Brexit: Senedd votes against plan to scrap EU-era laws

The Senedd has voted against a plan to scrap EU-era rules and regulations after the Welsh government claimed it "undermines devolution".

Unless specifically kept or replaced, thousands of laws expire automatically at the end of the year under UK ministers' Retained EU Law Bill.

Conservatives say the bill, going through the UK parliament, delivers on Brexit promises by slashing "red tape".

But Labour and Plaid Cymru MSs voted to withhold Senedd approval for the bill.

The symbolic move does not stop the bill getting through Westminster and coming into force.

If the bill is enacted, ministers would have to decide whether to keep laws which were adopted by the UK through its membership of the EU.

Critics say it gives too much power to government ministers at the expense of parliaments in London and Cardiff.

Welsh government Counsel General Mick Antoniw said the "ideologically motivated" bill places "immense power in the hands of government ministers to bypass parliamentary scrutiny and democratic accountability".

"It is a threat to and undermines devolution," he said.

Campaign groups have warned environmental regulations could vanish if they are not reviewed before a deadline on 31 December.

There is wide-ranging EU-derived legislation on water quality, air pollution standards and protections for wildlife.

But Conservative MS Darren Millar said environmental protections would not be weakened "one iota" and the UK government would uphold workers' rights.

He accused the Welsh government of trying to "re-open old wounds" and "re-fight old battles".

"I know it's an inconvenient truth that you don't like to remember, but the majority of people in Wales voted to leave the EU and one of the things that people have expressed concern about was the unnecessary red tape that sometimes the EU foisted upon businesses, farmers and people across Wales," Mr Millar said.

The chair of the cross-party Legislation Committee, Labour MS Huw Irranca-Davies, said the Senedd might need extra meetings in the autumn to cope with the big workload the bill creates.

"The bill presents a real risk that the Senedd will be bypassed on decisions being made in devolved areas," Mr Irranca-Davies said.

"More importantly we are greatly concerned the bill enables ministers, rather than parliaments, to significantly alter the UK's regulatory and legal landscape."