<p>European Union (Withdrawal) Bill</p>

Part of 2. 2. Questions to the Counsel General – in the Senedd at 2:35 pm on 11 October 2017.

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Photo of Mr Simon Thomas Mr Simon Thomas Plaid Cymru 2:35, 11 October 2017

I thank the Counsel General for his reply. Can I ask him whether he’s seen the paper published by Plaid Cymru this week on the EU withdrawal Bill, ‘The EU Withdrawal Bill—A Legal Perspective: the constitutional implications for Wales’, authored by Fflur Jones? I’d be very happy to e-mail him a copy. There are several arguments set out by Fflur Jones in this paper, two of them I’d just like to mention here. One states that

The Bill as drafted adopts a binary approach to the devolution settlement, which does not reflect the “glue” that has been EU law on that settlement, nor the shared competences that exist between the UK Government and the National Assembly for Wales’.

And she goes on also to argue that

The Bill requires significant amendment to ensure it does not erode the current devolution settlement in Wales, which is reflective of the wishes of the people of Wales as expressed in two referendums’— sic— on devolution.’

I think you’d have sympathy with those arguments, Counsel General, as would the Welsh Government. So, can you say a little more than your original reply on how the Welsh Government can advance these strong legal and constitutional arguments, and seek the amendments now that the Bill goes through a committee of the whole House next week, I understand?