The first item this afternoon is nominations for committee Chairs. A few points from me before we begin: I will now invite nominations under Standing Order 17.2F for the election of committee Chairs. Only a Member of the political group that has been allocated that committee may be nominated as Chair, and only a Member of the same political group may make that nomination. The allocation of Chairs to political groups has been agreed in accordance with Standing Order 17.2A. For political groups of more than 20 Members, the nomination must be seconded by another Member of the same group. For political groups with fewer than 20 Members, no seconder is required. If any Member objects to a nomination, or if two or more nominations are made for one committee, a secret ballot will be held. I will continue with the nominations for the remaining committees until all nominations have been made. 

We begin by inviting nominations for the Chair of the Equality and Social Justice Committee, which has been allocated to the Labour group. I call for a Member of the Labour group to make any nominations. Jayne Bryant. 

I nominate Jenny Rathbone. 

Does any Member of the Labour group second that nomination?

I second it. 

Yes, it has been seconded. Are there any further nominations. No, I see no further nominations. [Interruption.] Yes, I can see that Alun Davies has indicated. Alun Davies, do you have a nomination?

I'd like to make a point of order on this procedure, Presiding Officer. 

I'm not taking a point of order in the middle of the nomination process, but I will take your point of order—[Interruption.] I'll take the point of order at the end of the nominations. There being no further nominations for that committee—

—is there any objection to that nomination?

Any objection to that nomination? No. 

Therefore, I declare that Jenny Rathbone is elected Chair of the Equality and Social Justice Committee. Many congratulations to Jenny Rathbone. 

The next committee is the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee, which has been allocated to the Welsh Conservatives. Are there any nominations for Chair?

Llywydd, I recommend Mark Isherwood. 

You can nominate Mark Isherwood. No seconder is necessary. Is there any objection to Mark Isherwood's nomination? There being no objection, I can then declare that Mark Isherwood has now been elected the Chair of public accounts and public administration. Llongyfarchiadau, congratulations, Mark Isherwood.

We now go on to—

—the Finance Committee. The allocation of Chair of the Finance Committee was given to Plaid Cymru. Are there any nominations for Chair of the Finance Committee from Plaid Cymru? Delyth Jewell. 

I'd like to nominate Peredur Owen Griffiths. 

Thank you. There is no need for that to be seconded. Are there any further nominations for Chair of Finance Committee? Sioned Williams.

I'd like to nominate Rhys ab Owen.

Rhys ab Owen is nominated. Again, we don't need a seconder for that. Therefore, as there is more than one nomination, there will be a ballot for Chair of Finance Committee, and that will be a secret ballot.

The next committee is the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee, which has been allocated to the Labour group. Are there any nominations from the Labour group? Sarah Murphy.

Sarah Murphy, can you be unmuted? Yes, there you go.

Thank you. I'd like to nominate Huw Irranca-Davies, please.

Is that nomination seconded? Buffy Williams.

You're unmuted now. Carry on, Buffy.

Yes, I second that.

Okay. Thank you very much. Are there any further nominations? Any further nominations?

Any further nomination? No, I don't see a further nomination.

Therefore, I declare that Huw Irranca-Davies is elected Chair of the legislation, justice—. No, before I declare that election, I must ask whether there is any objection to Huw Irranca-Davies's nomination. Are there any objections? There are none. Therefore, I can now declare that Huw Irranca-Davies is elected Chair of the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee. I wish him well.

I now invite nominations for Chair of the Petitions Committee, which has been allocated to the Labour group. Jayne Bryant.

I'd like to nominate Jack Sargeant.

Jack Sargeant is nominated. Is there a seconder for that nomination?

Is there a seconder? Ken Skates. [Interruption.]

I second Jack Sargeant.

Okay. Thank you, Ken Skates. Can Members who notice that they're not muted either mute themselves or be careful in what they're saying? Okay. So, we have a seconder for—. I forget who now—oh, Jack Sargeant. My apologies, Jack. [Laughter.] Is there another nomination for the Petitions Committee? No, I see no further nominations. Is there an objection to the Chair of petitions being Jack Sargeant? No, I see no objection either. So, Jack Sargeant is elected to the Petitions Committee Chair. Congratulations to you, Jack.

The next committee is the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport and International Relations Committee.

I think that's the longest title we've had for a committee thus far. It's a Plaid Cymru nomination. Is there a nomination from Plaid Cymru? Llyr Gruffydd.

Thank you, Llywydd. I wish to nominate Delyth Jewell to chair this committee.

Thank you. That doesn't need to be seconded. Is there any further nomination from Plaid Cymru? Further nominations? No further nominations? Okay, there are no further nominations for the Chair—. Rhys ab Owen.

I nominate Heledd Fychan.

Okay. So, there are now two nominations for Chair of the culture committee and, as a result, there will be a secret ballot for that post. 

The next nomination is for the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee, and this has been allocated to the Welsh Conservatives. Is there a nomination? Laura Jones. 

Llywydd, I nominate Paul Davies. 

Paul Davies has been nominated. Is there a further nomination from the Conservative group for this Chair? I don't see a further nomination. Is there an objection to that nomination? I see no objection, and therefore Paul Davies has been elected to chair the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee. 

Congratulations to Paul Davies. 

We now move to the Health and Social Care Committee, also allocated to the Welsh Conservatives. Is there a nomination? Laura Jones. 

It's very straightforward when it's done by the same person every time, I must say. [Laughter.]

We aim to please, Llywydd. I nominate Russell George.   

Russell George has been nominated. Is there a further nomination from the Conservative group? No, I see none. Is there an objection to that nomination? There being no objection that I can see, then I will declare that Russell George has been elected as the Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee. 

Congratulations, Russell. 

The next Chair is for the Local Government and Housing Committee. The Labour group to nominate. Jayne Bryant. 

I'd like to nominate John Griffiths.  

John Griffiths has been nominated. Ken Skates to second? 

I second John Griffiths.  

That nomination is seconded. Is there a further nomination from the Labour group? Rhianon Passmore. 

Mike Hedges. 

Mike Hedges has been nominated. Is there a seconder for that nomination? Jack Sargeant. 

I'll second Mike Hedges.  

Thank you. Is there a further nomination—a third nomination? Yes, Hefin.  

Chair, I would have liked to have taken the opportunity today to have nominated Mike Hedges and Alun Davies as joint Chairs of this committee on a job share, and, I have to say, it is disappointing that Business Committee has decided today not to allow a joint Chair to go ahead. I feel that it's an opportunity missed, and I'd like to put that on the record. 

Well, it is on the record now. I suspect Alun Davies wanted to make the same point, so I might as well accept it now. Alun Davies, do you want to make the same point, or is it on—?

Yes, on a point of order, I was profoundly disappointed that Business Committee took the opportunity to block this candidature this morning and not to explore the potential to job share a committee Chair. It appears to me, and it appeared, I think, to others, that this was a very straightforward proposal and one which could have been accommodated within our existing Standing Orders. It appears to me that Business Committee did not give this the consideration that it deserved, and it appears to me that we're now in the situation in this Senedd where the most conservative Members no longer sit on the Conservative benches. 

Well, to respond and to place it on the record, and following the discussions on committees and Chairs that have been undertaken in groups and in the Business Committee over the past five weeks, I received an application yesterday afternoon from Mike Hedges and Alun Davies to job share for a committee Chair. I put that request to the Business Committee this morning. It was unanimous in the Business Committee that there was no support to do this. It would have been with quite considerable changes necessary, both to Standing Orders and to our procedures. The Business Committee is keen to undertake a review on all these issues, but to do so in such a short period of time was not something that the Business Committee could sign up to, given the fact that we were looking to elect our Chairs today, and, therefore, these are matters that can be taken in the future.

I would remind all Members that they are able to put their names forward for nomination and be nominated and seconded in this place, as we've done right throughout this afternoon. Nobody is being blocked from doing that by the Business Committee or this Senedd. This is an election for Chairs, and all Members are equal in their participation in that process.

I think we've said all we need to say on the record on that. I probably wouldn't have wanted to take that as a point of order in the middle of an election, but Hefin David caught me off guard slightly there. And we'll live and learn from that one. 

Felly, where am I? I've lost track of which committee I'm on. Have we elected the Chair for local government? No. We've had two seconded nominations. Are there further nominations? Anybody can be nominated at this time, if you have support. Any further nominations? No. Therefore, we have an election for that Chair for local government and housing, and that will be conducted by private ballot. 

We now move to the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee. It's a Plaid Cymru nomination this time. Any nominations? Mabon ap Gwynfor.

May I nominate Llyr Gruffydd?

Are there any further nominations from Plaid Cymru? There are none. Is there any objection to Llyr Gruffydd as Chair of that committee? No. Therefore, Llyr Gruffydd is elected Chair of the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee. I wish him well. 

We now move to the Children, Young People and Education Committee, which has been allocated to the Labour group. Are there any nominations? Ken Skates.

I nominate Jayne Bryant. 

Ah, that's why you couldn't nominate that one. [Laughter.] And is there a seconder to Jayne Bryant?

I'd like to second Jayne Bryant. 

Jayne Bryant has been nominated and seconded. Are there further nominations? 

There being no further nominations, is there an objection to Jayne Bryant to chair that committee? I see no objection, and therefore, Jayne Bryant, you are elected to chair the committee for children, young people and education. 

The Standards of Conduct Committee now, allocated to the Labour group. Any nomination for the Chair of standards? Huw Irranca-Davies.  

I'd like to nominate Vikki Howells. 

Vikki Howells. Is there a seconder to Vikki Howells's nomination? Buffy Williams. 

I second Vikki Howells.

Yes, thank you. That nomination has been seconded. Any other nomination for standards committee? No. There being no further nomination, I can declare that Vikki Howells has been elected as the Chair of our standards committee. Good luck to you with that work. 

All done? Yes. That concludes the nomination process, and, in the case of those referred to secret ballot, in accordance with Standing Orders, I inform Members that the secret ballots will be held in committee rooms 1 and 2 in the Senedd. Members will be e-mailed when voting opens. Voting will close at 16:30, or after the second changeover break, whichever is later, giving a window of approximately two hours for voting. The clerk will be responsible for supervising the voting and counting of votes. Following the secret ballot, I will announce the results at the end of Plenary today, after voting time.