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Wales Green Party have responded to the Draft Wales Bill, saying it risks becoming an excuse for five more years of poor delivery by the Welsh Government.

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Wales Green Party Leader, Pippa Bartolotti, expressed concerns over the move by UK Government to reserve consent granting on nuclear power generation and onshore wind farms, amongst other issues.

Bartolotti said:

“The Draft Wales Bill presented today is not fooling anyone. The UK Government are not offering increased powers or clarity, and it is already clear that the debate will not end here.

“Without exaggeration, we can say that the UK Government has just given us sewage - the power to intervene in the case of 'serious adverse impact on sewerage services'. Wales can now set our own speed limits, but with this Bill the English Conservative party has decided the speed limit for Welsh devolution should be decreased.

“Welsh Greens welcomed the move to reserved powers, until we saw no fewer than 34 pages of 'Reserved Matters'.  This Bill does not give Wales parity with Scotland or Northern Ireland, and the Conservatives have yet to explain why they feel the people of Wales do not deserve this. Wales Green Party had hoped for a Bill that would have helped move the  devolution debate in the direction of a federal Britain and a fair settlement for all four of the UK's nations.

“We welcome the fact the Welsh Government will have more say in energy generation, though the Conservatives have, unsurprisingly, reserved the right to endanger our people and planet by building more heavily subsidised nuclear power stations.

“Appallingly, the Bill reserves consenting powers for onshore wind farms. This is a blatant politicisation of our energy generation mix, and a further setback to the UK renewable industry, which was already looking to Wales as a potential new home for its investment and jobs following the gleeful cuts to subsidies by the Conservatives.

“Yet Welsh Greens know that you cannot simply build a few more renewables and declare the job done on climate change. Future Welsh Governments will need real freedom to shape our homes, communities, transport, and public services around building an environmental legacy we can truly be proud of.

“Instead we have a Bill that hands the Welsh Government an excuse for five more years of poor delivery.

“Less than seven percent of the Welsh population wants to see a National Assembly for Wales with fewer powers, but the Wales Bill in its current form does exactly that. 14 of the 19 acts passed during this Assembly would not have been possible under the Bill presented today.

“With this Bill, the UK Government is tightening the leash, and only paying lip service to more local decision making.

“Welsh Greens will add our voices to those calling for a Bill which reflects the true appetite for more devolution, and for a greener future for Wales.”


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