Item 7 is motion to amend Standing Orders: changes related to Assembly business in extraordinary circumstances. I call on a member of Business Committee to move the motion—Llywydd. 

Motion NNDM7312 Elin Jones

To propose that the National Assembly, in accordance with Standing Order 33.2:

1. Considers the report of the Business Committee ‘Amending Standing Orders: Temporary Standing Orders in response to Coronavirus (Covid-19)’ laid in the Table Office on 18 March 2020.

2. Approves the proposal to revise Standing Orders, as set out in Annex A of the report of the Business Committee.

3. Notes that these changes are temporary, and will cease to have effect on the dissolution of this Assembly.

Motion moved.

Formally, Deputy Presiding Officer. I move what's before us now. These changes to the Standing Orders are necessary in order to allow the Assembly to continue with its work as best it can in unprecedented circumstances.

First of all, the Standing Orders relating to publicly meeting. We'll continue to broadcast the Plenary to the public in accordance with Standing Order 12.1, but the change to the Standing Order before us means that the gallery doesn't need to stay open for reasons of public health and safety. If the extraordinary circumstance did arise where it wasn't possible to broadcast as well, the Plenary would be able to proceed without that.

Secondly, the Business Committee has also agreed to change the Standing Orders in order to allow a temporary Chair to chair a Plenary with all the powers of the Presiding Officer when the Llywydd or the Deputy Presiding Officer can't come to the Assembly. There is also a provision to elect a designated temporary Presiding Officer if the Llywydd and the Deputy Presiding Officer aren't in a position to operate at all. If these Standing Orders are approved, then the Assembly will be asked to elect David Melding to those two roles.

For information, I would like to update and add a few issues of interest to the Members that stem from an urgent meeting of the Business Committee this morning. It was agreed that Plenary will meet on one day only next week, namely Wednesday, with a full session in the morning and the afternoon. This will allow questions to the First Minister to go on as usual, and for the Ministers to make statements in order to update us on the latest impact of the coronavirus on their policy areas, and also any other legislative issues. That will restrict the time that Members and staff will have to spend in the Senedd.

Finally, the Business Committee is discussing ways to allow the Assembly to meet and to continue with our work over the recess period and beyond, in order to ensure that the Government can update Members on coronavirus issues, and that the opposition parties can have an opportunity to scrutinise in a timely and appropriate fashion, and allow backbench Members in the same way.

These are extreme circumstances, and I hope that the Assembly will support these changes to the Standing Orders, which are going to reflect that and allow us to continue with our work in the most appropriate fashion at this time. [Interruption.] Yes, of course.

Thank you, Presiding Officer. I fully understand the logic and argument you're putting forward, but in business questions yesterday I did press the leader of the house about seeking a statement from the environment Minister on agricultural matters and restrictions in the agricultural sector. Now we're cut down to one day—I appreciate that statement might come through on Wednesday, but I heard the Minister for the economy say that he would be prepared to make written statements available to Members, constantly updating them. Could I, through you, seek the support that Members could be updated by each Minister covering their portfolios regularly on a rapidly changing situation that has dramatic implications for areas of concern for our constituents?

The business that was tabled for next Tuesday—that includes a range of statements and, if I recall correctly, a statement by the environment Minister is one of those in the context of coronavirus—all of those statements will be held and take place on the Wednesday. So, nothing will have changed from the business statement that you've referred to. You've had the opportunity to raise some additional issues there; they are not directly issues for me as a Llywydd, but fortunately the business manager of the Government and the Trefnydd has heard the point.

So, I encourage Members to support these motions, these amendments to our Standing Orders.

Will you take an intervention before you sit down?

You caught me just in time, in exceptional circumstances. I won't sit down quickly.

You know the rules better than I do. Just with regard to committees, we've got a Children, Young People and Education Committee tomorrow where the education Minister is giving evidence, which I find very useful. What are the longer terms plans for committees? I don't think you mentioned committees in your statement.

The Business Committee is looking at a variety of options that we will consider over the next few days in order to ensure that that ongoing scrutiny of Government and ongoing Government business is able to continue in the context of coronavirus. The Business Committee has already taken the decision that it is matters relating to coronavirus that now become the imperative of both the Government and the Assembly in our scrutiny of Government actions.

Will you take an intervention on that subject?

Yes.

Presiding Officer, I'm grateful to you, and I know I'm testing everybody in this. The matter we discussed under the topical question is a matter of grave public significance, because it is about the resources and how the resources are allocated both to the Welsh Government and how the Welsh Government manages those resources at a time of crisis. It is essential that our committees are able to meet wherever possible to ensure that there is scrutiny of these matters, even in an emergency situation, so that we're able to guarantee and to say to the people of this country that we are ensuring and doing all that we can to ensure that they and my constituents are treated in the same way as the Chancellor of the Exchequer's constituents. So, the point that my colleague has made about committees is a very important point, and one where I think there might be broad support across the Chamber.

I think we have to strike the right balance here. There are a number of committee Chairs here at this point. The decision was that matters relating to coronavirus are the matters for our immediate concern over the next few weeks and months. We will give some further thought, reflecting on the two contributions here in terms of committee work. The Business Committee will look at what is the right mechanism for next week's business, but in particular through the recess period and beyond, to enable Government to be held to account and backbenchers and opposition parties to be able to scrutinise the decisions of the Government. I've had discussions with the Government; the Government wants to be scrutinised on its decisions and is keen for the democratic process to enable that to happen. So, thank you for the points you've made. I haven't yet quite sat down, but I will do so now, and hope that you support the changes to Standing Orders.

Thank you. I have no speakers in the debate. Therefore, the proposal is to amend Standing Orders. Does any Member object? No. Therefore, the motion is agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

Motion agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.