Agenda and minutes

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

View Questions

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.

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

View Questions

The item started at 14.18

All 12 questions were asked. The Presiding Officer invited party spokespeople to ask questions to the Minister after question 2.

No Topical Questions were received

No Topical Questions were received

The item started at 15.00

Vaughan Gething made a statement on Black History Month

Mike Hedges made a statement marking the 45th anniversary of Swansea Sound Radio Station

Russell George made a statement celebrating the 160^th anniversary of the Pryce-Jones Mail Order Store and the 140^th Anniversary of the opening of Pryce-Jones Royal Welsh Warehouse  

Huw Irranca-Davies made a statement marking the annual Cycle to the Senedd day being celebrated today

The item started at 15.07

NDM7157 Elin Jones (Ceredigion)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales, in accordance with Standing Order 17.3, elects:

Huw Irranca-Davies (Welsh Labour), Delyth Jewell (Plaid Cymru), and David Rowlands (Brexit Party) as members of the Committee on Assembly Electoral Reform.

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

NDM7148 Jayne Bryant (Newport West)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Considers the Report of the Standards of Conduct Committee - Report 02-19 laid before the Assembly on 18 September 2019 in accordance with Standing Order 22.9

2. Endorses the recommendation in the report.

The item started at 15.08

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

NDM7148 Jayne Bryant (Newport West)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Considers the Report of the Standards of Conduct Committee - Report 02-19 laid before the Assembly on 18 September 2019 in accordance with Standing Order 22.9

2. Endorses the recommendation in the report.

The result was as follows:

The motion was agreed.

NDM7149 Jayne Bryant (Newport West)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Considers the Report of the Standards of Conduct Committee - Report 03-19 laid before the Assembly on 19 September 2019 in accordance with Standing Order 22.9

2. Endorses the recommendation in the report.

The item started at 15.33

NDM7149 Jayne Bryant (Newport West)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Considers the Report of the Standards of Conduct Committee - Report 03-19 laid before the Assembly on 19 September 2019 in accordance with Standing Order 22.9

2. Endorses the recommendation in the report.

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

NDM7143 David Rees (Aberavon)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes the rich and diverse network of historic industrial infrastructure across Wales.

2. Notes the economic, regeneration and integrated transport potential of re-opening disused railway lines and tunnels across Wales.

3. Recognises the practical and financial challenges of bringing such infrastructure back into use.

4. Calls upon the Welsh Government to seek ownership of such infrastructure which would aid funding opportunities to be sought.

5. Calls on the UK and Welsh Governments to play its part in exploring the practical opportunities for re-opening such infrastructure across Wales.

Co – Submitters
Leanne Wood (Rhondda)
Vikki Howells (Cynon Valley)

The item started at 15.38

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

NDM7143 David Rees (Aberavon)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes the rich and diverse network of historic industrial infrastructure across Wales.

2. Notes the economic, regeneration and integrated transport potential of re-opening disused railway lines and tunnels across Wales.

3. Recognises the practical and financial challenges of bringing such infrastructure back into use.

4. Calls upon the Welsh Government to seek ownership of such infrastructure which would aid funding opportunities to be sought.

5. Calls on the UK and Welsh Governments to play its part in exploring the practical opportunities for re-opening such infrastructure across Wales.

Co – Submitters
Leanne Wood (Rhondda)
Vikki Howells (Cynon Valley)

The result was as follows:

The motion was agreed.

NDM7150 Dai Lloyd (South Wales West)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

Notes the report of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee:  A Fresh Start: Inquiry into dentistry in Wales, which was laid in the Table Office on 21 May 2019.

Note: The response from the Welsh Government to the report was laid in the Table Office on 24 July 2019.

The item started at 16.34

NDM7150 Dai Lloyd (South Wales West)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

Notes the report of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee:  A Fresh Start: Inquiry into dentistry in Wales, which was laid in the Table Office on 21 May 2019.

Note: The response from the Welsh Government to the report was laid in the Table Office on 24 July 2019.

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

NDM7151 Bethan Sayed (South Wales West)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

Notes the report of the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee: Supporting and Promoting the Welsh Language laid in the Table Office on 9 July.

Note: The response from the Welsh Government to the report was laid in the Table Office on 24 September 2019.

The item started at 17.00

NDM7151 Bethan Sayed (South Wales West)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

Notes the report of the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee: Supporting and Promoting the Welsh Language laid in the Table Office on 9 July.

Note: The response from the Welsh Government to the report was laid in the Table Office on 24 September 2019.

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

NDM7153 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes this summer's GCSE and A-Level results in Wales.

2. Regrets that the GCSE A*-C results in summer 2019 were worse than in summer 2007.

3. Further regrets the fall in the percentage of learners securing A*-C GCSE grades in English, maths and Welsh second language.

4. Notes that Welsh Government research has found that performance against key indicators for years 4-9 have deteriorated.

5. Calls on the Welsh Government to acknowledge its failure to significantly improve GCSE and A-Level attainment in Wales and apologise to pupils, parents and schools for letting them down.

Welsh Government / Statistics for Wales, Academic achievement of pupils aged 4 to 14 in core subjects, 7 August 2019

The following amendments have been tabled:

Amendment 1 - Rebecca Evans (Gower)

After point 1, delete all and replace with:

Congratulates pupils, teachers and school staff for their hard work and strong set of results.

Welcomes that:

a) A-Level results this summer remained at a historic high;

b) compared to English regions and Northern Ireland, Wales improved A-Level ranking for all grades and, for the first time ever, is rated first for A*;

c) overall GCSE results showed improvement this summer;

d) the increase of over 50 per cent in science GCSE entries since 2016, and increases this year in the percentage of pupils gaining A*-A and A*-C grades in science subjects;

e) the number of pupils achieving A*-C in Welsh second language full course increased by 12.5 per cent;

f) the number of pupils who sat GCSE English literature increased by 22.8 per cent, with over 2,800 more achieving A*-C grades compared with 2018.

[If amendment 1 is agreed, amendments 2, 3 and 4 will be de-selected] 

Amendment 2 - Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

Delete points 2 and 3 and replace with:

Believes that it’s not possible to make meaningful comparisons with GCSE and A-level results from previous years for a number of reasons.

Amendment 3 - Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

Add new points after point 4, and re-number accordingly:

Notes the Estyn findings that pupils who attend half the secondary schools in Wales are unable to reach their full potential by the time they leave school.

Believes that the pupil-teacher relationship is key to academic attainment and that schools must be sufficiently funded in order to raise standards.

Calls for improvements to teachers’ conditions of employment, and abolish bureaucracy and unnecessary intervention, in order to strengthen academic achievement.

Calls on the Welsh Government to provide sufficient funding for our schools ac move spending towards preventative services within its next budget, in order to create the conditions that will enable our pupils and teachers to succeed.

Estyn, The Annual Report of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales 2017-2018

Amendment 4 - Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

In point 5, delete "to acknowledge its failure to significantly improve GCSE and A-Level attainment in Wales and apologise to pupils, parents and schools for letting them down" and replace with “to apologise that the current education system does not allow half the pupils in Welsh schools to achieve their full potential”.

Amendment 5 - Caroline Jones (South Wales West)

Add as new point at end of the motion:

Believes that Welsh GCSE and A-Level learners are being harmed by recent changes that water down school accountability and calls on the Welsh Government to reverse this trend.

The item started at 17.36

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

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM7153 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes this summer's GCSE and A-Level results in Wales.

2. Regrets that the GCSE A*-C results in summer 2019 were worse than in summer 2007.

3. Further regrets the fall in the percentage of learners securing A*-C GCSE grades in English, maths and Welsh second language.

4. Notes that Welsh Government research has found that performance against key indicators for years 4-9 have deteriorated.

5. Calls on the Welsh Government to acknowledge its failure to significantly improve GCSE and A-Level attainment in Wales and apologise to pupils, parents and schools for letting them down.

Welsh Government / Statistics for Wales, Academic achievement of pupils aged 4 to 14 in core subjects, 7 August 2019

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 - Rebecca Evans (Gower)

After point 1, delete all and replace with:

Congratulates pupils, teachers and school staff for their hard work and strong set of results.

Welcomes that:

a) A-Level results this summer remained at a historic high;

b) compared to English regions and Northern Ireland, Wales improved A-Level ranking for all grades and, for the first time ever, is rated first for A*;

c) overall GCSE results showed improvement this summer;

d) the increase of over 50 per cent in science GCSE entries since 2016, and increases this year in the percentage of pupils gaining A*-A and A*-C grades in science subjects;

e) the number of pupils achieving A*-C in Welsh second language full course increased by 12.5 per cent;

f) the number of pupils who sat GCSE English literature increased by 22.8 per cent, with over 2,800 more achieving A*-C grades compared with 2018.

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

Amendment 1 was agreed.

As amendment 1 was agreed, amendments 2, 3 and 4 were de-selected

Amendment 5 - Caroline Jones (South Wales West)

Add as new point at end of the motion:

Believes that Welsh GCSE and A-Level learners are being harmed by recent changes that water down school accountability and calls on the Welsh Government to reverse this trend.

A vote was taken on amendment 5:

Amendment 5 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM7153 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes this summer's GCSE and A-Level results in Wales.

2. Congratulates pupils, teachers and school staff for their hard work and strong set of results.

3. Welcomes that:

a) A-Level results this summer remained at a historic high;

b) compared to English regions and Northern Ireland, Wales improved A-Level ranking for all grades and, for the first time ever, is rated first for A*;

c) overall GCSE results showed improvement this summer;

d) the increase of over 50 per cent in science GCSE entries since 2016, and increases this year in the percentage of pupils gaining A*-A and A*-C grades in science subjects;

e) the number of pupils achieving A*-C in Welsh second language full course increased by 12.5 per cent;

f) the number of pupils who sat GCSE English literature increased by 22.8 per cent, with over 2,800 more achieving A*-C grades compared with 2018.

The motion as amended was agreed.

In accordance with Standing Order 12.44, the bell was rung and the meeting adjourned and reconvened at 18.38 for voting time.

NDM7152 Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy)

Caring for care homes: how we could do more to care for care homes in Wales.

The item started at 18.42

NDM7152 Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy)

Caring for care homes: how we could do more to care for care homes in Wales.