Steffan Lewis: Will the Member give way?
Steffan Lewis: I thank the First Minister for his answer, although he did make this announcement in his Labour Party conference speech back in the spring, and it’s disappointing, given developments at a UK level, that this fair work commission hasn’t been established. According to the most recent data I’ve been able to find, Wales is among the least fair nations in terms of work in these islands:...
Steffan Lewis: 10. What are the Welsh Government's plans for making Wales a 'fair work nation'? OAQ(5)0570(FM)
Steffan Lewis: I’m very pleased to say that Plaid Cymru will support this Bill today, and I would like to extend my own thanks to the Commission team, particularly the legislative team, for their assistance in scrutinising this Bill in committee and in drafting amendments to it. Very briefly, I would like to applaud the Cabinet Secretary for introducing the draft Bill prior to the summer, which gave...
Steffan Lewis: I thank the Member for giving way. Would he also agree with me that it’s even more a matter of urgency that we legislate as soon as possible because the UK Government’s on record as saying it will not publish a draft of the great repeal Bill? So, whatever is published and whenever it is published—by mid-September—we will not have the time to respond to it, at least legislatively.
Steffan Lewis: No, we have them. We have them already.
Steffan Lewis: Will the Member give way?
Steffan Lewis: I think the point is that the powers are already here now and they are pooled at the moment to European Union level, and, when we leave the European Union, the powers will remain here. There isn’t a repatriation of powers; we have competence in these fields now. It is not a matter of them being transferred to London or Brussels or Cardiff, or wherever else; they are here now, that is the...
Steffan Lewis: If anyone ever wonders why I’m a Welsh nationalist, they should listen to the comments of the previous speaker. Llywydd, it was correctly foreseen by many that the UK repeal Bill or related legislation might pose a threat to the current constitution of Wales in terms of our competence as democratically mandated by the people of Wales in two referenda. The concern is based on the fact that,...
Steffan Lewis: Can he elaborate today, therefore, on what the Welsh Government’s deadline is for clarity from the British Government on its intentions in terms of the repeal Bill and the other legislation that will give the clear indication about whether or not this place needs to legislate on its own constitutional settlement?
Steffan Lewis: Last week, I had the honour of meeting the deputy mayor of Hargeisa, Somaliland here in the National Assembly. It was interesting to hear about the relative stability and peace that has been secured in that country without international recognition. I know there’s been significant support across this Chamber for Somaliland recognition, particularly in previous Assemblies, and, indeed, a...
Steffan Lewis: Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. I’m fairly confident this will be the shortest of short debates, the Minister will be pleased to hear, at the end of a long day. I’m pleased to have this opportunity to raise the issue of chronic traumatic encephalopathy and its possible links with contact sports like football. I first became aware of this issue after hearing an interview with the wife of the late...
Steffan Lewis: I thank the First Minister for his statement and I must say, even though I’m unsurprised, I still find it remarkable that in this so-called family of nations, the democratically elected First Minister of this country is excluded from drafting a letter to mark our withdrawal from the European Union. My questions to the First Minister today are regarding the process itself, but in terms of...
Steffan Lewis: I just sat down.
Steffan Lewis: Just very briefly to say that I do not have an English copy of the amendment before me, but I think that the Cabinet Secretary has highlighted the very purpose of the amendment, and to say, of course, that there is nothing in this amendment that places any prohibition on any committee in any Parliament anywhere in terms of carrying out a review whenever that committee chooses to do so on this tax.
Steffan Lewis: Thank you, Llywydd. The amendment introduces a new section to the Bill, placing an expectation on the Welsh Government to make arrangements for an independent review of land transaction tax, and that this should be completed within six years to the day on which the tax comes into force. The amendment also places an expectation that the Government would publish a report in response to the...
Steffan Lewis: Thank you, Llywydd. I appreciate the fact that the Cabinet Secretary respects the spirit of the amendment. I think it is very clear that we intend to do as much as we can in terms of policy objectives and our new fiscal powers. Apologies to the Member for Monmouth that I wasn’t sufficiently clear in my opening remarks—I thought it was quite clear in terms of the intentions underpinning...
Steffan Lewis: Thank you, Llywydd. This introduces a new subsection to section 24 relating to tax rates and bands, and the impact would be to allow local authorities to make representations and innovative proposals on land transaction bands and rates to be considered by the Welsh Government. The Bill provides a golden opportunity for us to actually implement the tax in relation to the policy objectives of...
Steffan Lewis: Formally.
Steffan Lewis: I’d like to formally move amendment 29. The amendment introduces a new sub-section to section 9 of the Bill, which would mean that the WRA must publish guidance about transactions to which the sub-section applies and that are partly in Wales and partly in England. The nature of the process in dealing with cross-border transactions, as well as the exact location of the border between...
