Decision details

A Government Bill, introduced by Alun Davies AM, Minister for Natural Resources and Food. An Emergency Bill is a Government Bill that needs to be enacted more quickly than the Assembly’s usual four stage legislative process allows. A definition of an Emergency Bill is not provided in the Government of Wales Act 2006 (“the 2006 Act”) or in the Assembly’s Standing Orders, however Standing Order 26.95 states that:

 

“If it appears to a member of the government that an Emergency Bill is required, he or she may by motion propose that a government Bill, to be introduced in the Assembly, be treated as a government Emergency Bill.”

 

As with all Assembly Bills, Emergency Bills must relate to one or more of the 20 Subjects contained in Schedule 7 to the 2006 Act in order for it to be within the scope of the Assembly’s legislative powers.

 

About the Bill

 

The Bill contains provisions that:

 

• Preserve the current level of statutory protections;
• Provide the Welsh Ministers with the power to make future Orders prescribing agricultural terms and conditions;
• Provide Welsh Ministers with the power to establish an Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales to carry out similar but more modified functions of the Agricultural Wages Board;
• Enable the Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales to carry out functions related to the operation of the agricultural sector, including promoting careers in agriculture and making recommendations to the Welsh Ministers to specify minimum terms and conditions; and
• Assist the foundation for a resilient, sustainable and well-trained agricultural sector in Wales;
• Promote upskilling in the agricultural sector.

 

Current stage

 

The Agricultural Sector (Wales) Act 2014 became law in Wales on 30 July 2014.

 

An explanation of the various stages of Assembly Bills can be found here.

 

Stage	Documents
Motion to propose this be treated as a Government Emergency Bill   Motion to agree a timetable	Tabled 25 June, for debate on 2 July 2013
Bill introduced – 8 July 2013	Agricultural Sector (Wales) Bill, as introduced   Explanatory Memorandum   Presiding Officer’s Statement: 8 July 2013   Research Service Bill Summary   Legislative Glossary – Agricultural Sector (Wales) Bill (Welsh language version only)
Stage 1 - General Principles debate (in Plenary)	A debate took place in Plenary on 9 July 2013. The motion to agree the general principles of the Bill was agreed.
Financial Resolution (if required)	A Financial Resolution in relation to the Agricultural Sector (Wales) Bill was agreed in Plenary on 9 July 2013.
Stage 2 – Committee consideration of amendments	Stage 2 consideration took place in the Committee of the Whole Assembly on 16 July 2013.   Concise Minutes: 16 July 2013   Notice of Amendments 10 July 2013 Notice of Amendments 11 July 2013 Notice of Amendments 12 July 2013 Marshalled List of Amendments 16 July 2013 Groupings of Amendments 16 July 2013   Agricultural Sector (Wales) Bill, as amended at Stage 2 (Amendments to the Bill since the previous version are indicated by sidelining in the right margin.)
Stage 3 – Plenary consideration of amendments	Stage 3 consideration and disposal of amendments took place in Plenary on 17 July 2013.   Marshalled List of Amendments 17 July 2013 Groupings of Amendments 17 July 2013 Agricultural Sector (Wales) Bill, as passed (Amendments to the Bill since the previous version are indicated by sidelining in the right margin.)
Stage 4 – Passing of the Bill in Plenary	The Bill was agreed by the Assembly in accordance with SO 12.36 on 17 July 2013.   Agricultural Sector (Wales) Bill, as passed (Crown XML)
Post Stage 4	The Attorney General has written to the Chief Executive and Clerk of the Assembly to advise that he will be referring the Bill to the Supreme Court under Section 112 of the Government of Wales Act 2006.   The Chief Executive and Clerk of the Assembly has written to all Assembly Members advising of this. This letter can be found here together with copies of the Attorney General’s letter and the responses from the Counsel General and Secretary of State for Wales.   The Bill was referred to the Supreme Court. Judgement on this case was received on 9 July 2014. The judgement found the Bill to be within the competence of the National Assembly for Wales.
Royal Assent	Royal Assent was given on 30 July 2014.

 

Contact information

 

Clerk: Bethan Davies

 

Phone: 029 2089 8120

 

Postal address:

National Assembly for Wales

Cardiff Bay

CF99 1NA

The item started at 17.35

In accordance with Standing Order 26.36, amendments will be disposed of in the order which the sections and schedules to which they relate, arise in the Bill.

The Amendments have been grouped for the purposes of debate and the groupings will be debated as follows:

1. The Panel

34, 63, 16, 64, 17, 18, 65, 66, 67, 27, 28, 68, 29, 32, 33, 69

 

2. Agricultural Wages Order

4, 5, 19, 6, 50, 7, 20, 8, 9, 46, 10, 21, 22, 2, 1, 11A, 11, 12, 23, 13, 15

 

3. Enforcement and Offences

51, 52, 53, 54, 35, 57, 30

 

4. Holiday entitlement and enforcement

47, 48, 56, 49

 

5. Information and records

58, 59, 60, 36

 

6. Review and duration of Act

37, 38, 39, 40, 24, 41, 42, 43

 

7. Orders and Regulations

3, 25, 31, 26, 14

 

8. Definition of Agriculture and Agricultural Worker

44, 45, 61

 

9. Restrictions on the Panel and Welsh Ministers

62

Voting was taken in the order set out in the Marshalled List of Amendments.

A vote was taken on Amendment 34:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
16	8	26	50

Amendment 34 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 63:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	0	33	50

Amendment 63 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 4:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
39	0	12	51

Amendment 4 was agreed.

As amendment 4 was agreed, amendments 16 and 64 fell.

A vote was taken on Amendment 17:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	8	26	51

Amendment 17 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 18:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	8	26	51

Amendment 18 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 65:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	0	34	51

Amendment 65 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 66:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	0	34	51

Amendment 66 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 67:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
12	0	39	51

Amendment 67 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 27:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
24	1	26	51

Amendment 27 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 28:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	8	26	51

Amendment 28 was not agreed.

As amendment 28 was not agreed, amendments 32 and 33 fell.

A vote was taken on Amendment 68:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	0	34	51

Amendment 68 was not agreed.

As amendment 68 was not agreed, amendment 69 fell.

A vote was taken on Amendment 5:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
38	0	13	51

Amendment 5 was agreed.

As amendment 5 was agreed, amendment 19 fell.

A vote was taken on Amendment 6:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
39	1	11	51

Amendment 6 was agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 50:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	0	34	51

Amendment 50 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 7:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
39	0	12	51

Amendment 7 was agreed.

As amendment 7 was agreed, amendment 20 fell.

A vote was taken on Amendment 8:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
39	0	12	51

Amendment 8 was agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 9:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
39	0	12	51

Amendment 9 was agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 46:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	8	26	51

Amendment 46 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 10:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
39	0	12	51

Amendment 10 was agreed.

As amendment 10 was agreed, amendments 21, 22 and 2 fell.

A vote was taken on Amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
13	0	38	51

Amendment 1 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 11A:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
12	0	39	51

Amendment 11A was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 11:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
39	0	12	51

Amendment 11 was agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 51:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	0	33	50

Amendment 51 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 52:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	7	26	50

Amendment 52 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 53:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	7	26	50

Amendment 53 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 54:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	7	26	50

Amendment 54 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 35:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	0	33	50

Amendment 35 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 47:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	7	26	50

Amendment 47 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 48:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	7	25	49

Amendment 48 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 56:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	7	26	50

Amendment 56 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 49:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	7	26	50

Amendment 49 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 57:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	7	26	50

Amendment 57 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 58:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	6	26	49

Amendment 58 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 59:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	6	26	49

Amendment 59 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 60:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
16	6	26	48

Amendment 60 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 36:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
23	0	26	49

Amendment 36 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 12:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
38	0	12	50

Amendment 12 was agreed.

Amendment 23 was not moved.

A vote was taken on Amendment 13:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
39	0	9	48

Amendment 13 was agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 29:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	7	26	50

Amendment 29 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 37:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
15	2	34	51

Amendment 37 was not agreed.

As amendment 37 was not agreed, amendment 39 fell.

A vote was taken on Amendment 38:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	0	34	51

Amendment 38 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 40:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	0	34	51

Amendment 40 was not agreed.

As amendment 40 was not agreed, amendment 43 fell.

A vote was taken on Amendment 24:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	0	34	51

Amendment 24 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 41:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	0	34	51

Amendment 41 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 42:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
12	0	39	51

Amendment 42 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 30:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
25	0	26	51

Amendment 30 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 3:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
25	0	26	51

Amendment 3 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 25:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	0	34	51

Amendment 25 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 31:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	0	34	51

Amendment 31 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 26:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	0	34	51

Amendment 26 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 14:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
39	0	12	51

Amendment 14 was agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 15:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
39	0	12	51

Amendment 15 was agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 44:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
16	8	26	50

Amendment 44 was not agreed.

As amendment 44 was not agreed, amendment 45 fell.

A vote was taken on Amendment 32:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
16	8	26	50

Amendment 32 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 61:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
18	8	26	50

Amendment 61 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on Amendment 62:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	8	26	51

Amendment 62 was not agreed.

All sections and schedules of the Bill were deemed agreed, concluding Stage 3 proceedings.