Queen's Consent – what does it mean?
· the Assembly must not debate whether a Bill be passed (ie must not start a Stage 4 debate) until the Government has, during a meeting of the Assembly, signified that consent has been given.
"Prerogative of the Crown" – or more commonly "the royal prerogative" – refers to those powers belonging to the sovereign alone (and are unlikely to be affected by Assembly Bills). The other "interests" covered are hereditary revenues of the Duchy of Lancaster or the Duchy or Cornwall, as well as the personal property and other personal interests of the monarch.
This process is separate from Royal Assent, which is the means by which the monarch in her constitutional role agrees that a Bill becomes an Act. This happens after Stage 4 and (as appropriate) any Supreme Court proceedings.
The process applies in the UK and Scottish Parliaments too. It was the subject of a Commons Select Committee report earlier this year, and attracts media attention from time to time.