Decision details

Debates are one of the most frequent items of business on the Plenary agenda. Many types of debate are brought forward in Plenary, including:

• Opposition party debates on a topic of their choice;

Other than in the case of Government debates, the time allocated for all other types of debates and their frequency are determined by the Business Committee

The item started at 16.28

Voting on the Motion and Amendments under this item was deferred until Voting Time.

A vote was taken on the Motion without amendment:

NDM5746 Aled Roberts (North Wales)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes the sudden closure of the Welsh Government's flagship yet ineffective Jobs Growth Wales scheme, without any replacement.

2. Notes that the 2014 interim evaluation report on Jobs Growth Wales found that:

a) 73% of young people would have found employment without the scheme;

b) there were significant failures to target those young people most in need of help to find work; and

c) scheme participants were shown to be trapped on low wages, earning only 67% of the average for their age group.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to focus future European Social Fund employment schemes on improving skill levels, increasing the number of apprenticeships and developing work-based training opportunities, which would support young people most at risk of long-term unemployment and give them the skills and opportunities to help build a stronger economy to enable them to get on in life.

For	Abstain	Against	Total
4	0	37	41

The Motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 - Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Add as new point 1 and renumber accordingly:

1. Acknowledges that a strong UK economy:

a) creates the conditions for growth in job opportunities for our young people;

b) challenges schools, further and higher education institutions, governments and employers to identify  and meet skills required in the growth employment market; a

c) allows young entrepreneurs to seize the opportunities of economic growth.

A vote was taken on Amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
35	0	7	42

Amendment 1 was agreed.

Amendment 2 - Elin Jones (Ceredigion)

Delete point 1 and replace with:

Notes the sudden closure of the Welsh Government's flagship Jobs Growth Wales scheme and calls for the swift reinstatement of an equivalent programme.

A vote was taken on Amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
11	9	21	41

Amendment 2 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on the Motion as amended:

NDM5746 Aled Roberts (North Wales)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Acknowledges that a strong UK economy:

a) creates the conditions for growth in job opportunities for our young people;

b) challenges schools, further and higher education institutions, governments and employers to identify  and meet skills required in the growth employment market; a

c) allows young entrepreneurs to seize the opportunities of economic growth.

2. Notes the sudden closure of the Welsh Government's flagship yet ineffective Jobs Growth Wales scheme, without any replacement.

3. Notes that the 2014 interim evaluation report on Jobs Growth Wales found that:

a) 73% of young people would have found employment without the scheme;

b) there were significant failures to target those young people most in need of help to find work; and

c) scheme participants were shown to be trapped on low wages, earning only 67% of the average for their age group.

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to focus future European Social Fund employment schemes on improving skill levels, increasing the number of apprenticeships and developing work-based training opportunities, which would support young people most at risk of long-term unemployment and give them the skills and opportunities to help build a stronger economy to enable them to get on in life.

For	Abstain	Against	Total
13	0	28	41

The Motion as amended was not agreed.