8. Legislative Consent Motion on the Non-Domestic Rating (Public Lavatories) Bill

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:24 pm on 16 July 2019.

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Photo of Rebecca Evans Rebecca Evans Labour 6:24, 16 July 2019

Thank you. I welcome this opportunity to explain the background to this legislative consent motion. I'm grateful to the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee for considering the LCM and for the report it has produced. The committee considers there is no impediment to the Assembly agreeing the LCM. The UK Government introduced the Non-Domestic Rating (Public Lavatories) Bill on 18 June. It's a short, single-purpose Bill, which will reduce the rates liability for stand-alone public toilets to zero from 1 April 2020. 

The provisions apply to all stand-alone public toilets made available for public use, irrespective of who owns or operates the facilities. As this will contribute to our public health objectives in Wales, provisions for Wales were included in the Bill on introduction. I believe these provisions fall within the legislative competence of the National Assembly for Wales. However, as no suitable legislative vehicle is available to make these changes in Wales in time for implementation from April next year, I'm content that these provisions should be made in a Bill covering England and Wales. I therefore move the motion and ask the Assembly to approve it.