5. Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: Codes of Welsh law: A programme to improve the accessibility of Welsh law

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:23 pm on 21 September 2021.

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Photo of Rhys ab Owen Rhys ab Owen Plaid Cymru 4:23, 21 September 2021

And if the situation isn't difficult, isn't complicated enough, aren't you as Welsh Government adding to the complexity and breaching your duty under the Legislation (Wales) Act 2019 by consenting so often to the Westminster Government passing legislation within devolved areas? Laws passed by the Westminster Government within devolved areas will not be bilingual, cannot form part of your codification plans and will not be scrutinised here by the Senedd. It could also hinder a future Senedd from passing laws within those areas. So, what steps are you taking to ensure that you have the capacity in Welsh Government so that Bills in devolved areas are passed in Wales?

Does the Counsel General also intend to publicise this plan across the border in England? It's important that practitioners across England and Wales know about the work going on here. Have you been in touch with the Law Society, with the Bar Standards Board and with the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives to discuss and promote this plan? Also, what role will the soon-to-be-established law council of Wales have with regard to this?

Finally, on planning—and it's a brave Government that does tackle planning, so I do commend you for doing that and it certainly needs to be tackled—how will you ensure that planning law reform restores balance to the local planning system in which the public feel that they are being marginalised, such as in the model farm in the Vale of Glamorgan, and also where councillors are forced to accept plans that they do not agree with, such as Cardiff Council with the union flag in the city centre? Will reform of the planning law give greater powers to the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales and give enforcement powers so that planning departments do have regard to that Act, but also the Equality Act 2010 and the safeguarding of children?