Business Committee

Good morning. Welcome to you all.

I welcome everybody here to this, the first meeting of the Business Committee—you're all very welcome indeed. I'd particularly like to welcome Heledd Fychan, Llŷr Powell, Lynne Neagle and Paul Davies as members of the Business Committee, but also, online, we have Jane Dodds—you're very welcome indeed, Jane—and Anthony Slaughter and Paul Rock are here with us today, who are entitled to attend in accordance with Standing Order 11.5(iii). We also have with us today—delighted to have as well—the new Dirprwy Lywydd with us today.

Just a few brief comments right at the start of proceedings here of this very important committee that manages the business—we come together to manage the business—of the Senedd. I want to begin just by setting out my expectations, which I think we all share as well, of Members in, around, about and outside of the Chamber, because I know I can draw on your support then, as business managers and colleagues, to uphold these expectations, and I think they're expectations from the public as well, the way they would expect us to proceed there. So, it's my expectation, and I think it's all of our expectations, that Members will be able to conduct themselves in a way that reflects the dignity of the Senedd, whether in the Chamber or in committees, in formal proceedings or indeed outside of the Chamber in their role as MSs in things such as social media as well. We'll not always agree—that's undoubtedly going to be true—and nor should we, but we should be able to disagree robustly, but yet still treat each other with respect. I think the public would expect that of us; their expectations are high of this Senedd, and their expectations are high of every single Member, ourselves included. So, I'm sure we can all play our part, as business managers and good colleagues here, to make sure that those standards are upheld.

So, as noted on the agenda, I would like to invite our business managers here today to agree to resolve to meet in private for the remainder of the meeting and any subsequent meetings that the committee deems necessary, so that we can discuss the internal business of the committee and of the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Order 17.42(i)—nine, sorry, nine; 17.42(ix). Are you happy that we move into private session? We are. Thank you very much. We will now move into private session and our clerk will tell us when we are in private.