5. Statement by the First Minister: The Legislative Programme

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:44 pm on 15 July 2020.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 2:44, 15 July 2020

Our Bill would have reversed the position, Chair, brought in under the original Thatcher Government legislation, which has prevented other municipal bus company formation in Wales. The Bill allowed those places that had existing municipal bus companies to continue with them, and Cardiff and Newport have continued for 30 years in that way, but it's prevented us from being able to use similar possibilities elsewhere in Wales, and our Bill would have reversed that position. We are working with Transport for Wales to find alternative ways in which we can bring ownership of bus services back under the control of those parts of the public service that essentially pay for them, and to do so in a way that is planned, where we don't have the sort of competition—wasteful competition—that Jenny Rathbone referred to, where the ability of a company like Cardiff Bus to support less profitable routes is damaged by the fact that the only competition they face is on routes where profits are to be made. Discussions between the bus company and the Welsh Government are ongoing.

Dirprwy Lywydd, I began to regret choosing the seed potato amendment Order as the one that I highlighted, given that the Member clearly knows so much more about it than I do. [Laughter.] I don't believe that our amendment is linked to the disturbing changes that she referred to across our border. I think it is one of those annual regulations that have to come in front of the Senedd through the negative procedure. But, the general point the Member makes is one I entirely agree with—that we will need to use our environmental legislation to make sure that the standards that matter so much here in Wales, and the protections that are afforded to Welsh consumers as a result, are preserved as we go into a more difficult period ahead.