Third Assembly Plenary Meeting
Votes and Proceedings (51)
Date: Wednesday, 05 March 2008
Time:
12.30pm
Item 1: Questions to the Counsel General
All questions were answered.
………………………………
Item 2: Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs
The first 9 questions were answered. Questions 2 and 5 were grouped together for answer.
………………………………
Item 3: Statement by the Minister for Rural Affairs on Fisheries - Postponed
………………………………
1.19pm
Item
4: Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services on North Wales NHS Health Matters
………………………………
1.59pm
Motion
to Suspend Standing Orders
NNDM3893 Dafydd Elis-Thomas (Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
That
the National Assembly for Wales in accordance with Standing Orders 35.6 and 35.8:
Suspends
Standing Order 7.18 (i) and that part of Standing Order 6.10 that requires the weekly announcement under Standing Order 6.3 to constitute the timetable for business in Plenary for the following week, to allow the motions under Items 5 and 6 to be considered
in Plenary on Wednesday 5 March 2008.
The Motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 7.35.
………………………………
2.00pm
Item
5: Motion to establish a Broadcasting Committee
NNDM3894 Dafydd Elis-Thomas (Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
To propose that the National Assembly for Wales, in accordance with Standing Order 21, establishes a Broadcasting Committee. The Committee will cease to exist on the 18th July 2008.
The
remit of the Committee shall be:
To investigate and report on the future of public service broadcasting in Wales in the English and Welsh languages.
To investigate and report on the impact of digital switchover and the creation of new delivery platforms, on the production and availability of programming and digital content from Wales and in Wales.
The Motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 7.35.
………………………………
Item
6: Motion to elect the Broadcasting Committee
NNDM3895 Dafydd Elis-Thomas (Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
To propose that the National Assembly for Wales, in accordance with Standing Order 10.3, elects Alun Davies (Labour), Alun Ffred Jones (Plaid Cymru), Paul Davies (Conservative) and Peter Black (Liberal Democrat) as members of the Broadcasting Committee.
The Motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 7.35.
………………………………
Item
7: Motion to change the membership of the Audit Committee
NDM3885 Dafydd Elis-Thomas (Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
To propose that the National Assembly for Wales, in accordance with Standing Order 10.3, elects Bethan Jenkins (Plaid Cymru) in place of Helen Mary Jones (Plaid Cymru) as a member of the Audit Committee.
The
Motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 7.35.
………………………………
Item 8: Motion to change the membership of the Equality of Opportunity Committee
NDM3886 Dafydd Elis-Thomas (Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
To propose that the National Assembly for Wales, in accordance with Standing Order 10.3, elects Chris Franks (Plaid Cymru) in place of Helen Mary Jones (Plaid Cymru) as a member of the Equality of Opportunity Committee.
The Motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 7.35.
………………………………
2.01pm
Item
9: Motion to approve revisions to the Members’ Code of Conduct and Members’ Complaints Procedure
NDM3887
Jeff Cuthbert (Caerphilly)
To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:
1. Notes the National Assembly for Wales’ Procedure for Dealing with Complaints against Assembly Members - approved by the Committee on Standards of Conduct on 29 January 2008 and laid in the Table Office on 18 February 2008
2. Approves the National Assembly for Wales’ Code of Conduct for Assembly Members - agreed by the Committee on Standards of Conduct on 29 January 2008 and laid in the table Office on 18 February 2008.
The Motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 7.35.
………………………………
2.05pm
Item
10: Welsh Conservatives Debate
NDM3889 William Graham (South Wales East)
To
propose that the National Assembly for Wales:
Calls on the Welsh Assembly Government to take urgent and practical action to address the growing housing crisis in Wales, drawing fully on the expertise available
within the independent and voluntary/charitable sectors.
The following amendments were tabled:
Amendment 1 - Carwyn Jones (Bridgend)
Delete
"the growing housing crisis”
and replace with "housing needs”.
Amendment
2 - Carwyn Jones (Bridgend)
Insert at end of motion:
"and
endorses the Welsh Assembly Government’s actions to date and the programme set out under One Wales.”
Amendment 3 - Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire):
Add new point
at end of motion:
"Calls on the Welsh Assembly Government to:
Review
the regulation of Registered Social Landlords so as to maximise the investment they are able to make in communities.”
Amendment
4 - Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire):
Add as new point at end of motion:
"Calls on the Welsh Assembly Government to:
a)
Work more closely with local authorities to ensure that they make the maximum use of existing powers to secure a greater number of affordable homes for local people.
b)
Ensure that each local council has a robust housing needs survey and strategy so as to underpin effective action in the provision of affordable housing and in tackling homelessness.
c)
Review the provision of facilities and support for homeless people in each local authority and to provide additional resources where needed to bolster this.”
Voting
on the motion and amendments under this item were deferred until Voting Time.
The results were as follows:
A vote was taken on Amendment 1:
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
31 |
0 |
17 |
48 |
Amendment 1 was agreed.
A vote was taken on Amendment 2:
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
31 |
0 |
16 |
47 |
Amendment 2 was agreed.
A vote was taken on Amendment 3:
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
47 |
0 |
0 |
47 |
Amendment 3 was agreed.
A vote was taken on Amendment 4:
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
47 |
0 |
0 |
47 |
Amendment 4 was agreed.
A vote was taken on the motion as amended:
NDM3889 William Graham (South Wales East)
To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:
1.
Calls on the Welsh Assembly Government to take urgent and practical action to address housing needs in Wales, drawing fully on the expertise available within the independent and voluntary/charitable sectors and endorses the Welsh Assembly Government’s
actions to date and the programme set out under One Wales.
2.
Calls on the Welsh Assembly Government to review the regulation of Registered Social Landlords so as to maximise the investment they are able to make in communities.
3. "Calls on the Welsh Assembly Government to:
a) Work more closely with local authorities to ensure that they make the maximum use of existing powers to secure a greater number of affordable homes for local people.
b) Ensure that each local council has a robust housing needs survey and strategy so as to underpin effective action in the provision of affordable housing and in tackling homelessness.
c) Review the provision of facilities and support for homeless people in each local authority and to provide additional resources where needed to bolster this.”
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
32 |
6 |
10 |
48 |
The motion as amended was agreed.
………………………………
3.07pm
Item
11: Welsh Conservatives Debate
NDM3888 William Graham (South Wales East)
The National Assembly for Wales:
1. Regrets the increase in waste that is going to landfill over the last 9 years and calls upon the Welsh Assembly Government to:
a) Engage with manufacturers, retailers and suppliers to reduce the amount of unnecessary packaging that would go to landfill;
b) Instruct local authorities to have residual waste collections on a weekly basis;
c) Instruct local authorities to improve their recycling programmes by increasing more kerb-side collections and recycling banks; and
d) Consider introducing incentives for people to reduce the amount of their household waste that goes to landfill.
The following amendments were tabled:
Amendment 1 - Carwyn Jones (Bridgend) - WITHDRAWN
Amendment
2 - Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire):
Add as new point at end of motion:
"Notes that the landfill tax may cause fines of up to £32 million in 2012/13 across local authorities
in Wales.”
Amendment
3 - Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire):
Add as new point at end of motion:
"Believes that local authorities must have funds available to develop their recycling infrastructure in
order to meet their waste reduction obligations.”
Voting on the motion and amendments under this item were deferred until Voting Time.
The results were as follows:
Amendment 1 was withdrawn
A vote was taken on Amendment 2:
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
16 |
0 |
32 |
48 |
Amendment 2 was not agreed.
A vote was taken on Amendment 3:
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
17 |
0 |
31 |
48 |
Amendment 3 was not agreed.
A vote was taken on the motion:
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
11 |
0 |
37 |
48 |
The motion was agreed.
………………………………
3.58pm
Item
12: Welsh Liberal Democrats Debate
NDM3890 Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire)
To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:
1. Believes that the needs of the service-user should be paramount when assessing how public services are delivered.
2. Recognises that in some areas of both England and Wales, access to services on the other side of the border is beneficial to service users.
3. Calls on the Welsh Assembly Government to take better account of the need for cross-border provision when developing new public service strategies.
The following amendments were tabled:
Amendment 1 - William Graham (South Wales East)
Insert at end of point 1:
", and accepts that the principle of patient choice in the NHS should be advanced."
Amendment
2 - Carwyn Jones (Bridgend)
Delete point 3 and replace with:
"Recognises that the Welsh Assembly Government takes proper account of cross-border issues in relation to public services.”
Amendment
3 - William Graham (South Wales East)
Add as new point at end of motion:
"Accepts that the process of public consultation over public services reform needs strengthening.”
Amendment
4 - William Graham (South Wales East)
Add as new point at end of motion:
"Notes with concern the continued divergence in Welsh Assembly Government public service delivery policy.”
Amendment 5 - William Graham (South Wales East)
Add as new point at end of motion:
"Calls
on the Welsh Assembly Government to raise the standard of public services with a more innovative approach, drawing fully on the expertise available within the independent and voluntary/charitable sectors.”
Amendment
6 - William Graham (South Wales East)
Add as new point at end of motion:
"Calls on the Welsh Assembly Government to ensure that sufficient funding is made available to provide those
living in less populated areas with the same level of service as those living in urban areas.”
Voting on the motion and amendments under this item were deferred until Voting Time.
The results were as follows:
A vote was taken on Amendment 1:
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
10 |
0 |
38 |
48 |
Amendment 1 was not agreed.
A vote was taken on Amendment 2:
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
31 |
0 |
16 |
47 |
Amendment 2 was agreed.
A vote was taken on Amendment 3:
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
16 |
0 |
32 |
48 |
Amendment 3 was not agreed.
A vote was taken on Amendment 4:
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
10 |
6 |
32 |
48 |
Amendment 4 wa not agreed.
A vote was taken on Amendment 5:
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
16 |
0 |
32 |
48 |
Amendment 5 was not agreed.
A vote was taken on Amendment 6:
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
48 |
0 |
0 |
48 |
Amendment 6 was agred.
A vote was taken on the motion as amended:
NDM3890 Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire)
To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:
1. Believes that the needs of the service-user should be paramount when assessing how public services are delivered.
2. Recognises that in some areas of both England and Wales, access to services on the other side of the border is beneficial to service users.
3. Recognises that the Welsh Assembly Government takes proper account of cross-border issues in relation to public services.
4. Calls on the Welsh Assembly Government to ensure that sufficient funding is made available to provide those living in less populated areas with the same level of service as those living in urban areas.
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
32 |
15 |
0 |
47 |
The motion as amended was not agreed.
………………………………
4.57pm
The
meeting was adjourned.
5.02pm
The meeting reconvened for Voting Time.
………………………………
5.08pm
Item
13: Short Debate
NDM3884 Janice Gregory (Ogmore):
Social inclusion and collective endeavour - the challenge of regeneration.
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