, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Instruments that raise issues to be reported to the Senedd under Standing Order 21.2 or 21.3
Thank you, Kate. If you are happy to agree the reporting points there, we'll go to item No. 3.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Instruments that raise issues to be reported to the Senedd under Standing Order 21.2 or 21.3
We'll move on to the first substantive item, item No. 2, which, as normal, is the instruments that raise issues to be reported to the Senedd under Standing Order 21.2 or 21.3. Under item 2, then, we have one item, item 2.1, and it's a made negative resolution…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest
Welcome, everybody, to this afternoon's meeting of the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee. We are holding this session today virtually, but it's live on Senedd.tv, and the Record of Proceedings will be published as usual. Our Standing Orders are…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest
Good afternoon and welcome to everyone.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Okay.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Is there a purpose to it, if there's something that's highly contested, even though the process has been followed and procedures done, for an elected representative to stand up and say, 'Well, actually, I get all of that, but I fundamentally disagree with it…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Okay.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Right.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
I’m really interested in the clarity of this for community consultation where projects may or may not fall within the criteria of a significant development. Because we had that earlier discussion, for example, about hydrogen. Now, if the developer currently…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Okay.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
So, there isn't a TAN for wind. Does policy 17 for wind, the pre-assessed areas for wind energy, still stand, or has 'Future Wales' superseded that?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Okay—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Yes. This is what I'd like to ask, because I regard myself as reasonably well up to speed with what the planning framework is within Wales, but if I just pick up one example, because you mentioned TAN, and this is why it set me off. So, TAN 8, which used to…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
So, both of those would be captured?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Local authorities—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
So how does the Bill help in giving clarity to wider stakeholders as to whether it's captured or not, or other semi-novel technologies, or semi-novel applications of existing technologies? How does somebody looking at this, or any guidance related, know?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Sorry, Jenny. Just on that point, even though hydrogen isn't specifically named, your interpretation is that if it's transported in pipelines, or it's energy generation, it is captured.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Good. But it's purely cost recovery I was going to ask about. That's really interesting, because Joyce and others will have other questions on this. But, on cost recovery, you're saying it should land on those who are bringing forward the projects—say, the…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
You're exactly right. But it's really interesting that, I think, I'm picking up a signal from you that if the wildlife organisations, together with discussions with developers, were to say, 'On top of the piecemeal stuff that we're doing,'—which is very…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
But not on a piecemeal basis; actually something more comprehensive.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Yes, it's only a small supplementary, and it may seem as if it's not pertinent to this Bill, but it is. The Welsh Government has, I think laudably, got a very pro-onshore wind policy, and it's mapped out where it should be. We also now see the dawn of…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Yes.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
That's really helpful, Minister, because, certainly, those stakeholders with their lack of capacity, if we were to say to them, 'Jump through the hoops again', that could be a major issue. So, will there be any—? Are you anticipating that you will need to…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Absolutely.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
And realistically, those conversations will be going on now, because certainly developers of any size will be keeping an eye on this going forward, and they'll be having those conversations—
