Huw Irranca-Davies MA, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Members of the Senedd will wish to be aware that I have given consent to the Secretary of State exercising a subordinate legislation-making power in a devolved area in relation to Wales.
Agreement was sought by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Baroness Hayman of Ullock to make The United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 (Exclusions from Market Access Principles Glue Traps) Regulations 2025. The Regulations extend to England and Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.
The Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023 prohibited the use of glue traps in Wales. Although the Welsh Government’s general principle is the law relating to devolved matters should be made in Wales, only the Secretary of State has the relevant power under the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 to make the Regulations.
The Regulations are being made under The United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 (UKIMA) and will exclude the sale of glue traps from the market access principles within the Act. This means that the market access principles will not apply to, nor affect the operation of, any legislation so far as it prohibits the sale of glue traps in any part of the United Kingdom.
In accordance with UKIMA, the UK Minister for Animal Welfare and Biosecurity, approached Ministers in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales for consent to the application of these regulations to each of the UK nations. This follows a request by Scottish Ministers for an exclusion from UKIMA in order that the ban on the use of glue traps in Scotland can extend to include a ban on supply.
The Regulations are subject to the affirmative procedure and were laid before the UK Parliament on 1 December 2025. The Regulations neither impact on the legislative competence of the Senedd nor the executive competence of the Welsh Ministers.
The Regulations do not currently impact upon our policies or operations in Wales. As no evidence has been put forward after two years suggesting the ban on the use of glue traps is insufficient, I do not have any plans at this time to expand the ban in Wales to include sale. Should evidence be presented however that necessitates extending the ban to include sale, with the exclusion in place, there would be no potential barriers stemming from UKIMA. I am content on this occasion to provide consent for the Regulations to be made in the UK Parliament.
The Regulations and accompanying Explanatory Memorandum, setting out the detail of the provenance, purpose and effect of the amendments is available here: