Madam,

As this fourth term of the National Assembly draws to a close, I would like to thank the Cambrian News and many of your readers for engaging with the petitions process over the past five years. As Chair of the National Assembly Petitions Committee, it has been my pleasure to welcome hundreds of petitioners at the steps of the Senedd, together with their supporters, to receive their petitions. Just a couple of weeks ago, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the Senedd building, and together with my Petitions Committee colleagues, I attended a poignant petition presentation on preventative Type 1 Diabetes testing from Beth Baldwin, who lost her son Peter needlessly to that pernicious disease. I hope that Beth found us in listening mode – as we have endeavoured to be throughout this Assembly.

Both campaign groups and motivated individuals across Wales have brought forward in excess of 350 petitions since 2011, and the topics included every conceivable area of devolved competence. One petitioner dubbed our work ‘Democracy in Action’ and maybe that is not far from the mark. Not surprisingly, issues around health, education and the environment are prominent amongst the concerns raised. One key petition of local concern, first considered earlier in the Assembly, called upon the Welsh Government to make day care centres for senior citizens statutory - and this involved a site meeting at the recently relocated day centre in Aberystwyth. Although the petition’s central aim was not met, it certainly helped to influence aspects of the Health and Social Services Act, which is now on the statute book.Other petitions that have borne fruit include those asserting parents’ rights to take their children on holiday in term-time, brought forward by Bethany Walpole Wroe and her fellow campaigners - and one presented by the Friends of Cardigan Hospital. Whilst the integrated Health and Social Care facility now planned for the town does not incorporate in patient beds, the seriousness of healthcare concerns locally were heard loud and clear.During the Dissolution period, no new petitions can be tabled, but I firmly hope that, as soon after the election on 5 May as possible, a new Petitions Committee will be formed to take forward this vital part of the National Assembly’s work.

Yours etc

William Powell,Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales,Chair of the National Assembly for Wales Petitions Committee 2011 - 2016.