New Senedd committees confirmed – What are they and what are their responsibilities?

Ella Groves, ICNN Senedd Reporter

The new Senedd committees have been decided, meaning detailed scrutiny of the Welsh Government’s decisions can begin.

The titles, remits, and which party will chair each of the new committees have now been approved by Senedd Members – but which members will be sitting on these committees is yet to be decided.

Existing to check and challenge the work of the Welsh Government, Senedd committees scrutinise laws both before and after they are passed, proposing changes when needed.

They are made up of Senedd Members from different party groups who work together to examine the areas of law that are devolved to the Welsh Government.

For the new Senedd term, the business committee has proposed the formation of 13 committees – one more than in the previous term.

So what are the committees for this Senedd term and what do they cover?

Policy and legislation committees

For this Senedd term there will be eight policy and legislation committees, with each having nine members from across the political groups.

The representation in the committees for each group depends on their level of representation in the Senedd.

In the nine-member committees, Plaid Cymru will have four members and Reform three, while Welsh Labour and the Conservatives will have one each.

The committees are: early years, children, young people and education; health and social care; climate change; environment, sustainability and rural affairs; equality, human rights, and social justice; economy, energy, and connectivity; culture, communications, Cymraeg and sport; local government, housing and planning; and constitution, justice and external affairs.

The constitution, justice, and external affairs committee splits the remit of the legislation, justice and constitution committee from the previous Senedd, adding external affairs and electoral matters to its brief.

Other committees

There will also be committees for finance; legislation; public accounts and public administration; and petitions.

Each will have seven members as opposed to nine for the policy and legislation committees.

The party-group representation in each of the seven-member committees will be three Plaid Cymru members, two Reform, and one each for Labour and the Conservatives.

Standards of conduct

Senedd standing orders – the written rules that govern Senedd proceedings – also require the establishment of a standards of conduct committee.

This committee has responsibility over complaints and the conduct of members more generally. It is also cross-party, meaning members from each of the political groups may sit, and it will have five members in total.

Who will chair the committees?

As with the party makeup of the committees, chairs are also allocated to reflect the size of the political groups represented in the Senedd.

In line with the current makeup of the Senedd, Plaid Cymru will have six chairs, Reform five, and Welsh Labour and the Conservatives will have one each.

Plaid Cymru will chair the committees for early years, children, young people and education; equality, human rights, and social justice; economy, energy, and connectivity; culture, communications, Cymraeg and sport; constitution, justice and external affairs; and standards of conduct.

The committees for climate change; environment, sustainability and rural affairs; local government, housing and planning; public accounts and public administration; legislation; and petitions will be chaired by Reform.

Labour’s sole chair position will be on the committee for health and social care, while the Welsh Conservatives will chair the finance committee.

What happens now?

The Senedd approved the creation of these committees and the allocation of committee chairs to party groups in plenary on Tuesday June 16, with no objections.

There are also three more committees to be formed – the scrutiny of the First Minister committee, Llywydd’s committee, and chair’s forum – but these are governed by different rules and will be formed once the chairs of the other committees have been elected.

The first committee meetings will be held later in the Senedd term.