Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

These are instruments that raise issues to be reported to the Senedd under Standing Order 21.2 or 21.3, previously considered. On the Procurement (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, the committee considered this instrument at its meeting on 12 May and laid the report the same day. Members are invited to note the Welsh Government's response to the report, which has since been received. Kate, do you have anything to raise from the Welsh Government's response?

Just to note that, in response to the eight technical reporting points, the Welsh Government intends to correct one of these points through further regulations, which will be made in early 2026. They’re also intending to address some of the points using 'correction prior to making' and these are all set out in a table in their response. And then, there are also some reporting points where the Welsh Government considers that no amendment is required.

Okay. Do any Members want to raise anything? No. Thank you very much, Kate.

Under no-procedure instruments, we have the Trade in Animals and Related Products (Amendment and Legislative Functions) and Animal Health (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Order 2025. The committee considered this instrument at its meeting on 28 April and laid its report the same day. Members are invited to note the Welsh Government response to the report, which has since been received. Kate, do you have anything to raise from the Welsh Government's response?

Yes, just two points to draw to your attention on this one. In response to the first merits point, the Welsh Government confirms that, in relation to reporting point 30 on the original 2022 regulations, they have still not found an appropriate vires to meet the then Minister’s undertaking to change the scrutiny procedure for the Henry VIII powers in those regulations, and the Welsh Government confirms that there remains no suitable legislative vehicle to make this change at present.

Also, in response to the second merits point, which asked the Welsh Government whether there had been any impact of this error remaining on the statute book for over two years, the Welsh Government says that no impacts have been brought to their attention.

Brilliant answer. They may well have had an impact but no-one’s told them about it. I think it gets over the fact that it’s a problem if you say, 'Well, yes, but no-one’s complained.'

On to notifications and correspondence under the inter-institutional relations agreement, and we've got lots on this. We've got a letter from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs—times two; a letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government on the Inter-Ministerial Group for Housing, Communities and Local Government; a letter from the First Minister of Wales on the forthcoming inter-governmental meetings; and a letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning on the Interministerial Group for Trade.

Members are invited to note the various correspondence we’ve received from the Welsh Government in relation to inter-ministerial meetings, and firstly from the Deputy First Minister in relation to a meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which is due to take place on 23 June. He has also notified us that a written statement has been issued that summarises discussions at the British-Irish Council environment ministerial meeting that took place on 8 May. Also, the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government informs us of a meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Group for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which will take place this Wednesday. We also have a letter from the First Minister, telling us that the second meeting of the Council of the Nations and Regions was due to take place on 23 May. She noted that she would be meeting with the Prime Minister, the First Minister of Scotland and the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, as well as having a short bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister.

Finally, we have a letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning in relation to a meeting of the Interministerial Group for Trade, which is scheduled to take place today. If Members are content to note these letters—. Are we? Does anybody want to raise anything, or shall we wait until we get into private? Okay.

Moving on, we have correspondence from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs on the Persistent Organic Pollutants (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2025. The Deputy First Minister informs us that he has now given consent for these regulations to be made by the UK Government’s Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and for the regulations to apply to Wales. The Deputy First Minister provides a link to a written statement he has published and says that,

'In light of new and urgent information from the medical technology sector this expedited legislative action is necessary to mitigate imminent disruption to the medical sector, including the NHS Wales having recognised the significant medical applications of Dechlorane Plus and UV-238.'

Are Members content to note this? Yes.

Papers to note. We have a written statement by the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery on the Welsh Government report on the implementation of the Law Commission proposals 2024-25. The Welsh Government has published its tenth annual report on the implementation by the Welsh Government of the Law Commission proposals that relate to Welsh devolved matters. It provides updates on the progress made on a range of issues that have been the subject of Law Commission recommendations. For example, on residential leasehold and commonhold matters, the report states that the UK Government has announced its intention to bring forward further draft legislation and enact further Law Commission recommendations relating to the enfranchisement, right to manage and commonhold recommendations in late 2025. It adds that the Welsh Government is working with the UK Government to ensure that further reforms will also be applied to Wales. In addition, in relation to the devolved tribunals, the report states that extensive work to develop the legislation required to implement the programme of reforms relating to devolved tribunals is ongoing. Do Members have any comments? Kate, do you have anything to say? I could just see you on my screen, so I assumed you might be going to say something.

No, nothing from me.

Thank you. A written statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning on the EU-UK summit. The Cabinet Secretary’s written statement refers to the UK Government’s EU-UK summit, which has secured agreements in relation to trade and investment. The Cabinet Secretary states

'There is still work to be done to finalise the details, and we are clear that the Welsh Government must be fully involved in discussions on devolved matters or issues that impact Wales.'

Are Members content to note this? Okay. I'll take that to be a 'yes'.

Correspondence from the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee to the Business Committee: supplementary legislative consent memoranda on the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill. The Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee has written to the Business Committee about memoranda relating to the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill. Do Members have any comments they wish to make? No.

The submission to the House of Lords International Agreements Committee inquiry into treaty scrutiny: Members are invited to note our submission to the House of Lords International Agreements Committee inquiry into treaty scrutiny, which was submitted on 21 May. Are Members content to note this for the record? Yes.

The motion under Standing Order 17.42—in accordance with Standing Order 17.42(vi), I invite the committee to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of the meeting. Do Members agree? Yes. Thank you.