Summary

  • AMs pass bill agreeing votes for 16 and 17-year-olds and renaming the assembly Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament.

  • Plenary begins at 1.30pm with Questions to the Minister for Education

  • Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services

  • Debate: Stage 4 of the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Bill

  • Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv) - Pancreatic Cancer

  • Welsh Conservatives Debate - Welsh Government Funding

  • Brexit Party Debate - Lobbyist Register

  • Short Debate - Bus services in Wales.

  1. Background: Bid to change the name to simply Senedd unsuccessfulpublished at 15:34 Greenwich Mean Time 27 November 2019

    The original bill, proposed by the assembly commission before changes voted on in October, had proposed renaming the assembly Senedd while saying it may also be known as the Welsh Parliament.

    Ministers felt the wording was confusing, and amendments by former first minister Carwyn Jones for the bilingual Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament passed with Welsh Government support.

    Plaid Cymru had tried to change the name to simply Senedd, arguing it transcended language barriers, but despite some Labour support the bid was unsuccessful.

    Former Labour first minister Carwyn Jones said it was not clear everyone understood Senedd.

    He said he would use the term himself, but his amendments made it clear in law that Senedd Cymru meant the Welsh Parliament.

    Senedd, which is already the name of the building that houses the Siambr (assembly debating chamber), is the Welsh word for parliament.

  2. Stage 4 debate on the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Billpublished at 15:30 Greenwich Mean Time 27 November 2019

    We now reach the Stage 4 debate on the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Bill.

    This is the final hurdle for the law which would change the assembly's name and give 16-year-olds the vote in the institution's elections.

    The assembly says around 70,000 16 and 17 year olds, and 33,000 new foreign national voters (the figure does not include EU and commonwealth citizens) would benefit from the extended franchise in the Senedd and Elections bill.

    It would also give the assembly two names - Senedd Cymru and Welsh Parliament.

    AMs would be renamed Members of the Senedd, while foreign nationals resident in Wales would also be given the vote in Senedd elections.

    voting
  3. Topical Question 2: Barry incineratorpublished at 15:27 Greenwich Mean Time 27 November 2019

    Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister make a statement on the status of the environmental impact assessment made of the Barry incinerator, given that testing at the plant has already commenced?

    Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government Hannah Blythyn replies an independent consultant is conducting an assessment for the Welsh Government of the environmental statement made by the developer.

    Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has confirmed the next phase of testing had begun at the Barry biomass plant in the Vale of Glamorgan.

    The biomass power plant, which has faced opposition from residents and politicians, will burn waste wood at high temperatures in a process called gasification to generate electricity.

    People held up placards and the protest heard speeches from those against the plans at the Senedd on Saturday
    Image caption,

    People held up placards and the protest heard speeches from those against the plans at the Senedd on Saturday

  4. Topical Question 1: helping young people who experience violence in relationshipspublished at 15:18 Greenwich Mean Time 27 November 2019

    Jack Sargeant asks: Will the Minister make a statement on how the Welsh Government is helping young people who experience violence in relationships?

    There has been an 83% rise in domestic abuse-related crimes recorded in Wales over the past four years, official figures have shown.

    Jane Hutt cites a range of services including counselling and awareness training.

  5. '999? I’ve stubbed my toe on a Christmas tree!’published at 15:00 Greenwich Mean Time 27 November 2019

    Vaughan Gething joins the Brexit Party's Caroline Jones in supporting the ambulance service's #BeWiseSaveLives campaign calling on the public to use the service sensibly as we head into winter.

    Caroline Jones cites a stubbed toe as an example of an inappropriate call to the ambulance service in the last year.

  6. Why was Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board's care plan approved?published at 14:51 Greenwich Mean Time 27 November 2019

    Conservative Angela Burns and Plaid Cymru's Helen Mary Jones both question why Cwm Taf Morgannwg's plan to "deliver better health and care for all" was approved by the health minister days before a damning report was published, showing the health board was exposing women to "unacceptable risks".

    An independent review team published a damning 78-page report, external in April which shares the views of 140 family members, including mothers about their experiences at the hospitals.

    Cwm Taf Morgannwg's Integrated Medium Term Plan for 2019-22 was approved by the minister on March 26.

    Vaughan Gething points out his interventions, including putting the board's maternity services into special measures.

    Angela Burns
    Helen Mary
  7. Update on the new health board boundariespublished at 14:47 Greenwich Mean Time 27 November 2019

    We move on to Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services Vaughan Gething.

    Conservative Suzy Davies seeks an update on the new health board boundaries in South Wales West.

    Mr Gething points out that health services in Bridgend have been provided by Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board since April this year.

    The area was formerly served by Abertawe Bro Morgannwg, which also covered Swansea - since renamed Swansea Bay University Health Board.

    The change was made to reflect Bridgend's increasing ties with towns and cities to its east as part of the Cardiff capital region.

    Suzy Davies calls for an impact assessment of possible changes to GPs surgeries in Pencoed and Llanharan.

    Vaughan Gething
  8. Teacher accreditationpublished at 13:58 Greenwich Mean Time 27 November 2019

    Asked by Conservative Suzy Davies "how long do you plan to exclude newly qualified teachers from outside Wales from our Welsh schools", Kirsty Williams replies "there are plenty of opportunities for those wanting to come across the border to teach in our system".

    Suzy Davies
  9. 'U-turn' in Tredegar on Welsh-medium educationpublished at 13:51 Greenwich Mean Time 27 November 2019

    Plaid Cymru's Sian Gwenllian refers to the statutory duty for all Local Authorities in Wales to submit a Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) and a "u-turn" in Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent on establishing Welsh-medium Cylchoedd Meithrin and a second Welsh medium school.

    Kirsty Williams replies there is "clear demand" for Welsh-medium primary education in the area and that it is "remarkable" that a local authority would successfully bid for money and then "appear not to want to build that school". She adds her officials are "looking to see if a solution can be found".

    Sian Gwenllian
  10. Transport options for young people in education and trainingpublished at 13:33 Greenwich Mean Time 27 November 2019

    The Llywydd Elin Jones conducts a ballot to determine the names of Members who may table questions, and a computer randomly selects the order in which the questions are to be asked in plenary.

    The first of the tabled questions, external today is by Plaid Cymru's Bethan Sayed, "Will the Minister outline how the Welsh Government's education department co-operates with the economy and transport department to improve transport options for young people in education and training?"

    As an example, Kirsty Williams cites a joint-ministerial statement setting out the "intention to take forward a review identifying all issues involved in post 16 learner travel".

    Kirsty Williams
  11. Welcome to Senedd Livepublished at 13:03 Greenwich Mean Time 27 November 2019

    Prynhawn da.

    Plenary gets underway at 1.30pm with Questions to the Minister for Education, Kirsty Williams.