Jeremy Miles: Devolution was built on human rights foundations. The Welsh Government has insisted that Brexit should not lead to any regression of rights. Discussions have begun on strengthening and advancing equality and human rights for all citizens in Wales, starting with the commencement of the socioeconomic duty.
Jeremy Miles: Well, I'm pleased the Member has raised this question because although it's a topic that we discuss in the Assembly reasonably frequently, it's an unexplored dimension, I think, to the process of Brexit. And I know from my previous discussions with him, and indeed his question, how he recognises the central role of the charter of fundamental rights. He'll recall that in our version of the...
Jeremy Miles: I've had no such discussions. The Assembly does not have legislative competence to amend the oath of allegiance, and we have no proposals to seek to expand the Assembly's competence in that regard.
Jeremy Miles: Well, I thank the Member for that question. And the point brings to mind the petition that the Member of Parliament for Cardiff West, Kevin Brennan, presented in Parliament in 2006, which called for a law change to give Welsh Assembly Members the opportunity of pledging allegiance to the people of Wales, rather than to the Queen. The Welsh Government has no policy intention to seek to change...
Jeremy Miles: The legal services department is responsible for the delivery of all legal services to the Welsh Government, including advice on complex matters of public law, employment law and commercial law, the drafting of instructions to the Office of Legislative Counsel to draft primary legislation, the preparation of all Welsh Government subordinate legislation, and the handling of high-profile litigation.
Jeremy Miles: I thank the Member for that question. The judgment on when to instruct counsel is obviously very carefully taken on a case-by-case basis. Counsel is instructed, for example, in relation to matters where advocacy is required in higher courts, or where legal advice is required on matters that are particularly complex or which raise novel points of law that perhaps may not have been addressed by...
Jeremy Miles: Well, as the Member knows, whilst I don't go into the specifics of legal advice, in delivering the Learner Travel (Wales) Measure 2008, the Welsh Government has demonstrated that the safety of children when travelling to school is of paramount importance, and will continue to be.
Jeremy Miles: I thank the Member for that question. The Measure, of course, provides a baseline obligation on local authorities to provide transport in specified circumstances, as the Member will be aware, and, obviously, equally, there is an element of discretion for the local authority to make judgments within that framework. She will, I think, be aware the Minister for Education has committed the...
Jeremy Miles: Over the past few days, we have seen an attempt by Parliament to try and navigate the UK out of the stormy seas that have come close to capsizing our country. In a series of votes, we have seen the House of Commons edging gradually towards a different vision for Brexit. We have very little time left, but in a few days Members of Parliament have achieved a more widely shared perspective than...
Jeremy Miles: The opposition parties all voted down a legally binding withdrawal agreement that almost all of them, in contrast to the ERG and the DUP, would have signed up to. And this was because the Government had not even tried to address the legitimate concerns that the political declaration—an integral part of the Prime Minister’s withdrawal deal—was too vague and gave no guarantee that, in the...
Jeremy Miles: The Prime Minister’s deal is really dead. There is no prospect, as confirmed repeatedly in recent days, of the DUP backing it, while after last night the advocates of ‘no deal’ will scent victory. All the other parties will only let it pass if there is movement on the political declaration and/or a second public vote. The Prime Minister’s latest threat of a general election—now,...
Jeremy Miles: Well, I will resist the temptation to make the obvious point about new content, but I regret that he feels it's inappropriate for the Assembly to have an opportunity to discuss what is the most important issue that most of our constituents face, including his own constituents, at a time when the situation that Parliament faces and we face here in Wales is so perilous. I think it's important...
Jeremy Miles: I thank the Member for a number of questions. I hope I manage to do justice to all of them. Just firstly in relation to the point that she opened with, around the statutory protection for devolved administrations in negotiations, she'll know from previous statements that I've made here, and the First Minister has made, that it's been a consistent theme of the Welsh Government's engagement...
Jeremy Miles: Well, I'm sorry to disappoint the Member, but the notion that he's not part of the establishment is really quite ridiculous, and I'm certainly not going to take any lessons about integrity and trust from him, and I think we'll see on Thursday how closely attached he is to popular opinion when the voters of Newport give their opinion. The point, in all seriousness, which he makes—the notion...
Jeremy Miles: I thank David Rees for those questions; I heard them come in three categories, really. Firstly, in relation to the withdrawal agreement Bill, we have been consistent as a Government in pressing the principle that the constitutional conventions should be observed in full—i.e. that an LCM is presented to the Assembly, and we've obviously had that commitment from the UK Government. But the...
Jeremy Miles: Well, yes, thank you for the points that the Member makes in relation to the language and the magnification of what happens, what we say, in these places in terms of politicians here and elsewhere. We've been clear that there are two means of resolving this impasse. One is the sort of principles reflected in 'Securing Wales' Future': a customs union, common market 2.0, Norway plus. Those are...
Jeremy Miles: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. It's a huge pleasure to open this afternoon's debate on the Legislation (Wales) Bill. The purpose of the Bill is to make Welsh legislation more accessible, clear and simple to use. It makes provision on the interpretation and implementation of Welsh law and makes it a requirement that the Counsel General and Welsh Ministers take steps to improve the...
Jeremy Miles: One of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee's recommendations was that, during the Stage 1 debate, I should update the National Assembly on the progress of discussions with the UK Government in relation to the legislative competence of this Assembly to enact the Bill. This derives from correspondence received from the Secretary of State, to which the First Minister responded...
Jeremy Miles: Llywydd, to conclude for the time being, I would like to again thank the stakeholders, the committees and fellow Members for their very positive approach to this Bill and to the more general aim of trying to develop a statute book for Wales that is modern, ordered, clear and accessible. This Bill lays a foundation, and I’m very aware that we have some hard work ahead of us to build on that...
Jeremy Miles: Diolch, Llywydd. I'd like to thank all the Members who've participated in the debate today. I've particularly enjoyed some of the conceptual discussions, but I think the measure of the success or otherwise of the Bill will be felt in the practical application of its provisions to the lives of citizens in Wales. I'm grateful for the support that Members have given, starting with the...
