5. Statement by the First Minister: The Legislative Programme

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:00 pm on 15 July 2020.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 2:00, 15 July 2020

Well, as far as climate change is concerned, as Paul Davies said, there will be a clean air plan published at the start of August. It will lead to a White Paper on clean air during the rest of this Senedd term, and that will prepare the position for legislation early in the next Senedd term, provided there is a Government that wishes to make that a priority.

We will bring forward agricultural pollution regulations as secondary legislation during this Senedd term. I look forward to the Member's support for those regulations, given that one of the features of coronavirus has been an increase in episodes of agricultural pollution while there have been fewer eyes around. So, some actions have been taken that, I think, are regrettable to say the least.

We will also bring forward an environmental principles legislation during the next Assembly term, if we're in a position to do that. I'm glad to say that we've had some successful negotiations with the UK Government recently in relation to the legislation they are promoting, to make sure that it properly respects devolution. Before the end of this term, we will put in place interim measures and an interim independent assessor to deal with complaints in the environmental principles field and an expert group that will help us to oversee that. I'm grateful to all those who've worked very constructively with us to put those interim measures in place.

The Member asked about the three Bills we've not now been able to take forward. Well, on the tertiary education research Bill, the fact that the Bill is published and is published in draft will now offer those stakeholders who had been anxious about their own ability to participate in scrutiny of the full Bill, had we been able to proceed with it, given that they all too are affected by coronavirus, to have people not in work, to have people taken away to other priorities—they will now be able to scrutinise that Bill in draft. We will have consultations and discussions with them. If there are improvements to the Bill that can be made in its drafting, then we will bring those forward in any final Bill the other side of the election.

As far as the buses Bill is concerned, it's a real loss, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'm very disappointed we're not able to proceed with it. The Welsh public deserve a position in which the major investment that is made on their behalf in buses provides a greater return on that investment, but we will pursue it in other ways. Our bus emergency payment arrangements, which we published just a week or so ago, will lead to a fresh set of discussions with the sector about how the investment the public make can lead to a more systematic planned series of services, greater integration between modes of transport, shared ticketing arrangements, and a series of other goals that we would have pursued through the Bill but will now pursue through those financial and administrative measures. 

As far as the social partnership Bill is concerned, well, we have pressed ahead with our social partnership arrangements. We have a social partnership council that is meeting—it meets every fortnight. It's focused very much on coronavirus at present, but is doing the essential work that social partnership provides here in Wales. And the draft Bill that we will publish, which will have procurement as an important strand in it, will show how we will be able to take that forward.

I don't think the Government can fairly be accused of not being prepared to work constructively with others where others bring forward proposals which the Government believes to be worth supporting. I worked very closely with the opposition Member who was responsible for the nurse staffing Bill when that was brought forward in the previous Assembly term. I worked closely with the Finance Committee when I was the finance Minister in relation to the committee Bill that the Finance Committee brought forward on ombudsman reform. And I think where there are Bills we can support, of course we will work constructively on them. That will not be the case every time, because not every Bill that is brought forward by a private Member can command support from the Government. As far as financial matters are concerned, then, of course, any Bill has to have a financial resolution moved—well, on almost every occasion—and a memorandum published alongside it that demonstrates how the costs have been calculated and are to be met. Again, when I was finance Minister, we worked closely with the Finance Committee on a series of proposals that the committee brought forward to improve the underpinning financial information that the Government can provide, and I hope that Members will agree that that has improved the information provided to Members as part of their scrutiny.

Finally, Mr Davies asked me what lessons I thought we could draw from the term. I'll just end with this one, Dirprwy Lywydd, and it's one I've learned not just in this term, but throughout, that there is no Bill that is not improved by the process of scrutiny. And that's why the work that goes on in committee and on the floor of the Senedd is so important, and that's the spirit in which the Government sets out on bringing Bills to the floor. Bills are there to be improved, and when it is possible for the work of committees or amendments that are put forward to make the Bill better Bill, that is what we aim to do, and I think that lesson has been well borne out in the Bills that have passed through this Senedd and onto the statute book in this term.