Rejected petition We demand that the Welsh Senedd has full control of natural resources in Wales
Work has already begun to transfer water from Wales to drought-hit areas of England, according to the Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission. Water is a valuable commodity and this is another example of London syphoning away our most valuable resource without any consultation or benefit to our communities. Wales is rich in natural resources and we cannot continue to allow our future and our wealth to be taken from us. All natural resources must benefit us the people who live in Wales.
More details
By one calculation Wales’ present export of water to England, from the Elan Valley to Birmingham and from Lake Vyrnwy and Tryweryn to Liverpool, could be worth as much as £4.5 billion a year. https://www.iwa.wales/agenda/2012/04/when-white-water-could-become-white-gold/
Wales is a net exporter of electricity, having consumed approximately 14.7 TWh(1) of electricity in 2019, while generating approximately 27.9 TWh. https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2021-01/energy-generation-in-wales-2019.pdf
The valuation of the Crown Estate’s marine portfolio in Wales has increased significantly from £49.2 million in 2020 to £549.1 million in 2021. https://research.senedd.wales/research-articles/who-owns-the-seabed-and-why-it-matters/
Our Resources, Our Future, Our Choices
Why was this petition rejected?
It’s about something that the Senedd or Welsh Government is not responsible for.
The Government of Wales Act 2006 establishes the extent of the Senedd’s power to make new laws and amend existing law (also known as legislative competence). Schedules 7A and 7B of the 2006 Act set out the issues which are ‘restricted’ or ‘reserved’ - i.e. areas where the UK Parliament, not the Senedd, can legislate.
The Senedd/ Welsh Government only have responsibility for water undertakers whose appointment areas are wholly or mainly in Wales.
Paragraph 96 of Schedule 7A to GoWA 2006 reserves the generation, transmission, distribution and supply of electricity. The extent of the reservation covers the majority of the electricity industry, and it means that Welsh Government could not unilaterally “take control” of any aspect of the industry in Wales.
All land and property held by the Crown Estate belongs to the Crown. As such, everything pertaining to the ownership and management of the land and property held by the Crown Estate falls within the relevant reservation in paragraph 2 of Schedule 7A to GoWA 2006.
As a result, it is not possible for the Senedd to take the action called for by your petition.
You may wish to consider petitioning the UK Parliament about this issue instead: https://petition.parliament.uk/
We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards
Rejected petitions are published in the language in which they were submitted