Carwyn Jones, First Minister
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
1. This written statement is laid under Standing Order 30 – Notification in relation to UK Parliament Bills. Standing Order 30 requires a written statement to set out provisions in a relevant UK Bill which modify the functions of the Welsh Ministers, the Counsel General, the Assembly or Assembly Commission, and which do not require a Legislative Consent Motion under Standing Order 29.
2. The Wales Bill (the Bill) was introduced in the House of Commons on 7 June 2016. The Bill is now completing the House of Lords Report stage. The latest version of the Bill can be found at the link below:
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2016-17/wales/documents.html
3. This statement is supplementary to the first statement laid under Standing Order 30 on 21 November 2016. That statement included relevant modifications to functions contained in the provisions of the Bill as it was introduced in the House of Lords, and as the UK Government proposed to amend it by the close of Lords Committee Stage. This supplementary statement sets out at Annex 1, any relevant modifications to functions included by amendments made to the Bill at Lords Report stage.
Policy objectives
4. The UK Government’s objectives for the Bill are to implement those elements of the St David’s day Command Paper that require legislative changes. The Bill amends the Government of Wales Act 2006 in order to move to a reserved powers model of devolution, and devolves certain further powers recommended by the Silk Commission.
Relevant provisions in the Bill
5. Annex 1 summarises the modifications to functions as a result of amendments to the Bill at Lords Report stage as required by Standing Order 30, in addition to those previously notified in the first statement under Standing Order 30.
Reasons for making these provisions in the Wales Bill
6. It is considered appropriate for the provisions listed in the Annex to this statement to be included in the Wales Bill because the provisions either could not be made by an Assembly Act, or could be made by an Assembly Act only with UK Ministerial consent.