BRIEFING PAPER Number CBP-8318, 6 April 2020 "A process, not an By David Torrance event": Devolution in Wales, 1998-2020 Contents: 1. Wales: constitutional position 2. Historical background 3. Government of Wales Act 1998 4. Richard Commission 5. Government of Wales Act 2006 6. Holtham Commission 7. 2011 referendum on law- making powers 8. Silk Commission I: Wales’ financial powers 9. Wales Act 2014 10. Silk Commission II: Wales' legislative powers 11. Wales Act 2017 12. Constitutional debates 13. Information and further reading 14. Political leaders in Wales 15. Chronology of devolution in Wales 16. Appendix www.parliament.uk/commons-library | intranet.parliament.uk/commons-library |
[email protected] | @commonslibrary 2 'A process, not an event': Devolution in Wales, 1998-2020 Contents Summary 4 1. Wales: constitutional position 5 1.1 Reserved powers 5 1.2 UK Parliament 5 1.3 The European Union 6 1.4 Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament 7 1.5 How primary legislation is passed 7 2. Historical background 9 2.1 “Administrative devolution” 9 2.2 The Welsh Office 9 2.3 1979 devolution referendum 10 2.4 1997 devolution referendum 11 3. Government of Wales Act 1998 12 3.1 Government of Wales Bill 1997-98 12 3.2 First elections to the National Assembly 13 3.3 Criticisms of the Welsh devolution settlement 13 4. Richard Commission 14 4.1 Primary legislative powers 14 4.2 Structure of the Assembly 14 4.3 Electoral arrangements for the Assembly 15 4.4 Responses to the Richard Commission 15 5. Government of Wales Act 2006 16 5.1 Criticisms of the Government of Wales Act 2006 16 6.