WRITTEN RESPONSES TO RICHARD COMMISSION CONSULTATION
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Letter received from Lord Livsey of Talgarth
dated 25 July 2003
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New joint responsibilities
of the Secretary of State for Wales, and the creation
of the Department of Constitutional Affairs.
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| Clearly, the recent developments listed
above as part of a new UK constitutional reform package
impact considerably on the National Assembly for Wales.
These reforms have taken place since I gave evidence to
the Richard Commission in May. If I may, I would like
to comment briefly on these developments as an addendum
to my evidence. |
| The post of Secretary of State for Wales
must be retained as long as the National Assembly for
Wales does not possess primary legislative powers. |
| If, hopefully, the Commission recommends
to the Government that the National Assembly be given
the power of primary legislation, and the Government acts
upon that recommendation, then the position of the Secretary
of State for Wales could be reviewed. |
| The current combination of a Secretary
of State for Wales, who is also Leader of the House of
Commons, substantially detracts from the position of Secretary
of State. He has more than enough to do negotiating the
block grant for Wales, bringing forward primary legislative
Bills for Wales, and inserting sections on Wales into
other Government Bills. This is to say nothing of ensuring
that Welsh legislation appears in the Queen's Speech,
and many other responsibilities. I know from my own experience
that the Leader of the House of Commons is a full-time
job in its own right. |
| The position of Secretary of State for
Wales must be a stand-alone responsibility represented
in the cabinet. This should continue to be the case for
as long as the first Wales Act remains in its current
form. |
| The creation of a Department of Constitutional
Affairs is, in my view, a logical development. My main
reservation about it, is the clumsy way in which it was
introduced, with insufficient consultation. |
| The power of the Secretary of State for
this Department has yet to be tested as far as Wales is
concerned. This is a strong reason why a stand-alone Secretary
of State for Wales, with his or her own Department, should
remain as a powerful advocate for Wales inside Government,
and also in the Cabinet. |
| Finally, if the Richard Commission recommends,
and it is enacted that Wales gains primary legislative
powers, then obviously, there may be a case for
reorganisation in Westminster concerning the Department
of Constitutional Affairs. I would also repeat the statement
contained in my previous evidence session: there should
be no reduction in the number of Welsh
MPs until the National Assembly obtains primary legislative
powers. |
| Thank you very much indeed for your kind
and courteous attention. |
Richard Livsey
Lord Livsey of Talgarth |
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