2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:19 pm on 24 April 2018.

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Photo of Mr Simon Thomas Mr Simon Thomas Plaid Cymru 2:19, 24 April 2018

Could I ask for two items, really? First of all, could I ask for a statement on the major announcement by the Labour leader at the conference over the weekend? I'm talking about Jeremy Corbyn's announcement that we'll have St David's Day as a bank holiday, of course—that was wonderful news. It was very sweet of him to mention Northern Ireland—I think they've already got St Patrick's Day as a bank holiday in Northern Ireland, actually, so I don't think we need a consultation on that. But here, again, we have an example of the UK Labour Party promising something that the Welsh Government could do now. So, the Welsh Government could say now, 'Next year, 2019—the first ever bank holiday for public services in Wales'. It can do it now. So, with the greatest respect to the Labour Party conference, you don't need a London leader coming to tell you something you can do within your own purview. So, can we have a statement from the Welsh Government saying how next St David's Day will be a bank holiday in Wales and how you intend to deliver that, rather than empty promises given for headlines in conferences?

No less seriously, can we also have a statement, or, rather, from the business manager, an explanation of the next steps for how we are now going to deal with the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill? I understand that Mike Russell, the Scottish Minister, is about to make a statement in the Scottish Parliament this afternoon around negotiations around these very important amendments to clause 11 of the Bill. Yesterday, Mark Drakeford in committee I think said that we still haven't reached agreement, but the Government was hopeful to still reach agreement. We don't have a Joint Ministerial Committee timetabled now—that seems to have been postponed. We really are reaching the end of the endgame. Next week, the Bill finishes in the House of Lords. Even at the present timetable, any amendments to clause 11 will be debated right at the very end in the House of Lords, so how do you intend, as business manager, to ensure that the Assembly has timely and advance notice of such amendments, so that we're able to debate the implications of such  amendments? I put it to you gently that what might be very suitable for Welsh Government may not be suitable for the Welsh Parliament. Government might be happy with one arrangement, Parliament may not. Do you have contingency plans, if necessary, to approach the Presiding Officer to recall this Assembly on a day that we don't usually sit in order to allow us to pass final judgment on any amendments that may be agreed between the Welsh Government and Westminster?