# 2.3 Wales

Devolution in Wales was also a matter of much debate over the years. The Wales Act 1978 was meant to establish a Welsh Assembly, with secondary law-making powers in certain areas. The Act was passed in Parliament but subsequently repealed after an unsuccessful referendum result. The Government of Wales Act 1998 was passed at the same time as the Scotland Act 1998. However, as previously proposed by the provisions of the Wales Act 1978, more limited power was given to the newly formed National Assembly for Wales. In effect, it had power to make secondary (but not primary) legislation in similar areas to that of the Scottish Parliament. Following a referendum in Wales, the Government of Wales Act 2006 increased the law-making powers of the Welsh Assembly and established the Welsh Assembly Government as the executive. The Assembly, which changed its name to the Senedd in 2020, comprises 60 members, formerly known as Assembly Members (AMs), now known as Members of the Senedd (MS). Since 2011, Wales has had primary law-making powers.

Figure 7 The Senedd

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