Welsh Government Legislation Handbook on Assembly Bills August 2017 gov.wales Mae’r ddogfen yma hefyd ar gael yn Gymraeg / This document is also available in Welsh. © Crown copyright 2017 WG32040 Digital ISBN 978-1-78859-074-7 1 Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 9 Examples ................................................................................................................................ 10 Presentation ........................................................................................................................... 10 Keeping the Legislation Handbook up to date .................................................................. 10 Chapter 1 – Acts of the Assembly and the Government’s legislative programme ..... 11 Acts of the Assembly ............................................................................................................ 11 The Government’s approach to legislation ........................................................................ 13 Preparing the legislative programme ................................................................................. 13 Chapter 2 – Overview of preparing a Bill ........................................................................... 14 Working on an Assembly Bill ............................................................................................... 14 Key phases of work prior to introduction of the Bill .......................................................... 14 Chapter 3 – Who is who in the legislative process .......................................................... 17 Ministers involved in Bills ..................................................................................................... 17 Member in charge (of the Bill) ............................................................................................. 19 Bill team .................................................................................................................................. 20 Other individuals and teams supporting Assembly Bills – the wider Bill team ............ 24 Assuring delivery of the legislative programme ................................................................ 26 Resourcing the Bill team ...................................................................................................... 27 Chapter 4 – Bill management and governance ................................................................ 29 Principles of Bill management ............................................................................................. 29 Working together to make good law ................................................................................... 29 Assuring delivery of the Bill .................................................................................................. 32 Bill timetable and key milestones ........................................................................................ 34 Documentation ....................................................................................................................... 36 Training on Bill work.............................................................................................................. 38 Chapter 5 – Impact Assessments ....................................................................................... 39 Approach to impact assessments ....................................................................................... 39 Types of impact assessments and considerations .......................................................... 40 Making the findings available .............................................................................................. 42 Chapter 6 – Regulatory Impact Assessments .................................................................. 47 Requirements of Standing Orders ...................................................................................... 47 The need for an RIA ............................................................................................................. 48 Development of the RIA ....................................................................................................... 49 Preparing Chapter 7 of the RIA – Options......................................................................... 51 Development and Consultation stages .............................................................................. 52 Introduction and Amendment stages .................................................................................. 52 Preparing Chapter 8 of the RIA – Costs ............................................................................ 53 Cost-benefit analysis (CBA) ................................................................................................. 53 Information sources to develop the cost-benefit analysis (CBA).................................... 54 2 Costs ....................................................................................................................................... 55 Charging expenditure on the Welsh Consolidated Fund ................................................. 59 Benefits ................................................................................................................................... 60 Summary of the preferred option ........................................................................................ 60 Policy impact assessments .................................................................................................. 61 Preparing Chapter 9 of the RIA – Competition Assessment .......................................... 61 Preparing Chapter 10 of the RIA – Post implementation review ................................... 61 Chapter 7 – Process of preparing a Bill for introduction ......................................... 64 Good law ................................................................................................................................. 65 Policy development and consultation ........................................................................... 66 Useful thinking tool ................................................................................................................ 68 Legislative competence ........................................................................................................ 68 Changes to policy and/or the extent of the Bill.................................................................. 69 Instructions ........................................................................................................................... 69 Approach to preparing the instructions .............................................................................. 69 Involving other Groups ......................................................................................................... 72 Involving the UK Government.............................................................................................. 72 The time needed for preparing instructions and drafting the Bill .................................... 72 Sending the instructions to OLC ......................................................................................... 73 Changes to the policy after the instructions are sent ....................................................... 74 Content of the instructions .............................................................................................. 74 General points ........................................................................................................................ 74 Structure and content of the instructions ........................................................................... 75 Part 1 of the Instructions – Introduction ............................................................................. 76 Part 2 of the Instructions – Existing law ............................................................................. 77 Part 3 of the Instructions – Detailed proposals ................................................................. 78 Part 4 of the Instructions – Supplemental and incidental matters .................................. 81 Part 5 of the Instructions – Assembly and other handling matters ................................ 85 Ministerial clearance of policy .............................................................................................. 85 Drafting the Bill .................................................................................................................... 85 An initial meeting with the drafters ...................................................................................... 85 Responding to the instructions ............................................................................................ 85 Commenting on draft provisions and replying to the accompanying memo ................. 86 Ministerial oversight during drafting .................................................................................... 87 Short and long title of the Bill .......................................................................................... 88 Divisions and sub-divisions of legislative instruments ........................................... 89 Producing the Welsh text of the Bill .............................................................................. 89 Initial considerations ............................................................................................................