, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
The Welsh Government’s legislative consent memorandum on the Energy Bill: Scrutiny session with the Minister for Climate Change
And key to us in the argument you've put out, that would have been much simpler and much more straightforward in the Scottish context.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
The Welsh Government’s legislative consent memorandum on the Energy Bill: Scrutiny session with the Minister for Climate Change
But all of this argues for far more extensive engagement with UK Ministers at a very early period to go through this. Mr Sherriff, you were nodding your head; is there anything you want to add?
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
The Welsh Government’s legislative consent memorandum on the Energy Bill: Scrutiny session with the Minister for Climate Change
We might well get into that, with the limited time we have, but you're being very frank and honest and we genuinely do appreciate that. Can I just ask you—? One of the four key factors that you used to explain the rationale why this has been delayed was the…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
The Welsh Government’s legislative consent memorandum on the Energy Bill: Scrutiny session with the Minister for Climate Change
That's characterised the approach for this Bill.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
The Welsh Government’s legislative consent memorandum on the Energy Bill: Scrutiny session with the Minister for Climate Change
We'll come to James now, who'll take us into that territory, but one of the things we appreciate your frankness on, to be honest, as well, is the issue of resources and the constraints. I suspect this is something that we've flagged up on a number of…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
The Welsh Government’s legislative consent memorandum on the Energy Bill: Scrutiny session with the Minister for Climate Change
Yes, we appreciate that.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
The Welsh Government’s legislative consent memorandum on the Energy Bill: Scrutiny session with the Minister for Climate Change
Thank you for that frank and honest assessment of why we are where we are. By the way, we extend our sympathies to the member of your team who was going to be with us today and can't be with us. You've laid out the issues of late engagement and difficult…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
The Welsh Government’s legislative consent memorandum on the Energy Bill: Scrutiny session with the Minister for Climate Change
We're delighted to have with us, for a short period today, the Minister for Climate Change, Julie James—thank you very much for joining us, Julie, and also, Ed Sherriff, deputy director of energy. We're going to turn directly to the main first item on our…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest
Welcome to this meeting of the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee. Just at the beginning of proceedings, just to remind everybody, we're broadcasting this live on Senedd.tv and the Record of Proceedings will be published as usual. We're not…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest
Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to you all.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Great, good.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Okay. Well, that in itself is interesting, because you would expect—and in case the Secretary of State is ever listening to the transcript of this—you would expect good inter-governmental engagement, and if there were problems, the problems to be raised in…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Okay. So, working back from that, what's the timescale if you still fail to get a response, in which you take this through the new three-tiered committee structure, and, if necessary, to dispute resolution?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
What's the timescale in which you need a response from the Secretary of State?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Sure.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Sorry, Delyth. Can I make an observation and perhaps ask a question to the Minister? It does seem that Welsh Government is consistently advocating a slightly unconventional-by-Westminster-approach way of doing legislation, which is to have less on the face of…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
That's very clear. Thank you.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Right. That's great, thank you.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Did you want to add anything, Mr Hemington?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
So, if the—Mr Hemington might want to come in on this—but if an emerging policy statement trumps this, do you then go back to the marine development plan or the NDF, and actually say, 'We now have to adjust that, in light of—'?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
That sounds very logical and compelling, because it's talking about where technology changes, or there's something that's omitted from the policy framework, and we will never know everything that's coming down the line, but where we use this phraseology, a…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Okay. Well, let's turn on to the interesting thing of where these are prioritised, amongst things such as the NDF or the marine plan. So, the Bill states that where a provision in a relevant policy statement is incompatible with the provision in the NDF or…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Okay. So, that pre-empts my follow-up: when are we going to see the full suite? Because, according to Ministers, the full suite is already there, which is fantastic. [Laughter.]
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Okay, thank you. Let me turn to the policy statements, and where they lie in the priority of things as well. The Bill says that applications must be decided in accordance with the relevant policy statement, the national development framework, 'Future Wales'…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
But the servicing of them will be coming, hopefully, from our Welsh ports, which will have impacts—
