Concise Minutes - Petitions Committee

Meeting Venue:

Committee Room 1 - Senedd

Meeting date: Tuesday, 12 July 2016

Meeting time: 09.00 - 09.40
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/3605

Attendance

Category	Names
Assembly Members:	Neil McEvoy AM Janet Finch-Saunders AM Gareth Bennett AM Mike Hedges AM (Chair)
Witnesses:
Committee Staff:	Steve George (Clerk) Kath Thomas (Deputy Clerk) Jessica England (Deputy Clerk) Katie Wyatt (Legal Adviser)

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Transcript

View the meeting transcript (PDF 126KB) View as HTML (129KB)

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1 Introduction, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

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

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2 New petitions - with Ministerial Responses

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2.1 P-04-685 Basic Payment Scheme in Wales - a Fairer, Regional Payment Model Required

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to close it, given that the response from the then Deputy Minister for Farming and Food addressed the issues it raises.

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2.2 P-04-686 Install a Traffic Lights System at Cross Hands Roundabout

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure to ask for an update on the position.

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2.3 P-04-687 Review of Scalloping in Cardigan Bay

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to ask the petitioner whether he has any comments in response to the Minister’s letter and consider the petition again at the next meeting.

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3 Other New Petitions

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3.1 P-05-689 Improvements to the Railway Provision at Kidwelly Carmarthenshire

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to seek the views of the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure on the issues raised by the petition.

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3.2 P-05-690 Resurfacing of the A40 Raglan - Abergavenny Road

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to seek the views of the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure on the issues raised by the petition.

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3.3 P-05-691 A Fair Deal for Forest Rallying in Wales

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to seek the views of the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure on the issues raised by the petition.

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3.4 P-05-692 Build an International Mother Languages Monument at Cardiff Bay

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to seek the views of the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure on the issues raised by the petition.

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3.5 P-05-693 Give Every Child in Wales the Meningitis B Vaccine for Free

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to seek the views of the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport on the issues raised by the petition.

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3.6 P-05-694 School Times an Hour Later

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to seek the views of the Cabinet Secretary for Education on the issues raised by the petition.

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3.7 P-05-695 Introduce Compulsory Mental Health Education in Secondary Schools

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to seek the views of the Cabinet Secretary for Education on the issues raised by the petition.

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3.8 P-05-654 Objection to the Current Proposals for the Designation of SAC's for Porpoises

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to seek the views of the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs on the issues raised by the petition.

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3.9 P-05-697 45000 Reasons Wales Needs a Dementia Strategy

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to seek the views of the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport on the issues raised by the petition.

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4 Updates to previous petitions

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4.1 P-04-365 Protect Buildings of Note on the Mid Wales Hospital Site

The Committee considered correspondence from Brecon Beacons National Park Authority and, given that the petition was first considered over 4 years ago and the next steps involve operational decisions for the local authorities to take forward, agreed to close it.

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4.2 P-04-445 Save Our Welsh Cats & Dogs From Death on the Roads

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and, given that the petition was first considered over 3 years ago and there is little likelihood of the policy being changed in the near future, agreed to close it.

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4.3 P-04-544 Ban the Shooting of Greenland White-fronted Geese

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and, given the Minister's confirmation that the Welsh Government is in the process of reviewing the shooting of White-fronted geese in Wales, agreed to close the petition.

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4.4 P-04-547 Ban Polystyrene(EPS) Fast Food and Drinks Packaging

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs to:

· ask for an update on the joint research project with the Marine Conservation Society and Swansea University to look into this and other matters commissioned by the then Minister for Natural Resources;

· emphasise the importance of collecting the relevant data to provide the necessary evidence to properly address the problem.

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4.5 P-04-572 Grants for Flood Resilience

The Committee considered correspondence from Natural Resources Wales and agreed to close the petition.  In doing so, they also agreed to ask the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee to note the issues raised by the Committee when considering their forward work programme.

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4.6 P-04-440 Say NO to Asset Stripping Bronllys Hospital

The Committee considered an update from Powys Teaching Health Board and agreed to close the petition as Members felt that the matter would now be best taken forward at a more local level.

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4.7 P-04-553 A Full and Independent Investigation in to the Health Risks of Wireless and Mobile Phone Technologies in Wales Including all Schools

The Committee considered correspondence from the Minister for Health and Social Services and agreed to write to the PHE-CRCE to ask what action they have taken following receipt of information sent to them by the Minister at the request of the previous Committee.

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4.8 P-04-564 Restoration of Inpatient Beds, Minor Injuries Cover and X-Ray Unit to the Ffestiniog Memorial Hospital

The Committee considered correspondence from the Minister for Health and Social Services and agreed to ask the new Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport for an update on plans to address the concerns raised by the petition.

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4.9 P-04-663 Food in Welsh Hospitals

The Committee considered correspondence from the then Minister for Health and Social Services and also from Local Health Boards and agreed to forward the information received so far to the Auditor General, and to ask him for an update on work he is currently undertaking around the provision of food in Welsh hospitals.

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4.10P-04-668 Support Yearly Screening for Ovarian Cancer (CA125 blood test)

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition from the then Minister for Health and Social Services and the petitioner and agreed to carry out a short piece of work on the issues raised and to ask the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport and the petitioner to attend Committee in the Autumn term.

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4.11P-04-446 Business Rate Relief for Welsh Charity Shops

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition from the then Minister for Economy, Science and Transport and, given the position set out in the Minister’s response and that the petition has been under consideration for over three years, agreed to close the petition.

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4.12P-04-468 Road Safety Concerns A48 Chepstow

The Committee considered correspondence from the then Minister for Economy, Science and Transport and, given the Minister’s indication that there will be no immediate reduction in the speed limit, agreed to close the petition.

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4.13P-04-539 Save Cardiff Coal Exchange

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to seek an update from the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure and also the Leader of Cardiff City Council.

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4.14P-04-594 Cilmeri Community Council Appeal for The Prince Llywelyn Monument

The Committee considered correspondence from the then Minister for Economy, Science and Transport and agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure to ask for an update on the current situation.

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4.15P-04-667 Roundabout for the A477/ A4075 Junction

The Committee considered correspondence from the then Minister for Economy, Science and Transport and the petitioner and agreed to write to the new Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure asking for an update on the Stage 4 Audit and how the petitioners’ views will be taken into account.

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4.16P-04-678 Infirm Supports

The Committee considered correspondence from the petitioner and agreed to close the petition.

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4.17P-04 658 The Brimmon Oak

The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure and the petitioner and, given the positive response from the new Cabinet Secretary and previous assurances around protecting the Brimmon Oak, agreed to close the petition.

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4.18P-04-637 To Protect the Future of Youth Music in Wales

The Committee considered correspondence from the then Minister for Education and Skills and the WLGA and agreed to press the WJEC for a response to previous requests for information.  In doing so, Members also wished to express their disappointment at the WJEC’s lack of response to previous correspondence.

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4.19P-04-655 Demanding our Rights for the Welsh Language in the Private Sector

The Committee considered correspondence from the First Minister, the Welsh Language Commissioner and the former Chair of the Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee and in view of all the responses received, and the recommendation in the Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee’s legacy report, agreed to close the petition.

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4.20P-04-660 Additional Pressures on Funding for Education Provision Faced by Sparsely Populated Areas

The Committee considered correspondence from the then Minister for Education and Skills and agreed to close the petition.  In doing so, they also agreed to write to the Chair of the Finance Committee, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government and the Cabinet Secretary for Education, to ask them to take the issues raised into account in the next budget round.

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4.21P-04-677 Equal Access to Welsh Language

The Committee considered correspondence from the then Minister for Education and Skills and agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education to ask her to update the Committee once the new National Centre for Welsh for Adults and government officials have completed their consideration of the issues around provision and fees.

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4.22P-04-656 Establishing a Conscientious Objectors Day in Wales

The Committee considered correspondence from the First Minister and the former Presiding Officer and agreed to close the petition.

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4.23P-04-661 Prohibit Online Use and Electronic Voting by Assembly Members in the Senedd Chamber

The Committee considered correspondence from the former Presiding Officer and agreed to close the petition.

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4.24P-04-674 Say no to Dyfed

The Committee considered correspondence from the then Minister for Public Services and agreed to keep the petition open and consider it further when the new Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government brings forward proposals for the future structure of local government.

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4.25P-04-684 We Demand Better more Effective Welsh HMO Planning Laws and a New Use Classes Order

The Committee considered correspondence from the then Minister for Natural Resources and, in the light of that reply and particularly the recent introduction of legislation in this area, agreed to close the petition.

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