Concise Minutes - Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee - Sixth Senedd


Meeting Venue:

Video conference via Zoom

Meeting date: Monday, 23 March 2026

Meeting time: 13.30 - 14.58
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/15786


Remote

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Attendance

Category

Names

Members of the Senedd:

Mike Hedges MS (Chair)

Alun Davies MS

Mark Isherwood MS

Adam Price MS

Witnesses:

 

Committee Staff:

P Gareth Williams (Clerk)

Owain Davies (Second Clerk)

Tom Lewis-White (Second Clerk)

Gerallt Roberts (Second Clerk)

Jennifer Cottle (Legal Adviser)

 

<AI1>

1       Introduction, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

There were no apologies or substitutions.

</AI1>

<AI2>

2       Instruments that raise no reporting issues under Standing Order 21.2 or 21.3

</AI2>

<AI3>

2.1   SL(6)791 - The Housing Renewal Grants (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2026

The Committee considered the instrument and was content.

</AI3>

<AI4>

2.2   SL(6)794 - The Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022 (Commencement No. 7, Transitory, Transitional and Savings Provisions) Order 2026

The Committee considered the instrument and was content.

</AI4>

<AI5>

2.3   SL(6)796 - The Inspection of Education and Training (Wales) Regulations 2026

The Committee considered the instrument and was content.

</AI5>

<AI6>

2.4   SL(6)797 - The Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024 (Amendment to Commencement Order No. 2) Order 2026

The Committee considered the instrument and was content.

</AI6>

<AI7>

2.5   SL(6)799 - The Senedd Cymru (Returning Officers' Accounts) Order 2026

The Committee considered the instrument and was content.

</AI7>

<AI8>

2.6   SL(6)800 - The Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025 (Commencement No.1 and Transitional and Transitory Provision) Order 2026

The Committee considered the instrument and was content.

</AI8>

<AI9>

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

</AI9>

<AI10>

3.1   SL(6)790 - The Building etc. (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2026

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

</AI10>

<AI11>

3.2   SL(6)792 - The Fire and Rescue Services (National Framework and Variation of Combination Schemes) (Wales) Order 2026

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

</AI11>

<AI12>

3.3   SL(6)793 - The National Health Service (Performers Lists) (Wales) Regulations 2026

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

</AI12>

<AI13>

3.4   SL(6)795 - The School Funding, Budget Statements and Outturn Statements (Wales) Regulations 2026

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

</AI13>

<AI14>

3.5   SL(6)801 - The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) (Wales) Order 2026

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

</AI14>

<AI15>

3.6   SL(6)798 - The Senedd Cymru (Returning Officers’ Charges) Order 2026

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

</AI15>

<AI16>

3.7   SL(6)802 - The Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024 (Commencement No. 3) Order 2026

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

</AI16>

<AI17>

3.8   SL(6)804 - The Allocation of Housing and Homelessness (Eligibility) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2026

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

</AI17>

<AI18>

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

</AI18>

<AI19>

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

The Committee noted the Welsh Government response.

</AI19>

<AI20>

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

The Committee noted the Welsh Government response.

</AI20>

<AI21>

4.3   SL(6)785 - The Digital Waste Tracking (Wales) Regulations 2026

The Committee noted the Welsh Government response.

</AI21>

<AI22>

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

</AI22>

<AI23>

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

The Committee noted the Welsh Government response.

</AI23>

<AI24>

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

The Committee noted the Welsh Government response.

</AI24>

<AI25>

4.7   SL(6)782 - The Education Workforce Council (Further Education Teacher Qualifications, Periods of Absence from Work and Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2026

The Committee noted the Welsh Government response.

</AI25>

<AI26>

4.8   SL(6)783 - The Higher Education (Qualifying Courses and Qualifying Persons) (Wales) Regulations 2026

</AI26>

<AI27>

5       Inter-Institutional Relations Agreement

</AI27>

<AI28>

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

The Committee noted correspondence: from the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning in relation to a meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Group for Trade which took place on 4 March 2026; and from the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip in relation to an upcoming meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Group for Safety, Security and Migration.

</AI28>

<AI29>

5.2   Correspondence from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: The draft Mandatory Water Efficiency Labelling Regulations 2026

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

</AI29>

<AI30>

6       Papers to note

</AI30>

<AI31>

6.1   Correspondence to the Business Committee: Future Review of Standing Order 29

The Committee noted its outgoing correspondence to the Business Committee.

</AI31>

<AI32>

6.2   Correspondence from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery: General scrutiny follow-up

The Committee noted the letter from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery.

</AI32>

<AI33>

6.3   Correspondence from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs to the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee: Public Office (Accountability) Bill

The Committee noted the letter from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs to the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee.

</AI33>

<AI34>

6.4   Correspondence from the Minister of State for Courts and Legal Services: Cardiff Civil Justice Centre

The Committee noted the letter from the Minister of State for Courts and Legal Services.

</AI34>

<AI35>

6.5   Correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Education: Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill

The Committee noted the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Education.

</AI35>

<AI36>

6.6   Correspondence from the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery: Updated analysis of subordinate legislation requiring correction

The Committee noted the letter from the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery.

</AI36>

<AI37>

6.7   Correspondence from the Welsh Government: The Welsh Government's response to the Committee's report on the Welsh Government's Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill

The Committee noted the Welsh Government response.

</AI37>

<AI38>

6.8   Correspondence from the European Affairs Committee, House of Lords: Dynamic alignment inquiry

The Committee noted the letter from the European Affairs Committee of the House of Lords and agreed to respond.

</AI38>

<AI39>

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.

</AI39>

<AI40>

8       Statutory Instruments laid but not formally scrutinised by the Committee - Sixth Senedd

The Committee agreed its approach to Statutory Instruments laid but not formally scrutinised by the Committee, and agreed that the Chair would sign off the report outside of Committee.

</AI40>

<AI41>

9       Legislative Consent Memoranda on the Railways Bill: Draft report

The Committee agreed its draft report.

</AI41>

<AI42>

10    Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum (Memorandum No. 4) on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill

The Committee considered Memorandum No. 4 and agreed not to report due to time constraints.

</AI42>

<AI43>

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

The Committee agreed to add a note to the front page of its previously laid report to show that the report relates to the version of Memorandum No. 3 which was laid on 27 January 2026 and subsequently withdrawn by the Welsh Government on 17 March 2026, after the Committee’s report was laid on 12 March 2026.

</AI43>

<AI44>

12    Legacy report

The Committee considered and agreed a revised version of its legacy report.

</AI44>

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