Agenda and minutes

The minutes for the meeting were agreed by the Committee for publication.

The Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure will be making a statement on the Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games Homecoming 2016 on Tuesday.

Plaid Cymru will use their allocated time to hold two 30 minute debates on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Voting Time would be after the final item of business. On Wednesday, Business Committee agreed that Voting Time would take place before the Short Debate.

Business Committee noted the 3 Week Timetable of Government Business.

Business Committee determined the organisation of Assembly business and agreed to schedule the following items of business:

Wednesday 19 October 2016

• Time allocated to Plaid Cymru (60 mins)
• Time allocated to the Welsh Conservatives (60 mins)
• Time allocated to the United Kingdom Independence Party (60 mins)
• Short Debate – Neil McEvoy (South Wales Central) (30 mins)

Business Managers agreed in principle to refer the Landfill Disposal Tax Bill to the Finance Committee for consideration.

The Leader of the House commented that the Bill would have to be passed before the summer recess for it to come into force by April 2018, and so there should be no scope to extend the timetable for the Bill once it has been agreed. She also noted the should the Finance Committee not be able to scrutinise the Bill in that time, it was her view that Business Managers should consider referring the Bill to the External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee.

Following Business Managers’ decision early last term to review the process for Member Bills based on recommendations by the fourth Assembly’s Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee, the Committee discussed proposals for changing the current procedure.

Business Managers requested a further summary paper from the Secretariat on possible options. The Committee were invited to consult with their groups and to return to the matter in three weeks’ time.

Business Managers agreed a request by the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee to visit the House of Lords on Wednesday 12 October 2016.

At the meeting of 13 September, Business Managers discussed a paper on the use of Assembly time in Plenary, and agreed to discuss the proposals with their groups and return to the matter at today’s meeting.

Business Managers requested further papers on Member statements and topical questions and agreed that there would be a need to communicate to Members the opportunities they have to contribute to various types Plenary Business.

Business Managers noted a letter from the Llywydd to the Petitions Committee enquiring whether they intended to take forward a recommendation to hold Plenary debates on petitions that obtain a particular signature threshold, and asking them to confirm whether they wanted the Business Committee to push ahead with the Standing Order changed proposed by the previous committee Review of Public Petitions report.

The Committee noted a letter from the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee, setting out their intention to bring forward a statement on the Wales Bill in the coming weeks.

LCM on the Wales Bill / Debate on the Wales Bill

The Llywydd enquired as to when the Government intended to bring forward an LCM on the Wales Bill. Jane Hutt notified Business Managers that she would update the Committee in due course.

Committee Statements

During a statement by the Chair of the Finance Committee in Plenary last week, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government was present for the item. The Llywydd commented that she would encourage this as good practice for future Committee Debates. Business Managers also commented that they had found it useful that the statement was circulated to all Members prior to its delivery in Plenary.

Attendance in Plenary

The Llywydd commented that on a few occasion over the past few weeks, Cabinet Secretaries and Members had arrived late, or at the last minute, for items in which they were speaking and other Members had left the Chamber before the end of items. Business Managers were reminded of the conventions in the Chamber and were encouraged to raise the matter with their groups.