Commission on the Powers and Electoral Arrangements of the National Assembly for Wales |
2nd Public Meeting at Llandudno Junction
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RECORD OF WRITTEN QUESTIONS AND OPINIONS |
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"Will attendees be allowed to propose and vote on the proposition that the Assembly should be closed down?" "Will a box be added to the voting form whereby the voter may show his/her intention to wind up the Assembly?" "So far the Assembly has failed the N. Wales population regarding support grants compared with the monies spent on S. Wales". Leslie G Ager |
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"A notice advertising a public meeting to be held at the Conwy Business Centre on Wednesday, 26th March 2003 appeared in the Western Mail last week. A question raised in the advertisement is very LEADING question and could be deemed as entirely inappropriate in this context and in a notice of this sort. Has the Assembly got the powers it needs to deliver for Wales? This is the first point raised in the notice. This suggests that it does not have suitable powers and that this is its failing. This also suggests to the reader that the Richard Commission is canvassing view points which are pro more powers for the National Assembly for Wales. This is very unfortunate and calls for a future wording of notices of this kind. There was a very narrow vote for an Assembly for Wales. – an Assembly with limited powers- at the referendum. The National Assembly cannot have greater powers by stealth. Wales cannot have a Parliament through the back door. The National Assembly for Wales is in its infancy and needs to prove that it can operate effectively within the powers it has. This it has not demonstrated. Wales is a small country sharing a long border with England. We are historically and geographically linked and the continuing calls within the Assembly to BE DIFFERENT FROM ENGLAND, for WALES TO HAVE ITS OWN this and for WALES TO HAVE ITS OWN that are risible. Margaret Bird |
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"Why is the policy of "Traffic Calming" not a priority in Wales? We live on the border of Shropshire, where every village has 30 mph speed limit, a lot of them have red warning road strips, white road markings and signs, - yet here in Peuley we cannot get the speed limit reduced, past 2 schools. The Senior school has 12 buses loading and unloading on the road outside the school as well as parents’ vehicles and children walking. We have been trying since 1995 to get traffic calming in this busy village, but with no joy. We would like to know why the policy of the Welsh Assembly is different to England? I don’t know if this is an applicable question for your consultation, but these are the important questions for our part of Wales. Eileen M Edwards |
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"I wish to make a submission for the immediate abolition of the Welsh Assembly. I do so on the grounds that it is inefficient, ineffective, costly, incompetent and quite frankly an embarrassment to Wales. The fact that they discuss totally irrelevant issues such as the Iraq war is a national disgrace and the expensive and ridiculous hole in the ground which is to be a symbol of incompetence if ever built is breathtaking in its arrogance and waste. The Assembly is totally irrelevant to North Wales and people in droves that I speak to want it abolished. As for granting extra powers, they cannot work effectively with the powers they have at present and under no circumstances should any additional powers be granted without a referendum which should have two questions and be binding Should the Welsh Assembly have additional tax and law making powers? Should the Welsh Assembly be abolished? My own preference would be to go back to the Welsh Office system of governance although I would be prepared to accept a Council of Members of Parliament and local authority appointees who would not be paid any extra. Let us put the money wasted on this Assembly to better use for the people of Wales and lets abolish a tier of government which is totally unwanted, unloved and without purpose. I call on the Commission to realise that my view I believe is representative of the silent majority within Wales whom I speak to daily many so indifferent to the Assembly that they cannot be bothered to make submissions others are afraid especially in some Welsh areas to speak out. However, I strongly believe that this view is gathering pace and that the people have had enough of this exercise in false and ego building democracy. D Elwyn Jones |
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"In view of the fairly widespread public indifference and even hostility towards the Welsh Assembly, would matters be improved where the Assembly to be given more powers such as raising some money of its own through a special tax in Wales? "The Assembly already has enough powers to get on with though I think there is a case for it to have some money of its own by a special tax in Wales". Silvan Jones |
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"My personal views are that the Welsh Assembly should have stronger powers and decide on policies which best suit Wales. I have lived in countries the size of Wales (eg New Zealand, Ireland…..) and have good knowledge of other countries. As a former Spanish teacher, I taught Spanish political history. I do not believe that strong component parts of a whole weaken the ‘whole’ but rather, strengthen it". Gwyneth Kensler |
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"As I campaign for a fully accessible and barrier free environment for all, how can the National Assembly for Wales use it’s powers to insist that Local Authorities comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, including Part III, 2004. Also can it award funding to help speed up the Local Authorities comply with the Disability Discrimination Act and all it’s parts making it a fully accessible place to live in Wales". "The National Welsh Assembly has given Wales it’s own identity in Britain. I would like the National Assembly for Wales to gain legislative powers to improve this identify and strengthen the resolve that we do things differently in Wales. The implications of this are Members of Parliament become part of a ‘Focus Group’ within Westminster to monitor and promote the Welsh way of doing and looking at legislation. Numbers of Assembly Members should go up to 80 and ensure a true percentage from North and South. There should also be a North Wales Assembly Building in the area, the site Chosen by the people of North Wales and not imposed by the South. Election stations must all be fully accessible by 2004 to comply with Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act, 2004, and in all formats to allow people with disabilities to take an active part in any election. To end on a good note, I am also the Vice – chair (North), of Scope Cwmpas Cymru, Scope in Wales, and we gained devolved structure three years ago from Scope Nationally. This has enabled us to access funding from the Assembly, National Lottery (Wales), and European funding to support and expand services in Wales for people with Cerebral Palsy and other disabilities. This being a direct result of being a ‘Welsh’ Organisation and a member lead. Barrie Mee |
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A ydy'r Comisiwn yn rhagweld y bydd canlyniad yr Ymgynghoriad yn arwain at roi mwy o bwerau i Gynghorau Cymunedol? Does the Commission envisage that the outcome of the Consultation will lead to awarding more powers to Community Councils? (Translation) Dylid trosglwyddo mwy o bwerau o Sant Steffan i'r Cynulliad, o'r Cynulliad i'r Cynghorau Sirol ac o'r Cynghorau Sirol i'r Cynghorau Cymunedol. More powers should be transferred from Westminster to the Assembly, from the Assembly to the County Councils and from the County Councils to the Community Councils. (Translation) Godfrey D Northam |
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"Now that the invasion of Iraq has commenced do you consider this will affect the future funding for the National Assembly of Wales". Jean A Roscoe |
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"Would members of the Commission agree that the Assembly’s lack of powers has led to the cynical attitude towards it from a large section of welsh people, who look on it as little more than a debating chamber, believing that its still very much Westminster that dictates what happens in their lives?" "It is early days yet and I do believe that the Assembly is working hard to find its feet and attempt to improve things for Wales. However it is only with the necessary power that you can change things and that is recognised by the people, many saw the Assembly as a sop compared to the Scottish Parliament. It was made a laughing stock in the beginning when the subject of GM crops was discussed. Again it was illustrated very recently, when it briefly discussed the Iraq crisis and the First Minister said this is not a decision for this place". Tony Tobin |
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"In my opinion, the only meaningful change that could and should be made to the Regional Assembly for Wales is total abolition. Is this included in the Richard Commission frame of reference, please, or is this a viewpoint to be dismissed out of hand?" John R Walker |
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"I was present at your public meeting at Llandudno Junction on 26 March, but did not speak. I am an Independent Member of Conwy County Council and Abergele Town Council. I am also a member of the Executive Committee of the Wales Association of Community and Town Councils and in this capacity have had considerable contact with Assembly civil servants. I full support the Assembly and would like to see its powers and responsibilities extended. Many Home Office functions should be transferred to the Assembly. Since the creation of the Assembly, civil servants are far more open and approachable and this has been of great benefit to local government. My greatest disappointment with the Assembly to date has been its failure to significantly improve the road links between north, south and west Wales. This would help to break down many barriers and make Wales a more inclusive society. The electoral system needs changing. At present the emphasis is on the party rather than the individual. Membership of the Assembly should be increased, say to 80n or even 120, with all members representing smaller constituencies. There should be one member for each constituency. Electors should be asked to rank candidates, eg. 1, 2, 3 etc. This would considerably assist in the election of independent members and produce a less confrontational approach to Assembly politics. Interest in political parties, is in my opinion, falling but not necessary in policies and public issues. Richard G Waters |
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"Articles 263, 264 & 265 of the Maastricht Treaty, relate directly to the carve up, with the 15 EU Nations being split into 111 new "euro regions". Instead of giving us back some Welsh pride, the National Assembly really is nothing more than an EU scam to make it easier to control and rule us all, directly from Brussels. Furthermore, the Assembly has shown itself to be just another talking shop, filled with career politicians, all on the gravy train – They can’t even agree o the needs or the simple cost of an Assembly building in Cardiff. What have we got so far? Surely the most expensive hole in the ground in British history! Some of them are even campaigning for another building in North Wales! Who is going to pay for it? We will of course! – Yet even more precious Welsh money is going down the drain. The money that the Assembly squanders should be put to better use supporting badly needed investment in Wales, increasing spending on our NHS, Schools, Police and Employment. Small businesses must be freed from yet more regulations and political costs, so that they can create employment. This will increase our self-pride and well being. WE SAY SCRAP THE ASSEMBLY AND GIVE GREATER POWERS TO THE EXISTING LOCAL AUTHORITIES – BRING DEMOCRACY CLOSER TO THE PEOPLE! This is my view as well as the views of the UNITED KINGDOM INDEPENDENCE PARTY WALES." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "When the English regions come to being will we all then be governed and finance directly from Brussels thus lose our democracy, and democratic process?" "Far too much money is spent on this, basically a talking shop. It is not achieving anything. Wales has been conned to be nothing more than one of the 111 euro regions Brussels has devised all to the better for us to be governed and dictated to by unelected bureaucrats. We should abolish the Assembly and have another referendum on the true reason for the Assembly". Elwyn Williams |
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"ONID YW ERBYN HYN, YN HOLLOLEGLUR NAD YW Y CYNULLIAD YN GALLU GWEITHIO YN EFFEITHIOL NAC YN EFFEITHLON AM NAD OES GANDDO NEMOR DDIM PWERAU – WEDI’R CYFAN, HEB HAWLIAU I DDEDDFU FEL SENEDD YR ALBAN, OFEREDD YDYW CEISIO CYFLWINO DEDDFAU EILRADD FEL Y PROFWYD GYDA GWERTHY ‘CIG AR YR ASGWRN’ – ER ENGHRAIFFT? Translated from Welsh "Isn’t it totally obvious by now that the Assembly cannot work effectively and efficiently as it has hardly any powers at all – after all, without the right to legislate like the Scottish Parliament, attempting to introduce secondary legislation – as seen with selling meat on the bone, for example – is futile?" YN FY MARN I, MAE’N RHEIDRWYDD SYMUD AR FRYS ER RHODDI HAULIAU I’R CYNULLIAD GREU A CWYFLWYNO DEDDFAU ELFENOL (PRIMARY) ER MWYN GWELLA LLYWDRAETHU YNG NGHYMRU AC ER MWYN ATAL Y CECRU AIR YMOSODIADAU GEIRIOL PARHAUS O DU CELYNION Y CYNULLIAD SY’N DWEU ‘NAD YW’N DA’I DDIM AM NAD OES GANDDO RYM’. Translated from Welsh "In my opinion, it is essential to move urgently to give rights to the Assembly to create and introduce primary legislation so that it can improve as a government in Wales and to put an end to the arguments and the verbal attacks from enemies within the Assembly who say that it is good for nothing as it does not have power". Owain Williams |
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"The positive discrimination in favour of Welsh in job advertisements, etc., in Wales contravenes European Human Rights Legislation". Francis Charles Wykes |
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