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Draft Wales Bill

The Welsh Secretary publishes plans for a new devolution settlement for Wales.

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  1. Nick Powell

Wales Bill published

The UK Government has published its plans to give some additional powers to the Welsh Assembly and Government and make the full extent of those powers clearer. The Draft Wales Bill follows months of largely unresolved disagreement between the two governments about the proposed legislation. As expected, it moves Wales to a "reserved powers" model, which lists what is not devolved. The Assembly's new powers would include:

  • Energy projects up to 350 megawatts.
  • Elections to the Assembly and local councils.
  • Speed limits.
  • Renaming the Assembly the Welsh Parliament.

Calls from the Welsh Government for a separate Welsh legal jurisdiction have been rejected, with the draft bill explicitly referring to the single legal jurisdiction of England and Wales.

The current settlement is unstable and unclear and the only people it benefits are the lawyers. It’s time we had a robust devolution settlement that works for the people of Wales. Today's draft Bill is part of a comprehensive package which, alongside our commitments to protect Welsh funding, will devolve major new responsibilities that will lead to a step-change in devolution in Wales. The new Wales Bill will do exactly what we said it would do: meet the appetite of Welsh people for devolution and build a stronger Wales within a strong United Kingdom.

– Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb MP

Unfortunately, I believe the current draft would amount to a backwards step for the National Assembly and would not deliver the lasting constitutional settlement for Wales, and the UK as a whole. If the UK Government proceed as presently proposed, I would anticipate almost immediate calls for yet another Wales Bill, something that none of us wishes to see. I am therefore encouraged by the Secretary of State’s commitment to continued dialogue to achieve a lasting settlement.

– Assembly Presiding Officer Dame Rosemary Butler AM
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Draft Wales Bill

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