Meeting Venue:
Committee Room 3 - Senedd
Meeting date: 20 May 2021
Meeting time: 10.03 - 11.15
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Category |
Names |
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Committee Members: |
Elin Jones MS, Llywydd (Chair) Lesley Griffiths MS Siân Gwenllian MS Darren Millar MS |
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Committee Staff: |
Aled Elwyn Jones (Clerk) Bethan Garwood (Deputy Clerk) |
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Others in attendance |
Jane Dodds MS David Rees MS, Deputy Presiding Officer Manon Antoniazzi, Chief Executive and Clerk of the Senedd Siwan Davies, Director of Senedd Business Siân Wilkins, Head of Chamber and Committee Service Julian Luke, Head of Policy and Legislation Committee Service Helen Carey, Welsh Government Gwion Evans, Head of the Llywydd's Private Office |
1 Introductions, apologies and substitutions
The Llywydd welcomed the Members to the first Business Committee meeting of the Sixth Senedd.
2 Motion under Standing Order 17.42(ix) to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of this meeting and any future meetings where matters relating to the internal business of the committee, or of the Senedd will be discussed
The motion was agreed.
3 Committee working practices and procedures
3.1 Ways of Working
Business Committee agreed to normally meet at 9.00am on Tuesdays during sitting weeks, and to do so in private for the duration of the Sixth Senedd in order to discuss any matters relating to the internal business of the committee, or of the Senedd.
Business Committee agreed to publish the Agendas of private meetings, and also that minutes of private meetings should be published in English and Welsh within 1 week of their being agreed by the Committee.
4 Organisation of Business
4.1 Senedd Timetable
Business Committee agreed the timetable for Plenary and party group meetings for the remainder of the summer term, and agreed dates for the Whitsun half-term and summer recess 2021 and provisional dates for recesses up to February 2022.
Business Committee noted the Ministerial Oral Questions schedule, and agreed the scheduling of Oral Questions to the Senedd Commission.
Business Committee also noted that the committee timetable will be agreed following confirmation of the new committee structure.
4.2 Use of Senedd Time in Plenary
Business Committee agreed to schedule one or two hours of opposition debates a week, and that the time be allocated in one hour blocks in a 16:13 ratio to the Conservative and Plaid Cymru groups respectively.
Business Committee also agreed:
· to continue with the practice adopted in the Fifth Senedd for scheduling Member Debates up to every other week;
· to continue with the practice adopted in the Fifth Senedd for scheduling Member Legislative Proposals at least once every half term;
· to allocate 20 minutes of Senedd Business per week for Topical Questions;
· to allocate 5 minutes of Senedd Business per week for 90 Second Statements;
· to hold a Short Debate as the last item of business every Wednesday and for it to be allocated 30 minutes; and
· that opposition, committee and Member debates should typically be scheduled for an hour each, now that the Senedd is meeting in hybrid format again.
The Llywydd informed the Committee of her intention to conduct a ballot for a Member Bill during the next half term.
The Llywydd proposed a ‘grand debate’ to take place once or twice a year, and in light of support from the Committee, asked officials to draw up proposals. The Llywydd also asked Business Managers to discuss ideas for new items of Senedd business with their groups.
5 Senedd Commission
5.1 Senedd Commission
Business Committee considered the paper and agreed to discuss with groups and return to the matter at the next meeting.
6 Committees
6.1 Establishment of an interim committee for the purposes of Standing Order 21
Business Committee noted that Legal Advice Notes will be prepared to help inform debates on 26 May on motions to approve made affirmative statutory instruments and agreed in principle to the establishment of an interim committee for the scrutiny of statutory instruments under Standing Order 21.
Business Committee agreed to establish an interim Statutory Instruments Committee with four members (including the Chair), with one member from the Labour Group, one from the Conservative group and one from the Plaid Cymru group, plus the Deputy Presiding Officer as Chair. Business Committee agreed to table the relevant motions for consideration in Plenary on 26 May.
Any Other Business
Committee Structure
The Llywydd informed the Committee that an initial paper on a new committee structure will be on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting, and will be a priority for the Committee over the coming weeks.