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Petitions Committee |
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Meeting Venue: |
Committee Room 1 - Senedd |
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Meeting date: |
Tuesday, 18 February 2014 |
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Meeting time: |
09:30 - 10:57 |
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This meeting can be viewed on Senedd
TV at: |
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Concise Minutes: |
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Assembly Members: |
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William Powell (Chair) Russell George Bethan Jenkins Joyce Watson Mike Hedges (In place of Joyce Watson) |
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Witnesses: |
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Carl Sargeant Rosemary Thomas, Welsh Government Joanne Smith, Welsh Government |
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Committee Staff: |
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Steve George (Clerk) Kayleigh Driscoll (Deputy Clerk) Kath Thomas (Deputy Clerk) Helen Roberts (Legal Advisor) |
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Transcript
View the meeting transcript.
1 Introduction, apologies and substitutions
The Chair welcomed everyone to the Committee. Mike Hedges AM was to substitute for Joyce Watson AM for the latter part of the meeting.
2 New petitions
2.1P-04-535 Save our Fire Stations
The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to:
• the Minister for Local Government and Government Business;
• the First Minister;
• Fire Brigades Union; and
• Fire authorities in Wales
seeking their views on the petition.
2.2P-04-536 Stop Factory Dairy Farming in Wales
The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to the Minister write to:
· the Minister for Housing and Regeneration; and
· the Minister for Natural Resources and Food
seeking their views on the petition.
2.3P-04-537 Planting Trees to Reduce Flooding
The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to:
· the Minister for Natural Resources and Food; and
· the Minister for Housing and Regeneration.
seeking their views on the petition.
3 Updates to previous petitions
3.1P-04-439 Ancient veteran and heritage trees of Wales to be given greater protection
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to the Minister welcoming his response and asking him to notify the Committee of:
· the structure and membership of the Task and Finish Group;
· whether the Minister would consider a nominee from Coed Cadw for the Task and Finish Group;
· the findings of the Task and Finish Group once it has completed its work and any resulting action plan.
The Committee also agreed to forward details of the petition and the Committee’s consideration of it to the Task and Finish Group.
3.2P-04-514 A Welsh clean coal and/or renewable energy power station instead of the proposed Wylfa B nuclear plant at Anglesey
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to:
· the Minister to ask if he will consider working with Hitachi regarding the options for investing in clean coal technology in Wales; and
· Hitachi regarding their work on developing clean coal technology.
3.3P-04-452 Equal Rights for Tube-fed Youngsters
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to:
- the Minister asking for his views on how the legislation and guidance around direct payments, which is to be rewritten as a consequence of the Social Care and Well-being (Wales) Bill, will improve the situation and also sharing the petitioner’s further comments on the on-going difficulties still being experienced; and
- Caerphilly Council regarding the concerns over the direct payment issue.
3.4P-04-460 Lives not Airports
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to:
· close the petition in light of the petitioner’s indication that the Committee may conclude its work and he will pursue other avenues following the Minister’s decision to endorse the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group recommendation not to recommend Pegvisomant; and
· monitor the circulation of the Ministerial Statement on the next steps following the review of the appraisal of orphan and ultra orphan medicines in Wales.
3.5P-04-466 Medical Emergency - Preventing the introduction of a poorer Health Service for North Wales
3.6P-04-479 Tywyn Memorial Hospital X-ray & Minor Injuries Unit Petition
The Committee considered correspondence on the petitions and agreed in the light of the petitioner’s comments to:
- write again to the acting Chief Executive of Betsi Cadwaladr seeking confirmation of the situation regarding minor injuries provision in GP practice in Tywyn; and
- Seek the petitioner’s views on the announcement by the Minister for Health and Social Services on the ‘study of the issues and opportunities suited to the specific needs of people living in Mid Wales’.
3.7P-04-454 Call to end Councillor and Assembly Member Dual Role
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to refer the petition to the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee to consider as part of their consideration of the draft ‘National Assembly for Wales (Disqualification) Order’.
3.8P-04-458 Keep Further Education in the Public Sector
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed that points 1, 2 and 4 of the petition had been overtaken by events and should not be pursued further and should be considered for closure. However, before doing so, the Committee agreed to write to the Minster for Education and Skills about point 3, asking for a timeframe for the introduction of the all-Wales contract for FE lecturers.
3.9P-04-489 A National affordable and priority housing Act of Wales
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to close the petition in light of the Minister’s clear statement of government policy that local planning should determine local housing needs.
3.10 P-04-510 Public inquiry into the Breckman case in Carmarthenshire
The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed seek a legal briefing before proceeding further.
4 P-04-472 Make the MTAN law: Evidence Session with the Minister for Housing and Regeneration
Carl Sargeant AM, supported by Joanne Smith and Rosemary Thomas answered questions from the Committee.