Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 1 - Senedd. View directions

Contact: Naomi Stocks 

Items
No. Item

1.

Introduction, apologies and substitutions

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed Committee Members and members of the public.

1.1        There were no apologies.

1.2        The Chair paid tribute to the work of the former Chair, Christine Chapman, and welcomed Joyce Watson as a new Member to the Committee.

 

 

2.

New petitions

2.1

P-04-321 Arriva Trains Wales services between South West and South East Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered this petition for the first time.

 

Actions

The Committee agreed to:

·         Await the response from the Minister for Local Government and Communities.

·         Write to Arriva Trains Wales seeking its views on the petition.

·         Write to Passenger Focus seeking its views on the petition.

2.2

P-04-327 Keep Our Community Hospital

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered this petition for the first time.

 

Actions

The Committee agreed to:

·         Await the response from the Minister for Health and Social Services.

·         Write to Aneurin Bevan Health Board to seek its views on the petition.

2.3

P-04-328 MCA Modernising Coastguard Proposals

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered this petition for the first time.

Joyce Watson, William Powell and Bethan Jenkins declared an interest in that they have supported petitions on related subjects.

 

 

Actions

The Committee agreed to:

·         Await the response from the Minister for Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science.

·         Write to the Public and Commercial Services Union and other relevant trade unions with an interest in the matter to seek their views on the petition.

·         Write to the relevant tourism bodies in Pembrokeshire to seek their views on the petition.

·         Write to Pembrokeshire Marine Group to seek its views on the petition.

·         Write to Pembrokeshire, Anglesey and Swansea local authorities to seek their views on the petition.

·         Write to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park to seek its views on the petition.

 

 

3.

Updates to previous petitions

3.1

P-03-143 Ysgol Penmaes

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Action

·         The Committee agreed to seek the views of the petitioners on the information gathered so far, in particular their views on whether the funds being made available by the Minister will be sufficient to improve rural services. 

 

3.2

P-03-150 National Cancer Standards

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Actions

The Committee agreed to:

·         Write to the new Minister for Health and Social Services seeking an update on current levels of compliance with the National Cancer Standards and asking what action the Welsh Government is taking to ensure full compliance across the whole of Wales.

·         Dependent on the response from the Minister, and given the Committee’s perseverance with this petition, consider a more public response to non-compliance with the National Cancer Standards.

·         Considering inviting the petitioners to give oral evidence to a future Committee.

3.3

P-03-153 Body Piercing

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Action

·         The Committee agreed to seek the petitioners’ views on the correspondence from the Minister for Health and Social Services.

 

 

3.4

P-03-156 Sleep Apnoea

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Action

·         The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Health and Social Services to ask whether the deadline for compliance with the Chronic Respiratory Directives has been met and for more details on how full compliance will lead to improvements in sleep apnoea services.

 

3.5

P-03-170 To increase the number of people with a learning disability employed by the public sector in Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Actions

The Committee agreed to:

·         Write to the Assembly Commission to ask that the Committee be kept updated on decisions regarding the future of its work placement scheme.

·         Write to the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on work of the Development and Implementation Group

·         Write to the petitioners to ask for an update on their discussions with the Development and Implementation Group.

 

3.6

P-03-187 Abolish the Severn Bridge Toll

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Actions

The Committee agreed to:

·         Write to the Minister for Local Government and Communities to ask that the Committee be notified when the economic impact work is completed,  when that is likely to be and to ask about the methods and measuring techniques used in the impact study. 

·         Revisit the petition when the economic impact study is finished.

 

3.7

P-03-188 Special Care Baby Unit

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Action

·         The Committee agreed to close the petition and produce a summary closure report.

 

3.8

P-03-204 Public Accountability and Consultation in Higher Education

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Action

·         The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Education and Skills asking how the Government plan to respond to the recommendations made by the HE Governance Review, highlighting the petitioners’ concerns about lack of consultation in the higher education sector, and asking how the petitioners’ concerns will be taken into account going forward.

 

 

3.9

P-03-205 Keep Abergavenny Livestock Market

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Actions

The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Local Government and Communities to:

·         Highlight the petitioners’ concerns about the consultation process and seek assurances that the petitioners will be involved in any further consultation

·         Seek further information on how the consultation on the repeal of the Improvement Acts will be undertaken

 

3.10

P-03-219 Pharmacies in Barry

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Action

·         The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Health and Social Services asking for more details on the findings of the task and finish group and how this may directly address the issues raised by the petition.

 

3.11

P-03-220 Lower the speed limit on the A40 near Abergavenny

Supporting documents:

3.12

P-03-240 Road safety on the A40 in Llanddewi Velfrey

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to these petitions.

 

Actions

The Committee agreed to:

·         Write to the Minister for Local Government and Communities to ask whether the speed limit reviews have been carried out and if so, what the findings were and emphasise the need for a swift resolution of the issue to improve road safety.

 

 

3.13

P-03-221 Improved NHS Chiropody Treatment

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Action

·         The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Health and Social Services to request an update on the consultation findings and to highlight the petitioners’ concerns about the timing of the consultation process.

 

3.14

P-03-222 National Osteoporosis Society

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Actions

·         The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Health and Social Services seeking an update on how work is progressing to develop falls and fractures services, and asking whether all Local Health Boards have or will have plans to introduce Fracture Liaison Services, as well as an update on the review of the National Service Framework for Older People.

3.15

P-03-253 Adoption of private sewers

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Action

·         The Committee agreed to close the petition and produce a closure report, as the aims of the petition have been met.

 

3.16

P-03-260 The Campaign for Dark Skies

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Actions

The Committee agreed to:

·         Write to the new Minister responsible for transport, the Minister for Local Government and Communities, highlighting the examples of excessive street lighting on trunk roads and asking whether the Welsh Government are considering a move to ‘full cut off street lighting’.

·         Write to the new Minister responsible for planning, the Minister for Environment and  Sustainable Development, to request information on how many local authorities address light pollution in their development plans and what those development plans state, and to request that he consider adopting a more strategic approach to light pollution by bringing forward planning policy guidance.

·         Write to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents to seek its views on the road safety aspects of alternative types of lighting for streets and trunkroads.

 

3.17

P-03-261 Local Solutions to Newtown Traffic Congestion

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Action

·         The Committee agreed to seek the views of the petitioners on the correspondence from the Minister for Local Government and Communities.

 

3.18

P-03-262 Wales Peace Institute

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Actions

·         The Clerk to clarify whether the Presiding Officer could commission research into the potential role, function and scope of such an institute.

·         Writing to the petitioners and asking if they are able to take forward commissioning of research into the potential role, function and scope of such an institute.

 

3.19

P-03-265 Include leaving home information and education in the National Curriculum - Shelter Cymru

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Action

·         The Committee agreed to close the petition and produce a closure report.

 

3.20

P-03-268 Accident and Emergency Department at Ysbyty Aneurin Bevan

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Action

·         The Committee agreed to close the petition and produce a closure report.

 

3.21

P-03-271 Business Rates in Narberth

Supporting documents:

3.22

P-03-286 Ceredigion Business Rates

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to these petitions.

 

Action

·         The Committee agreed to write to the Enterprise and Business Committee asking whether it would consider the issues raised by the petition in a future inquiry.

 

3.23

P-03-273 Transportation of Wind Turbines in Mid Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Action

·         The Committee agreed to refer the petition to the Environment and Sustainability committee for further consideration

·         The Clerk to clarify whether the responsibility for the transportation aspect of windfarm developments over 50MW is retained by the UK Government

·         Dependent on the answer, the Committee agreed to write to the Department of Energy and Climate Change to seek its views on the issues raised by the petition.

 

3.24

P-03-280 Cardiff Royal Infirmary

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Action

·         The Committee agreed to write to Cardiff and Vale Local Health Board to seek clarification on why te petitioners were not able to see the plans and seeking assurance that it will fully engage with the community in future.

 

3.25

P-03-283 NHS Charging for alcohol related incidents

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Action

·         The Committee agreed to close the petition and produce a closure report.

 

3.26

P-03-291 Development of HIV and Sexual Health Services

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Action

·         The Committee agreed to close the petition and produce a closure report.

 

3.27

P-03-296 Unfair Proposals on Student Loans

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Action

·         The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Education and Skills seeking more detail on the variable rates of interest that graduates will be charged on their student loans and on the widening access clauses for those institutions that wish to charge higher-level fee, and to ask how HE institutions’ new fee plans will impact on the concerns raised by the petition.

 

3.28

P-03-301 Equality for the Transgender Community

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Actions

·         The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Health and Social Services highlighting concerns about delays in referrals to gender identity health services and asking whether guidance on gender dysphoria could be circulated to GPs.

·         The Committee agreed to write to the British Medical Association to enquire whether GPs have sufficient training to help patients who may have gender dysphoria.

 

3.29

P-03-303 Against Homophobic Bullying

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Action

·         The Committee agreed to write to the petitioners to make them aware of the planned timeline for the publication of guidance and to seek their views on the guidance once it is published.

 

3.30

P-03-304 Amendment to the Learner Travel (Wales) Measure 2008

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Action

·         The Committee agreed to seek the petitioners’ views on the correspondence from the Minister for Local Government and Communities.

 

3.31

P-03-305 Statutory School Libraries

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Actions

The Committee agreed to:

·         Write to the Children and Young People Committee asking whether they would consider further investigation into the issue

·         Write to the Minister for Education and Skills asking whether consideration would be given to drawing up a new position paper on school libraries and a set of School Library Standards

·         Write to the Minister for Housing, Regeneration and Heritage to ask about the implications of the petition for the work of public libraries

 

 

3.32

P-03-307 Design for Innovation in Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Action

The Committee agreed to:

·         Write to the Enterprise and Business Committee to ask whether they would consider undertaking further work on the issues raised by the petition.

 

3.33

P-03-310 Policies to Help Pupils' Needs and Rights

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Actions

The Committee agreed to:

·         Write to the petitioners seeking views on the consultation response document and asking them to quantify the words ‘sturdy, strong and easier for the public to access and participate in’ in their petition

·         Write to the Minister for Education and Skills to request an update on the consultation on legislative opportunities for implementing changes to the process of school organisation and to highlight the areas in which the petitioners feel there are inadequacies.

 

3.34

P-03-313 The Animal Welfare (Breeding of Dogs) (Wales) Regulations 2011

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Action

·         The Committee agreed to inform the petitioners that the Welsh Government will be holding discussions with stakeholders to identify concerns with the original draft legislation, with a view to possibly including their suggestions in new draft legislation.

 

3.35

P-03-315 New Dyfi River Crossing Petition

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Action

·         The Committee agreed to await the publication of the Options Development Report.

 

3.36

P-04-324 Say No to Tan 8 - Windfarms & High Voltage

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update to this petition.

 

Action

·         The Committee agreed to write to the Environment and Sustainability Committee asking whether it would consider undertaking further investigation into the issues raised by the petition.

 

Transcript

To view the meeting transcript, click here.