Senedd members signed off on Westminster’s GB energy bill despite concerns about duplication and the Welsh Parliament being bypassed in future.

Llŷr Gruffydd raised concerns about the “inadequacies” of the legislative consent motion process by which the Senedd consents to UK legislation on devolved matters.

The Senedd climate committee chair warned of potential overlap between GB Energy and the Welsh Government’s Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, two publicly owned energy companies.

Mike Hedges, who chairs the legislation committee, said clause six of the bill would confer wide-ranging powers on UK ministers that could have a direct impact on devolved areas.

He pointed out that assurances on consultation from the UK Government are not binding.

Mr Hedges said: “This does not adequately reflect the Senedd as a legitimate democratic legislative body for Wales and does not address the fact that the Senedd will be sidelined during the future exercise of the delegated powers.”

Labour’s Lee Waters raised the example of Norway’s sovereign wealth fund which invests in renewable energy around the world.

He told the chamber: “Surely, for energy generated within these lands, it's not absurd for our own government to want to capture that for the benefit of our citizens rather than the benefit of other countries' citizens.”

Plaid Cymru’s Luke Fletcher said: “What we need to see is what is GB Energy about, where is it going, how is it going to interact with those Welsh institutions.

“That's the important thing here – the sovereignty of the Welsh Government and this place.”

Rebecca Evans pointed to an amendment under clause five which strengthened a requirement to consult Welsh ministers to a requirement to gain consent.

The Welsh Government’s economy secretary said: “Where time allows, we will provide an opportunity for the Senedd to express a view before consent is formally given.”