Contents
— Overview
— Attending a committee meeting as a witness
During a committee meeting
When you join the meeting:
- the chair of the committee will welcome you
- the chair will either introduce you, or ask you to introduce yourself
- the chair may ask you to make a short opening statement – the committee clerking team will let you know in advance so you can prepare.
Generally, the committee will then begin asking you questions.
Questions and answers
The chair will facilitate the questions and answers session.
The chair will call on committee members to ask questions, and will ask you to answer in response.
Questions will either be asked to a panel of witnesses, or directed to you specifically.
If you’re keen to come in on a discussion, please catch the chair’s attention or the clerk’s so they can indicate that you’d like to contribute.
The questions will be about your opinions, expertise, or experiences. You can say if you do not want to answer a question, or are unsure about the answer. You can also offer to send the committee further information after the meeting.
If time runs out, or if you remember something after the session that you want to add to your answers, please send information to the committee clerking team.
Notes and technology
You can bring notes to the session. These can be on an electronic device such as a laptop, or on paper.
Please ensure that mobile devices are switched to silent and placed in a bag or pocket to avoid any disruption to the meeting.
Whether you’re in the room or joining online, you do not need to worry about turning microphones on and off. This will be done for you by Senedd technicians.
Language
The Senedd has two official languages - Welsh and English.
You can choose to speak in Welsh or in English, or a mixture of both.
Simultaneous translation from Welsh to English is provided.
Before the meeting, the committee clerking team will explain how to access simultaneous translation, whether you are joining on site or online.
If you have any issues with the simultaneous translation feed during the meeting, please catch the attention of the chair or clerk so the problem can be resolved.
Your welfare
Your welfare is important to us. If you need help during a meeting, or if you have any concerns, you can signal to a member of the committee clerking team or the chair. We will do our best to address any issue or take a break if one is needed.