Meetings

The Committee agreed to schedule a ‘Debate on petitions concerning access to facilities for sport and physical activity during lockdowns’ for 60 minutes on 13 January, taking the place of the previously scheduled debate: P-05-1032 Legislate to prevent people from changing Welsh house names, and rescheduling that debate to 20 January 2020, and to re-order opposition debates accordingly.

The Committee agreed to allow the Standards of Conduct Committee to arrange meetings outside of their scheduled slot during the weeks commencing 25 January, 1 February and 8 February if necessary.

Business Managers agreed to an additional meeting for the Committee on 16 December.

Business Committee agreed to schedule the additional meeting of the CYPE Committee on Monday 30 November.

Business Committee agreed the timetable for the spring term 2021 and the adjustments to the current timetable.

The Business Committee agreed to the request from the Committee on Senedd Electoral Reform to meet during w/c 3 August 2020.

The Business Committee agreed the proposed dates for the CYPE, LJC and PAC committees to meet during recess.

Business Managers agreed with the LJC Committee’s understanding of the timing of regulations likely to be brought forward following the 3-weekly Welsh Government reviews.

The Trefnydd clarified that although LJC’s letter only refers to the three-week review of restrictions, there are a wider suite of COVID-19 regulations than those relating to health (e.g. education). The Trefnydd stated that LJC will need to be prepared to report on those too.

Business Managers agreed to keep the committee small, and to that end the Chair of Finance should represent their group as well as the Committee

The Business Committee discussed the requests and agreed to schedule the CWLC and Petitions debates for half an hour each on 8 July. The Committee also agreed to schedule the CYPE debate for one hour on 15 July.

The Business Committee agreed the revised committee timetable. The Committee invited the Chairs of the PAC and the CYPE Committee to consider calling the meetings that they wish to hold in recess during the week commencing 3 August 2020 to align with plenary. The Trefnydd asked that committees be aware that Ministers will not be available to give evidence to any meetings that take place during recess.

The Business Committee also agreed to the request from the EAAL Committee to meet for an hour in the afternoon on Tuesday 30 June to accommodate the Secretary of State for Wales’s attendance.

Business Managers agreed to consult with their groups on the membership of the Llywydd’s Committee and return to the matter at their meeting next week.

They also noted the proposed timetable for the establishment of the Llywydd’s Committee, as set out in Annex 2 of the paper.

Business Committee agreed to schedule a debate on the effects of COVID-19 on Wales’ economy, infrastructure and skills for Wednesday 1 July 2020.

Business Committee noted the letter and noted that the Chair’s Forum will consider the wider issue of remote committee meetings at their meeting later this week.

Business Committee declined to schedule the debate before the summer recess as it was not directly related to Covid-19, but agreed in principle to schedule the debate in the autumn.

Business Committee agreed to schedule the debate for 30 minutes next week.

Business Committee agreed to the timetabling requests from the Committee.

Business Managers discussed the paper. Darren Millar and Siân Gwenllian were in favour and the Trefnydd and Caroline Jones were against, and so the majority view was against the proposal to table a motion to establish the committee. 

Business Managers did agree that it was important to look at Covid-19 in a cross-cutting manner and agreed to ask that the Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister meet early this half term. Caroline Jones requested that all groups should be represented on any committee carrying out cross-cutting scrutiny. 

Business Managers also agreed that it is important to scrutinise the Covid-19 recovery work, which the Counsel General is leading on. They asked officials to consider where within the current committee remits this responsibility sat, and to consult with the Chair’s Forum on the matter.  

Business Committee considered the letter from the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee and agreed in principle to their request to have a weekly broadcast slot. Business Managers asked officials to investigate whether and how that could be accommodated, and agreed to return to the matter at the next meeting.

Business Committee considered and agreed the draft committee timetable.  The Committee noted that they would consider a rolling timetable at each meeting, and that changes to some slots are already anticipated for the third and fourth weeks of the timetable. The Committee also confirmed that the time available for party group meetings remains 11.00 – 12.30 on Tuesdays.

Business Committee agreed to the resumption of committee activity for business related to Covid-19 matters, the Welsh Government’s legislative programme, and other time-critical business.  A rolling four week committee timetable would be developed, in consultation with committee chairs.

Business Committee agreed that the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee should resume its responsibilities under Standing Orders 21.2 and 21.3. They also agreed that it and the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills; Children, Young People and Education; and Health, Social Care and Sport committees could start making arrangements to meet during the week commencing 27 April.

Business Managers agreed that the Llywydd will convene a Chairs’ Forum meeting next week. Business Managers asked that Chairs have a discussion with committee members in advance of the meeting to ensure the widest possible input and engagement. The Llywydd encouraged Business Managers to also attend the Chairs’ Forum meeting.

Business Mangers noted the capacity constraints related to supporting virtual public committee meetings, restricting activity to one committee meeting at any time.

Subject to a general steer for committees to focus on essential business, Business Managers agreed that the LJC Committee could meet outside its usual slot to facilitate evidence from Ministers.

Business Committee noted that the recent Commission on Justice in Wales had recommended that the Assembly should take a more proactive role in the scrutiny of the operation of the justice system and monitor and review progress on justice reform. 

The Committee agreed to propose to the Assembly that the name of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee be changed to the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee – Y Pwyllgor Deddfwriaeth, Cyfiawnder a’r Cyfansoddiad - with the addition of a reference to justice in its remit. 

Business Managers noted that functions in relation to justice that are within the competence of the Assembly and within the remits of other committees – such as services to support offenders, ex-offenders and to promote rehabilitation that relate to housing, education and training, economic development and local government – would remain the responsibilities of those committees. 

Business Managers discussed the paper and agreed to consult with their groups and return to the matter at their meeting on 22 January 2020. 

The Committee decided that members of the CWLC Committee could leave Plenary on 27 November to travel to Wrexham only after Voting Time had taken place.

Business Managers agreed the request for the Committee to meet outside their timetabled slot  during the week of 21 October.

Business Managers agreed to table a motion to allocate the chair of the new committee to Labour group today. They also agreed that the membership of the committee should be one member from each group in addition to the chair. Darren Millar explained that the Conservative group would not be nominating a member to take up that place.

Business Managers also agreed that nominations for the chair and the secret ballot (if necessary) would take place tomorrow. The Llywydd said she would consider asking nominees to make a short address tomorrow.

Darren Millar informed Business Managers that the Conservative group would object to the establishment of the committee and would not be participating in it if established.

The Llywydd encouraged the Conservative group to continue to engage in discussions on the matter. Business Managers agreed to discuss issues on membership and chairing outside of the committee and return to them next week to make a decision.

Business Managers considered the request and agreed to schedule a debate.

Business Managers discussed the letter and reiterated the need for Members to treat committees as a priority and to be punctual. They agreed that if the situation didn’t improve they would look at publishing individual attendance figures. They also agreed that Chairs have a role in speaking to Members who don’t attend or arrive late/leave early without explanation.

Business Managers agreed to seek the Assembly’s agreement to establish a Committee on Assembly Electoral Reform early in the autumn, and to table a motion to that effect for consideration on 18 September.

They noted that discussions about the chairing of the Committee are ongoing, but supported the principle of the Chair being agreed by resolution of the Assembly, rather than elected by secret ballot. They also supported the principle of all groups being represented on the Committee, whilst keeping it small. They agreed to discuss potential membership with their groups, with a view to agreeing the membership and Chair at the first Business Committee of the autumn term, with motions being put to Plenary in the second week.

Business Managers agreed the request to schedule a debate for petition P-05-869 Declare a Climate Emergency and fit all policies with zero-carbon targets, but asked for further information on how the decision to ask for a debate on a petition is made, noting that a large number of petitions with over 5,000 signatures had not led to requests for a debate.

Business Managers agreed the request.

Business Managers agreed the request.

Request from the Public Accounts Committee to meet outside of its allocated meeting time

Business Managers agreed the request.

Request from External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee to meet outside of its allocated meeting time

Business Managers agreed the request.

Business Managers agreed to allow additional meetings outside of the committee’s slot to consider the report from the Acting Commissioner.