Claims about EU Withdrawal Bill effect on Wales ‘inaccurate’
PLAID Cymru has made a final -hour attempt to persuade Assembly Members to refuse to grant consent to UK Government legislation which it warns could make Welsh laws “unenforceable”.
AMs are due to vote on whether or not to refuse consent to the UK Government’s flagship EU Withdrawal Bill on Tuesday.
Plaid argues that a ban on wild animals in circuses and a plastic levy would be impossible if the Bill becomes law – but the Welsh Government accused the party of “scaremongering”.
The Welsh and Scottish First Ministers had condemned the original version of the Bill as a “naked power grab” that would transfer powers held by Brussels today in devolved areas such as agriculture to Westminster rather than the Assembly and the Edinburgh Parliament.
But in a landmark moment last month, the Welsh Government dropped its opposition, having won a series of changes and commitments.
However, the Scottish Government remains opposed and last week UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he was “very happy” for Labour Members of the Scottish Parliament to vote to refuse consent.
The Labour Welsh Government has defended the deal it agreed with the UK Government as “both responsible and effective in protecting devolution in Wales”, but Plaid argues that powers to make and enforce laws could be restricted.
It claims: “A proposal to ban the use of wild animals in circuses will not be possible due to the Assembly’s responsibilities over ‘animal welfare’ being removed; a proposal to introduce a single-use plastics levy and to create a deposit return scheme would both be outside competence due to ‘waste packaging and product regulations’ being removed from the Assembly’s competence.”
The party also argues that the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act 2015 and the Environment Act 2016 will become “unenforceable”.
Plaid Mid and West Wales AM Simon Thomas said: “Not only is the Assembly’s ability to create new laws being reversed, it is being prevented from enforcing laws already in place.
“Until very recently, the Labour Party agreed with Plaid Cymru and was fighting against this power grab, but while their colleagues in Scotland continue to oppose the power grab, in Wales they are working with Ukip and the Tories to implement it.
“We have made great progress in Wales on matters such as the environment, animal welfare and agriculture and we cannot allow the UK Government to undo that progress.”
The Welsh Government strongly disagreed.
A spokesman said: “This is scaremongering and inaccurate. The agreement on the Withdrawal Bill will not undermine laws already passed by the National Assembly.
“The Wellbeing of Future Generations Act and the Environment Act 2016 will still stand and be enforceable. We have secured changes to a UK Government Brexit Bill that protects devolution, not dilutes it.
“A small number of areas where common UK-wide rules will be needed will be frozen for a time-limited period – nothing more, nothing less. Wild claims that devolution as we know it is over are simply wrong.”
Plaid leader Leanne Wood has appealed to Mr Corbyn to urge his Welsh Labour colleagues to refuse to grant consent to the EU Withdrawal Bill.
She states in a letter to the UK Labour leader: “I would like to ask you to impress your concerns upon the Labour Welsh Government, whose views on devolution and the power grab clearly differ so greatly from your own and those of their Scottish colleagues. On Tuesday, the vote on the Legislative Consent Motion will give us the chance to stop this power grab in its tracks.
“Labour must side with Plaid Cymru, and not the Conservatives and Ukip, to do so.”
A UK Government spokesman said: “The Withdrawal Bill has been changed significantly, with a host of new powers set to transfer directly from the EU to the devolved administrations. We have also done a lot of detailed work looking into what UK frameworks will be required and how they will operate.
“The important point is that Welsh businesses will have clarity and consistency as we prepare to leave the European Union, and we will keep working with the Welsh Government to ensure the best outcome for Wales.”