3 September 2020

 

Dear Mark

Reporting to the Senedd on the making of Coronavirus-related legislation and use of powers under the Coronavirus Act 2020

At our meeting on 24 August 2020 we considered the Welsh Government’s first report to the Senedd on legislation made by Welsh Ministers relating to the coronavirus pandemic.

We are aware that, during the Senedd’s consideration of the Legislative Consent Motion on the then Coronavirus Bill, you gave an undertaking to report to the Senedd on a regular basis on the use of the powers in the now Coronavirus Act 2020 (the 2020 Act).  

We welcome the approach the Welsh Government has now taken to lay a report which details all subordinate legislation relating to coronavirus made by or on behalf of the Welsh Ministers, and not just legislation which originates from the 2020 Act.

This is a  more meaningful approach as the Welsh Ministers have not used the powers in the 2020 Act on too many occasions, but have instead made use of the powers available to Welsh and UK Ministers under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 and, to a lesser extent, powers available in other Acts including the Education (Wales) Act 2014 and the NHS (Wales) Act 2006.

We consider that the approach you have now taken is informative and transparent, and we would like to commend you for good practice during a period where legal clarity for all Welsh citizens is of considerable importance.

 

 

 

Yours sincerely

Mick Antoniw AM

Chair

 

Croesewir gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg neu Saesneg

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