Agenda and minutes

This meeting was held in a hybrid format, with some Members in the Chamber and others joining by video-conference.

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

 

View Questions

The item started at 13.30

The first 8 questions were asked. The Presiding Officer invited party leaders to ask questions to the First Minister after question 2.

NNDM9223 Mark Drakeford (Cardiff West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. In accordance with Standing Order 26.45, agrees to consider amendments to the Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation (Wales) Bill at Report Stage.

2. In accordance with Standing Orders 33.6 and 33.8, suspends Standing Orders 11.16, 26.30, 26.45A, 26.46A and 26.59 to allow the Report Stage to be taken on 17 March 2026.

 

The item started at 14.29

NNDM9223 Mark Drakeford (Cardiff West) 

To propose that the Senedd: 

1. In accordance with Standing Order 26.45, agrees to consider amendments to the Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation (Wales) Bill at Report Stage. 

2. In accordance with Standing Orders 33.6 and 33.8, suspends Standing Orders 11.16, 26.30, 26.45A, 26.46A and 26.59 to allow the Report Stage to be taken on 17 March 2026. 

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

View Business Statement and Announcement

The item started at 14.29

The item started at 14.58

 

NDM9213 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

To propose that the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Order 27.5, approves that the draft The Representation of the People (Absent Voting and Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2026 is made in accordance with the draft laid in the Table Office on 24 February 2026.

 

The item started at 15.26

NDM9213 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

To propose that the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Order 27.5, approves that the draft The Representation of the People (Absent Voting and Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2026 is made in accordance with the draft laid in the Table Office on 24 February 2026.

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

NDM9212 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

To propose that the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Order 27.5, approves that the draft The Welsh Tax Acts etc. (Power to Modify) Act 2022 (Extension of Expiry Date) Regulations 2026 is made in accordance with the draft laid in the Table Office on 24 February 2026.

 

Supporting documents:

Report of the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

 

The item started at 15.33

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

NDM9212 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

To propose that the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Order 27.5, approves that the draft The Welsh Tax Acts etc. (Power to Modify) Act 2022 (Extension of Expiry Date) Regulations 2026 is made in accordance with the draft laid in the Table Office on 24 February 2026.

The result was as follows:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
36	0	12	48

The motion was agreed.

NDM9186 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

To propose that the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Order 20.30, approves the Second Supplementary Budget for the financial year 2025-26 laid in the Table Office on 24 February 2026.

Footnote:

In accordance with the relevant provisions contained in the Government of Wales Act 2006 and Standing Order 20, the Supplementary Budget comprises the following information:

(i) the written statement required under section 125(3) of the Government of Wales Act;

(ii) the resources agreed by the Treasury for the Welsh block budget for the financial year covered by the motion;

(iii) a reconciliation between the resources allocated to the Welsh block budget by the Treasury and the resources to be authorised for use in the motion;

(iv) a reconciliation between the estimated amounts to be paid into the Welsh Consolidated Fund by the Secretary of State and the amounts to be authorised for payment out of the Fund in the motion;

(v) a reconciliation between the resources to be authorised under section 125(1)(a) and (b) of the Act and the amounts to be authorised for payment out of the Welsh Consolidated Fund under section 125(1)(c); and

(vi) details of any revisions to the information provided in accordance with Standing Orders 20.7 – 20.7B for the draft budget, as specified in the protocol agreed under the Standing Order 20.1A

The following additional information has been made available to Members:

·         a note explaining the main changes from previous plans.

 

The item started at 15.45

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

NDM9186 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

To propose that the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Order 20.30, approves the Second Supplementary Budget for the financial year 2025-26 laid in the Table Office on 24 February 2026.

Footnote:

In accordance with the relevant provisions contained in the Government of Wales Act 2006 and Standing Order 20, the Supplementary Budget comprises the following information:

(i) the written statement required under section 125(3) of the Government of Wales Act;

(ii) the resources agreed by the Treasury for the Welsh block budget for the financial year covered by the motion;

(iii) a reconciliation between the resources allocated to the Welsh block budget by the Treasury and the resources to be authorised for use in the motion;

(iv) a reconciliation between the estimated amounts to be paid into the Welsh Consolidated Fund by the Secretary of State and the amounts to be authorised for payment out of the Fund in the motion;

(v) a reconciliation between the resources to be authorised under section 125(1)(a) and (b) of the Act and the amounts to be authorised for payment out of the Welsh Consolidated Fund under section 125(1)(c); and

(vi) details of any revisions to the information provided in accordance with Standing Orders 20.7 – 20.7B for the draft budget, as specified in the protocol agreed under the Standing Order 20.1A

The result was as follows:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
26	21	3	50

The motion was agreed.

NDM9211 Lynne Neagle (Torfaen)

To propose that the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Order 29.6, agrees that provisions in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill in so far as they have regard to devolved matters, should be considered by the UK Parliament.

A Legislative Consent Memorandum was laid in Table Office on 24 March 2025 and Supplementary Legislative Consent Memoranda were laid in Table Office on 28 May 2025, 12 June 2025, 16 January 2026, and 10 March 2026, in accordance with Standing Order 29.2.

A copy of the Bill can be found on the UK Parliament website:

Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill

 

Supporting documents:

Reports of the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee on memoranda nos.1,2 and 3.

Government response to the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee reports on memoranda nos. 1,2 and 3.

Reports of the Children, Young People and Education Committee on memoranda nos.1, 2, 3 and no.4.

 

The item started at 16.16

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

NDM9211 Lynne Neagle (Torfaen)

To propose that the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Order 29.6, agrees that provisions in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill in so far as they have regard to devolved matters, should be considered by the UK Parliament.

A Legislative Consent Memorandum was laid in Table Office on 24 March 2025 and Supplementary Legislative Consent Memoranda were laid in Table Office on 28 May 2025, 12 June 2025, 16 January 2026, and 10 March 2026, in accordance with Standing Order 29.2.

A copy of the Bill can be found on the UK Parliament website:

Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill

The result was as follows:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
37	0	13	50

The motion was agreed.

 

The item started at 16.58

 

In accordance with Standing Order 12.18, at 17.01 the Presiding Officer suspended the meeting to allow a break before the next item. The bell was rung at 17.06

The amendments will be disposed of in the order which the sections and schedules to which they relate were set out in the motion under Standing Order 26.36 agreed by the Senedd on 10 March 2026.

 

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

 

1. Trigger event A: courts to notify the Presiding Officer, and early termination of a recall poll

1, 2, 4 

 

2. Trigger event B: recall guidance

20, 10 

 

3. Regulations about recall polls

3 

 

4. Disqualification following removal of a Member of the Senedd following a recall poll

11 

 

5. Review of Part 1

21 

 

6. Standards of Conduct Committee

12, 18, 5, 6, 7, 8, 16 

 

7. Report on applying code of conduct to conduct while a candidate in an election 

19 

 

8. Senedd Commissioner for Standards: eligibility

9 

 

9. Senedd Commissioner for Standards: investigations

17 

 

10. Senedd Commissioner for Standards - provision relating to the Welsh language

14, 15 

 

11. Conduct of Senedd Cymru elections

13

 

Supporting documents:

Senedd Cymru (Member Accountability and Elections) Bill (as amended at Stage 2)

Explanatory Memorandum

Marshalled list of amendments

Groupings of amendments

 

 

The item started at 17.14

The amendments were 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 agreed by the Senedd on 10 March 2026.

Amendment 1 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

A vote was taken on amendment 20:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
13	0	38	51

Amendment 20 was not agreed.

Amendment 10 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

Amendment 2 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

Amendment 3 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

A vote was taken on amendment 11:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
24	0	27	51

Amendment 11 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on amendment 21:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
24	0	27	51

Amendment 21 was not agreed.

Amendment 4 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

A vote was taken on amendment 12:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
25	1	26	52

As required by Standing Order 6.20 the Presiding Officer exercised her casting vote by voting against the amendment. Therefore, the amendment was not agreed. 

A vote was taken on amendment 18:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
50	1	0	51

Amendment 18 was agreed.

Amendment 5 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

Amendment 6 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

Amendment 7 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

Amendment 8 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

A vote was taken on amendment 16:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
50	0	1	51

Amendment 16 was agreed.

A vote was taken on amendment 19:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
50	0	1	51

Amendment 19 was agreed.

Amendment 9 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

A vote was taken on amendment 17:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
50	0	1	51

Amendment 17 was agreed.

A vote was taken on amendment 14:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
14	0	37	51

Amendment 14 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on amendment 15:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
50	0	1	51

Amendment 15 was agreed.

A vote was taken on amendment 13:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
25	0	26	51

Amendment 13 was not agreed.

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

 

The item started at 18.26

 

The Counsel General and Minister for Delivery proposed that the Bill be passed in accordance with Standing Order 26.47. 

 

In accordance with Standing Order 26.50C, voting on the motion under this item was deferred until Voting Time. 

 

A vote was taken on the motion: 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
50	0	1	51

 

The motion was agreed. 

 

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

 

1: Application of Act to special cases 

1, 2 

 

Supporting documents

Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation (Wales) Bill [as amended at stage 3]

Marshalled list of amendments

Groupings of amendments

 

The item started at 18.42

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. 

 

Amendment 1 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36. 

 

Amendment 2 was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36. 

 

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

 

The item started at 18.45

 

The item started at 18.46

In accordance with Standing Order 26.50C, voting on the motion under this item was deferred until Voting Time. 

 

The result was as follows:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
51	0	0	51

The motion was agreed.

 

NDM9221 Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore)

To propose that the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Order 26.47:

Approves the Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Wales) Bill.

Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Wales) Bill, as amended at Stage 3

The item started at 19.02

In accordance with Standing Order 26.50C, voting on the motion under this item was deferred until Voting Time. 

 

NDM9221 Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore)

To propose that the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Order 26.47:

Approves the Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Wales) Bill.

Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Wales) Bill, as amended at Stage 3

The result was as follows:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
39	2	10	51

The motion was agreed.

 

The item started at 19.38