Will the Counsel General confirm whether Welsh Ministers have the power under the Coal Industry Act 1994 to cancel licences for coal mining operations in Wales further to the Wales Act 2016 which devolved such powers by amending existing coal licensing law?
Answered by Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution | Answered on 15/11/2021
Section 26A of the Coal Industry Act 1994, which took effect from 1 April 2018, requires the Welsh Ministers to either approve or refuse to approve licences issued by the Coal Authority after that date.