Concise Minutes - Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Meeting Venue:

Video conference via Zoom

Meeting date: Monday, 9 March 2026

Meeting time: 13.34 - 15.58
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/15784

Remote

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Attendance

Category	Names
Members of the Senedd:	Mike Hedges MS (Chair) Alun Davies MS Mark Isherwood MS Sioned Williams MS
Witnesses:
Committee Staff:	P Gareth Williams (Clerk) Owain Davies (Second Clerk) Tom Lewis-White (Second Clerk) Gerallt Roberts (Second Clerk) Elizabeth Foster (Deputy Clerk)

<AI1>

1 Introduction, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

Apologies were received from Adam Price MS. Apologies were received by Alun Davies MS for items 1-10. Sioned Williams MS substituted for Adam Price MS for items 1-10 and attended as a representative of the Equality and Social Justice Committee for item 15.

</AI1>

<AI2>

2 Instruments that raise issues to be reported to the Senedd under Standing Order 21.2 or 21.3

</AI2>

<AI3>

2.1 SL(6)772 - The National Health Service (General Dental Services Contracts and Patient Charges) (Wales) Regulations 2026

The Committee considered the instrument and agreed to report to the Senedd in line with the reporting points identified.

</AI3>

<AI4>

2.2 SL(6)778 - The National Health Service (General Dental Services Contracts and Patient Charges) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2026

The Committee considered the instrument and agreed to report to the Senedd in line with the reporting points identified. The Committee also noted the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to the Llywydd.

</AI4>

<AI5>

2.3 SL(6)780 - The Education (Information About Individual Pupils and Children in Alternative Provision) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2026

The Committee considered the instrument and agreed to report to the Senedd in line with the reporting point identified. The Committee also noted the Written Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education.

</AI5>

<AI6>

2.4 SL(6)774 - The Deposit Scheme for Drinks Containers (Wales) Regulations 2026

The Committee considered the instrument and agreed to report to the Senedd in line with the reporting points identified. The Committee also noted:

· the Written Statement by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs;

· the letter from the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs; and

submissions from the Wine and Spirit Trade Association and the British Retail Consortium.

</AI6>

<AI7>

2.5 SL(6)779 - The Welsh Tax Acts etc. (Power to Modify) Act 2022 (Extension of Expiry Date) Regulations 2026

The Committee considered the instrument and agreed to report to the Senedd in line with the reporting point identified. The Committee also noted the Written Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language.

</AI7>

<AI8>

2.6 SL(6)775 - The Political Parties Campaign Expenditure (Senedd Elections) Code of Practice 2025 (Appointed Day) (Wales) Order 2026

The Committee considered the instrument and agreed to report to the Senedd in line with the reporting point identified.

</AI8>

<AI9>

2.7 SL(6)776 - The Non-Party Campaigner Campaign Expenditure (Senedd Elections) Code of Practice 2025 (Appointed Day) (Wales) Order 2026

The Committee considered the instrument and agreed to report to the Senedd in line with the reporting point identified.

</AI9>

<AI10>

2.8 SL(6)777 - The Individual Candidate Election Expenses (Senedd Elections) Code of Practice 2025 (Appointed Day) (Wales) Order 2026

The Committee considered the instrument and agreed to report to the Senedd in line with the reporting point identified.

</AI10>

<AI11>

3 Instruments that raise issues to be reported to the Senedd under Standing Order 21.7

</AI11>

<AI12>

3.1 SL(6)771 - Strategic Priorities and Objectives Statement to Ofwat issued under section 2B of the Water Industry Act 1991

The Committee considered the instrument and agreed to report to the Senedd in line with the reporting point identified.

</AI12>

<AI13>

4 Instruments that raise issues to be reported to the Senedd under Standing Order 21.2 or 21.3 - previously considered

</AI13>

<AI14>

4.1 SL(6)742 - The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2026

The Committee noted the Welsh Government response.

</AI14>

<AI15>

4.2 SL(6)752 - The Care and Support (Charging) and (Financial Assessment) (Wales) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026

The Committee noted the Welsh Government response.

</AI15>

<AI16>

4.3 SL(6)753 - The Infrastructure Consent (Correcting Errors and Applications to Change or Revoke Infrastructure Consent Orders) (Procedure) (Wales) Regulations 2026

The Committee noted the Welsh Government response.

</AI16>

<AI17>

5 Inter-Institutional Relations Agreement

</AI17>

<AI18>

5.1 Correspondence from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: The Sea Fisheries (Amendment) Regulations 2026

The Committee noted the correspondence from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs.

</AI18>

<AI19>

5.2 Correspondence from the Welsh Government: Meetings of inter-ministerial groups

The Committee noted correspondence and a Written Statement from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs in relation to a meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Standing Committee.

</AI19>

<AI20>

6 Papers to note

</AI20>

<AI21>

6.1 Correspondence from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: The Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Wales) Bill: Revised Explanatory Memorandum

The Committee noted the correspondence from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs.

</AI21>

<AI22>

6.2 Correspondence from the Llywydd to the Greyhound Board of Great Britain: Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Wales) Bill

The Committee noted the correspondence from the Llywydd to the Greyhound Board of Great Britain.

</AI22>

<AI23>

6.3 Written Statement by the Minister for Further and Higher Education: Implementation of the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022

The Committee noted the Written Statement by the Minister for Further and Higher Education.

</AI23>

<AI24>

6.4 Correspondence from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Auctioning (Amendment) Regulations 2026

The Committee noted the correspondence from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs.

</AI24>

<AI25>

7 Motion under Standing Order 17.42(vi) and (ix) to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of today's meeting

The motion was agreed.

</AI25>

<AI26>

8 Supplementary Legislative Consent Memoranda (Memorandum No. 2 and Memorandum No. 3) on the Public Office (Accountability) Bill: Draft report

The Committee agreed its draft report.

</AI26>

<AI27>

9 Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Armed Forces Bill: Draft report

The Committee agreed its draft report.

</AI27>

<AI28>

10 Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum (Memorandum No. 3) on the Crime and Policing Bill

The Committee considered Memorandum No. 3 and agreed, due to time constraints, not to report. The Committee agreed instead to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip.

</AI28>

<AI29>

11 Statutory Instrument Consent Memorandum on the Plant Varieties Act (Amendment) Regulations 2026

The Committee considered the Statutory Instrument Consent Memorandum and agreed to consider a draft report at its next meeting. The Committee noted the Written Statement and correspondence from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs.

</AI29>

<AI30>

12 International Agreements: Draft report

The Committee agreed its draft report.

</AI30>

<AI31>

13 Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum (Memorandum No. 4) on the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: Draft report

The Committee agreed its draft report, and agreed to write to the Business Committee. The Committee also noted the report by Wellbeing in Education Wales.

</AI31>

<AI32>

14 Legacy report

The Committee considered its draft report and agreed to consider it further at a later meeting.

</AI32>

<AI33>

15 Commission on Justice in Wales recommendations: Briefing from Dr Robert Jones

The Committee received a briefing from Dr Robert Jones of Cardiff University’s Wales Governance Centre on research commissioned by the Committee on the implementation of the recommendations made by the Commission on Justice in Wales. The Committee also formally noted Dr Jones’s research paper.

</AI33>

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