Agenda and draft minutes

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

The Presiding Officer will call party spokespeople to ask questions without notice to the Cabinet Secretary after Question 2.  

View Questions  

The item started at 13.30

The first 8 questions were asked. Question 6 was answered by the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership. The Presiding Officer invited party spokespeople to ask questions to the Cabinet Secretary after question 2.

 

The Presiding Officer will call party spokespeople to ask questions without notice to the Cabinet Secretary after Question 2.  

View Questions  

The item started at 14.16

 

The first 8 questions were asked. The Presiding Officer invited party spokespeople to ask questions to the Cabinet Secretary after question 2.

To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning

David Rees (Aberavon): What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact of the UK Government's steel strategy on the future of the steel industry in Wales?

The item started at 15.13
Answered by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning
David Rees (Aberavon): What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact of the UK Government's steel strategy on the future of the steel industry in Wales?

NDM9224 Buffy Williams (Rhondda) 

To propose that the Senedd: 

Notes the report of the Children, Young People and Education Committee ‘Teacher recruitment and retention’ which was laid in the Table Office on 29 January 2026. 

Notes the response from the Welsh Government which was laid in the Table Office on 18 March 2026. 

The item started at 15.38 

NDM9224 Buffy Williams (Rhondda)  

To propose that the Senedd:  

Notes the report of the Children, Young People and Education Committee ‘Teacher recruitment and retention’ which was laid in the Table Office on 29 January 2026.  

Notes the response from the Welsh Government which was laid in the Table Office on 18 March 2026.  

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36. 

NDM9234 Delyth Jewell (South Wales East) 

To propose that the Senedd: 

Notes the report of the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee: ‘Cymraeg for all?’ which was laid in the Table Office on 4 February 2026. 

Note: The response of the Welsh Government to the report was laid in the Table Office on 18 March 2026.

The item started at 16.19

NDM9234 Delyth Jewell (South Wales East) 

To propose that the Senedd: 

Notes the report of the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee: ‘Cymraeg for all?’ which was laid in the Table Office on 4 February 2026. 

Note: The response of the Welsh Government to the report was laid in the Table Office on 18 March 2026.

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

NDM9235 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire) 

To propose that the Senedd: 

1. Believes that 27 years of Welsh Labour Governments, propped up by Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats, have failed to improve the lives of the people of Wales, and that only the Welsh Conservatives have a credible plan to fix Wales and get Wales working. 

The following amendments were tabled:  

Amendment 1 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

 Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the Senedd:

1.     Supports the Welsh Labour Government’s record of delivering for the people of Wales, including:

a)    the largest and most sustained reduction in the overall waiting list on record and the fastest fall in two-year waits on record;

b)    almost £4 billion invested in new school and college buildings in every part of Wales;

c)    creating or safeguarding more than 50,000 private sector jobs this term;

d)    delivering improvement in roads, transformation of the rail fleet, and a new law bringing bus services back under public control;

e)    the highest sustained delivery of social housing in nearly two decades;

f)     Wales continuing to be ranked second in the world for recycling, up from five per cent recycling at the start of devolution to over 68 per cent today;

g)    over £7 billion invested to keep money in people’s pockets; and

h)    the biggest investment in public services in the history of devolution, through the Final Budget for 2026-27.

Welsh Government's Final Budget 2026 to 2027

If amendment 1 is agreed, amendments 2 and 3 will be de-selected.   

Amendment 2 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

Delete all and replace with:

1. Believes that 27 years of Labour First Ministers of Wales, as well as successive Conservative and Labour UK Governments, have failed to improve the lives of the people of Wales.

2. Further believes that parties not solely focused on Wales, or based in Wales, will never prioritise the interests of the people of Wales, and that only Plaid Cymru has a comprehensive and credible plan to deliver the new leadership Wales needs.

If amendment 2 is agreed, amendment 3 will be de-selected.   

Amendment 3 James Evans (Brecon and Radnorshire)

Delete all and replace with:

1. Believes that 27 years of Plaid Cymru and Liberal Democrat-supported Welsh Labour Governments have failed the people of Wales.

2. Recognises that only Reform UK have a credible plan to put Welsh people first.

Co-submitters

Laura Anne Jones (South Wales East)

Amendment 4 Russell George (Montgomeryshire)

Add as new points at end of motion:

Regrets that the Welsh Government failed to intervene in the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee’s decision to adopt recommendations from the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service, which included the permanent closure of air ambulance bases in Welshpool and Caernarfon.

Believes that:

a) the next Welsh Government should intervene to ensure that air ambulance bases remain operational in Welshpool and Caernarfon;

b) Welsh health boards and English heath trusts should work closely together for the benefit of patients, regardless of where they live;

c) it is indefensible for Welsh health boards to ask health providers in England to deliberately slow down the delivery of treatment for patients, despite those English providers having sufficient capacity;

d) the current Government has failed the residents of Powys by not funding Powys Teaching Health Board to a level that enables it to purchase healthcare capacity in England in line with English waiting time targets; and

e) the next Welsh Government should ensure that no Welsh Health Board should be permitted to request that providers in England deliberately delay NHS treatment for Welsh patients.

The item started at 17.02

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

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM9235 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire) 

To propose that the Senedd: 

1. Believes that 27 years of Welsh Labour Governments, propped up by Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats, have failed to improve the lives of the people of Wales, and that only the Welsh Conservatives have a credible plan to fix Wales and get Wales working.

For	Abstain	Against	Total
12	0	40	52

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

 Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the Senedd:

1.     Supports the Welsh Labour Government’s record of delivering for the people of Wales, including:

a)    the largest and most sustained reduction in the overall waiting list on record and the fastest fall in two-year waits on record;

b)    almost £4 billion invested in new school and college buildings in every part of Wales;

c)    creating or safeguarding more than 50,000 private sector jobs this term;

d)    delivering improvement in roads, transformation of the rail fleet, and a new law bringing bus services back under public control;

e)    the highest sustained delivery of social housing in nearly two decades;

f)     Wales continuing to be ranked second in the world for recycling, up from five per cent recycling at the start of devolution to over 68 per cent today;

g)    over £7 billion invested to keep money in people’s pockets; and

h)    the biggest investment in public services in the history of devolution, through the Final Budget for 2026-27.

Welsh Government's Final Budget 2026 to 2027

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
24	0	29	53

Amendment 1 was not agreed.

Amendment 2 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

Delete all and replace with:

1. Believes that 27 years of Labour First Ministers of Wales, as well as successive Conservative and Labour UK Governments, have failed to improve the lives of the people of Wales.

2. Further believes that parties not solely focused on Wales, or based in Wales, will never prioritise the interests of the people of Wales, and that only Plaid Cymru has a comprehensive and credible plan to deliver the new leadership Wales needs.

A vote was taken on amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
12	0	42	54

Amendment 2 was not agreed.

Amendment 3 James Evans (Brecon and Radnorshire)

Delete all and replace with:

1. Believes that 27 years of Plaid Cymru and Liberal Democrat-supported Welsh Labour Governments have failed the people of Wales.

2. Recognises that only Reform UK have a credible plan to put Welsh people first.

Co-submitters

Laura Anne Jones (South Wales East)

A vote was taken on amendment 3:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
2	0	52	54

Amendment 3 was not agreed.

Amendment 4 Russell George (Montgomeryshire)

Add as new points at end of motion:

Regrets that the Welsh Government failed to intervene in the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee’s decision to adopt recommendations from the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service, which included the permanent closure of air ambulance bases in Welshpool and Caernarfon.

Believes that:

a) the next Welsh Government should intervene to ensure that air ambulance bases remain operational in Welshpool and Caernarfon;

b) Welsh health boards and English heath trusts should work closely together for the benefit of patients, regardless of where they live;

c) it is indefensible for Welsh health boards to ask health providers in England to deliberately slow down the delivery of treatment for patients, despite those English providers having sufficient capacity;

d) the current Government has failed the residents of Powys by not funding Powys Teaching Health Board to a level that enables it to purchase healthcare capacity in England in line with English waiting time targets; and

e) the next Welsh Government should ensure that no Welsh Health Board should be permitted to request that providers in England deliberately delay NHS treatment for Welsh patients.

A vote was taken on amendment 4:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
17	12	25	54

Amendment 4 was not agreed.

As the Senedd did not agree the motion without amendment, and did not agree the amendments tabled to the motion, the motion was therefore not agreed.

 

To be answered by the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government

Adam Price (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the Rycroft Review, and how will it ensure the new UK wide donation cap and ban on cryptocurrency donations are applied effectively in Wales ahead of the 2026 Senedd election?

The item started at 18.22

The following late Topical Question was accepted by the Presiding Officer, in accordance with Standing Order 12.68A and 12.68B.

Answered by the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government

Adam Price (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the Rycroft Review, and how will it ensure the new UK wide donation cap and ban on cryptocurrency donations are applied effectively in Wales ahead of the 2026 Senedd election?

 

NDM9187 Mark Isherwood (North Wales) 

A valediction: five terms as an MS - a reflection on my time as a Member of the Senedd.

The item started at 18.31

NDM9187 Mark Isherwood (North Wales) 

A valediction: five terms as an MS - a reflection on my time as a Member of the Senedd.

The item started at 18.47

 

The item started at 19.19