Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2023

207 Definitions relating to the Crown

(1) This section applies for the purposes of this Act.

(2) “Crown land” means land in which there is a Crown interest or a Duchy interest.

(3) “Crown interest” means an interest which—

(a) belongs to His Majesty in right of the Crown or in right of His private estates, or

(b) belongs to a government department or is held in trust for His Majesty for the purposes of a government department.

(4) “Duchy interest” means—

(a) an interest belonging to His Majesty in right of the Duchy of Lancaster, or

(b) an interest belonging to the Duchy of Cornwall.

(5) “Private interest”, in relation to Crown land, means an interest which is neither a Crown interest nor a Duchy interest.

(6) “Appropriate Crown authority”, in relation to Crown land, means—

(a) in the case of land belonging to His Majesty in right of the Crown and forming part of the Crown Estate, the Crown Estate Commissioners;

(b) in relation to any other land belonging to His Majesty in right of the Crown, the government department having the management of the land;

(c) in relation to land belonging to His Majesty in right of His private estates, a person appointed by His Majesty in writing under the Royal Sign Manual or, if no such appointment is made, the Welsh Ministers;

(d) in relation to land belonging to His Majesty in right of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Chancellor of the Duchy;

(e) in relation to land belonging to the Duchy of Cornwall, a person appointed by the Duke of Cornwall or by the possessor for the time being of the Duchy;

(f) in the case of land belonging to a government department or held in trust for His Majesty for the purposes of a government department, the department.

(7) “The Crown” is to be treated as including the Senedd Commission.

(8) Any question that arises about who is the appropriate Crown authority in relation to any land must be referred to the Treasury, whose decision is final.

(9) In this section—

(a) references to His Majesty’s private estates are to be read in accordance with section 1 of the Crown Private Estates Act 1862 (c. 37);

(b) references to a government department include a Minister of the Crown and the Senedd Commission (and see section 85 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 (c. 32), which provides for references to a government department to include the Welsh Ministers, the First Minister and the Counsel General).