Y Comisiwn ar Bwerau a Threfniadau Etholiadol Cynulliad
Cenedlaethol Cymru
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Y 4ydd Cyfarfod Cyhoeddus a gynhaliwyd yn Llandrindod
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| Ddydd Iau, 8 Mai 2003 |
| COFNOD O GWESTIYNAU A SYLWADAU YSGRIFENEDIG |
| "Why should the Welsh Assembly Government
not have powers over the Strategic Rail Authority within
Wales?" |
| "Poor communications within Wales are a serious problem.
The Welsh Assembly should have powers over the Strategic
Rail Authority. The Assembly should also have the necessary
powers to encourage, develop and re-instate the rail network
within Wales". |
|
Supplementary submission received
7 July
|
| STRATEGIC RAIL AUTHORITY WITHIN WALES |
| In the light of recent noises from the Strategic Rail
Authority (SRA) it has become more imperative that the
Welsh Assembly has powers over this body where it operates
within Wales. Communications of all kinds in Wales leave
a great deal to be desired and the fact that the SRA continues
to operate under the aegis of the Westminster Government
cannot be helpful. Cuts in the level of rail services
would be a disaster for Wales. |
| The Scottish Parliament has powers over the SRA where
it operates in Scotland and has thus made notable progress,
including the re-opening of part of the "Waverley Route"
which ran from Edinburgh to Carlisle via Galashiels and
Hawick. These powers are needed for Wales too. |
| Moreover, the Welsh Assembly should have the powers
to create the necessary primary legislation fo rthe remaking
of rail routes which were extinguished under Beeching
about 40 years ago. It could never have been envisaged
then how Wales would develop, still less that there would
be a Welsh Assembly. |
| Without the ability to develop links and communications
with the rest of Wales, the main beneficiaries of the
development and financial input which is taking place
around Cardiff will be the people of Bristol, Gloucestershire
and Bath. |
| ENGLISH REGIONAL ASSEMBLIES |
| Undoubtedly, the concept of nationhood which as accrued
to Wales as the result of the Assembly will be diminished
by the Introduction of Regional Assemblies in England.
It is therefore important that the Welsh Assembly takes
on the mantle of powers to create primary legislation,
the more so in the light of the recent cabinet reshuffle
farce which has been taking place in Westminster. The
people of Wales would be justified in feeling insulted
if they once again became just another region of "Greater
England". |
| CABINET RESHUFFLE, JUNE 2003 |
| This peculiar constitutional experiment initiated by
Mr Blair has left a trail of confusion in its wake, with
people uncertain at one point, whether there was even
a Secretary of State for Wales or not! It seems that the
Secretary of State will now be part time, which in the
light of present arrangements for the governance of Wales
does not seem very satisfactory. I am also led to believe
from media reports that the civil servants from the old
Welsh Office are now employed by the new Office for Constitutional
Affairs but their salaries are still paid by the Welsh
Assembly! This is hardly a sensible state of affairs. |
| Of course, if the Welsh Assembly should aspire in time
to be, a full blown Parliament, then the role of the Secretary
of State could indeed be diminished without detriment. |
|
Angus Eickhoff
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| "How soon can we see an increase in the
number of Assembly Members, both Constituency and Regional? |
| Must there be a referendum before consideration can
be given to the increased powers for the Welsh Assembly?" |
| "So much more could be achieved if lack of capacity
(too few AMs) was not an issue of concern! If Wales is
to be properly served, then two problems must be immediately
addressed: |
| More Welsh AMs |
| Tax varying and legislative powers granted – on
the Scottish Model. |
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Y Cyngh. Alun Lloyd Jones
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|
Cyngor Sir Ceredigion
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| 1. Will the Welsh assembly allocate more resources,
both financial and human, to combating domestic violence,
especially with regard to outreach work? |
| Will the Assembly resource information centres, with
adequate accommodation and human resources, to support
ongoing awareness raising to the community and support
for domestic violence victims and survivors? |
|
Alison Lochhead
|
| |
| How can the Welsh Assembly be brought closer to the
people of Wales? Even a Powys County Councillor I feel
that in many ways the real interest of the Assembly in
Wales stops at the Brecon Beacons. |
| How can relationships be improved between the Assembly
and Local Government? There seems be a general attitude
of "them and us" evidenced by what I hear is said in the
LGA and which is reflected in the Powys County Council
response to the Richard Commission. |
| My Opinion |
| Matters could be improved by having effective regional
offices which could form a focus for meeting civil servants
and AMs in Mid and North Wales. This is particularly important
given the public transport difficulties in rural Wales |
| As a back bench County Councillor I have little or no
personal contact with the Assembly other than to be told
of the funds which are dispensed to the Council from time
to time. Having said that I do receive support from Kirsty
Williams AM in dealing with case work in the division
which I represent but this is, perhaps of the party political
relationship rather than the Assembly initiative. |
|
Richard Tyler
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| Re: Public Meeting in Llandrindod Wells 8th
May 2003 |
| As a Liberal Democrat Councillor on Powys County Council
I am pleased to have an opportunity to comment on the
questions raised by the Commission. I was unhappy at the
response made by Powys County Council both in terms of
its content and the manner in which it was produced, essentially
by a small group of Board members and then put to the
Council in the day of its Budget debate when there was
insufficient time for full consideration. |
| I attach a question which I would like to raise on Thursday. |
| My comments, which follow the pattern of the papers
which you have sent, are as follows: |
| Practical approach |
| Generally I feel that the Assembly is working for the
benefit of the people of Rhayader, Cwmdeuddwr and the
Elan Valley, the division which I represent, as well as
the people of Powys, subject to limitations which will
emerge in my further responses. Health and Education are
close to people’s hearts and I can see that the Assembly
has made an effort to provide additional funding for these
areas although due to the squeeze put on state education
and health provision particularly under Conservative Governments
it is a large task to turn things round. I can see that
within the limits imposed by the devolution legislation
innovative ideas such as the reconstruction of the health
service in Wales and in the easing of teacher’s work
lives and the baccalaureate experiments there is a real
focus on people’s needs for the future. |
| Government of Wales Act |
| I do not believe that the Act provides the Assembly
with sufficient powers. It is far too detailed and restrictive.
There needs to be a widening of powers to include primary
legislation and tax raising powers. |
| Structure and Working Arrangements |
| I would hope that the Assembly would not have to become
more like the Parliamentary model with its yah boo politics
and confrontational type chamber layout. It is a shame
that some politicians in the Assembly behave as if they
were at Westminster. We want a government which looks
and behaves as if it is really working together for the
benefit of all people in Wales. |
| Relationship with Parliament |
| I am not sure that the Assembly has been greatly effective
in influencing UK Government policy which is more due
to the nature of the current regime at Westminster than
the ability displayed at the Assembly. The Foot &
Mouth disease crisis is a prime example of this in that
there was clearly a lack of knowledge on farming matters
being displayed in Westminster and an equal lack of willingness
to listen to voices in the WAG as to how rural areas should
be treated. |
| I think that the Assembly has been hampered by the straitjacket
placed on it by the devolution Act. |
| Advantages and disadvantages of shared law making |
| My impression is that there is not much in the way of
liaison between AM, MP and Peer except within the party
structures. This has certainly been of great advantage
within the Liberal Democrat Party. A good illustration
of this is to look at the EDM’s signed by Roger Williams,
MP for Brecon and Radnor, many of which are very much
in tune with WAG thinking. |
| Primary Legislation passed to WAG. |
| The advantages would be that we could have laws which
would be much more suited to the people of Wales. We tend
to be more egalitarian in outlook, closer, perhaps, to
the French ideal of equality. There is definitely more
emphasis on health, welfare of the elderly and state education
in Wales which stems partially from the fact that we are
a relatively poor part of the UK with a population more
dependent on state supplied services. |
| A disadvantage could be that too much emphasis would
be placed on urban Wales with the Assembly being in Cardiff.
Having said that there is clearly much more interest in
Cardiff in Welsh affairs than in Westminster. |
| Reduction of role of MPs |
| This would depend on the extent of the primary law making
powers. If defence, social security matters etc are still
to be dictated by Westminster we would still need to have
strong representation by Welsh MPs and by the Secretary
of State. |
| Relations between WAG and Westminster |
| We would gain much from having more authority in Wales.
Again, the F & M crisis is an example of a major situation
in which the civil servants and politicians in Whitehall
had little understanding of the specific needs of, in
particular, upland Wales. |
| Finance |
| The current costs could be looked at and means found
of transferring these to Wales. There is a danger in retaining
the cost basis in London of the Welsh Office while creating
further costs in the WAG. |
| Cost savings should arise by doing away with the current
split functions. |
| Electoral Arrangements |
| I think that there should be a larger number of members
to spread the workload. Powys County Council has 73 members
and it covers only a quarter of the area of Wales and
a pretty sparsely populated area at that. |
| The AM’s I meet seem to be under a lot of pressure |
| Up to 80. |
| The ability for AM’s to get to know one another
better which, when used constructively, can be for the
benefit of Wales. I think this question is rather slanted
to the status quo. The advantages of a large number are
better representation and the ability to spread the workload. |
| Electoral System |
| The present system seems to be reasonably successful
but it is ironic that it gives such good representation
to a party that did not want the Assembly in the first
place. Whilst, as a Liberal Democrat I feel disappointed
that the party that has fought for proportional representation
for so long does not have wider representation at the
Assembly I do have to accept, as a democrat, that the
results do seem to give a fairer representation of public
opinion in Wales than would a first past the post system.
Whatever I may feel about the Conservatives it really
would not be a fair reflection of their support in Wales
for them to have only one seat in the Assembly. The challenge
for other parties is to persuade the electorate that their
policies are really the best ones to vote for. |
| I welcome the fact that it is more difficult for one
party to dominate and that there is a higher potential
for coalition government which must of necessity widen
government representation. |
| I do think that the regions are too large e.g. Mid and
West Wales but an increase in the numbers of AMS would
assist in creating smaller regions. |
| b) I feel uneasy about too much imposition of characteristics
of candidates. I believe that the parties are aware of
their responsibility to look to gender and ethnic balance.
This is certainly written into the selection rules of
my own party. The difficulty is in getting women and people
from ethnic minorities to put forward their names to be
prospective candidates. |
| Constituency Boundaries |
| I believe that it is very important to keep these as
the same for parliamentary and assembly elections. People
are confused enough as it is which might be a reason for
the seemingly large number of spoiled ballot papers in
the recent WAG elections. |
| Construction of larger Assembly |
| I think that the present system needs to be tried for
a number of elections before being reviewed. |
|
Richard Tyler
|
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