Plenary begins at 1.30pm with Questions to the First Minister
Business Statement and Announcement
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport: The Independent Evaluation of the Emergency Ambulance Services Clinical Response Model
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education: OECD Education Review and Recommendations
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure: Future of Local Bus Services
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government: Innovative Finance: the Mutual Investment Model (MIM)
Debate: The General Principles of the Public Health (Wales) Bill
Live Reporting
By Alun Jones and Nia Harri
All times stated are UK
Hwyl
That's it for today.
Senedd Live will be back tomorrow morning when we'll be broadcasting the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee.
Members agree the general principles of the Public Health (Wales) Bill without objection.
So the Bill will proceed to Stage Two (detailed Committee consideration of the Bill and any proposed amendments). Stage Two proceedings are expected to be completed by 7 April 2017.
'Nothing to address biggest public health challenge of our time'
UKIP's Caroline Jones expresses disappointment that "this bill does nothing to address the biggest public health challenge of our time - obesity".
BBCCopyright: BBC
'Unsatisfactory'
In the view of the
Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee
, chaired by Labour's Huw Irranca-Davies, it is "unsatisfactory that the Explanatory Memorandum did not compare
the Bill introduced into the National Assembly with the Bill rejected in the Fourth Assembly. In our
view, that would have been a more transparent approach."
BBCCopyright: BBC
Additional funding needed for local authorities to cover additional costs
Simon Thomas, Chair of the Finance Committee, presents the
committee's report
.
Among the eight recommendations is that the Welsh Government
should provide additional funding to local authorities to cover the additional
costs they would face as a consequence of implementing the provisions in this
Bill.
Measures to tackle obesity
Dai Lloyd AM, Chair of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, introduces the
committee's report
which includes 19 recommendations.
Among them is to introduce measures to tackle obesity, to enable the smoking restrictions to be extended to early years childcare and education settings, and to prohibit performing or making arrangements to perform an intimate piercing on a person who is under the age of 18.
AMs move on to a debate on the general principles of the Public Health (Wales) Bill.
This second attempt to bring in the
bill
no longer includes a ban on e-cigarettes in some enclosed places.
AMs are expected to allow the bill, which introduces new regulations on smoke-free areas, tattooists and public toilets, to pass its next hurdle today.
Over-emphasis on getting things off the public balance sheet?
In response to Mr Drakeford's confirmation that a loan application has
been made on behalf of registered social landlords to the European Investment
Bank, Mark Reckless says UKIP has no objection in principle to the EIB.
He wonders whether "there is an over-emphasis on getting things off the public balance sheet".
BBCCopyright: BBC
Government could 'create a greater capacity to invest'
Plaid Cymru's Adam Price says the government has "scope to do more and be more innovative than what's been announced today, to create a greater capacity to invest."
BBCCopyright: BBC
Three capital projects to be delivered through a new public-private partnership
Mr Drakeford says that three major capital projects are to be delivered through a new form
of public-private partnership – the Mutual Investment Model.
The three schemes – completing the dualling of the A465 from
Dowlais Top to Hirwaun; the new Velindre Cancer Centre and providing a
significant tranche of investment in the next phase of the 21st century schools programme – will
together make up some £1bn of new investment, he says.
BBCCopyright: BBC
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government
Next is a statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, Mark Drakeford on the the Mutual Investment Model (MIM).
'Rolling back of the more damaging effects of changes'
Mr Skates says, "I
want to see the rolling back of the more damaging effects of the changes made
to our local bus services more than thirty years ago.
"A
change that served only to undermine, threaten and destabilise local bus
services."
Mr Skates says, "Taken together with public funding provided to maintain free bus travel for older people and disabled people, contracted bus services for learner travel, community transport and funding provided to support rail services in Wales, the public sector investment in our public transport network is in the region of half a billion pounds annually.
"I am simply not convinced that we are getting the value for money that the people of Wales have a right to expect."
He adds that next week he will be publishing a public consultation on "a set of suggested measures that in the longer term could reform the way in which bus services are planned and delivered across Wales."
BBCCopyright: BBC
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure
The next item in the Siambr is a statement by Ken Skates on the future of local bus services.
According to the Welsh Government, every day 63,000 people rely on the bus to get to work and about 350,000 trips are made every day to get to hospital appointments, visit friends, go shopping or access leisure.
TrawsCymru
carried a record two million passengers in 2015-16.
BBCCopyright: BBC
Bus fares provide 87% of income for operators, with subsidies per passenger six times less than for train travel in Wales
Image caption:
Bus fares provide 87% of income for operators, with subsidies per passenger six times less than for train travel in Wales
OECD recommendations
In response to UKIP's Michelle Brown, Kirsty Williams says she will need time to consider all the OECD recommendations.
BBCCopyright: BBC
Michelle BrownImage caption: Michelle Brown
'Thin on the ground in terms of actions'
On behalf of Plaid Cymru, Simon Thomas says the statement by the Cabinet Secretary was "thin on the ground in terms of actions that would arise from the report".
He questions her on resources and leadership, and suggests that in a year or two the government commissions a "completely independent evaluator" to look at what progress has been made.
BBCCopyright: BBC
Government already taking action on many recommendations
Education Secretary Kirsty Williams says the Welsh Government is already taking action on many of the recommendations, from creating a new national academy for leadership, transforming initial teacher education, launching new professional standards, and introducing a national approach to professional learning.
BBCCopyright: BBC
'Very concerning' to hear messages repeated
Conservative Darren Millar says that having read the OECD report, "what is clear is that not everything is as rosy as the picture that was painted by the Cabinet Secretary" in December.
He says it is "very concerning that we are hearing messages that have been said in previous reports", such as lack of leadership and the need to raise the status of the profession.
Live Reporting
By Alun Jones and Nia Harri
All times stated are UK
Hwyl
That's it for today.
Senedd Live will be back tomorrow morning when we'll be broadcasting the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee.
Vaughan's Verdict
Bill proceeds to Stage Two
Members agree the general principles of the Public Health (Wales) Bill without objection.
So the Bill will proceed to Stage Two (detailed Committee consideration of the Bill and any proposed amendments). Stage Two proceedings are expected to be completed by 7 April 2017.
'Nothing to address biggest public health challenge of our time'
UKIP's Caroline Jones expresses disappointment that "this bill does nothing to address the biggest public health challenge of our time - obesity".
'Unsatisfactory'
In the view of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee , chaired by Labour's Huw Irranca-Davies, it is "unsatisfactory that the Explanatory Memorandum did not compare the Bill introduced into the National Assembly with the Bill rejected in the Fourth Assembly. In our view, that would have been a more transparent approach."
Additional funding needed for local authorities to cover additional costs
Simon Thomas, Chair of the Finance Committee, presents the committee's report .
Among the eight recommendations is that the Welsh Government should provide additional funding to local authorities to cover the additional costs they would face as a consequence of implementing the provisions in this Bill.
Measures to tackle obesity
Dai Lloyd AM, Chair of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, introduces the committee's report which includes 19 recommendations.
Among them is to introduce measures to tackle obesity, to enable the smoking restrictions to be extended to early years childcare and education settings, and to prohibit performing or making arrangements to perform an intimate piercing on a person who is under the age of 18.
Article by Assembly Research Service
General principles of public health bill
AMs move on to a debate on the general principles of the Public Health (Wales) Bill.
This second attempt to bring in the bill no longer includes a ban on e-cigarettes in some enclosed places.
AMs are expected to allow the bill, which introduces new regulations on smoke-free areas, tattooists and public toilets, to pass its next hurdle today.
The first attempt at passing the legislation was defeated in March last year
Over-emphasis on getting things off the public balance sheet?
In response to Mr Drakeford's confirmation that a loan application has been made on behalf of registered social landlords to the European Investment Bank, Mark Reckless says UKIP has no objection in principle to the EIB.
He wonders whether "there is an over-emphasis on getting things off the public balance sheet".
Government could 'create a greater capacity to invest'
Plaid Cymru's Adam Price says the government has "scope to do more and be more innovative than what's been announced today, to create a greater capacity to invest."
Three capital projects to be delivered through a new public-private partnership
Mr Drakeford says that three major capital projects are to be delivered through a new form of public-private partnership – the Mutual Investment Model.
The three schemes – completing the dualling of the A465 from Dowlais Top to Hirwaun; the new Velindre Cancer Centre and providing a significant tranche of investment in the next phase of the 21st century schools programme – will together make up some £1bn of new investment, he says.
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government
Next is a statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, Mark Drakeford on the the Mutual Investment Model (MIM).
'Rolling back of the more damaging effects of changes'
Mr Skates says, "I want to see the rolling back of the more damaging effects of the changes made to our local bus services more than thirty years ago.
"A change that served only to undermine, threaten and destabilise local bus services."
'Not convinced we are getting value for money'
Mr Skates says, "Taken together with public funding provided to maintain free bus travel for older people and disabled people, contracted bus services for learner travel, community transport and funding provided to support rail services in Wales, the public sector investment in our public transport network is in the region of half a billion pounds annually.
"I am simply not convinced that we are getting the value for money that the people of Wales have a right to expect."
He adds that next week he will be publishing a public consultation on "a set of suggested measures that in the longer term could reform the way in which bus services are planned and delivered across Wales."
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure
The next item in the Siambr is a statement by Ken Skates on the future of local bus services.
According to the Welsh Government, every day 63,000 people rely on the bus to get to work and about 350,000 trips are made every day to get to hospital appointments, visit friends, go shopping or access leisure.
TrawsCymru carried a record two million passengers in 2015-16.
OECD recommendations
In response to UKIP's Michelle Brown, Kirsty Williams says she will need time to consider all the OECD recommendations.
'Thin on the ground in terms of actions'
On behalf of Plaid Cymru, Simon Thomas says the statement by the Cabinet Secretary was "thin on the ground in terms of actions that would arise from the report".
He questions her on resources and leadership, and suggests that in a year or two the government commissions a "completely independent evaluator" to look at what progress has been made.
Government already taking action on many recommendations
Education Secretary Kirsty Williams says the Welsh Government is already taking action on many of the recommendations, from creating a new national academy for leadership, transforming initial teacher education, launching new professional standards, and introducing a national approach to professional learning.
'Very concerning' to hear messages repeated
Conservative Darren Millar says that having read the OECD report, "what is clear is that not everything is as rosy as the picture that was painted by the Cabinet Secretary" in December.
He says it is "very concerning that we are hearing messages that have been said in previous reports", such as lack of leadership and the need to raise the status of the profession.