The proceedings are
reported in the language in which they were spoken in the
committee. In addition, a transcription of the simultaneous
interpretation is included. Where contributors have supplied
corrections to their evidence, these are noted in the
transcript.
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Dechreuodd y cyfarfod am 09:21.
The meeting began at 09:21.
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Cyflwyniad,
Ymddiheuriadau, Dirprwyon a Datganiadau o Fuddiant
Introduction, Apologies, Substitutions and Declarations of
Interest
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[1]
Mike Hedges: Can I welcome everyone to the meeting this
morning? Can I remind people that they are welcome to speak Welsh
or English? Headsets are available for translation of Welsh to
English. There’s no need to turn off mobile phones or other
electronic devices, but please ensure that any devices are in
silent mode, and I say that from personal experience; it’s
awfully embarrassing when it starts making a funny noise.
We’ve got no apologies, but we know that Janet Finch-Saunders may well be late.
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Deisebau Newydd
New Petitions
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[2]
Mike Hedges: So, we will make a start. We’ve had a new
petition, on the funding of services, which was submitted with 21
signatures and which went to the Cabinet Secretary on 10 October.
We’ve received a response. We’ve had a research brief.
We’ve had the petitioner’s further comments. Neither
the Royal National Lifeboat Institution nor the Royal Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals receive significant public
funding, but the RNLI website says that they do not seek public
funding. They’re very proud of being supported by voluntary
donations. All third sector organisations are able to apply for
funding from the Welsh Government. I’m not sure what we can
do with this as a committee. We could close the petition and we
could suggest to the petitioner that he may wish to share the
Cabinet Secretary’s letter with any organisations he feels
would benefit from information about Welsh Government funding. And
also suggest that perhaps he looks at local authorities as well,
who also give local funding. Are we happy with that?
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09:22
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Y Wybodaeth Ddiweddaraf am Ddeisebau Blaenorol
Updates to Previous Petitions
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[3]
Mike Hedges: Updates to previous petitions, ‘The
Wildlife Warriors’, submitted by Caerphilly junior forum and
was first considered on 11 October this year with 13 online
signatures and 83 paper signatures. We last considered it on 11
October and we agreed to await the views of petitioners before
deciding whether to take any further action. We’ve had
further comments which are included in the papers. What action do
we wish to take? The petitioner from the youth forum suggests that
the Eco-Schools project referred to by the Cabinet Secretary could
be given an expanded remit to cover more of the areas proposed in
the petition. It also suggested that it be made more inclusive by
removing the requirement for members to be elected, and making it
open to pupils at a younger age. Eco-Schools is run by Keep Wales
Tidy with funding from the Welsh Government. What we can do: we
could write to Keep Wales Tidy to ask for their reflections on the
petition, and we could ask the Cabinet Secretary to provide
information about a new project, Bee Friendly, which the committee
could share with the petitioners. Are we happy to do that?
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[4]
Neil McEvoy: Yes.
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[5]
‘A Ban on the Manufacture, Sale and Use of Snares in
Wales’ was submitted by the League Against Cruel Sports and
was considered on 11 October, having collected 1,405 signatures.
The committee last considered it on 27 September and agreed to
forward the correspondence received to the Cabinet Secretary for
Environment and Rural Affairs, and requested to be kept informed
about the outcomes of discussions being facilitated by the Welsh
Government before deciding whether to take further action at a
later date.
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[6]
This item is an update for information only. The committee should
note that the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs
Committee is holding a scrutiny session on the use of snares on 30
November, i.e. tomorrow. The petitioner and others who have written
to the committee are providing evidence to this. The climate change
committee will provide an update following this session, which can
be considered by Members at a future meeting alongside the expected
update from the Cabinet Secretary. Shall we await further
information?
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[7]
Gareth Bennett: Yes.
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[8]
‘Abolition of Park Homes Sales Commission’. This
petition was submitted by Caerwnon Park Residents Association and
was considered for the first time on 10 December 2013. The
committee last considered it on 11 October and agreed to write to
the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children to seek the
Welsh Government’s reflections on the recommendations of
research into the economics of the park homes industry. We’ve
had a response from the Cabinet Secretary. The petitioner has also
provided further information, and we’ve had the opportunity
to see and read all that. What do we wish to do? The Cabinet
Secretary’s response states that the Welsh Government is
against any abolition of commission payable to a site owner on the
sale of a park home due to concerns over the impact this would have
on the viability of some sites and pitch fees. The petitioner has
requested that the committee seeks to facilitate a meeting for them
with the Cabinet Secretary. The petition and the broader issues
surrounding park homes have been given detailed consideration by
the Assembly since it was submitted in 2013. Also, there was a
private Member’s park homes Bill brought in in the last
session by Peter Black, the Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for
South Wales West, which eventually became law. What do we wish to
do?
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[9]
Gareth Bennett: What did that change? That Bill.
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[10]
Mike Hedges: I knew you were going to ask me that question. I was
trying to remember—
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[11]
Gareth Bennett:
I’m just wondering what they want.
You know, they’re suggesting other things. I’m
wondering what was already changed by—
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[12]
Mike Hedges: Lots. It was a fairly substantial piece of
legislation, giving them greater security and a whole range of
other things, but it didn’t deal with the pitch
fees.
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[13]
Gareth Bennett: If they’re coming up with different
possibilities, maybe it’s the best idea that we do write to
the Cabinet Secretary.
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[14]
Mike Hedges: And ask whether he or his officials would meet with
them. Then we’ll bring it back here. Yes? Are we happy with
that?
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[15]
Gareth Bennett: Yes.
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[16]
Mike Hedges: Can I declare
an interest on the next item, ‘Close the Gap for deaf pupils
in Wales’? My sister is profoundly deaf, so I have a close
association with the deaf community.
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[17]
This petition was submitted by the National Deaf Children’s
Society Cymru and was first considered on 15 May, having collected
205 signatures. The previous committee took detailed evidence on
this petition in December 2014. It had previously gathered
correspondence from the Welsh Government, the Welsh Local
Government Association, Governors Wales and others. It was last
considered on 20 January and agreed several actions, including a
visit to a nearby school to see at first-hand the work they have
done to provide excellent acoustics for the whole school
population. Unfortunately, due to diaries and pressure of time, the
committee was unable to arrange this visit. The petitioner has been
in discussion with the clerking team and has provided the committee
with a detailed update on the issues raised by the petition, which
have been provided to Members. The petitioner has stated that young
people themselves have identified that action is needed most
urgently in relation to classroom acoustics and deaf awareness.
They have suggested a number of potential actions that could be
taken to address the barriers identified by deaf pupils. I suggest
we write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education, passing on their
comments. Is that okay?
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[18]
Neil McEvoy: Yes.
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[19]
Mike Hedges: ‘Cilmeri
Community Council Appeal for The Prince Llywelyn
Monument’—this goes back to September 2014. It was last
considered on 27 September and we agreed to forward the
petitioners’ comments to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy
and Infrastructure and ask him to provide an update when a decision
on the proposals for the new signs has been reached. We’ve
had a response. The petitioner was informed that the petition would
be considered by the committee but had not responded when papers
for the committee were being finalised. The Cabinet
Secretary’s letter states that the Welsh Government has
approved in principle the design of the new sign. We could write. I
suggest we request an update from the petitioner on the development
of the sign, and also ask the Welsh Government when the sign is
likely to be installed. Yes? It just seems a relatively simple
thing to do.
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[20]
Gareth Bennett: How long is it going back, this
one—2014, is it? It’s strange that it’s taken so
long.
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[21]
Mike Hedges: It’s taken two years to put up a sign. Anyway,
we are where we are.
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[22]
We’re looking at three petitions on buses in what is
effectively west Wales: ‘Wanted—Buses for
Meirionnydd’, ‘Save the Wrexham/Barmouth X94 Bus
Service’ and ‘Increase Funding for Welsh Bus
Services’.
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[23]
The first one is ‘Wanted—Buses for Meirionnydd’,
which is asking us to review the funding for rural bus services and
to consider funding for additional services to improve access to
health services. ‘Save the Wrexham/Barmouth X94 Bus
Service’—this goes back to November 2013. And
there’s ‘Increase Funding for Welsh Bus
Services’, which was first considered on 26 November 2013.
These petitions were received between April and November 2013. The
previous committee agreed to group them and carry out a short
inquiry into the issues raised. Prior to this, the committee had
sought views on petition P-04-475 from organisations including the
older people’s commissioner, the children’s
commissioner, Disability Wales and Age Cymru. Joyce Watson also
undertook a rapporteur visit with the petitioners to hear their
concerns first-hand. Oral evidence sessions were held in spring
2014. The Minister at the time was not available to give oral
evidence but provided a written response to a number of detailed
questions in January 2015. In February 2015, the committee agreed
to seek the petitioners’ views on this and then prepare a
final draft report.
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09:30
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[24]
In autumn 2015, the Enterprise and Business Committee began an
inquiry into bus and community transport services in Wales. As a
result, the Petitions Committee asked the Enterprise and Business
Committee to take the evidence already gathered into account. The
Enterprise and Business Committee produced a report with a series
of recommendations. The report was produced shortly before
dissolution and therefore it was not debated in Plenary. Members
may also wish to note that a new petition on a bus route in Rhondda
Cynon Taf has been recently started. What do we wish to do? I
understand one of them has actually been dealt with positively.
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[25]
Mr Francis: Yes, we believe that there was certainly a time
when the X94 service restarted. We’re not sure on the current
status.
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[26]
Mike Hedges: Would it be possible to find the current status of
each of those and then report back?
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[27]
Mr Francis: And do so via contacting the petitioners to ask for
their—
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[28]
Mike Hedges: I suppose we could contact the petitioners and ask
them what the current position is—these are historical, over
three years ago now, so ask them what the current position is and
then we can come back to visit it and come to a conclusion.
Okay.
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09:32
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