The next item is a motion to allocate committee Chairs to political groups, and I call on the leader of the house to move the motion formally—Jane Hutt.

Motion NDM6337 Elin Jones

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales, in accordance with Standing Order 17.2R and 17.2A, agrees that the political groups from which the chairs of committees are elected will be as follows:

(i) Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee—Labour;

(ii) Petitions Committee—UKIP.

Motion moved.

Formally.

Diolch, Llywydd. I want to put on record this afternoon my extreme disappointment at the changes that are taking place in relation to the reallocation of committee Chairs following Mark Reckless’s decision to leave the UKIP group and join the Welsh Conservative group. Now, the Presiding Officer—[Interruption.] Now, the Presiding Officer made it quite clear—[Interruption.] The Presiding Officer made it quite clear in her determination that Mark Reckless is indeed a member of the Welsh Conservative group, and that means that the number of members of the opposition now stands at 12 for the Welsh Conservative group, 11 for Plaid Cymru, and five for UKIP. It’s my view that the Assembly should honour and respect the Presiding Officer’s determination, and, indeed, the decision of the Member to join another political group. And, therefore, the Welsh Conservative group should be allocated three committee Chairs and Plaid Cymru two committee Chairs, not the other way around. However, it has become clear in this morning’s Business Committee meeting that the other political parties in this place do not share my view. It is unacceptable and frankly worrying that the National Assembly for Wales proposes to operate in this manner. We on this side of the Chamber are objecting to this motion as a matter of principle, given that this particular change is taking place without due regard for the entire political balance of this Assembly. In fact, Standing Order 17.2R quite clearly states, and I quote:

‘Where the position of chair becomes vacant, the Business Committee:

‘(i) must consider the effects of that vacancy on the balance of committee chairs between political groups’.

Therefore, it’s clear that the decision to allow Plaid Cymru to continue with three committee Chairs versus our two breaks that Standing Order. It is not right that an opposition party in this institution with fewer members now has more committee Chairs, and this could have serious implications in the future for this institution. This sends the message that it doesn’t manner how many Members your group has in this place, all that matters is your ability to make deals regardless of any political balance. If this motion is passed—[Interruption.] If this motion is passed without due regard for the entire political balance, then it has become clear that two thirds of the Assembly no longer—

I do want the views to be heard. Paul Davies. That means be quiet, basically.

Diolch, Llywydd. If this motion is passed without due regard for the entire political balance, then it has become clear that two thirds of the Assembly no longer support a balanced Assembly that reflects the political balance of its Members. Therefore, in closing, Llywydd, I believe that this is a very sad day indeed for the National Assembly and its operations. I sincerely hope that future Governments and business managers will decide to reflect the political balance of this institution when co-ordinating Assembly business, so that the people of Wales can have full confidence that the Assembly is working in an open, transparent, and democratic manner.

Tomorrow, there is a motion from Plaid Cymru proposing that the National Assembly for Wales asserts itself as the national parliament of Wales—except it seems when it comes to a consistent approach to Standing Orders, particularly when they inconvenience—[Interruption.] Particularly when they inconvince Plaid Cymru—[Interruption.] I’m sorry?

Okay, okay—

Is that the intervention?

[Continues.]—calm down. The Member has only just started his speech. Carry on, Mark Reckless.

The motion, Llywydd, that you’ve put forward proposes we should act in accordance with Standing Orders 17.2R and 17.2A, but what about Standing Order 17.2B? That states:

‘In tabling a motion under Standing Order 17.2A, the Business Committee must have regard to the need to ensure that the balance of chairs across committees reflects the political groups to which Members belong.’

If this motion passes today, that will not be the case. This group has 12 members, that group has 11 members. Yet they have two Chairs, and we have three. That’s a clear breach of Standing Order 17.2.

We also have a Business Committee that should be determining this motion, yet is the reality not that that Business Committee meeting was suspended so that the Plaid Cymru and the Labour representative could go outside the room and agree between themselves what the motion should be, and that decision was then adopted by Business Committee? We should apply our Standing Orders, we should apply them consistently, and if the reality is that Plaid Cymru and Labour will stitch up deals—not between themselves, according to their own proper business, as and when they may, but according to the Standing Orders of this Assembly, and breach those without regard to what the rules of this institution say, then how can you put forward that motion tomorrow, asserting that we should be considered the national parliament for Wales, when you behave in that manner?

There are no other speakers to this motion. And, before I move on to asking for a vote on this, I do need to say that, during our deliberations since the Chair became a vacant Chair on 6 April—. During our deliberations in the Business Committee, the relevant provisions of the Standing Orders, our Standing Orders, have been made—all members of the Business Committee have been made aware of those provisions. And I have encouraged Members to reach agreement as soon as possible as to how the vacancy should be filled. After numerous discussions within the committee, over a period of weeks—and, I’m sure, outside the committee as well—the motion before you this afternoon represents the proposal that has the greatest degree of cross-party support.

Y cwestiwn yw, felly: a ddylid derbyn y cynnig? A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? [Gwrthwynebiad.] Felly, gohiriaf y bleidlais ar y cynnig yma tan y cyfnod pleidleisio.

Voting deferred until voting time.