Agenda and decisions

The Presiding Officer will call the Party Leaders to ask questions without notice to the First Minister after Question 2.

 

View Questions

 

Item started at 13.30

 

14 questions were asked.  Question 10 was not asked. The Presiding Officer invited party leaders to ask questions to the First Minister after Question 2.

View Business Statement and Announcement

Item started at 14.27

Item started at 14.40

Item started at 15.16

Supporting Documents
A Compact for Change between the Welsh Government and Welsh Local Government

The Welsh Government's Collaborative Footprint for Public Services

 

Item started at 15.47

NDM4888 Gwenda Thomas (Neath)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales in accordance with Standing Order 29.6 agrees that in addition to the provisions referred to in motion NDM4713 the further provisions referred to in the Welfare Reform Bill relating to the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, in so far as they fall within the legislative competence of the National Assembly for Wales, should be considered by the UK Parliament.

Supporting Documents
A Legislative Consent Memorandum has been laid in Table Office on 3 January 2012 in accordance with Standing Order 29.2(iii).

A copy of the Welfare Reform Bill can be found at:
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-11/welfarereform.html

Report of the Children and Young People Committee

Item started at 16.10

The Motion was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

 

NDM4897 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes:

a) the European Commission’s legislative proposals for Structural Fund, and Rural and Fisheries programmes;

b) the Welsh Government's "Reflection exercise" which seeks stakeholders' views on the strategic priorities for the prospective European programmes in Wales (2014–2020); and

c) the Welsh Government's commitment to strengthening further Wales' links with the EU institutions in the development and implementation of its European Programmes.

The European Commission’s legislative proposals for Common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund are available on the following link:

The European Commission’s legislative proposals for Structural Funds are available on the following links:

- European Regional Development Fund

-European Social Fund

-European Territorial Cooperation

The European Commission’s legislative proposals for the Rural programme are available on the following link:

-European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development

The following amendments have been tabled:

Amendment 1 - William Graham (South Wales East)

In point c) delete all after ‘institutions’ and replace with:

‘is best achieved by delivering European Programmes efficiently, effectively and ensuring maximum benefit for the people of Wales’.

Amendment 2 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

Add new point at end of motion:

Acknowledges that UK European policy may not be in the best interests of Wales and calls on the Welsh Government to develop the capacity for direct representations to EU institutions.

Amendment 3 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Welcomes the proposed move to monitor outcomes rather than outputs and the opportunity this could create to improve the impact of the next round of structural funding.

Amendment 4 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that all remaining money in the current round of funding is targeted at schemes which create sustainable jobs.

 

Item started at 16.31

 

Voting on the motion and amendments under this item was deferred until Voting Time.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 - William Graham (South Wales East)

In point c) delete all after ‘institutions’ and replace with:

‘is best achieved by delivering European Programmes efficiently, effectively and ensuring maximum benefit for the people of Wales’.

A vote was taken on Amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
23	0	25	48

Amendment 1 was not agreed.

Amendment 2 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

Add new point at end of motion:

Acknowledges that UK European policy may not be in the best interests of Wales and calls on the Welsh Government to develop the capacity for direct representations to EU institutions.

A vote was taken on Amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
35	0	13	48

Amendment 2 was agreed.

Amendment 3 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Welcomes the proposed move to monitor outcomes rather than outputs and the opportunity this could create to improve the impact of the next round of structural funding.

A vote was taken on Amendment 3:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
48	0	0	48

Amendment 3 was agreed.

Amendment 4 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that all remaining money in the current round of funding is targeted at schemes which create sustainable jobs.

A vote was taken on Amendment 4:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
48	0	0	48

Amendment 4 was agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM4897 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes:

a) the European Commission’s legislative proposals for Structural Fund, and Rural and Fisheries programmes;

b) the Welsh Government's "Reflection exercise" which seeks stakeholders' views on the strategic priorities for the prospective European programmes in Wales (2014–2020); and

c) the Welsh Government's commitment to strengthening further Wales' links with the EU institutions in the development and implementation of its European Programmes.

2.  Acknowledges that UK European policy may not be in the best interests of Wales and calls on the Welsh Government to develop the capacity for direct representations to EU institutions.

3.  Welcomes the proposed move to monitor outcomes rather than outputs and the opportunity this could create to improve the impact of the next round of structural funding.

4.  Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that all remaining money in the current round of funding is targeted at schemes which create sustainable jobs.

For	Abstain	Against	Total
35	0	13	48

 The motion as amended was agreed.

 

NDM4896 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

Notes the new Communities First Programme, which will focus on tackling poverty with community involvement being a key principle.

Supporting Documents
Communities First - The Future: Consultation seeking views on the changes proposed to the Communities First programme

Summary of Ministerial Decisions:

The following amendments have been tabled:

Amendment 1 - William Graham (South Wales East)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Notes that the new Communities First Programme will require a foundation of effective corporate governance to enable the creation of independent Community Organisations.

Amendment 2 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

Add new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that the appropriate evaluation is built into all Communities First projects in order to measure success and to enable improvements to be made during the lifetime of the projects

Amendment 3 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Regrets that the original Communities First programme did not focus on tackling poverty

Amendment 4 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Notes that the Public Accounts Committee’s report into Communities First concluded that ‘the Communities First programme cannot demonstrate value for money.’

The Public Account Committee report can be accessed on the following link:

http://www.assemblywales.org/cr-ld7923.pdf

Amendment 5 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Notes that, in its report, ‘Regenerating Communities First Neighbourhoods’, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation identified only ‘marginal improvements’ in Communities First areas.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation report can be accessed on the following link:

Amendment 6 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that its new Communities First programme delivers better results than its predecessor

Amendment 7 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that its new Communities First programme has clear, relevant and measurable targets to tackle poverty.

 

Item started at 17.23

 

Voting on the motion and amendments under this item was deferred until Voting Time.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 - William Graham (South Wales East)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Notes that the new Communities First Programme will require a foundation of effective corporate governance to enable the creation of independent Community Organisations.

A vote was taken on Amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
23	0	25	48

Amendment 1 was not agreed.

Amendment 2 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

Add new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that the appropriate evaluation is built into all Communities First projects in order to measure success and to enable improvements to be made during the lifetime of the projects

A vote was taken on Amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
49	0	0	49

Amendment 2 was agreed.

Amendment 3 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Regrets that the original Communities First programme did not focus on tackling poverty

A vote was taken on Amendment 3:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
18	6	25	49

Amendment 3 was not agreed.

Amendment 4 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Notes that the Public Accounts Committee’s report into Communities First concluded that ‘the Communities First programme cannot demonstrate value for money.’

The Public Account Committee report can be accessed on the following link:

http://www.assemblywales.org/cr-ld7923.pdf

A vote was taken on Amendment 4:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
18	6	25	49

Amendment 4 was not agreed.

Amendment 5 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Notes that, in its report, ‘Regenerating Communities First Neighbourhoods’, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation identified only ‘marginal improvements’ in Communities First areas.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation report can be accessed on the following link:

http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/communities-regeneration-Wales-full.pdf[Opens in a new browser window]

A vote was taken on Amendment 5:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
24	0	25	49

Amendment 5 was not agreed.

Amendment 6 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that its new Communities First programme delivers better results than its predecessor

A vote was taken on Amendment 6:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
49	0	0	49

Amendment 6 was agreed.

Amendment 7 - Peter Black (South Wales West)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that its new Communities First programme has clear, relevant and measurable targets to tackle poverty.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 7:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
49	0	0	49

Amendment 7 was agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM4896 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

Notes the new Communities First Programme, which will focus on tackling poverty with community involvement being a key principle.

Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that the appropriate evaluation is built into all Communities First projects in order to measure success and to enable improvements to be made during the lifetime of the projects.

Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that its new Communities First programme delivers better results than its predecessor.

Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that its new Communities First programme has clear, relevant and measurable targets to tackle poverty.

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
36	13	0	49

The motion as amended was agreed.

 

 

Voting time started at 18.22