Jeremy Miles: October 1917 was a month which left its mark on the world. Here in the UK, it is a 100 years since the co-operative movement first decided to give expression to its values through the parliamentary route at Westminster, by forming the Co-operative Party. That decision was taken at its congress in Swansea—fitting, given the role Wales had played in the history of the co-operative movement....
Jeremy Miles: Today, when you speak to any young person about the sorts of things they want to see from politics, public transport, both its availability and its cost, are always pretty near the top of the list. Through the Neath area economic forum, we heard a story of a young man who’d lost confidence due to a failed job placement, which had broken down as a result of his having to depend on bus...
Jeremy Miles: Diolch, Dirprwy Llywydd. The statement that the Cabinet Secretary’s made is very welcome. In particular, I refer to the Homes as Power Stations project in my own constituency, which is a very exciting development. The future of this sector as a modular manufacturing sector in Wales will probably be characterised by a lot of small and medium-sized enterprise involvement that will require a...
Jeremy Miles: When the committee met with Michel Barnier, he reminded us that many of the agreements required to give effect to the long-term relationship between the UK and Europe are actually mixed agreements—they’re not within the gift of the council and the Parliament to resolve: they require diplomacy and a long-term strategy with each of the member states. What steps do you think the Welsh...
Jeremy Miles: Last week, I went to visit a job centre where I met a team of people rolling out universal credit. The individuals I met are doing what they can to support their claimants, but their operating system is broken, a system that has been designed without any regard for the lives of claimants, designed for how the Government feels people should live, not how people do live—no regard for the...
Jeremy Miles: I thank the Member for that question. The First Minister has established the commission on justice in Wales, as he knows, and that commission will consider these matters. I have no doubt that the legal profession in Wales will engage fully with the work of the commission.
Jeremy Miles: Can I firstly thank the Member for the opportunity of addressing my first question on the matter of a separate legal jurisdiction? It provides me with the opportunity of paying tribute to my predecessor for his work in relation to that matter, both as Counsel General and previously on the back benches. The commission’s work will ensure that there is going to be a holistic analysis of all...
Jeremy Miles: One of the benefits of establishing a commission of this kind, in my view, is the ability to air new ideas on jurisdiction and the profession and so on in a way that can inspire the public to become involved with questions that can be quite technical and complex. I think that’s an important role for the commission to play, and I hope that it will develop in that way, in due time.
Jeremy Miles: Members will know that my advice is legally privileged. However, Members also know that the Human Rights Act 1998 is embedded as a fundamental element of the devolution settlement, through the Government of Wales Act 2006, and it consequently impacts on legislation made both by the Assembly and Welsh Ministers.
Jeremy Miles: I thank the Member for that further question, and for her advocacy of human rights issues generally. As she will know, the human rights Act affects the Welsh Ministers and the Assembly in two very direct ways. Firstly, they are public authorities for the purposes of the Act, which means they can't act in a way incompatible with convention rights, and an Assembly Bill is outside legislative...
Jeremy Miles: This question again engages the law officers' convention, but I can say that the Welsh Government has been actively engaged in working with the UK Government and the Scottish Government. The work has included participation in the JMC mechanisms, proposing amendments to the EU withdrawal Bill to deal with concerns about devolved matters, and the publication of clear policy on Brexit-related...
Jeremy Miles: Well, extensive work is under way across the Welsh Government to ensure that we maximise our influence within the UK, and influence the formal EU negotiations, to achieve our objectives. We've made significant progress recently, as the Cabinet Secretary for Finance indicated yesterday to the External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee, in relation to the development of common...
Jeremy Miles: Well, as one of the Members who has been most consistent in questioning the Counsel General, the Member will know that the question engages the law officers' convention once again. Nevertheless, I can say that any so-called implementation period would need to be agreed between the UK and the EU. So, it can’t be assumed either that there will be such a period or what its terms will be. Until...
Jeremy Miles: Well, the view of the UK Prime Minister, that there should be a transitional period, is an acceptance of the legal reality that we need more time to agree terms in the longer term. But it isn’t a matter simply for the UK, as I mentioned, and there are a number of important questions that remain unanswered at the moment that will have to be answered before the legal position becomes clear....
Jeremy Miles: Well, once again, I'm afraid this question engages the law officers' convention, but I understand that no decision on the future of the site has been made. And should matters proceed to the acquiring of the site, the matter of the covenant would have to be addressed.
Jeremy Miles: Well, the Member has raised this matter several times in this Chamber, and he is tempting me to go outside the boundaries of my authority into a policy area. I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint him in that and resist that. I'm afraid that the question he's asking is squarely within the matter of the covenant, so I'm not able to elaborate further on what I have said, but the relevant...
Jeremy Miles: I thank you for that question. As I say, no decision has been taken on the future of the site, and the matter of the covenant will have to be addressed in due course if that were to proceed. But above and beyond that, I can't be drawn on his question any further.
Jeremy Miles: I can't disclose legal advice, but, under the new settlement, planning will continue to be devolved. Oil and gas is a reserved matter, but the granting and regulation of petroleum licences, and access to land in Wales for the purposes of such licences, is an exception to this reservation.
Jeremy Miles: I recognise the Member’s commitment in this general area. I took interest in the debate that he held at the end of October, where the motion was supported by the Cabinet Secretary at the time. I am aware of that legal opinion, and officials are considering its content. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to trespass on a policy area that is within the remit of the Cabinet Secretary, but I...
Jeremy Miles: There is already a precautionary planning framework, which exists in relation to unconventional oil and gas extraction. The town and country planning directive of 2015 does not include exploratory boreholes, as he mentioned, which sometimes are part of routine engineering works.
