8 December 2017

Dear Rebecca

Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill

You will be aware that on 11 July 2017, the Business Committee referred the Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill to the Children, Young People and Education Committee for consideration. As elements of the LCM fall within the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee’s remit, the LCM was also considered by our Committee.

We wrote to the Welsh Government seeking clarification on a number of issues including the extent to which the provisions identified in the LCM under Education and Training; Social Welfare; and Economic development were within the Assembly’s legislative competence. The response did not cover this clarification. (Copies of both letters are enclosed).

In reporting on the LCM we stated there was no reason why the Assembly should reject the LCM, but that Members may wish to seek clarity during the debate on this issue. As the debate on the l LCM has not yet occurred, this clarification remains outstanding.

We received a letter from the Business Committee on 6 December asking if we could consider the supplementary LCM by 9 January. At our meeting on 7 December, we considered this request, and agreed to do our utmost to ensure swift consideration of the supplementary LCM. To this end, we will be tabling it for consideration at out meeting on 13 December, to ensure that if it is referred to us, we can consider it before Christmas. However because there is still an outstanding issue, we would ask that you could provide clarification on the outstanding matter in writing, as soon as possible, but no later than 2 January.

As the Llywydd’s letter indicates that there will be time for committee scrutiny, we would suggest time is given to enable us to consider your response before reporting before the Plenary debate. We believe this could be done if the Plenary debate was moved back to 16 January. This would give us four sitting weeks to consider the LCM, which is still less than the six week period which the Welsh Government has previously committed to for scrutiny of LCMs.

Yours sincerely

John Griffiths AM
Chair

Croesewir gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg neu Saesneg.

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