In its welcome report, after detailed committee consideration, the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee recommended that the Bill should proceed to the Final Stage. I want to thank the Chair of the committee, all of the committee members and the committee staff for the detailed attention they have given to this very substantial Bill. The committee's deliberations were informed by evidence from the Law Commission and from stakeholders, and I extend my thanks to all who took the time to contribute. In a number of cases, their input can be detected in provisions of the Bill. My final thanks go to the Bill team, who have worked for a number of years to bring the consolidated legislation for the Welsh historic environment to this point. Their work will continue with the development of the subordinate legislation and their engagement with stakeholders.

The Historic Environment (Wales) Bill is not only a consolidation of legislation, it is also part of a code of Welsh law. Alongside consolidation, codification gives us an important tool to create and maintain order in the Welsh law book. If passed by the Senedd, the Bill, together with the subordinate legislation needed to support it, will form a code of Welsh law on the historic environment and be published together. In codifying law for Wales, we are following the footsteps of one of Wales's earliest known legislators, Hywel Dda, who according to tradition codified the law of Wales in the mid tenth century. We are also taking Welsh law forward to a new era of order, accessibility and adaptability. The Historic Environment (Wales) Bill is only the first step forward in a wide-ranging plan to modernise and reform the law for Wales.

The legislation repeals (Wales) Bill, which repeals redundant provisions no longer of practical utility or benefit, will be introduced to the Senedd shortly. Work also continues on the modernisation and simplification of planning law, an even more significant undertaking than the Historic Environment (Wales) Bill. I trust, therefore, that the Historic Environment (Wales) Bill will meet with your approval, as will our further efforts to consolidate, codify and improve the accessibility of Welsh law. Diolch, Llywydd.