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. This is a draft version of the record.
The final version will be published within five working days.
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Dechreuodd y cyfarfod am 09:15.
The meeting began at 09:15.
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Cyflwyniad,
Ymddiheuriadau, Dirprwyon a Datgan Buddiannau
Introductions, Apologies, Substitutions and Declarations of
Interest
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[1]
John Griffiths:
May I welcome Members to our first
meeting of the autumn term? The first item on the agenda is
apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest, of which
there are none.
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Papurau i’w
Nodi
Papers to Note
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[2]
John Griffiths:
The second item is papers to note.
Can we go through those, then, individually? First of all,
there’s the Equality and Local Government Committee forward
work programme, which of course we will be returning to. Does
anybody have any comments on that item? No. Then there’s the
letter from the External Affairs and Additional Legislation
Committee regarding the interim remit of the committee. We’ll
be drawing up a response to that, which we’ll circulate, so,
obviously, you’ll have an opportunity to input into that. Is
that okay with Members? Thank you very much.
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[3]
We have a letter from the Finance
Committee regarding the draft budget, and, of course, we’ve
got discussions on the draft budget programmed into our forward
work programme. Any comments on that? No. Then there’s a
letter from the Llywydd regarding committee statements in Plenary,
which will have gone to all committee Chairs, and I think Members
are familiar with the, I think, valuable view of the Llywydd that
we have greater integration between the work of the committees and
Plenary, and look for new opportunities and some fresh thinking on
that. Rhianon.
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[4]
Rhianon Passmore:
So, in terms of this letter, about
the greater co-ordination between the committees, what does that
actually look like in terms of this committee on the
ground?
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[5]
John
Griffiths: Well, we’ll have opportunities
to make statements in Plenary to a greater extent than has been the
case up to now. There’s a possibility to take forward themed
debates that a committee might consider to be particularly
important—you know, a series of debates on a topic, in
addition to the usual reporting of a committee inquiry. So, I
think, really, the Llywydd is setting out her stall that she
believes that one way of making better use of Plenary time is to
bring committees and committee work to Plenaries to a greater
extent in a more integrated way. So, she sets out some ways of
doing that, but I think she’s quite open to ideas. So, you
know, as a committee, as we move forward, we can decide how we want
to achieve that greater integration and greater involvement between
ourselves and Plenary. But, certainly, there are some obvious
opportunities, such as when we decide on inquiries, making initial
statements so we raise awareness of what the committee’s work
is, and also perhaps get a greater feeding in of views from other
Assembly Members and external stakeholders through that raising of
profile. So, to some extent, we can hopefully shape our
contribution as a committee to Plenary ourselves, using those
guidelines in the Llywydd’s letter. Jenny.
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[6]
Jenny
Rathbone: I
think it could be a useful way of flagging up something we want the
public to tell us about when we’re starting an inquiry about
something that requires not just the usual organisations. So, if we
have a debate in Plenary about the purpose of our inquiry, and who
we want to hear from, (a) other Assembly Members are then aware of
it and can talk to their constituents, and (b) the general public
may get to hear about it. So, I think that’s quite a useful
way of having stages of inquiries.
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[7]
John
Griffiths: I
think it’s fair to say, then, that the committee’s
quite keen to explore and use the opportunities that the Llywydd is
suggesting in her letter. Yes?
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[8]
Janet
Finch-Saunders: There’s a lot—sorry,
Bethan, go on.
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[9]
Bethan
Jenkins: I
just think as well, because of the change in system to the Chairs,
it’s because I think, as well, that the committee
Chairs are going to be more
independent. So, it’s going to be as if you’re
scrutinising like you do ministerial scrutiny. The Chair is
actually making a statement, so there is quite a lot of focus then
on what that committee will be able to deliver via that new
process. So, I think it’s quite exciting, really, because,
sometimes, committee inquiries can go ahead and nobody knows that
they are actually happening. So, if that adds to the level of
awareness, then you can’t really argue against that, can
you?
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[10]
John Griffiths:
No.
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[11]
Bethan Jenkins:
Sorry, Janet.
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[12]
Janet Finch-Saunders:
No, I was just saying: we spent a lot of
hours in the last term—. Obviously, we had a lot of
legislation coming through and the inquiries that we did do—.
You spend a lot of time doing them and producing excellent reports
that just get an airing, and Members go out for cups of tea. I
think if we, actually, by making a statement that we are
introducing the fact that we are bringing something forward, it
just makes, as Bethan said, more awareness, but also more public
awareness as well, because, you know, everything does get reported
from here, doesn’t it? I think it’s quite a new
initiative, and I would certainly encourage it.
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[13]
John Griffiths:
Absolutely, and I think if other Assembly
Members, for example, do take a particular interest, having heard
that a committee is going to conduct a particular inquiry, that in
itself is a good thing. They may well involve others—their
own group, as it were, of particular stakeholders that
they’ve developed relationships with. Then, when it’s
reported subsequently, perhaps there wouldn’t be that level
of, ‘Oh, well, this isn’t really work that I have been
involved with’, and people would be more inclined to take
part in the debate in Plenary when the final report is made, and at
any interim stages. It’s all useful I think. Okay. Thanks for
that.
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[14]
The final paper to note is the letter
from the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee regarding
the Wales Bill. That’s our next discussion. Okay? Everybody
happy with that?
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[15]
Rhianon Passmore:
Chair, in terms of how this committee is
going to, in a sense, work with us in terms of the Wales Bill, will
we be expecting the Chair, for instance, to come to this committee?
It is really a question in terms of process and protocol, in terms
of their oversight during the House of Lords passage.
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[16]
John Griffiths:
We can discuss that later because
we’ve got a particular item on the agenda for the Wales Bill,
Rhiannon.
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[17]
Rhianon Passmore:
I know it’s on the agenda,
isn’t it? Yes, okay.
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[18]
John Griffiths:
I think our first decision, really, is
how we respond to the letter, if that’s okay.
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[19]
Rhianon Passmore:
Okay, that’s fine. We will come
back to it.
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[20]
John Griffiths:
Okay. Well, those are the papers to
note.
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09:22
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Cynnig o dan Reol
Sefydlog 17.42 i Benderfynu Gwahardd y Cyhoedd o’r
Cyfarfod
Motion under Standing Order 17.42 to Resolve
to Exclude the Public from the Meeting
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Cynnig:
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Motion:
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bod y pwyllgor yn penderfynu gwahardd y cyhoedd o weddill y
cyfarfod yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 17.42.
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that the committee resolves
to exclude the public from the remainder of the meeting in
accordance with Standing Order 17.42.
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Cynigiwyd y cynnig.
Motion moved.
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[21]
John Griffiths: In accordance with Standing Order 17.42, is
the committee now happy to resolve to exclude the public for the
remainder of this meeting, so that we can move into private
session? Yes. Okay, thank you very much.
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Derbyniwyd y cynnig.
Motion agreed.
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Daeth rhan gyhoeddus y cyfarfod i ben am 09:22.
The public part of the meeting
ended at 09:22.
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