8.5 The referendum in Wales – to make its own laws

On 3 March 2011 a referendum took place in Wales. The people of Wales were asked if the Welsh Assembly should be allowed to pass its own legislation. The outcome of the referendum was positive: this means that the 20 devolved fields, which deal with specific areas such as health and education, no longer need further approval from the Westminster Parliament in order to create new laws. It also means that the terminology has changed. Instead of using the phrase ‘measures’, the Welsh Assembly considers new legislation in the form of a Bill, which if passed will become a statute. This means that the Welsh Assembly has gained additional powers and reflects the same law-making process as that carried out in the Westminster Parliament.

Activity 10 Referendum: key questions

This activity will reinforce the points made above and allow you to consider the changes that have taken place.

Watch the following two films, which provide a short overview of the referendum in Wales. These films outline the changes that have taken place since March 2011. The Welsh Assembly is now allowed to make its own legislation in any of the 20 devolved fields.

Download this video clip.Video player: Activity 10 Referendum: key questions (video 1)

Show transcript|Hide transcript

Transcript: Activity 10 Referendum: key questions (video 1)

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.

End transcript: Activity 10 Referendum: key questions (video 1)

Download

Activity 10 Referendum: key questions (video 1)

Interactive feature not available in single page view (see it in standard view).

Download this video clip.Video player: Activity 10 Referendum: key questions (video 2)

Show transcript|Hide transcript

Transcript: Activity 10 Referendum: key questions (video 2)

NARRATOR:

So, Wales voted ‘Yes’ on the referendum on how the assembly makes laws.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

But what does that actually mean? And what happens next? Well, for a start, it doesn’t mean that you will suddenly see lots and lots of new laws all coming at once. In fact, before the Assembly can begin making laws under these new arrangements, you will need to decide who gets to sit in the Senate chamber and to use these powers when Wales goes to the polls again on the 5th of May in the Assembly election.

After that, the assembly will no longer have to ask permission from the UK parliament to pass the laws affecting our schools, hospitals, and other matters in the 20 subject areas devolved to Wales. This will reduce the delay between taking decisions and putting them into effect and should make the 60 assembly members who sit at the Senedd more accountable to you.

The terms we use to describe new laws will also change. The assembly will be making laws in the same way as the Westminster Parliament, Scottish Parliament, and the Northern Ireland assembly. So proposed laws won’t be called proposed measures anymore, but will become bills. And when they become law, they won’t be called measures but will become acts.

So there we are then. Changes which will make a real difference to the way decisions that directly affect you are made. You can get involved with these decisions either by contacting your local assembly members, using the Assembly petition system, or contributing to the inquiries the Assembly carries out. This year, the people of Wales have three opportunities to vote. To find out more, visit vote2011.org.

End transcript: Activity 10 Referendum: key questions (video 2)

Download

Activity 10 Referendum: key questions (video 2)

Interactive feature not available in single page view (see it in standard view).