Relations with the UK Government

Alun DaviesLabour

4 November 2024, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Great British Energy Bill: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning

But the LCM that you're potentially asking us to agree is. And that's the problem, isn't it? Because what we had over Brexit was a huge power grab by the executive, generally in London, and removed democratic accountability from the UK Parliament and from this Parliament. So what I don't want to see…

Tagged for: “LCM”, “power grab”Official Record

Rebecca EvansLabour

4 November 2024, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Great British Energy Bill: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning

I suppose that those kind of architectural discussions probably are more fundamental in terms of our approach to the way in which legislation is undertaken in any case. Perhaps that might be something for the discussions that I know you'll be having in that kind of sphere with the Deputy First…

Tagged from the title of its item or question: “Legislative Consent”Official Record

Alun DaviesLabour

4 November 2024, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Great British Energy Bill: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning

I appreciate the work that's being done on these matters, and I know it can be fiendishly difficult—I accept all that. I don't like the architecture of this sort of legislation though, because what you've got is very broad Executive powers being given to UK Ministers that bypass the UK Parliament…

Tagged from the title of its item or question: “Legislative Consent”Official Record

Rebecca EvansLabour

4 November 2024, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Great British Energy Bill: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning

And I think it's worth recognising as well that there are other things that could lead us, or other changes that could be made that could lead us, to recommend consent, as we've done in different Bills in the past as well. As I say, those discussions are ongoing at the moment.

Tagged from the title of its item or question: “Legislative Consent”Official Record

Luke FletcherPlaid

4 November 2024, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Great British Energy Bill: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning

The only reason I ask is I think it's important to think through what steps would happen if different scenarios play out, and that surely would be the case for you guys as well.

Tagged from the title of its item or question: “Legislative Consent”Official Record

Rebecca EvansLabour

4 November 2024, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Great British Energy Bill: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning

Well, I don't—. Where we are at the moment is, with that word in the Bill, and as it stands with the Bill, we haven't been able to make a recommendation to the Senedd. So, as I say, we hope those discussions will be positive, or we get to a point where we can.

Tagged from the title of its item or question: “Legislative Consent”Official Record

Luke FletcherPlaid

4 November 2024, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Great British Energy Bill: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning

So, if that word 'consult' is still there when we get to that point, after the discussions have happened, would it be fair to assume then the Welsh Government might not recommend consent to that Bill?

Tagged from the title of its item or question: “Legislative Consent”Official Record

Luke FletcherPlaid

4 November 2024, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Great British Energy Bill: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning

So, if we were to find ourselves in a position where that 'consult' word is still there in the Bill, would the Welsh Government then be looking to make an amendment to that Bill, to change the wording to 'consent'?

Tagged from the title of its item or question: “Legislative Consent”Official Record

Rebecca EvansLabour

4 November 2024, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Great British Energy Bill: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning

So, the outcome, really, of the meeting was for officials to continue to work together. So, we haven't yet got to a point where we're able to recommend that the Senedd agrees consent, but that was the nub of the conversation really—around the word of 'consult', which is in the Bill, as opposed to…

Tagged from the title of its item or question: “Legislative Consent”Official Record

Luke FletcherPlaid

4 November 2024, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Great British Energy Bill: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning

So, particularly on that wording of 'consent' and 'consult', where is the Welsh Government on that particular point? Because, as things currently stand within the Bill, the Secretary of State is only required to consult rather than actually seek the consent of Welsh Government Ministers when they're…

Tagged from the title of its item or question: “Legislative Consent”Official Record

Rebecca EvansLabour

4 November 2024, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Great British Energy Bill: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning

I met with Lord Leong on 2 October, and, again, we had a really good discussion there. That was very much focused around the role, again, of the Welsh Ministers and of the Senedd, particularly in that word around 'consult', as opposed to 'consent'. I was able to set out the Welsh Government's…

Tagged from the title of its item or question: “Legislative Consent”Official Record

Rebecca EvansLabour

4 November 2024, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Great British Energy Bill: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning

So, we've had really good discussions with UK Government. I met with Michael Shanks, the lead Minister for the Bill in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, on 24 October. I did set out the welcome for Great British Energy, the focus that the UK Government is putting on renewables, and…

Tagged from the title of its item or question: “Legislative Consent”Official Record