Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 1 - Senedd. View directions

Contact: Graeme Francis 

Media

Senedd.TV: View the webcast

Transcript: Transcript for 23/10/2018 - Petitions Committee - Fifth Senedd

Items
No. Item

1.

Introduction, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. There were no apologies. 

2.

New petitions

2.1

P-05-840 Fair Funding for Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council and all other Local Authorities

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Neil McEvoy declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:

He is currently a Councillor on Cardiff Council.

 

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to:

  • Share details of the petition with other Committee Chairs, where appropriate, ahead of their budget scrutiny sessions;
  • Write to all local authorities and the WLGA to seek their views on the Welsh Government’s budget process  and the current challenges for local authorities;
  • Write back to the Cabinet Secretary to;
    • ask him to provide further details of the draft local government budget allocations once the spending plans have been published on 23 October; and

o   seek clarification on how the £30m of additional funding for Social Care identified in the draft budget will be allocated and provided.

2.2

P-05-841 Include the alternative 3rd Menai Crossing proposal 'Pont Bendigeidfran' in the formal assessment process

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write back to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport to ask for his views on the petitioner’s detailed comments and whether he is prepared to formally include the petitioner’s proposal alongside the original options during further analysis of the bridge structure.

 

2.3

P-05-842 Give young people a voice when commissioning local services in Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write back to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services to share the petitioners’ comments and to ask him for a detailed response.

2.4

P-05-843 More Third party rights in planning appeals

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to:

  • Write back to the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs to ask her to respond to the detailed concerns of the petitioners.  The Committee indicated that it may wish to hold an evidence session on this and other planning matters in the future once it has considered the response received; and
  • Write to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales to:
    • seek his views on the petition; and
    • ask him to share any concerns he may have about the way in which local planning authorities take the views of third parties into account in the planning process.

2.5

P-05-844 Immediate review of the Neath Port Talbot LDP

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs to ask for her views on the benefits of introducing a mechanism to ensure that requests for content changes to an LDP, between statutory reviews, should be logged and properly considered.  The Committee indicated that it may wish to hold an evidence session on this and other planning matters in the future once it has considered the response received.

2.6

P-05-845 End Conflict of Interest in Local Authority Constitution

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to:

 

  • the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services to ask for his views on the petitioner’s detailed response and, in particular, how effectively adherence to the current Code is monitored and whether he would consider a review of the Code in relation to arrangements for local planning officers; and

·         the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) to seek their views on the issues raised by the petition.

3.

Updates to previous petitions

3.1

P-05-771 Reconsider the closure of the Welsh Independent Living Grant and support disabled people to live independently

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered correspondence from a number of stakeholders and agreed to write to the Minister for Children, Older People and Social Care to:

 

  • seek a detailed update on the progress of the transition arrangements to date including the outcome of the review of all support needs which was due to be completed by the end of September; and
  • ask whether, as a middle way between ring-fencing and funding through the Revenue Support Grant, he will consider requiring local authorities to provide a report detailing actual expenditure on care packages for previous recipients of the Welsh Independent Living Grant, including the number of recipients, the average amount received per person and the total amount awarded.

 

3.2

P-05-825 Protect children's lungs from harmful pollution whilst at school

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered correspondence from the Minister for Environment, the Welsh Local Government Association and the petitioner and agreed to write back to the Minister for Environment to:

 

  • seek her views on the detailed comments made by the petitioner, particularly around the risks outlined relating to the current monitoring provisions; and

·         to ask if the suggestions made might help inform the Clean Air Plan for Wales.

3.3

P-05-824 Newtown Brimmon Oak Bypass

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport, Powys Council and the petitioners and agreed to write back to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport to ask him to update the Committee once he has responded to Powys County Council.

4.

Motion under Standing Order 7.42 (ix) to resolve to exclude the public for item 5

Minutes:

The motion was agreed.

5.

Discussion on the Committee's Forward Work Programme

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered its Forward Work Programme and agreed a schedule of evidence sessions during November, and to revisit the Forward Work Programme later in the Autumn term.