Part 2: Legislative and executive competence: further provision Chapter 9: Onshore petroleum Section 24: Onshore petroleum: existing licences
Section 24 provides the Secretary of State with powers to make amendments to the provisions and model clauses of licences that were in existence before the commencement of devolved oil and gas licensing powers. This additional power is limited to those licences already in existence in onshore Wales.
	Subsection (1) provides the Secretary of State with the power to make amendments to the provisions of an existing licence and to the model clauses that are incorporated or have the effect as if incorporated into such an existing licence.
	Subsection (2) specifies that the power to make amendments, conferred on the Secretary of State by subsection (1), is to be exercised only where it is deemed necessary or expedient in consequence of either the devolution of legislative competence over onshore oil and gas licensing (as mentioned in the exceptions in section D2 of Part 2 of Schedule 7A to GoWA) or in consequence of the devolution of executive functions.
	Subsection (3) provides the Secretary of State with the power to direct that, where a licence was only partially in onshore Wales at the time of granting, this licence may have effect as one licence in onshore Wales and as a separate licence in the area outside of onshore Wales. The power of the Secretary of State to make necessary amendments to existing licences and to the model clauses incorporated therein or having the effect as if incorporated therein is extended to such licences.
	Subsection (4) specifies that the power to make amendments to the model clauses, provided by subsection (1)(a) is to be exercised by regulations made by statutory instrument. (The power to make amendments to other provisions of existing licences, provided by subsection (1)(b), does not need to be exercised by regulations.)
	Subsection (5) specifies that any such statutory instruments, containing regulations to make amendments to existing licences, shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
	Subsection (6) defines "existing licences" as those licences granted under section 3 of the Petroleum Act 1998 or under section 2 of the Petroleum (Production) Act 1934 before the commencement of the devolution of licensing powers to Welsh Ministers for the "Welsh onshore area", as defined by section D2 of Part 2 of Schedule 7A to GoWA.