Legislative Consent: Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill

The UK Government’s Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill (‘the Bill’) is currently being considered by the UK Parliament.

Sections of this Bill seek to legislate in areas of competence devolved to the National Assembly for Wales. Convention requires that the National Assembly for Wales (‘the Assembly’) considers consenting to this. The Assembly does this through considering legislative consent motions tabled by the Welsh Government.

Further information on legislative consent motions is provided in the Research Service’s quick guide The Constitution Series: 6 Legislative Consent Motions.

The first legislative consent motion is drafted as follows:

“To propose that the National Assembly for Wales, in accordance with Standing Order 29.6, agrees that provisions of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill, as introduced into the House of commons on 23 May 2012 relating to amendments of the Water Industry Act 1991, in so far as they fall within the legislative competence of the National Assembly for Wales, should be considered by the UK Parliament.”

Additional information

-        The first legislative consent memorandum in relation to the Bill, laid on 12 June 2012, is available at: http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-business-fourth-assembly-laid-docs.htm?act=dis&id=235055&ds=6/2012

-        The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill is available on the UK Parliament’s website at: http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2012-13/enterpriseandregulatoryreform.html

-        The Water Industry Act 1991 is available on the legislation.gov.uk website: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1991/56/contents

-        The Research Service’s Quick Guide The Constitution Series: 6 Legislative Consent Motions is available at: http://www.assemblywales.org/qg07-0006.pdf

July 2012