Agenda and minutes

Venue: Y Siambr - Y Senedd. View directions

Expected timing: 186(v6) 

Media

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Transcript: Transcript for 30/01/2019 - Plenary - Fifth Senedd

Items
Expected timing No. Item

Presiding Officer Statement

The Presiding Officer announced, in accordance with Standing Order 26.75, that the Childcare Funding (Wales) Act 2018 was given Royal Assent that day.

 

(45 mins)

1.

Questions to the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd

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

View Questions

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The item started at 13.30

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

 

(45 mins)

2.

Questions to the Minister for International Relations and Welsh Language

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

View Questions

Minutes:

The item started at 14.16

The first 6 questions were asked. Question 2 and 3 were answered by the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism. The Presiding Officer invited party spokespeople to ask questions to the Minister after question 2.

 

(20 mins)

3.

Questions to the Assembly Commission

Minutes:

The item started at 15.13

All 4 questions were asked.

 

(20 mins)

4.

Topical Questions

To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services

Bethan Sayed (South Wales West): Will the Minister respond to the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales review into Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health board’s handling of sex assault claims from patients with learning difficulties against a care worker?

To ask the Minister for Economy and Transport

Rhun Ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn): Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's actions following REHAU Ltd.'s decision to consult on the future of its factory in Amlwch?

 

Minutes:

The item started at 15.24

To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services

Bethan Sayed (South Wales West): Will the Minister respond to the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales review into Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health board’s handling of sex assault claims from patients with learning difficulties against a care worker?

To ask the Minister for Economy and Transport

Rhun Ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn): Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's actions following REHAU Ltd.'s decision to consult on the future of its factory in Amlwch?

 

(5 mins)

5.

90 Second Statements

Minutes:

The item started at 15.47

Vikki Howells made a statement on Making Wales a Nation of Friends Against Scams

Jayne Bryant made a statement on The Newport County v Middlesbrough FA cup match.

 

Motion to suspend Standing Orders 11.16 and 12.20 (i) to allow the motion to amend Standing Orders to be debated (5 mins)

NNDM6956 Elin Jones (Ceredigion)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales, in accordance with Standing Orders 33.6 and 33.8:

Suspends Standing Order 12.20(i) and that part of Standing Order 11.16 that requires the weekly announcement under Standing Order 11.11 to constitute the timetable for business in Plenary for the following week, to allow the next item of business to be considered in Plenary on Wednesday, 30 January 2019.

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

Motion to amend Standing Orders (5 mins)

NNDM6955 Elin Jones (Ceredigion)

To propose that the National Assembly, in accordance with Standing Order 33.2:

1. Considers the Report of the Business Committee ‘Amending Standing Orders: Standing Order 12 - Oral Assembly Questions to the Counsel General’ laid in the Table Office on 29 January 2019; and

2. Approves the proposal to revise Standing Order 12, as set out in Annex B of the Report of the Business Committee.

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

(60 mins)

6.

Debate on the Public Accounts Committee report on the NHS Wales Informatics Systems

NDM6948 Nick Ramsay (Monmouth)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

Notes the Report of the Public Accounts Committee's  - Informatics Systems in NHS Wales - which was laid in the Table Office on 8 November 2018.

Note: The Welsh Government's response to the report was laid in the Table Office on 12 December 2018

 

Minutes:

The item started at 15.51

NDM6948 Nick Ramsay (Monmouth)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

Notes the Report of the Public Accounts Committee's  - Informatics Services in NHS Wales - which was laid in the Table Office on 8 November 2018.

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

(60 mins)

7.

Plaid Cymru debate - Prisons and Criminal Justice

NDM6949 Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes the report by the Wales Governance Centre, Sentencing and Immediate Custody in Wales: A Factfile.

2. Expresses concern at the report’s finding that Wales has the highest incarceration rate in western Europe, and that women, BAME people and disadvantaged communities are disproportionately impacted by harsher sentencing in Wales.

3. Notes previous research by the Wales Governance Centre which has revealed widespread safety and wellbeing issues in Wales’s prisons, including increasing rates of substance misuse, self-harm, violence and suicide.

4. Notes that a number of young offenders from Wales serve prison sentences in England, and that incarceration has a significant negative impact on young people’s future life chances.

5. Calls for:

a) the full devolution of criminal justice to Wales;

b) the ruling out of the construction of further ‘super prisons’ on any site in Wales and calls on Welsh Government to communicate this opposition to the Ministry of Justice;

c) the full re-unification of the probation service and an end to partial privatisation;

d) a focus on community-based approaches for non-violent crimes and an end to the overuse of shorter prison sentences;

e) an end to custodial sentences for young people and women other than in exceptional circumstances;

f) the right to vote for prisoners in Welsh elections.

Wales Governance Centre - Sentencing and Immediate Custody in Wales: A Factfile

Wales Governance Centre - Imprisonment in Wales: A Factfile

House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee: Supplementary Evidence - Dr Robert Jones, Wales Governance Centre, September 2018

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 - Gareth Bennett (South Wales Central)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales: 

1. Notes the Wales Governance Centre report on Sentencing and Immediate Custody, Imprisonment in Wales and supplementary evidence to the Welsh Affairs Select Committee. 

2. Further notes that, according to the Ministry of Justice, in October 2018, 11 percent of the total prison population in England and Wales were foreign nationals, with the most common foreign nationalities being Polish, Albanian, Irish and Romanian. 

3. Believes that:

a) the prison service should be adequately funded and prison officers adequately paid;

b) all prisoners should be in the custody of officers of the Crown answerable to UK Government Ministers and not private companies;

c) the Welsh Government should work with the UK Government to reverse privatisation of the prison system;

d) foreign criminals should be deported to serve their sentences in their own countries, and such criminals should be banned from re-entering the UK;

e) new prisons should be built as necessary throughout the UK to accommodate the number of persons convicted of imprisonable crimes.

Offender Management Statistics Bulletin, England and Wales

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

Amendment 2 - Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

Delete all after point 1 and replace with:

Notes the focus by the Ministry of Justice on rehabilitative services, community sentences and reducing reoffending.

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

Amendment 3 - Rebecca Evans (Gower)

Delete point 5 and replace with:

Welcomes the work of the Commission on Justice in Wales and looks forward to its recommendations about future responsibilities for policing and justice in Wales.

Calls for

a) the ruling out of the construction of further ‘super prisons’ on any site in Wales and calls on Welsh Government to communicate this opposition to the Ministry of Justice;

b) the full re-unification of the probation service and an end to partial privatisation;

c) a focus on community-based approaches for non-violent crimes and an end to the overuse of shorter prison sentences;

d) an end to custodial sentences for young people and women other than in exceptional circumstances; and

e) the right to vote for prisoners in Welsh elections.

 

 

Minutes:

The item started at 16.24

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

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM6949 Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes the report by the Wales Governance Centre, Sentencing and Immediate Custody in Wales: A Factfile.

2. Expresses concern at the report’s finding that Wales has the highest incarceration rate in western Europe, and that women, BAME people and disadvantaged communities are disproportionately impacted by harsher sentencing in Wales.

3. Notes previous research by the Wales Governance Centre which has revealed widespread safety and wellbeing issues in Wales’s prisons, including increasing rates of substance misuse, self-harm, violence and suicide.

4. Notes that a number of young offenders from Wales serve prison sentences in England, and that incarceration has a significant negative impact on young people’s future life chances.

5. Calls for:

a) the full devolution of criminal justice to Wales;

b) the ruling out of the construction of further ‘super prisons’ on any site in Wales and calls on Welsh Government to communicate this opposition to the Ministry of Justice;

c) the full re-unification of the probation service and an end to partial privatisation;

d) a focus on community-based approaches for non-violent crimes and an end to the overuse of shorter prison sentences;

e) an end to custodial sentences for young people and women other than in exceptional circumstances;

f) the right to vote for prisoners in Welsh elections.

 

For

Abstain

Against

Total

8

1

41

50

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 - Gareth Bennett (South Wales Central)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes the Wales Governance Centre report on Sentencing and Immediate Custody, Imprisonment in Wales and supplementary evidence to the Welsh Affairs Select Committee.

2. Further notes that, according to the Ministry of Justice, in October 2018, 11 percent of the total prison population in England and Wales were foreign nationals, with the most common foreign nationalities being Polish, Albanian, Irish and Romanian.

3. Believes that:

a) the prison service should be adequately funded and prison officers adequately paid;

b) all prisoners should be in the custody of officers of the Crown answerable to UK Government Ministers and not private companies;

c) the Welsh Government should work with the UK Government to reverse privatisation of the prison system;

d) foreign criminals should be deported to serve their sentences in their own countries, and such criminals should be banned from re-entering the UK;

e) new prisons should be built as necessary throughout the UK to accommodate the number of persons convicted of imprisonable crimes.

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

3

0

48

51

Amendment 1 was not agreed.

Amendment 2 - Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

Delete all after point 1 and replace with:

Notes the focus by the Ministry of Justice on rehabilitative services, community sentences and reducing reoffending.

A vote was taken on amendment 2:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

11

3

37

51

Amendment 2 was not agreed.

Amendment 3 - Rebecca Evans (Gower)

Delete point 5 and replace with:

Welcomes the work of the Commission on Justice in Wales and looks forward to its recommendations about future responsibilities for policing and justice in Wales.

Calls for

a) the ruling out of the construction of further ‘super prisons’ on any site in Wales and calls on Welsh Government to communicate this opposition to the Ministry of Justice;

b) the full re-unification of the probation service and an end to partial privatisation;

c) a focus on community-based approaches for non-violent crimes and an end to the overuse of shorter prison sentences;

d) an end to custodial sentences for young people and women other than in exceptional circumstances; and

e) the right to vote for prisoners in Welsh elections.

A vote was taken on amendment 3:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

29

0

22

51

Amendment 3 was agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM6949 Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes the report by the Wales Governance Centre, Sentencing and Immediate Custody in Wales: A Factfile.

2. Expresses concern at the report’s finding that Wales has the highest incarceration rate in western Europe, and that women, BAME people and disadvantaged communities are disproportionately impacted by harsher sentencing in Wales.

3. Notes previous research by the Wales Governance Centre which has revealed widespread safety and wellbeing issues in Wales’s prisons, including increasing rates of substance misuse, self-harm, violence and suicide.

4. Notes that a number of young offenders from Wales serve prison sentences in England, and that incarceration has a significant negative impact on young people’s future life chances.

5. Welcomes the work of the Commission on Justice in Wales and looks forward to its recommendations about future responsibilities for policing and justice in Wales.

Calls for

a) the ruling out of the construction of further ‘super prisons’ on any site in Wales and calls on Welsh Government to communicate this opposition to the Ministry of Justice;

b) the full re-unification of the probation service and an end to partial privatisation;

c) a focus on community-based approaches for non-violent crimes and an end to the overuse of shorter prison sentences;

d) an end to custodial sentences for young people and women other than in exceptional circumstances; and

e) the right to vote for prisoners in Welsh elections.

For

Abstain

Against

Total

36

1

14

51

The motion as amended was agreed.

 

(60 mins)

8.

Debate on NNDM6958 - The Prospects for a Brexit Deal Following the House of Commons Vote

NNDM6958 Rebecca Evans (Gower)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Condemns the UK Government for its failure to engage in meaningful negotiations on the EU withdrawal deal on a cross-party basis and in terms of genuine engagement with the devolved institutions.

2. Reiterates its view that a no deal outcome would be catastrophic for Wales and believes that the UK Government and UK Parliament must do everything in their power to prevent no deal, including requesting an extension of the Article 50 deadline.

3. Believes if, as it now seems, the UK Parliament cannot unite around an alternative proposition which includes participation in the single market and a customs union then the only option which remains is to give the decision back to the people; and believes that work should begin immediately on preparing for a public vote.

4. Believes the UK Parliament should, with immediate effect, step up its engagement with the devolved legislatures on these issues.

Co-Submitters
Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

The following amendments have been tabled:

Amendment 1 - Gareth Bennett (South Wales Central)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Regrets that the UK Government’s current position on EU withdrawal substantially negates the referendum result, by keeping the UK indefinitely in the customs union and, effectively, in the single market, while depriving us of any formal voice or vote in European Union decisions.

2. Calls on the Welsh Government to withdraw its position as set out in “Securing Wales’s Future”, jointly authored with Plaid Cymru, as this also ignores the will of the people of the UK, and Wales, who voted decisively to leave the European Union.

3. Endorses an exit from the European Union with no deal, without any extension to Article 50, and under World Trade Organisation terms.

4. Calls upon the UK Government and the Welsh Government to embrace the restoration of Britain's national sovereignty outside the European Union.

5. Calls upon the UK Government and the Welsh Government to accept that we are leaving the EU on World Trade Organisation terms on 29 March 2019, and to now concentrate all efforts on preparing for this outcome.

Securing Wales’ Future

[If amendment 1 is agreed, amendment 2 will be de-selected] 

Amendment 2 - Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to facilitate a parliamentary delegation to be sent on behalf of the National Assembly for Wales to meet with parliamentary and government representatives in Westminster to put the case for Wales as set out in this motion.

 

 

Minutes:

The item started at 17.25

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

NNDM6958 Rebecca Evans (Gower)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Condemns the UK Government for its failure to engage in meaningful negotiations on the EU withdrawal deal on a cross-party basis and in terms of genuine engagement with the devolved institutions.

2. Reiterates its view that a no deal outcome would be catastrophic for Wales and believes that the UK Government and UK Parliament must do everything in their power to prevent no deal, including requesting an extension of the Article 50 deadline.

3. Believes if, as it now seems, the UK Parliament cannot unite around an alternative proposition which includes participation in the single market and a customs union then the only option which remains is to give the decision back to the people; and believes that work should begin immediately on preparing for a public vote.

4. Believes the UK Parliament should, with immediate effect, step up its engagement with the devolved legislatures on these issues.

Co-Submitters
Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 - Gareth Bennett (South Wales Central)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Regrets that the UK Government’s current position on EU withdrawal substantially negates the referendum result, by keeping the UK indefinitely in the customs union and, effectively, in the single market, while depriving us of any formal voice or vote in European Union decisions.

2. Calls on the Welsh Government to withdraw its position as set out in “Securing Wales’s Future”, jointly authored with Plaid Cymru, as this also ignores the will of the people of the UK, and Wales, who voted decisively to leave the European Union.

3. Endorses an exit from the European Union with no deal, without any extension to Article 50, and under World Trade Organisation terms.

4. Calls upon the UK Government and the Welsh Government to embrace the restoration of Britain's national sovereignty outside the European Union.

5. Calls upon the UK Government and the Welsh Government to accept that we are leaving the EU on World Trade Organisation terms on 29 March 2019, and to now concentrate all efforts on preparing for this outcome.

Securing Wales’ Future

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

4

0

47

51

Amendment 1 was not agreed.

Amendment 2 was withdrawn in accordance with Standing Order 12.27.

A vote was taken on the motion:

NNDM6958 Rebecca Evans (Gower)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Condemns the UK Government for its failure to engage in meaningful negotiations on the EU withdrawal deal on a cross-party basis and in terms of genuine engagement with the devolved institutions.

2. Reiterates its view that a no deal outcome would be catastrophic for Wales and believes that the UK Government and UK Parliament must do everything in their power to prevent no deal, including requesting an extension of the Article 50 deadline.

3. Believes if, as it now seems, the UK Parliament cannot unite around an alternative proposition which includes participation in the single market and a customs union then the only option which remains is to give the decision back to the people; and believes that work should begin immediately on preparing for a public vote.

4. Believes the UK Parliament should, with immediate effect, step up its engagement with the devolved legislatures on these issues.

Co-Submitters
Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

For

Abstain

Against

Total

37

0

14

51

The motion was agreed.

 

9.

Voting Time

Minutes:

The item started at 18.42

 

Votes Summary

Supporting documents:

(30 mins)

10.

Short Debate

NDM6951 Bethan Sayed (South Wales West)

Doctored pictures, doctored lives.

Is life online and in popular culture harming our reality?

 

Minutes:

The item started at 18.46

NDM6951 Bethan Sayed (South Wales West)

Doctored pictures, doctored lives.

Is life online and in popular culture harming our reality?