Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:10 pm on 11 January 2022.
I thank Huw Irranca-Davies and I take the opportunity once again of thanking his committee, and the children and young persons committee, for their consideration of a number of memoranda that have featured as part of this legislation. In relation to the points that the committee made on clauses 1 and 4 of the Bill, I hope that my letter to the CYPE committee, which was copied to his committee, in late November set out sufficiently fully our view as a Government in relation to those two clauses. We will, I'm afraid, have to differ in relation to the analysis in relation to clause 31. I'm confident that our position as a Government is well founded, but I do respect the fact that he and the committee take a slightly different view in relation to that. But, again, I hope it's not a matter of such significant substance that that causes a practical challenge for him.
Lastly, I should acknowledge and apologise that the formal response to the report has not been received by the committee. I hope my comments today have set out, at least for the record today, our position in relation to that one outstanding point on the substance of the matters that were in that report. From memory, I think many of them will have been dealt with in the third memorandum, but I absolutely acknowledge that hasn't been the subject of a formal response to the committee, which I'll make sure that he does receive. Diolch yn fawr iawn. I therefore ask the Senedd to support the motion and consent to provision being made in this Bill.