Meeting Venue:
Y Siambr - Senedd
Meeting date:
Wednesday, 13 March 2019
Meeting time: 13.30
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The Presiding Officer will invite nominations for the chair of the following committee, in accordance with Standing Order 17.2F:
(i) Petitions Committee
To ask the First Minister:
Adam Price (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government’s policy on Brexit following the rejection of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement in the House of Commons last night?
(45 mins)
The Presiding Officer will call party spokespeople to ask questions without notice after Question 2.
(45 mins)
The Presiding Officer will call party spokespeople to ask questions without notice after Question 2.
No Topical Questions were accepted
(5 mins)
(30 mins)
(120 mins)
The amendments will be disposed of in the order that the sections and schedules to which they relate were set out in the motion under Standing Order 26.36 as agreed by the Assembly on 6 March 2019.
The amendments have been grouped for the purposes of debate and the groupings will be debated as follows:
Group 1: Gender-neutral language 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 16, 21
Group 2: Appointment of Ombudsman 44, 45
Group 3: Investigation of a health related service: Costs recovery 30, 6, 8, 9
Group 4: Auditor General: Laying the certified accounts 49
Group 5: Drafting corrections 2, 7, 10, 12, 13
Group 6: Own initiative investigations 3, 4, 14, 15, 19
Group 7: Making complaints 5, 17, 18
Group 8: Nolan Principles 46
Group 9: Complaints-handling procedures 47, 11, 48
Group 10: Regulation making powers 20
Group 11: Review of Act 39, 40, 41, 42
Group 12: Functions of the Assembly 43
Group 13: Overview 1
Supporting documents
Public
Services Ombudsman (Wales) Bill
Explanatory
Memorandum
Marshalled List of Amendments
Groupings of Amendments
(60 mins)
NDM6989 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)
To propose that the National Assembly for Wales;
1. Notes the Welsh Government’s decision to merge the Countryside Council for Wales, Environment Agency Wales, and the Forestry Commission Wales with the formation of Natural Resources Wales (NRW) in 2013.
2. Recognises the hard work of frontline staff in the organisation but acknowledges their dissatisfaction and lack of confidence in the decisions taken by senior management, as regularly expressed in staff surveys since NRW’s inception.
3. Regrets that NRW has systematically failed the people of Wales through a number of high-profile scandals, including:
a) serious failings in the handling of timber contracts which auditors, Grant Thornton, stated were so bad they "heightened exposure to the risk of fraud";
b) the ‘qualification’ of the organisation’s accounts by the Wales Audit Office for three years running, indicating that there were questions over whether the organisation had acted within the rules;
c) the contradictory approach led by NRW when deciding to intervene on matters of public interest such as shooting on public land and nuclear mud dumping.
4. Calls on the Welsh Government to instigate an independent review/inquiry into the organisation’s failings and to investigate alternative proposals for the management of the natural resources of Wales.
Grant Thornton - Natural Resources Wales - Governance of Timber Sales - 3 February 2019
Natural Resources Wales - Annual Report and Accounts 2015-16
Natural Resources Wales - Annual Report and Accounts 2016-17
Natural Resources Wales - Annual Report and Accounts 2017-18
The following amendments were tabled:
Amendment 1 - Rebecca Evans (Gower)
Delete points 3 and 4 replace with new points:
Notes the findings and recommendations of the reports by:
a) National Assembly Public Accounts Committee inquiry into NRW’s annual report and accounts 2017-2018 – November 2018;
b) Grant Thornton - Natural Resources Wales - Governance of Timber Sales - February 2019.
Welcomes the appointment of a new chief executive and interim chair of NRW and their commitment to implement the recommendations of the two reports and improve the management and governance of NRW.
Public Accounts Committee - Natural Resources Wales
Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2017-18 – November 2018
[If amendment 1 is agreed, amendments 2 and 3 will be de-selected]
Amendment 2 - Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)
In point 3, replace “Regrets that NRW has systematically failed the people of Wales through a number of high-profile scandals” with “Regrets the series of high profile failures in NRW”.
Amendment 3 - Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)
Delete point 4 and replace with:
Calls on the Welsh Government to establish an independent review to ascertain whether it is still appropriate for NRW to continue to manage the commercial forest estate in Wales and consider any potential alternative models.
Amendment 4 - Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)
Add as new point at end of motion:
Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that NRW is properly resourced to adequately fulfil all of its duties.
(30 mins)
NDM6988 Mike Hedges (Swansea East)
The importance of apprenticeships: Why we need people qualified in trades.
The Assembly will sit again in Plenary at 13.30, Tuesday, 19 March 2019