Section 11 of the Environment Act 1995 (“the 1995 Act”) established a Committee (“the Advisory Committee”) for advising the Secretary of State with respect to matters affecting, or otherwise connected with, the carrying out in Wales of the Environment Agency’s functions.

The effect of Article 2 of, and Schedule 1 to, the National Assembly for Wales (Transfer of Functions) Order 1999 is that the Advisory Committee is now required to advise the National Assembly for Wales (“the National Assembly”).

The Advisory Committee is specified in Part I of Schedule 4 of the Government of Wales Act 1998 (“the 1998 Act”) as a body whose statutory functions the National Assembly may, by Order under section 28(1) of the 1998 Act, transfer to the National Assembly itself.

Section 28(2) of the 1998 Act provides that the National Assembly may, by Order, abolish a function of such a body instead of transferring it to the National Assembly if the function requires something to be done in relation to the National Assembly (in this case a function of advising the National Assembly itself).

Section 28(3) of the 1998 Act provides that the National Assembly may by Order abolish a body specified in Part I of Schedule 4 of the 1998 Act if each of the statutory functions of the body are transferred or abolished.

Section 28(4) of the 1998 Act provides that an Order made under section 28(3) may include provision for the transfer of any property, rights or liabilities of that body.

Section 28(7) of the 1998 Act provides that an Order under section 28 may contain appropriate consequential provisions including the repeal of enactments.

The effect of articles 2(1) and 2(2) of this Order is to abolish the Advisory Committee and to repeal the statutory provision under which the Committee was established. It is intended that the National Assembly will in future inform itself directly in relation to those matters on which the National Assembly was previously advised by the Advisory Committee.

Any property, rights or liabilities of the Advisory Committee are, by article 2(3), transferred to the National Assembly.