The UK Government's Legislative Programme

Part of 2. Questions to the Counsel General and the Minister for the Constitution – in the Senedd at 2:54 pm on 20 October 2021.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mick Antoniw Mick Antoniw Labour 2:54, 20 October 2021

Well, wherever UK Government legislation arises that has an impact on devolution or has a connection with devolved responsibilities, the issue of laying legislative consent memoranda arises. And, of course, these are an obligation; they're not a choice. I think the question that the Member rightly I think is getting at, though, is of course the nature of that legislation and the extent to which it intrudes or undermines the devolved responsibilities. And, of course, it also raises, doesn't it, the issue of the impact of the Sewel convention, which has been under much strain.

I will perhaps reiterate some of the points that have already been made, and one is that we have laid LCMs in relation to 14 bills. For seven of those bills, we have indicated that we are not able to recommend consent. We do carry on working with the UK Government in respect of making changes that might enable consent to be given. Those discussions occur between me and my counterpart in the UK Government. They also occur in connection with individual Ministers and legislation in their particular portfolios, and, of course, there is regular ongoing engagement between the officials of the Governments of the four nations of the United Kingdom.

Perhaps to repeat, the approach we have, which is our general principle, is that primary legislation within the Senedd's competence should be made and amended by the Senedd. We do, from time to time, have to take a pragmatic approach to using UK Government legislation to achieve our policy objectives where the opportunity to do so arises, and where it is sensible and advantageous to do so and it is in the interest of the people of Wales to do so.