House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee Formal Minutes of the Committee Session 2016-17 2 The Welsh Affairs Committee The Welsh Affairs Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales (including relations with the National Assembly for Wales). Current membership David T.C. Davies MP (Conservative, Monmouth) (Chair) Byron Davies MP (Conservative, Gower) Chris Davies MP (Conservative, Brecon and Radnorshire) Glyn Davies MP (Conservative, Montgomeryshire) Dr James Davies MP (Conservative, Vale of Clwyd) Chris Elmore MP (Labour, Ogmore) (added 18.07.16) Paul Flynn MP (Labour, Newport West) (added 21.11.16) Carolyn Harris MP (Labour, Swansea East) (discharged 18.07.16) Gerald Jones MP (Labour, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney) (discharged 21.11.16) Stephen Kinnock MP (Labour, Aberavon) Liz Saville Roberts MP (Plaid Cymru, Dwyfor Meirionnydd) Craig Williams MP (Conservative, Cardiff North) Mr Mark Williams MP (Liberal Democrat, Ceredigion) Powers The Committee is one of the departmental select committees, the powers of which are set out in House of Commons Standing Orders, principally in SO No 152. These are available on the internet via www.parliament.uk Publications The Reports and evidence of the Committee are published by The Stationery Office by Order of the House. All publications of the Committee (including press notices) are on the internet at www.parliament.uk/welshcom The Reports of the Committee, the formal minutes relating to that report, oral evidence taken and some or all written evidence are available in printed volumes. Additional written evidence may be published on the internet only. Committee staff The current staff of the Committee is John-Paul Flaherty (Clerk), Elin Jones (Committee Specialist), Louise Glen (Senior Committee Assistant), Chloe Freeman (Committee Assistant) and George Perry (Media Officer). Contacts All correspondence should be addressed to the Clerk of the Welsh Affairs Committee, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. The telephone number for general enquiries is 020 7219 3264; and the Committee’s email address is [email protected] 3 Formal Minutes of the Committee, Session 2016-17 MONDAY 23 MAY 2016 Members present: David T.C. Davies, in the Chair Glyn Davies Craig Williams Stephen Kinnock Mr Mark Williams Liz Saville Roberts 1. Broadcasting in Wales The Committee considered this matter. 2. Future programme The Committee considered this matter. Resolved, That the Committee take oral evidence from the Secretary of State for Wales on his responsibilities. Resolved, That the Committee inquire into Police and Crime Commissioner elections. 3. The future of nuclear power in Wales Ordered, That the following written evidence relating to the future of nuclear power in Wales be reported to the House for publication on the internet: FNP 83 – Dr Carl Iwan Clowes FNP 84 – Nuclear Industry Association Dr Richard Savage, Chief Nuclear Inspector, Dr Mina Golshan, Deputy Chief Nuclear Inspector, and Mike Finnerty, Deputy Chief Inspector, Office for Nuclear Regulation, gave oral evidence. Professor Andrew Sherry, Director, National Nuclear Laboratory, gave oral evidence. Andrea Leadsom MP, Minister of State, and Lee McDonough, Director, Office for Nuclear Development, Department for Energy and Climate Change, gave oral evidence. 4. The steel industry in Wales Andrea Leadsom MP, Minister of State, and Paul Van Heyningen, Head of Industrial Energy Use, Department for Energy and Climate Change, gave oral evidence. [Adjourned till Monday 6 June at 3.40 pm 4 MONDAY 6 JUNE 2016 Members present: David T.C. Davies, in the Chair Byron Davies Liz Saville Roberts Carolyn Harris Mr Mark Williams Gerald Jones 1. Future programme The Committee considered this matter. 2. Use of the Welsh language in the Welsh Grand Committee sitting in Westminster The Committee considered this matter. 3. Pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Wales Bill The Committee considered this matter. Resolved, That, subject to the discretion of the Chair, written evidence received between scheduled committee meetings, over the period to 13 June 2016, directly related to pre- legislative scrutiny of the draft Wales Bill, shall be reported to the House for publication. 4. Broadcasting in Wales The Committee considered this matter. 5. The future of nuclear power in Wales The Committee considered this matter. Ordered, That the following written evidence relating to the future of nuclear power in Wales be reported to the House for publication on the internet: FNP 85 – Jas Chanay 6. The future of the Severn River crossings Ordered, That the following written evidence relating to the future of the Severn River crossings be reported to the House for publication on the internet: SEV 05 – Mr Ned Heywood SEV 06 – Robert Harris SEV 07 – Paul Barrows Philip Smith, General Manager, and James Rawle, Deputy General Manager, Severn River Crossing Plc, gave oral evidence. Eric Cornuaille, European Electronic Toll Service Consultant, HeyCo Consulting, gave oral evidence. [Adjourned till Monday 13 June at 10 am at The Drill Hall, Chepstow 5 Monday 13 June 2016 The Chair, Byron Davies, Chris Davies, Gerald Jones, and Craig Williams visited Chepstow, Magor Services, and the Severn Bridge in connection with the Committee’s inquiry into the future of the Severn River crossings, in accordance with the Committee’s decision of 9 May 2016. MONDAY 13 JUNE 2016 The Committee met at The Drill Hall, Chepstow Members present: David T.C. Davies, in the Chair Byron Davies Gerald Jones Chris Davies Craig Williams 1. Pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Wales Bill Draft Special Report (Pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Wales Bill: Government Response to the Committee’s First Report of Session 2015-16), proposed by the Chair, brought up, read the first and second time, and agreed to. The Government’s response to the First Report from the Committee of Session 2015-16 was appended to the Report. Resolved, That the Report be the First Special Report of the Committee to the House. Ordered, That the Chair make the Report to the House. 2. Broadcasting in Wales Draft Report (Broadcasting in Wales), proposed by the Chair, brought up and read. The draft Report was agreed to; the Formal Minutes relating to the consideration of the Report are published in the First Report of the Committee, HC 14. 3. The future of the Severn River crossings Ordered, That the following written evidence relating to the future of the Severn River crossings be reported to the House for publication on the internet: SEV 08 – Department for Transport Ian Jarman, Vice Chair, Freight Council in Wales, and Ian Gallagher, Head of Policy (Southwest & Wales), Freight Transport Association, gave oral evidence. [Adjourned till Monday 4 July at 3.40 pm 6 MONDAY 4 JULY 2016 Members present: David T.C. Davies, in the Chair Byron Davies Gerald Jones Chris Davies Liz Saville Roberts Dr James Davies Craig Williams 1. Future programme The Committee considered this matter. 2. The future of the Severn River crossings Ordered, That the following written evidence relating to the future of the Severn River crossings be reported to the House for publication on the internet: SEV 09 – Anthony Mayo SEV 10 – David Gibbs SEV 11 – Liz Cragg and Nick Cragg SEV 12 – Gwyn Smith SEV 13 – Welsh Government Andrew Jones MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, and James Hooson, Strategic Roads Policy Manager, Department for Transport, and Andrew Page-Dove, Regional Director South West, Highways England, gave oral evidence. [Adjourned till Wednesday 6 July at 2.30 pm WEDNESDAY 6 JULY 2016 [The Committee met concurrently with the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee, Energy and Climate Change Committee and European Scrutiny Committee] Members present: David T.C. Davies, in the Chair Byron Davies Stephen Kinnock Glyn Davies Liz Saville Roberts Dr James Davies The following members of the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee were also present (Standing Order No. 137A) Jonathan Reynolds Iain Wright The following members of the Energy and Climate Change Committee were also present (Standing Order No. 137A) Tom Blenkinsop Glyn Davies 7 The following members of the European Scrutiny Committee were also present (Standing Order No. 137A) Sir William Cash Craig Mackinlay Geraint Davies Kelly Tolhurst Richard Drax Andrew Turner Stephen Kinnock 1. The steel industry in Wales Rt Hon Anna Soubry MP, Minister of State for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise, and Niall Mackenzie, Director of Infrastructure and Materials, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, gave oral evidence. [Adjourned till Wednesday 13 July at 3.40 pm WEDNESDAY 13 JULY 2016 Members present: David T.C. Davies, in the Chair Glyn Davies Craig Williams Gerald Jones Mr Mark Williams Liz Saville Roberts 1. Future programme The Committee considered this matter. Resolved, That the Committee inquire into the implications for Wales of the EU Referendum result. [Adjourned till Monday 18 July at 3.40 pm MONDAY 18 JULY 2016 Members present: David T.C. Davies, in the Chair Dr James Davies Liz Saville Roberts Gerald Jones Mr Mark Williams 1. The future of nuclear power in Wales Ordered, That the following written evidence relating to the future of nuclear power in Wales be reported to the House for publication on the internet: FNP 86 – Department for Energy and Climate Change (supplementary) 2. The steel industry in Wales Ordered, That the following written evidence relating to the steel industry in Wales be reported to the House for publication on the internet: 8 SIW 02 – Department for Energy and Climate Change 3. Police and Crime Commissioner Elections Rhydian Thomas, Head of Wales Office, and Andrew Scallan CBE, Director of Elector Administration, Electoral Commission, gave oral evidence. [Adjourned till Tuesday 19 July at 2.10 pm TUESDAY 19 JULY 2016 Members present: David T.C. Davies, in the Chair Glyn Davies Liz Saville Roberts Gerald Jones Craig Williams Stephen Kinnock Mr Mark Williams 1.