Wales Act 2017

Infrastructure Act 2015 (c. 7)

31 (1) Section 48 of that Act (interpretation) is amended as follows.

(2) After subsection (1) insert—

“(1A) The Secretary of State may make regulations setting out the definition of “landward area” as it applies in relation to—

(a) the right to use deep-level land in England for the purposes of exploiting petroleum, and

(b) the right to use deep-level land for the purposes of exploiting deep geothermal energy.

(1B) The Welsh Ministers may make regulations setting out the definition of “landward area” as it applies in relation to the right to use deep-level land in Wales for the purposes of exploiting petroleum within the Welsh onshore area.

(1C) Until regulations are made under subsection (1A) or (1B), “landward area” means those parts of the landward area, within the meaning of the 2014 Regulations, that are in England and Wales.”

(3) In subsection (2)—

(a) before the definition of “deep geothermal energy” insert—

• ““the 2014 Regulations” means the Petroleum Licensing (Exploration and Production) (Landward Areas) Regulations 2014 (S.I. 2014/1686), as in force on the day on which subsections (1A) to (1C) come into force;”;

(b) after the definition of “deep-level land” insert—

• ““England” includes the sea adjacent to England out as far as—

  (a)

  the seaward boundary of the territorial sea, or

  (b)

  if nearer to the land, any boundary between waters that are treated as part of the sea adjacent to Wales and those that are not, as determined by an order made under section 158(3) of the Government of Wales Act 2006;”;

(c) omit the definition of “landward area”;

(d) at the end insert—

• ““Wales” has the same meaning as in the Government of Wales Act 2006 (see section 158(1) and (3) of that Act);

• “Welsh onshore area” has the same meaning as in Section D2 in Part 2 of Schedule 7A to the Government of Wales Act 2006.”

(4) Omit subsection (3).