Concise Minutes - Petitions Committee

Meeting Venue:

Committee Room 1 - The Senedd

Meeting date: Tuesday, 5 June 2018

Meeting time: 09.02 - 10.57
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/4757

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Attendance

Category	Names
Assembly Members:	David J Rowlands AM (Chair) Rhun ap Iorwerth AM Janet Finch-Saunders AM Mike Hedges AM Neil McEvoy AM
Witnesses:	Nathan Lee Davies, Petitioner Angie Evans, Supporter Adam Samuels, Supporter
Committee Staff:	Graeme Francis (Clerk) Kayleigh Imperato (Deputy Clerk) Kathryn Thomas (Deputy Clerk) Lisa Salkeld (Legal Adviser)

<AI1>

1 Introduction, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. There were no apologies.

</AI1>

<AI2>

2 New petitions

</AI2>

<AI3>

2.1 P-05-815 Control Rapidly Expanding Intensive Poultry Industry in Wales

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to:

· Natural Resources Wales to seek their views on the issues raised by the petition; and 

· The Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs to seek further information about how consideration is, or could be, given to the issue of clustering of smaller poultry developments, and whether NRW could be empowered to look at the cumulative effects of multiple developments within a given area.

</AI3>

<AI4>

2.2 P-05-816 Say 'NO' to pheasant shooting on Welsh public land

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to:

· write to:

o Natural Resources Wales to seek their views on the issues raised by the petition and the detailed comments made by the petitioners, and request an update on the process of analysing consultation responses and the likely timescales for reaching a decision about future policy on this issue;

o The Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Planning and Rural Affairs to ask for a response to the concerns received about the sufficiency and monitoring of the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds; and to

· consider requesting time for a debate on this issue once responses to these questions have been received.

</AI4>

<AI5>

3 Updates to previous petitions

</AI5>

<AI6>

3.1 P-04-399 Slaughter Practices

The Committee considered this petition together with P-04-433 CCTV in Slaughterhouses and agreed to write back to the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs expressing that the Committee are supportive of the call for CCTV to be mandatory in slaughterhouses and request that she reconsiders the Welsh Government’s position.

</AI6>

<AI7>

3.2 P-04-433  CCTV in Slaughterhouses

The Committee considered this petition together with P-04-399 Slaughter Practices and agreed to write back to the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs expressing that the Committee are supportive of the call for CCTV to be mandatory in slaughterhouses and request that she reconsiders the Welsh Government’s position.

</AI7>

<AI8>

3.3 P-05-778 Protect the Razor Clams on Llanfairfechan Beach

The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs along with further comments from the petitioner and agreed to discuss inviting the Cabinet Secretary to give oral evidence on the petition in the future, during a discussion on the Committee’s forward work programme.

</AI8>

<AI9>

3.4 P-05-786 Save our Countryside - Revise TAN 1

The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs and agreed to discuss the possibility of inviting the Cabinet Secretary to give oral evidence on the petition in the future, during a discussion on the Committee’s Forward Work Programme.

</AI9>

<AI10>

3.5 P-05-796 Calling on the Welsh Government to Ban The Use of Wild Animals in Circuses in Wales

The Committee considered correspondence from the petitioner and agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs to ask for an update on the consideration the Welsh Government is giving to the options for progressing with a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses, and the potential timescales involved, following her response to the debate on the petition.

</AI10>

<AI11>

3.6 P-04-522 Asbestos in Schools

The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Education, along with further comments from the petitioner, and agreed to await a further update on the Cabinet Secretary for Education’s decision in relation to publishing information from the school condition survey, and the publication of updated Asbestos Management in Schools Guidance.

</AI11>

<AI12>

3.7 P-05-805 Fair Deal For Supply Teachers

The Committee considered correspondence from the petitioner and agreed to write back to the Cabinet Secretary for Education to ask for:

· her response to the proposals made by the petitioners;

· her view on the potential for regional education consortia to take a role in organising the provision of supply teaching in their areas; and

· an update on:

• the work of the Supply Working Group; and
• the review of the current contract for the preferred agency provider of supply teachers.

</AI12>

<AI13>

3.8 P-05-807 Review and change the guidance for attendance awards in welsh schools

The Committee considered correspondence from the petitioner and agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education to:

• ask for her response to the petitioner’s suggestion that attendance registers should include scope for absences to be recorded as being due to a chronic health condition; and
• seek an update on progress with the review of attendance guidance.

</AI13>

<AI14>

3.9 P-05-748 School Buses for School Children

The Committee considered correspondence from the Department for Transport and the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport. Members agreed to write again to the Department for Transport to reiterate that it is specifically seeking a response in relation to whether seatbelts should be required on public service buses and whether DBS checks should be required for public service bus drivers, which the Committee understands are not devolved.

</AI14>

<AI15>

3.10P-05-732 Unacceptable Waiting Times for NHS patients in A & E Wrecsam/Wrexham Maelor Hospital

The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services and agreed to:

· await the views of the petitioner on the latest information received from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services; and

· write to North Wales Community Health Council to ask about their awareness of concerns in relation to waiting times at Wrexham Maelor Hospital A&E department, and whether they have carried out any work on this issue.

</AI15>

<AI16>

3.11P-05-751 Recognition of Parental Alienation

The Committee considered correspondence from the Minister for Children and Social Care along with further comments from the petitioner and Dr Sue Whitcombe and agreed to write to:

· the Minister to ask for further information about the intentions of the Welsh Government and Cafcass Cymru in respect of:

• • revising Pathways in relation to parental alienation in light of the work being undertaken by Cafcass England; and
  • further developing training for front-line practitioners on identifying and dealing appropriately with alienating behaviours; and
• the Children, Young People and Education Committee to ask whether they have considered looking at this issue.

</AI16>

<AI17>

3.12P-05-754 Lack of support for children with disabilities at crisis

The Committee considered correspondence from the petitioner and agreed to await the outcome of her meeting with Cwm Taf Health Board before considering the petition again.

</AI17>

<AI18>

4 Papers to note

</AI18>

<AI19>

4.1 P-04-472 Make the MTAN law

The Committee noted the paper.

</AI19>

<AI20>

4.2 P-04-575  Call in All Opencast Mining Planning Applications

The Committee noted the paper.

</AI20>

<AI21>

4.3 Senedd@Delyn

The Committee noted the paper.

</AI21>

<AI22>

5 Motion under Standing Order 17.42 to resolve to exclude the public from the meeting for items 6 and 7 of today's business:

Due to time restraints the Motion was not moved.

</AI22>

<AI23>

6 Consideration of draft letter- P-05-784 Prescription drug dependence and withdrawal - recognition and support

Due to time constraints the Committee agreed to consider the letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services outside of the meeting. 

</AI23>

<AI24>

7 Forward Work Programme

Due to time constraints the Committee agreed to consider its forward work programme outside of the meeting.

</AI24>

<AI25>

8 Evidence Session - P-05-771 Reconsider the closure of the Welsh Independent Living Grant and support disabled people to live independently

The Committee heard evidence from the Petitioner, Angie Evans and Adam Samuels.

</AI25>

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