Rt Hon , Counsel General: The principle
of legislative consent, as set out in the Sewel Convention and
section 107(6) of the Government of Wales Act 2006, is central to
our devolution settlement. It safeguards the Senedd's role as
Wales' national legislature and ensures democratic accountability
for legislation affecting devolved matters.
Against that backdrop, the King's Speech on 13 May 2026 confirmed
the UK Government's legislative programme, including a number of
Bills which make provision in relation to devolved matters. To
date in the Seventh Senedd, Legislative Consent Memoranda have
been laid in relation to the Armed Forces Bill, the Cyber
Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill,
the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, the Representation of
the People Bill, [the Railways Bill], the Commercial Payments
Bill, the Sporting Events Bill, the Health Bill, and the Steel
Industry (Nationalisation) Bill. Further Memoranda will be laid
in accordance with Standing Orders where required.
Effective and consistent intergovernmental engagement is
essential for the proper operation of the legislative consent
process and Sewel Convention. The Welsh Government will continue
to press the UK Government to demonstrate its commitment to the
Sewel Convention through the quality of its engagement during the
development of legislation, including ensuring that parliamentary
timetabling takes proper account of the Senedd's need for
sufficient time to consider legislative consent.
Experiences in recent years show that the Sewel Convention is in
need of reform. We support the recommendations of the Independent
Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales and believe that
a firmer legislative footing is required for the legislative
consent process. We will continue to call on the UK Government
and the other devolved Governments to support this important
constitutional change. Whilst our position remains that a
statutory safeguard is ultimately needed to protect the
devolution settlement, we will also engage with the UK Government
on its manifesto commitment to develop a Memorandum of
Understanding on the Sewel Convention, which potentially offers a
near-term immediate opportunity to improve engagement and
procedural compliance with the legislative consent process.
To provide a consistent approach to our response to UK
legislation and the legislative consent process, Cabinet have
agreed the Welsh Government's Principles on UK Legislation in
Devolved Areas, set out at Annex A. The principles make clear
that, as a starting point, law in devolved areas should be made
in Wales. UK legislation should only make provision in devolved
areas where there is a clear justification, where it is in the
interests of Wales, and where the appropriate consent of the
Senedd or Welsh Ministers has been sought and given. The
principles will provide a clear, consistent and firm framework
for the Welsh Government's approach to UK legislation during this
Parliamentary session. They will enable constructive engagement
with the UK Government where appropriate, while ensuring that
Welsh Government recommendations on legislative consent continue
to be guided by the primacy of the Senedd and the protection of
Wales' devolution settlement.
