A Bill to transfer responsibility for the Crown Estate in Wales to the Welsh Government; and for connected purposes.
House of Lords
28 January 2026
May contain errors — check source documents for definitive information.
This bill would shift control of the Crown Estate assets and rights located in Wales from the UK Crown Estate Commissioners to the Welsh Government via a formal transfer scheme. It sets out what would transfer, who gets the revenues, and safeguards for jobs and cross-border assets, subject to approval by Welsh Ministers, both Houses of Parliament, and Senedd Cymru. The Lords considered it first and, with amendments, it is now moving through the Commons, where debates have focused on timing, funding rules, and oversight.
Originated in the Lords and progressed through Lords stages with amendments; it is currently at the Commons 2nd reading after a Lords-originating process. A series of amendments (10 in total) have been debated, particularly around timing of transfer, how revenues are handled, borrowing limits, and the level of Welsh engagement and reporting. Committee stage saw amendments withdrawn or not moved, while new proposals emerged in Lords amendment papers (March and June 2025) to tighten Welsh control and oversight.
In the Lords, amendments related to the transfer and governance were opposed mainly by Conservative peers, with Labour and other non-Tory groups voting in favour. The party breakdown shows Labour (and other pro-devolution parties such as Plaid Cymru, SNP, Lib Dem, Independent groups) generally supporting the devolving approach, while Conservative MPs in the Commons and Lords largely opposed. Sinn Féin members did not vote in the listed divisions. The voting pattern reflects a cross-party support for devolution from the Labour and other non-Conservative benches, contrasted with Conservative opposition.
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28 Jan 2026
Showing agreed, defeated, and withdrawn amendments.
Based on 4 recorded votes • Sorted by % Aye
Third reading - the final chance for the Lords to change the bill - took place on 20 January.
What happens next?
The bill now goes to the Commons for consideration.
An amendment would insert a new clause requiring the Secretary of State to publish within 12 months of the Act coming into force a report on the effectiveness of devolving the Crown Estate to Wales, evaluating its impact on Crown Estate finances, land management, and environmental standards.
These amendments propose tighter Welsh control over the Crown Estate in Wales: delaying the transfer of functions by 3–7 years, enabling management or investment arrangements to be undertaken on Welsh Ministers’ behalf, and requiring ongoing engagement and financial reporting by the Crown Estate Commissioners. They also introduce a 25% net debt-to-asset borrowing cap, allow Treasury-imposed conditions, and set out options for where Crown Estate revenues would be paid (either to the Exchequer or to the Welsh Consolidated Fund) with borrowing regulations subject to Senedd approval.
This amendment paper lists three proposed changes to the Crown Estate (Wales) Bill: first, delaying the transfer of Crown Estate functions to Wales by 3–7 years after the Act and setting interim, Wales-focused duties for the Commissioners with ongoing engagement with Welsh Ministers; second, allowing the Crown Estate Commissioners to enter into management or investment agreements for Welsh Crown Estate assets on behalf of Welsh Ministers or a transferee body; and third, creating a new Wales-specific provision (Section 5A) requiring Welsh-minister engagement, separate Welsh Crown Estate accounting, and the direct payment of net Welsh Crown Estate income to the Welsh Consolidated Fund.
The Crown Estate (Wales) Bill would empower the Treasury to transfer Wales-related Crown Estate functions from the Crown Estate Commissioners to Welsh Ministers or a Welsh transferee via a formal scheme, covering land and rights in Wales and the Welsh zone (with some limited-partnership assets excluded). The transfer would occur on a transfer date and vest designated rights and liabilities in the transferee, with safeguards on employment and various cross-cutting issues (defence, land access for telecoms, oil/gas, electricity interconnectors), and revenues from transferred assets would go to the Welsh Consolidated Fund; the scheme requires agreement of Welsh Ministers and approval by both Houses of Parliament and Senedd Cymru, and would amend Schedule 7A of the Government of Wales Act 2006. The measure would come into force on the day it is passed.
