Transcript

PRESENTER 1:

On the 3rd of March, you will have an opportunity to vote in the referendum on how the assembly makes laws for Wales. If you don’t know what that is, or you don’t know why you should care, then keep watching. At the moment, the National Assembly has powers to make laws for Wales using the twenty devolved areas known as fields.

These fields are broad in scope, and are broken down into more detailed subject areas, known as matters. The assembly can gain further powers to make laws in those areas with the agreement of the UK Parliament on a subject by subject basis. If most people vote yes in this referendum, the assembly will gain powers to pass laws on all subjects in the devolved areas without first needing the agreement of the UK Parliament.

If most people vote no, then the present law-making system in Wales will continue. Whatever the result, the Assembly will still only be able to make laws in these twenty areas. Areas that have not been devolved to Wales, like taxes and defense, will stay under the UK government. So the choice to be made in the referendum is whether the Assembly should stay as it is now – able to gain powers to change the law, but piece by piece, if the UK agrees. Or, move instead to a position where the National Assembly can make laws without first having to get the agreement of the UK Parliament for the power to do so.

It’s really important that you use your vote on the 3rd of March, so you have a say in how laws in Wales are made. For more information, go to our website, vote2011.org.

PRESENTER 2:

This year, the people of Wales will have three opportunities to vote. To find out more, visit vote2011.org.