsh businesses winning contracts and

g) the Welsh Governments intention to:

i) ensure that the interests of small and medium sized businesses are given due weight in the work of the new National Infrastructure Commission for Wales and the Development Bank of Wales; and

ii) publish new economic priorities in 2017, to make Wales more prosperous and secure.

[If amendment 1 is agreed, amendments 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 will be de-selected]

Amendment 2. Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)
 
Add at end of point 1:

'but regrets that Wales has the worst high street vacancy rate in the UK and that footfall on Welsh high streets is down by 1.4 per cent compared with October 2015.'

Amendment 3. Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Delete Point 2 and replace with:

Welcomes the draft budget commitment to introduce a pilot scheme for free parking and calls on the Welsh Government to further work with the retail industry to develop an integrated approach to town centre regeneration which incorporates free parking, business rates reform, simplified planning, town centre managers and a responsible night time economy.

Amendment 4. Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

In point 5, delete sub-point (b)

Amendment 5. Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Add as new sub-point at end of point 5:

'recognise retail as a priority sector in the development of the Welsh Government's new economic strategy.'
 
Amendment 6. Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)
 
Add as new point at end of motion:

Regrets that the One Wales coalition government failed to extend business rate relief for small businesses in Wales.

 

Minutes:

The item started at 15.38

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

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM6176 Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes successful schemes such as small business Saturday for increasing footfall in town centres across Wales.

2. Notes that, following the Plaid Cymru budget deal with the Welsh Government, a fund will be established that will enable local authorities to offer free car parking in town centres throughout Wales, providing a vital boost to town centre regeneration.

3. Regrets that the current business rates system places a disproportionate burden on small businesses with premises in Wales compared to the rest of the UK.

4. Regrets the impact of the recent business rates revaluation on some small businesses in Wales.

5. Calls upon the Welsh Government to:

a) Expand the transitional relief available to small businesses affected by the 2017 non-domestic rates revaluation:

b) explore the designation of the whole of Wales as an enterprise zone in order to provide Wales with kind of competitive advantage needed in order to close the economic gap between Wales and the rest of the UK;

c) ensure that the interests of small businesses are given due weight in the work of the new National Infrastructure Commission for Wales and the National Development Bank;

d) set a target to increase the current levels of procurement from 55 per cent to at least 75 per cent of Welsh public sector spending within Wales; and

e) introduce a 'buy local' campaign aimed at Welsh consumers and major purchasers.

For

Abstain

Against

Total

8

0

41

49

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

Delete all and replace with:

Notes:

a) the impact of successful schemes such as small business Saturday which increases footfall in town centres across Wales;

b) the draft budget agreement with Plaid Cymru, which includes £3m for local authorities to run pilot schemes to evaluate the impact of free town centre parking;

c) that the current business rates system raises £1bn which supports public services in Wales that small businesses rely on;

d) that the revaluation of business rates by the independent Valuation Office Agency is not designed to raise additional revenue and that while some rateable values have increased, overall they have fallen;

e) the Welsh Government's commitment to introducing a new permanent small business rates relief scheme in 2018;

f) that the National Procurement Service has increased the number of Welsh businesses winning contracts and

g) the Welsh Governments intention to:

i) ensure that the interests of small and medium sized businesses are given due weight in the work of the new National Infrastructure Commission for Wales and the Development Bank of Wales; and

ii) publish new economic priorities in 2017, to make Wales more prosperous and secure.

A vote was taken on Amendment 1:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

28

0

21

49

Amendment 1 was agreed.

As amendment 1 was agreed, amendments 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 were de-selected.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM6176 Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

Notes:

a) the impact of successful schemes such as small business Saturday which increases footfall in town centres across Wales;

b) the draft budget agreement with Plaid Cymru, which includes £3m for local authorities to run pilot schemes to evaluate the impact of free town centre parking;

c) that the current business rates system raises £1bn which supports public services in Wales that small businesses rely on;

d) that the revaluation of business rates by the independent Valuation Office Agency is not designed to raise additional revenue and that while some rateable values have increased, overall they have fallen;

e) the Welsh Government's commitment to introducing a new permanent small business rates relief scheme in 2018;

f) that the National Procurement Service has increased the number of Welsh businesses winning contracts and

g) the Welsh Governments intention to:

i) ensure that the interests of small and medium sized businesses are given due weight in the work of the new National Infrastructure Commission for Wales and the Development Bank of Wales; and

ii) publish new economic priorities in 2017, to make Wales more prosperous and secure.

For

Abstain

Against

Total

45

0

4

49

The motion as amended was agreed.

(60 mins)

6.

Welsh Conservatives debate

NDM6177 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Believes that promoting the innovative use of cross-border healthcare can offer improved patient outcomes for people in Wales and England.
2. Notes the findings of the Silk Commission, which made recommendations to improve cross-border health delivery, particularly to promote closer working in relation to specialist services.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to reflect on the findings of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee report on cross-border health arrangements between England and Wales, which reflects concerns about the difficulties and delays in accessing secondary and specialist services on a cross-border basis.

'Commission on Devolution in Wales – Empowerment and Responsibility: Legislative Powers to Strengthen Wales'

Welsh Affairs Select Committee – Third Report - Cross-border health arrangements between England and Wales’

The following amendment has been tabled:

Amendment 1. Caroline Jones (South Wales West):
 
Add as new point at end of motion:

Notes the problems in recruiting GPs in rural cross-border areas and calls on the Welsh Government to work with the UK Government's Department of Health to establish a single performers list for GPs which will enable GPs to operate on both sides of the border.

Minutes:

The item started at 16.48

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

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM6177 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Believes that promoting the innovative use of cross-border healthcare can offer improved patient outcomes for people in Wales and England.

2. Notes the findings of the Silk Commission, which made recommendations to improve cross-border health delivery, particularly to promote closer working in relation to specialist services.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to reflect on the findings of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee report on cross-border health arrangements between England and Wales, which reflects concerns about the difficulties and delays in accessing secondary and specialist services on a cross-border basis.

For

Abstain

Against

Total

48

0

1

49

The motion without amendment was agreed.

7.

Voting time

Minutes:

The item started at 17.44

Votes Summary

Supporting documents:

(30 mins)

8.

Short Debate

NDM6178 Nick Ramsay (Monmouth)
 
Living with sight loss: how we can improve accessibility in Wales for blind and partially sighted people

Minutes:

The item started at 17.47

NDM6178 Nick Ramsay (Monmouth)

Living with sight loss: how we can improve accessibility in Wales for blind and partially sighted people