Item 7 on our agenda is the LCM on the Birmingham Commonwealth Games Bill, and I call on the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism to move the motion—Dafydd Elis-Thomas.

Motion NDM7156 Dafydd Elis-Thomas

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales, in accordance with Standing Order 29.6 agrees that provisions in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games Bill, in so far as they fall within the legislative competence of the National Assembly for Wales, should be considered by the UK Parliament.

Motion moved.

Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you for this opportunity to introduce this LCM. I’d like to thank the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee and the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee for their positive reports on these regulations, and particularly on the proposals that they have considered.

Birmingham, as you know, was given the right to stage the Commonwealth Games in 2022, and, for the successful staging of the games, the Westminster Parliament is in the process of passing the Birmingham Commonwealth Games Bill, which deals with the games and creates a temporary offence of touting tickets for the games.

That’s the purpose of this LCM that we are considering today: to allow consideration by the UK Government to legislate in areas that are considered to be devolved to this Assembly and to the Welsh Government. In the view of the UK Government, a matter for the Welsh Government is the provision in relation to tickets. The objective here is to safeguard the brand and reputation of the games and to ensure that tickets are affordable and accessible, and to prevent offending. Therefore, our consent is required, because, as I said, the Bill is within the competence of the National Assembly, and, although safeguarding the consumer is a retained issue under the Government of Wales Act 2006, Schedule 7A, the purpose of these provisions is to safeguard the brand and reputation of sporting venues in Wales, and that helps to promote tourism and the economy, and those are devolved issues.

Also, the provisions in the Bill could be an issue for the National Assembly for Wales as they relate to the responsibilities of local authorities too. Therefore, I ask the Assembly to pass this legislative consent motion so that we can ensure that it is appropriate—in the view of the Welsh Government—that the provisions of the Bill should be dealt with by the UK Government, and thereby, through dealing with the issue of ticket touting within the UK Bill, that will mean that this offence will also be applicable in England and Wales simultaneously. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Again, there are no speakers. Therefore the proposal is to agree the motion. Does any Member object? No. Therefore the motion is agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

Motion agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

And that brings today's proceedings to a close. Thank you. 

The meeting ended at 17:22.