Published

Counsel General gives evidence as Senedd scrutiny begins

The Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee, which is chaired by Huw Irranca Davies, MS, opened its scrutiny of the Historic Environment (Wales) Bill with a virtual session on 11 July 2022. The committee welcomed the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution, Mick Antoniw MS as well as Dylan Hughes, First Legislative Counsel and James George, Senior Legislative Counsel.

During the 90-meeting minute, the committee members — who expressed their excitement to be scrutinising the first consolidation Bill to be brought before the Senedd — took evidence from the Counsel General and the Legislative Counsels on topics ranging from the general approach to consolidation and what was included or excluded from the Bill through detailed issues of terminology and aspects of the drafting to how the legislation would function as part of a code of law on the historic environment. You can watch the entire session on Senedd.tv or read a transcript of the proceedings.

The committee has already written to the Counsel General seeking further detail on a number of points and it will continue to gather evidence over the summer and during the autumn. The Committee may invite written evidence from interested stakeholders over the summer and hold an oral evidence session in the autumn. The Counsel General has already been invited back in November to discuss matters that may arise during the committee’s consideration of the Bill. Before the end of the year, the committee will report to the Senedd on whether the Bill should proceed as a Consolidation Bill.