Shadow Social Justice Minister Mark Isherwood MS challenged the Welsh Government this week after Members spent time in the Senedd Chamber arguing and voting against things which are no longer in the UK Police, Crime Sentencing and Courts Bill.
Voting on elements of the Bill in Tuesday’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament, the Welsh Government rejected its own Motion no.2, “To propose that the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Order 29.6, agrees that provisions in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, ‘Imposing conditions on public processions’, ‘Imposing conditions on public assemblies’, ‘Imposing conditions on one-person protests’, and ‘Expedited Public Spaces Protection Orders’, in so far as they fall within the legislative competence of the Senedd, should be considered by the UK Parliament.”
The Minister for Social Justice stated: “I was pleased to see that the Lords also rejected clauses related to the assault on the right to protest peacefully” adding “In response, the UK Government has chosen to take a steamroller approach by reintroducing these clauses to the Bill.”
Intervening on the Minister, Mr Isherwood said:
“You refer to the defeats in the House of Lords, and some of the measures that the Lords rejected cannot now be featured in the final legislation. Do you recognise that these include one of the most high-profile proposals that would have made it illegal for protestors to cause serious disruption by locking themselves to things?
“In fact, many of the things that we're hearing objections to are no longer in this legislation and cannot be included within it, and would require a (UK) Government to bring forward a different Bill to introduce them.”
In her response, the Minister asked Members to “reject motion no.2, the attack on the right to protest, containing the clauses for which I recommend consent is withheld”.
Speaking outside the meeting, Mr Isherwood said:
“The UK Government was defeated 14 times in the Lords in January, after a number of anti-protest measures were inserted into the Bill, with some measures thrown out
altogether. How bizarre for the Welsh Government to be arguing and voting against things which are no longer included!”