5. Legislative Consent Motion on the Environment Bill

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:09 pm on 28 September 2021.

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Photo of Rhys ab Owen Rhys ab Owen Plaid Cymru 5:09, 28 September 2021

I turn to Labour backbenchers and urge you to vote against this. Alun Davies warned us again last week that devolution is dead—the process is over, we need to fight for it. The First Minister also said yesterday that it

'cannot be the limit of the ambition of this great party to wring marginal and reluctant concessions from the rich, the powerful and the privileged'.

Well, can I add to what the First Minister said? 'It cannot be the limit of the ambition of this great country to concede power and to wring concessions from Westminster. That's why the Minister couldn't get concessions; because I don't need to give it for us.' Our environment is fragile; it needs nurturing, it needs protecting. The then Secretary Alun Michael also described devolution as a fragile flower. It needs to be nurtured, it needs to be developed, not to be pruned back and to be cut away. Devolution in Wales, again, faces uncertainty; it needs nurturing, it doesn't need cutting back.

I'll finish with this: instead of consenting to this motion, we must stand up for our Senedd, its powers and for Wales—a Senedd that delivers radical, yes, thoughtful and scrutinised environmental legislation. That's our role, that's our duty, that's our privilege as Senedd Members. Diolch yn fawr.