Senedd backs GB energy bill

Chris Haines ICNN Senedd reporter

Senedd members signed off on Westminster’s GB energy bill despite concerns about duplication and the Welsh Parliament being bypassed in future.

Llŷr Gruffydd raised concerns about the “inadequacies” of the legislative consent motion (LCM) process by which the Senedd consents to UK legislation on devolved matters.

The Senedd climate committee chair warned of potential overlap between GB Energy and the Welsh Government’s Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, two publicly owned energy companies.

Mike Hedges, who chairs the legislation committee, said clause six of the bill would confer wide-ranging powers on UK ministers that could have a direct impact on devolved areas.

He pointed out that assurances on consultation from the UK Government are not binding.

‘Mythical’

Mr Hedges said: “This does not adequately reflect the Senedd as a legitimate democratic legislative body for Wales and does not address the fact that the Senedd will be sidelined during the future exercise of the delegated powers.”

Samuel Kurtz, the Conservatives’ shadow economy secretary, described GB Energy as “yet another example of Labour’s habit of overpromising and underdelivering”.

He said: “Keir Starmer pledged that GB Energy would cut household bills by £300 and create 1,000 new jobs in Aberdeen, but within weeks, the reality is unravelling.

“GB Energy’s own chairman admits that delivering on these promises could take upwards of 20 years and, even worse, in the short term, the number of jobs created will be around 200 or 300 – far short of the 1,000 promised during the election.”

Describing the bill as a gimmick, Mr Kurtz added: “It won’t lower bills tomorrow; it won’t lower bills next year or even in five years. GB Energy chair Juergen Maier couldn’t even say when the mythical £300 savings would occur.”

‘Sovereignty’

Labour’s Lee Waters raised the example of Norway’s sovereign wealth fund which invests in renewable energy around the world.

He told the chamber: “Surely, for energy generated within these lands, it’s not absurd for our own government to want to capture that for the benefit of our citizens rather than the benefit of other countries’ citizens.”

Plaid Cymru’s Luke Fletcher said: “The government itself has said that there is little information on the operational and practical aims of GB Energy, that is of concern.”

He concluded: “What we need to see is what is GB Energy about, where is it going, how is it going to interact with those Welsh institutions.

“That’s the important thing here – the sovereignty of the Welsh Government and this place. For that reason, we’ll be voting against the LCM.”

‘Where time allows’

Rebecca Evans pointed to an amendment under clause five which strengthened a requirement to consult Welsh ministers to a requirement to gain consent.

The Welsh Government’s economy secretary said: “Where time allows, we will provide an opportunity for the Senedd to express a view before consent is formally given.”

Ms Evans told the Senedd: “I see this as really being an opportunity for strong collaboration, rather than an area where we should be concerned about duplication, competition or conflict.

“I think there are wonderful opportunities for us to work with Great British Energy to realise the huge renewable energy potential that we have here in Wales.”

Senedd members voted 30-26 in favour of legislative consent on February 4, with Labour and the Lib Dems in favour while Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives were against.