20 March 2018

Mick Antoniw AM, Chair of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee

Dear Mick,

PUBLIC SERVICES OMBUDSMAN (WALES) BILL

I would like to thank the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee (CLA) for its consideration and report on thesubordinate legislation provisions within the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Bill.

In your report, you made one recommendation:

“We recommend that the Member in charge should table an amendment to the Bill to delete the words “or expedient” from section 78(1).”

I believe the power to make provision as is “necessary” under section 78 will be sufficient to ensure the effective operation of the Bill/Act. Therefore, I accept that the power to make provision that is “expedient” could be removed.

However, given that this relates to the powers of the Welsh Ministers, I will be raising this issue with the Welsh Government as part of general discussions on the Bill.

Should the Bill proceed to Stage 2, I look forward to working with Committee members on the legislation in the future.

I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee.

Yours sincerely

Simon Thomas AM

Chair

Croesewir gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg neu Saesneg.

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