Sent: 11 June 2014 18:00
To: Melding, David (AM, Deputy Presiding Officer)
Cc: Hatton, Ruth (Assembly – Policy & Leg Cttee Service)
Subject: CLA Committee Inquiry: Disqualification of membership from the National Assembly for Wales

Dear David

CLA Committee Inquiry: Disqualification of membership from the National Assembly for Wales

Thank you for your letter of 9 June about the above inquiry and my role as both a member of a local authority and as Chair of the Petitions Committee and whether this presents a conflict of interest.

The admissibility of petitions is not a matter for the Petitions Committee but for the Presiding Officer.  She has delegated decisions on admissibility to the staff who support the Petitions Committee but they do not consult me, or any other Member of the Committee, in deciding whether a petition is admissible.  The Presiding Officer has decided that petitions that are the operational responsibility of individual local authorities are inadmissible, so a direct conflict of interest cannot arise.

There may be some petitions that raise general issues of policy affecting local authorities, where the views of particular local authorities (or the WLGA) may be helpful to the Committee in progressing petitions.  It is difficult to see how this could lead to any real conflict of interest but I ensure that my membership of Powys County Council is put on the public record each time the Committee considers a petition where action involving the Council is involved. 

I am grateful for your Committee’s interest in these matters and I hope that this letter helps to clarify the position. If you need any further information or clarification, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Yours sincerely

William

Chair, NAW Petitions Committee