Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:22 pm on 6 October 2020.
I have to say that there is a feeling of groundhog day around this debate, because there is great similarity between this debate this week and the debate that we had on the UK Agriculture Bill just last week. There are some positives, of course, before us today. Extending the competence of the Senedd in relation to fisheries, fishing and fish health in the context of the Welsh zone is something that's to be welcomed. But I'm afraid that there is a great deal in the Bill that is far less positive. I'm still concerned that there is no clarity on how resources will be shared across UK administrations, or how any dispute can be resolved, not only in terms of resource, but also from a policy point of view.
From the outset, Plaid Cymru and the committees that we've heard from in this debate have called for a sunset clause. I still feel that that is necessary; we, as Members of this Senedd, do need assurances that there will be a Welsh fisheries Bill that will allow us to reset the powers provided to Welsh Ministers by Westminster in a way that bypasses our role as Members of this Senedd. I'm surprised that the Welsh Government has rejected that. You accepted that in the context of the Agriculture Bill last week, and the principle is exactly the same. The content and the topic is different, but the principle is exactly the same, so I don't understand why one rule is acceptable in one context, and another acceptable in another context.