, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Sure.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Well, that would be more—. Bear in mind that it's the Counsel General's area, not mine—what happens if they ignore Sewel.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Yes. If we could get the legislative competence thing sorted out, they would fit together even better. So, it's possible that we'll have better conversations with that Minister now, once that's gone through.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Not really. Broadly, the UK Energy Bill and our policies are aligned. There are a couple of areas where we're not quite aligned, but the broad thrust of it is the same. The reason we weren't keen on the Bill itself is because of the issues around consent or…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
So, for example, we've been trying to get the planning inspectorate to bed in in Wales. So, that was a new thing to do. We need to make sure that that's all sorted out. There are other things going on at the same time. We've got other issues happening that we…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
It would have been ready a little bit before this; last year, probably. I wouldn't say we would have been ready four days after the election, if that's what you—
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
—but it's also just the legislative timetable. So, this happens to be the slot that it's fallen into for various complicated reasons to do with other Bills, not necessarily this Bill.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Well, it's partly resource, to be fair. So, it's the same people who are also doing all of the other stuff that we're doing in this area. You'll know we're doing a consolidation Bill as well, for example, and so on—
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
So, it's an immensely technical Bill. So, obviously, we don't get much response from Mrs Jones up in the Valleys, like, but we had one or two, but not very many. Mostly we're consulting with local planning authorities, planning officials, people who are…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
I have had a conversation with the Minister, but it hasn't reached any kind of resolution. And as you see, we haven't had a response to our letter, so we'll have to do something about that.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
So, the layperson's version is that it's not clear who has competence over energy storage in the territorial water. It's currently governed by an Act that the UK Government doesn't use anymore for its own consenting process but has left us in limbo with…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
So, I'll use some examples and then the officials, I'm sure, will be able to fill in on some of the conversations we've been having. So, there are issues that are the jagged edge of devolution, as we're all used to talking about. So, the issue about whether…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Just to explain that a little, obviously, we need the Minister of the Crown consents because there are circumstances in which we might want, for example, Natural England to respond to something, if it's a cross-border matter or something. We could still…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
I keep forgetting which hat you've got on.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Oh, yes, sorry. It is. I beg your pardon.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
So, we haven't resolved either of them, but they're in two different categories. So, if I take the legislative competence one first, I understand there's some confusion going on here—it's getting quite frequent, unfortunately. So, I understand the UK…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Yes, indeed, I'm very satisfied that the Bill's within the legislative competence of the Senedd, subject to Minister of the Crown consents being received. The Llywydd has also indicated that she is happy that it's within competence. We've considered what will…
, Plenary
Emergency Question: Net Zero
Well, indeed, Llyr. Sadly, I would agree with that. We know that we have many companies in Wales gearing up for the air-source and ground-source heat pump revolution. This will have put them into chaos. They will no longer know what their order book looks…
, Plenary
Emergency Question: Net Zero
Diolch, Joyce. Sadly, the worst thing you can do for business is this kind of ducking and diving, shifting around. We know that, when the Conservatives withdrew the feed-in tariffs, for example, they killed the nascent solar panel industry in Wales. We know…
, Plenary
Emergency Question: Net Zero
Well, I suppose I shouldn't be disappointed—I can see your lines arrived just in the nick of time there—but what you said is absolute nonsense. Might I commend—? Well, I know you're reading it off Conservative Party central lines, but that doesn't make it…
, Plenary
Emergency Question: Net Zero
Diolch, Alun. I think we can bring forward a statement next week subject to the Llywydd being agreeable to that, and I'm certainly very happy to do that. We will have a chance to have some analysis of the announcements. Just as you say, and I'll just quote…
, Plenary
Emergency Question: Net Zero
Thank you, Jane. The real tragedy of today's announcement is that we have been working closely with the UK Government on developing plans for the zero-emission vehicle mandate, including a four-nations joint public consultation on the plans, and plans to…
, Plenary
Emergency Question: Net Zero
Yes, Jenny, that's absolutely right, and I'll just quote to you from the Government's own Skidmore review, 'Mission Zero'. He said that 'net zero is the economic opportunity of the 21st century. The evidence presented to the Review has shown that the pace of…
, Plenary
Emergency Question: Net Zero
Thank you, Delyth. What's really clear is that any change of this scale requires proper consultation and discussion to both understand the policy and to understand the impacts. We've seen absolutely no evidence to suggest that these changes will make any…
, Plenary
Emergency Question: Net Zero
Diolch, Delyth. I will need to consider the Prime Minister's statement more fully prior to making a more substantive response, but the evidence is very clear: the earlier we act to deliver net zero, the lower the cost to business and communities and the…
