Submission to the Richard Commission by the
North Wales Group of Labour MPs

Supplementary submission from Ian Lucas MP

 
The North Wales Group of Labour MPs was established a year ago to campaign on issues of common concern in the area. The group consists of Labour MPs representing eight out of the nine constituencies in North Wales. All members of the group who were in Parliament at the time campaigned actively for a Yes vote in the 1997 referendum and the whole group is a strong supporter of devolution and the Assembly. This submission reflects our collective experience as elected members and was agreed unanimously.
1. The Government of Wales Act laid down a model for devolution in Wales which was tailored to Welsh needs. It devolved the administrative powers exercised by the Secretary of State for Wales to a directly elected Assembly with Primary legislative powers remaining in Westminster. It would be wrong to describe the current arrangements as a ‘settlement’ since Parliament cannot bind itself. However, it is simplistic to describe devolution as necessarily a continuing process.
2. We believe the present arrangements are working satisfactorily and there is no pressing need to make major changes. By major changes we mean either conferring primary legislative powers on the Assembly for devolved areas, or the transfer to the Assembly of executive/secondary legislative powers in previously reserved areas such as Policing or Criminal Justice. In any event, the onus is on those who advocate major changes to demonstrate that the present arrangements are not working, and to outline why they wish the Assembly to have new powers (and what it would do with them).
3. We do not believe that the case for major change at present has been made, but even if it had, it would require specific endorsement by the people of Wales through a further referendum. In addition, any future commitment to hold a referendum would require endorsement as a manifesto commitment in a General Election. The results of the 2003 National Assembly elections do not show a strong demand for more power for the Assembly.
4.  The Assembly has been in existence for barely four years. There was only a very short shadow period. We believe it is far too early to make major changes to the present arrangements. It appears that many of our constituents have little interest in the Assembly. This is reflected in the very low turnouts at the 1997 Referendum and at the 2003 Assembly election - especially in North Wales. This is coupled with a widespread feeling that the Assembly is a South Wales dominated body. This is partly the responsibility of the Welsh Assembly Government, but we hope and expect that as the Assembly matures and beds in, these attitudes will change. However we believe that the vast majority of those we represent do not favour any major changes.
5.  One aspect of the Government of Wales Act that does cause concern and confusion to constituents is the process of election of additional members to the National Assembly. This causes particular confusion when candidates stand as constituency candidates, fail to secure election and are then elected as additional members. We believe that candidates should stand either as constituency candidates or Party list candidates, not both.
6.  There are concerns both from the Assembly and from MPs from Wales that there is a need to establish a better process for passing legislation for Wales. The Welsh Affairs Select Committee has recommended the trial use of a Special Standing Committee on the next Wales-only Bill or Welsh-only section of a wider Bill, which would allow the Assembly formally to present its opinions. It also favoured an annual joint meeting between the Assembly and the Welsh Grand Committee on legislative priorities. The UK Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales should consider how it could facilitate joint meetings of Members, and must take seriously the rights of backbenchers from both bodies.