, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Economy
Good afternoon. We are ready to open our meeting this afternoon. The first item on the agenda is questions to the Minister for Economy, and the first question is from Rhun ap Iorwerth.
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: Water Quality
Finally, James Evans.
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: Water Quality
As if on cue, Mike Hedges.
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: Water Quality
He's behind you.
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: Water Quality
The next item is the statement by the Minister for Climate Change on water quality. The Minister—Julie James.
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Economy: Qatar World Cup Engagement
Yes, indeed. Pob lwc, Cymru. And that concludes that statement. Thank you to the Minister.
, Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
The business statement and announcement is next. I call on the Trefnydd to make that statement—Lesley Griffiths.
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
I thank the First Minister.
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Finally, question 8, Altaf Hussain.
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
I'm really sorry, First Minister, but there are many backbenchers from at least two parties who are seeking to contribute in your place on this debate. I'd rather hear you than them—all of them. All of them. First Minister.
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
The leader of Plaid Cymru, Adam Price.
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Questions now from party leaders. The leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew R.T. Davies.
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Good afternoon. We are ready to begin our meeting, and the first item is questions to the First Minister. The first question is from Joel James.
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
Indeed. Yes, and that wouldn't be for Standing Orders, that would be for legislation, but that isn't an issue for the Business Committee at this point, but it is a debate to be had as to what constitutes a closed list, Jane, and I think we're both quite close…
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
Yes, that's a very good point, David, and, for us to remind ourselves, even though I'm in the company here of party whips, primarily—of business managers—who are all about, in their DNA, party control—it's important to remember that Members leaving groups is…
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
David.
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
No, that's clear and understood. Diolch, Jane. Because a closed list system is that the party puts forward their chosen list and the voter has no ability to choose from within that list. The point of discussion, really, is whether the list will be on the…
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
No, no.
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
—ways where groups and Members have already exercised their ways of working in different ways once they've left a political party to which they were elected, and we've got all kinds of different examples of what they've done after that, whether that's voting…
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
No, I understand that. And we've seen all kinds of—
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
Yes, you are. Yes, I was just checking whether there was any reason why the preferred option here of a closed list—the preferred option of the Welsh Government proposal—would prohibit names being on the electoral ballot, and no decision has been made on that…
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
Yes, okay. Diolch, Jane. Darren.
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
A political party or group.
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
Okay. Fine. Let's go for a 'no increase', and I'll report that back to the Commission. I don't think there were particularly strong views. I shouldn't be saying that, I'm sure, but I think that we're fine with the number that we have for what we are doing…
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
We'll bring a proposal back on that to reflect, I think, where we all are on that, that there needs to be a kind of control mechanism on any executive or group being large enough to dominate those roles. The number of Senedd Commissioners, then. I think, with…
