National Assembly for Wales

Apologies have been received from Samuel Kurtz. As a reminder, the meeting is being broadcast live on Senedd.tv, and the Record of Proceedings will be published as usual. Please can Members ensure that all mobile devices are switched to silent mode. Just to remind us, Senedd Cymru operates through the medium of both the Welsh and English languages, and interpretation is available during today’s meeting.

That takes us on to item 2, instruments that raise no reporting issues under Standing Order 21.2 or 21.3, affirmative resolution instruments. These regulations prohibit the supply, and offer of supply, of single-use wet wipes containing plastic in Wales. Senedd lawyers have identified no reporting points, and a Welsh Government response is not required. Kate, would you like to run us through the report?

As this is a clear draft report, there's nothing in particular for me to draw to your attention from a legal perspective.

Diolch yn fawr. 

Instruments that raise issues to be reported to the Senedd under Standing Order 21.2 or 21.3, previously considered. This is a standing item on our agenda, however, we have no items to consider today, so we can move on to item 4. 

Item 4 is notifications and correspondence under the inter-institutional relations agreement. The Deputy First Minister informs us that a meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs that was scheduled to take place on 12 May has been cancelled. He will update us when a new date has been identified. Are Members content to note that? 

Correspondence from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs on the Phytosanitary Conditions (Amendment) Regulations 2025. The Deputy First Minister informs us that he has given his consent to the Secretary of State to make these regulations in relation to Wales. The Deputy First Minister states that, on this occasion, it was considered appropriate for the regulations to be made by the Secretary of State as

'Introducing separate regulations in Wales, England and Scotland would risk divergence on matters of biosecurity on which policy is aligned, may hamper enforcement by cross border bodies and place an additional burden on the Animal and Plant Health Agency (which enforces plant health across Wales and England) and businesses.'

The regulations were laid before the UK Parliament on 8 May, with a commencement date of 30 May. Are Members content to note? Yes.

Correspondence from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs on the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Amendment etc.) Regulations 2025. The Deputy First Minister informs us that he has again given his consent to the UK Government to make these regulations in relation to Wales. The Deputy First Minister states that these regulations are designed to fix two widely recognised deficiencies of the regime, which was introduced by the 2013 regulations of the same name, which requires the producers of electrical and electronic equipment who place electronic equipment on the market to meet recovery and recycling targets. The Deputy First Minister states that

'Continuing with a unified UK-wide regime is advantageous for enforcement, compliance and will reduce the risk of potential confusion in the sector.'

These regulations are due to be laid before the UK Parliament on 2 June. Are Members content to note? Yes.

Correspondence from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affair on the Persistent Organic Pollutants (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2025. Again, the Deputy First Minister informs us of his intention to give his consent to the UK Government to make these regulations in relation to Wales. The Deputy First Minister states that these regulations seek to amend the persistent organic pollutants regulations to remove any prohibitions in relation to dechlorane plus and UV-328. The regulations are due to be laid before the UK Parliament tomorrow, and will come into force the following day. The Deputy First Minister states that

'This expedited legislative action is necessary in response to new and urgent information from the medical technology sector on unforeseen impacts arising from these prohibitions.'

The Deputy First Minister states that, on this occasion, he considers that 

'it is appropriate for the substance of the UK Government amendments to apply to Wales, as timely implementation will prevent production and supply disruptions to the medical sector, including NHS Wales.'

Are Members content? Yes.

Papers to note. Committee submission to the UK Government’s consultation on the statutory review of the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020. We have included the committee’s submission to the UK Government’s consultation on the statutory review of the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 in our papers today, for the public record. Unless Members have any comments they wish to make, we’ll move on to the next item.

Correspondence from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and Counsel General and Minister for Delivery on the general scrutiny session. The Counsel General and Minister for Delivery and the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs respond to our request for further information, following their appearance at our committee meeting on 9 December 2024. We may wish to defer discussion to item 7, when we will discuss some other items of correspondence. Everybody happy? Would you like to say anything, Kate?

No.

Item 5.3, correspondence from the Equality and Social Justice Committee to the Cabinet Secretary, Trefnydd and Chief Whip on scrutiny sessions on prisons and criminal justice. The Equality and Social Justice Committee informs the Cabinet Secretary, Trefnydd and Chief Whip that the back-to-back scrutiny sessions on criminal justice, involving both the Welsh Government and the UK Government, which were scheduled to take place on 19 May, have been postponed as the Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, Lord Timpson, can no longer make the session due to parliamentary commitments relating to the Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill. Unless Members have any comments we’ll move on.

Research report by PolicyWISE and the Bennett Institute for Public Policy: 'A More Collaborative Way of Governing? Why the UK’s Council of the Nations and Regions Matters'. This an executive summary of the research report on the Council of the Nations and Regions, which has been published and sent to Members by PolicyWISE and the Bennett Institute for Public Policy. The report examines the UK’s inter-governmental relationships and structures that have been in place since the election of the new UK Government in 2024. Unless Members have any comments they wish to make, we’ll note this and move onto the next item.

Item 5.5, correspondence with the First Minister of Wales, an invitation to give evidence. The First Minister responds to our invitation to attend one of our meetings to discuss matters within our remit for which she holds responsibility. The First Minister has declined the invitation and set out the reasons for her decision. Shall we defer discussion of this to the private session? Yes. 

The Welsh Government’s Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum (Memorandum No. 5) on the Data (Use and Access) Bill. Members are invited to note this supplementary legislative consent memorandum, which was laid on Friday. Members will be aware that the Senedd agreed a legislative consent motion in Plenary on 6 May. It is not clear from the supplementary legislative consent memorandum whether the Welsh Government will be seeking a debate on a further consent motion. Are Members content to note this?

A motion under Standing Order 17.42 to exclude the public from the remainder of the meeting. I move that, in accordance with Standing Order 17.42, I invite the committee to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of the meeting. Do Members agree? Yes. We're now going into private session.