6. Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: Interim Report of the Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:47 pm on 31 January 2023.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mick Antoniw Mick Antoniw Labour 4:47, 31 January 2023

I thank you for the comments and the spirit in which they were made. You say it's one of the most biased documents so far, but it is an interim report. I wasn't really too sure that there was that much in it that you could read as being that biased, but I suppose when you say that it's the most biased document against the UK Government, I suppose what you can say is that it's probably quite an accurate reflection of current popular opinion of the UK Government. But that's my hyperbolic comment out of the way. The commission is engaging, and I hope you will. I know that Darren Millar has engaged, and obviously senior UK Government Ministers have engaged. So, it is taken seriously. I think that is where the input is coming in from the UK Government. If senior UK Government Ministers are participating with it and giving their evidence and that's being properly considered as part of the evidence base and the engagement process, then I don't think it gives a sense that there is really much of a basis to the criticisms you're making. 

More broadly, we have been arguing in this Chamber ever since I have been here, which is now 12 years or so, but I know it went on long before that, for a constitutional convention. I know, on a cross-party basis, the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee has been arguing and saying there should be a constitutional convention. The UK Government has consistently refused all along the way to go down that road to have a constitutional convention. I think, at some stage, it might be something that has to happen. And you are absolutely right, reform needs to take place with all the parties that are involved. But I don't think you can criticise this commission for the work it's doing and the mandate it has, because it is a mandate that we have set specifically for Wales but with the complete freedom for that commission to actually choose to engage with who it chooses. From what I can see, it has done that on a complete cross-party basis without bias.