National Assembly for Wales
Senedd Siambr (Debating Chamber)
Established	1999 by the Government of Wales Act 1998 The logo of the National Assembly for Wales (NAW) including the name in Welsh and English below. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 1306 KB) Summary I took this photo myself. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 1557 KB) Summary Took the photo myself Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... The National Assembly for Wales Building at night The Senedd in the daytime The Senedd (Welsh for Parliament or Senate) is the home of the National Assembly for Wales. ... The National Assembly for Wales Building at night The Senedd in the daytime The Senedd (Welsh for Parliament or Senate) is the home of the National Assembly for Wales. ... Look up Devolution in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Government of Wales Act, 1998 (1998 c. ...
Presiding Officer	Lord Elis-Thomas AM (Plaid) Since May 12, 1999 The Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales (Welsh: ) is the Speaker of the National Assembly for Wales, elected by the Assembly Members to chair their meetings (plenary sessions); to maintain order; and to protect the rights of Members. ... Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Baron Elis-Thomas of Nant Conwy, AM, is a UK politician from Wales. ... Plaid Cymru (IPA:; English: ; often referred to simply as Plaid) is a political party in Wales. ... is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ...
Deputy Presiding Officer	Rosemary Butler AM (Lab)
Leader of the House	Carwyn Jones AM (Lab)
Chief Executive and Clerk to the Assembly	Claire Clancy
Political parties	6 Welsh Labour (26) Plaid (15) Conservatives (12) LibDem (6) Ind (1)
Members	60
Committees	14 Audit Business Equality of Opportunity Europe and External Affairs Finance Petitions Standards and Conduct Subordinate Legislation Scrutiny of the First Minister Communities and Culture Enterprise and Learning Health, Wellbeing and Local Government Sustainability LCO Legislative
Last election	May 3, 2007
Next election	May 5, 2011
Meeting place	Cardiff, Wales
Website	www.assemblywales.org

The National Assembly for Wales (Welsh: Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru) is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs (Welsh: Aelod y Cynulliad). Members are elected for four year terms under an additional members system, where 40 AMs represent geographical constituencies elected by the plurality system, and 20 AMs from five electoral regions using the d'Hondt method of proportional representation. The Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales (Welsh: ) is the Speaker of the National Assembly for Wales, elected by the Assembly Members to chair their meetings (plenary sessions); to maintain order; and to protect the rights of Members. ... Rosemary Butler (born 21 January 1943) is a British politician and Labour Member of the National Assembly for Wales for Newport West since 1999. ... The Wales Labour Party, also known as Welsh Labour, is the part of the Labour Party which operates in Wales. ... The office of Leader of the House in the Government of Australia exists in order for the management of government business, involving the order in which Government issues are to be dealt with, which Government members will speak, tactical matters in reaction to impediments to such management; negotiates with the... Carwyn Jones (born 21 March 1967) is the Member of the Welsh Assembly for Bridgend and Minister for Environment, Planning and the Countryside in the Welsh Assembly Government. ... The Wales Labour Party, also known as Welsh Labour, is the part of the Labour Party which operates in Wales. ... Chief Executive and Clerk to the National Assembly for Wales is a position that relates to the National Assembly for Wales and the Assembly Commission and was created in February 2007 to reflect the growing powers of the National Assembly following the Government of Wales Act 2006. ... Claire Clancy is Registrar Of Companies for England and Wales. ... For the national legislative body up to 1707, see Parliament of Scotland. ... The Wales Labour Party, also known as Welsh Labour, is the part of the Labour Party which operates in Wales. ... Plaid Cymru (IPA:; English: ; often referred to simply as Plaid) is a political party in Wales. ... The Welsh Conservative Party is the part of the Conservative Party which operates in Wales. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Patricia Trish Law is the Independent AM for Blaenau Gwent. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... This is a list of Assembly Members (AMs) or, in Welsh, Aelodaur Cynulliad (ACau) elected to the third National Assembly for Wales at the 2007 election. ... Established 1999 by the Government of Wales Act 1998 Presiding Officer Lord Elis-Thomas AM (Plaid) Since May 12, 1999 Deputy Presiding Officer Rosemary Butler AM (Lab) Leader of the House Carwyn Jones AM (Lab) Chief Executive and Clerk to the Assembly Claire Clancy Political parties 6 Welsh Labour (26... The 2007 National Assembly election was the third general election to the National Assembly for Wales and took place on Thursday 3 May, the same day as local elections in England and Scotland, and the Scottish Parliament election. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... The National Assembly for Wales election 2011 will be the next election for the National Assembly and the Welsh Assembly Government. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2011 (MMXI) will be a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Assembly for Wales Building at night The Senedd in the daytime The Senedd (Welsh for Parliament or Senate) is the home of the National Assembly for Wales. ... Cardiff Bay Cardiff Bay (Welsh: Bae Caerdydd) is the regeneration area created by the Cardiff Barrage which impounded two rivers (Taff and Ely) to form a new 500 acre freshwater lake around the former dockland area south of the city centre of Cardiff in south Wales. ... This article is about the country. ... A website (alternatively, Web site or web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone or a LAN. A Web page is a document, typically written in HTML... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... Look up Devolution in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      The National Assembly is either a legislature, or the lower house of a bicameral legislature in some countries. ... This article is about the country. ... An Assembly Member (Welsh: ) (AM) is a member of the Welsh Assembly in Wales, UK; or the London Assembly in London, UK. Categories: | ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... Mixed member proportional representation, also termed mixed-member proportional voting and commonly abbreviated to MMP, is a voting system used to elect representatives to numerous legislatures around the world. ... National Assembly for Wales constituencies and electoral regions were first used for the Welsh Assembly election, 1999. ... An example of a plurality ballot. ... National Assembly for Wales constituencies and electoral regions were first used for the Welsh Assembly election, 1999. ... The DHondt method (mathematically but not operationally equivalent to Jeffersons method, and Budder-Ofer method) is a highest averages method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation. ... Proportional representation (sometimes referred to as full representation, or PR), is a category of electoral formula aiming at a close match between the percentage of votes that groups of candidates (grouped by a certain measure) obtain in elections and the percentage of seats they receive (usually in legislative assemblies). ...

Following a referendum in 1997, the Assembly was created by the Government of Wales Act 1998. Most of the powers of the Welsh Office and Secretary of State for Wales were transferred to the Assembly. When first created, the Assembly had no powers to initiate primary legislation, however, following the passing of the Government of Wales Act 2006, the Assembly now has powers to legislate in some areas, though still subject to the veto of the Secretary of State or Parliament. The Wales referendum of 1997 was a pre-legislative referendum held in Wales only over whether there was support for the creation of an assembly for Wales. ... The Government of Wales Act, 1998 (1998 c. ... The Welsh Office building in Whitehall, London The Welsh Office was a department in the Government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Wales. ... The Secretary of State for Wales is the head of the Wales Office within the United Kingdom cabinet. ... Primary legislation is legislation made by the legislative branch of government. ... The Government of Wales Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The Secretary of State for Wales is the head of the Wales Office within the United Kingdom cabinet. ... The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ...

History

Wales

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Wales This article is about the country. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Wales_2. ... Politics in Wales forms a distinctive polity in the wider politics of the United Kingdom, with Wales as one of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom. ...

Contemporary Welsh Law English Law Courts of England and Wales National Assembly for Wales Measures Statutory Instruments Presiding Officer Dafydd Elis-Thomas Members (AMs): 2007 Constituencies and electoral regions Elections: 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 Welsh Assembly Government First Minister: Rhodri Morgan Deputy First Minister: Ieuan Wyn Jones Welsh Ministers Counsel General: Carwyn Jones Wales in the UK Parliament: Constituencies Acts Constituencies Elections: 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992,     1997, 2001, 2005, 2009/10 Contemporary Welsh Law is a term applied to the body of primary and secondary legislation generated by the National Assembly of Wales, according to newly devolved authority granted in the United Kingdom parliament Government of Wales Act 2006. ... English law is a formal term of art that describes the law for the time being in force in England and Wales. ... Schematic of court system for England and Wales The Courts of England and Wales are the civil and criminal courts responsible for the administration of justice in England and Wales; they are constituted and governed by the Law of England and Wales and are subordinate to the Parliament of the... This is a list of Measures of the National Assembly for Wales. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... The Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales performs a similar function to that of the Presiding Officer in the Scottish Parliament, ie. ... Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Baron Elis-Thomas of Nant Conwy, AM, is a UK politician from Wales. ... The National Assembly for Wales is composed of 60 members known as AMs or assembly members (in Welsh: ACau or Aelodaur Cynulliad). ... This is a list of Assembly Members (AMs) or, in Welsh, Aelodaur Cynulliad (ACau) elected to the third National Assembly for Wales at the 2007 election. ... National Assembly for Wales constituencies and electoral regions were first used for the Welsh Assembly election, 1999. ... Wales has elections to four tiers of government: 22 unitary local authorities, the National Assembly for Wales, the United Kingdom Parliament and the European Parliament. ... The first National Assembly for Wales election was held in 1999. ... The National Assembly for Wales election, 2003, was the second general election to the National Assembly for Wales. ... The 2007 National Assembly election was the third general election to the National Assembly for Wales and took place on Thursday 3 May, the same day as local elections in England and Scotland, and the Scottish Parliament election. ... The National Assembly for Wales election 2011 will be the next election for the National Assembly and the Welsh Assembly Government. ... Official logo of the Welsh Assembly Government The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) (Welsh: , LlCC) was firstly an executive body of the National Assembly for Wales, consisting of the First Minister and his Cabinet from 1999 to 2007. ... The First Minister (Welsh: ) is the leader of the Welsh Assembly Government, Waless devolved administration. ... Rhodri Morgan, pictured while on an eve of poll visit during the National Assembly of Wales election in 2003. ... The First Minister is the leader of the Welsh Assembly Government, Waless devolved administration. ... Ieuan Wyn Jones (born 22 May 1949) is leader of Plaid Cymru, Deputy First Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government and Member of the National Assembly for Wales for the Ynys Môn constituency. ... Official logo of the Welsh Assembly Government The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) (Welsh: , LlCC) was firstly an executive body of the National Assembly for Wales, consisting of the First Minister and his Cabinet from 1999 to 2007. ... The Counsel General for Wales is the Welsh equivalent to the Attorney General, he advises the Welsh Assembly Government on Welsh legislative matters and advises on legislative competency. ... Carwyn Jones (born 21 March 1967) is the Member of the Welsh Assembly for Bridgend and Minister for Environment, Planning and the Countryside in the Welsh Assembly Government. ... Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin MP Lord Speaker Hélène Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist Party Sinn Féin... To see the list in alphabetical order see the categories UK Parliamentary constituencies and UK Parliamentary constituencies (historic). ... This is a incomplete list of Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (or its predecessors) for the years to 1987, and a complete list of Acts passed from 1 January 1988 to the dissolution of Parliament on 11 April 2005. ... To see the list in alphabetical order see the categories UK Parliamentary constituencies and UK Parliamentary constituencies (historic). ... Wales has elections to four tiers of government: 22 unitary local authorities, the National Assembly for Wales, the United Kingdom Parliament and the European Parliament. ... The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 and is regarded as a pivotal point in 20th century British politics. ... The UK general election, 1983 was held on June 9, 1983 and gave the Conservatives and Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945. ... Margaret Thatcher David Steel Election 1987 Titles The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987 and was the third consecutive victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher. ... The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992. ... The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997. ... Tony Blair William Hague Charles Kennedy The UK general election, 2001 was held on 7 June 2001 and was dubbed the quiet landslide by the media. ... It has been suggested that Marginal constituencies in the United Kingdom be merged into this article or section. ... Under the provisions of the Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949, the next United Kingdom general election must be held on or before 3 June 2010, barring exceptional circumstances. ... Wales in the UK Government: Wales Office Secretary of State: Peter Hain European Parliament European Parliament constituency Elections: 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994,     1999, 2004, 2009 A logo of Her Majestys Government. ... The Wales Office is a United Kingdom government department. ... The Secretary of State for Wales is the head of the Wales Office within the United Kingdom cabinet. ... Peter Gerald Hain PC MP (born February 16, 1950, Nairobi, Kenya) is a British, Left-wing Labour Party politician and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (he is also Secretary of State for Wales). ... Established 1952, as the Common Assembly President Hans-Gert Pöttering (EPP) Since 16 January 2007 Vice-Presidents 14 Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (EPP) Alejo Vidal-Quadras (EPP) Gérard Onesta (Greens – EFA) Edward McMillan-Scott (ED) Mario Mauro (EPP) Miguel Angel Martínez Martínez (PES) Luigi Cocilovo (ALDE) Mechtild... Wales is a constituency of the European Parliament. ... Wales has elections to four tiers of government: 22 unitary local authorities, the National Assembly for Wales, the United Kingdom Parliament and the European Parliament. ... The European Assembly Election, 1979, was the first European election to be held in the United Kingdom after the European Community (EC) decided to directly elect representatives to the European Parliament. ... The European Parliament Election, 1984 was the second European election to be held in the United Kingdom. ... The European Parliament Election, 1989 was the third European election to be held in the United Kingdom. ... The European Parliament Election, 1994 was the fourth European election to be held in the United Kingdom. ... The European Parliament Election, 1999 was the UK part of the European Parliament election 1999. ... The European Parliament election, 2004 was the UK part of the European Parliament election, 2004. ... Elections to the European Parliament will be held in June 2006 in the then–27 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom. ... Administrative divisions of Wales Political parties

Other countries · Atlas  Politics Portal view • talk • edit

For local government purposes, Wales is divided into 22 unitary authorities. ... This is a list of political parties in the United Kingdom. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ...

Road to the Assembly

Official logo of the National Assembly

The establishment of the Welsh Office in 1964 effectively created the basis for the territorial governance of Wales.^[1] The Royal Commission on the Constitution (the Kilbrandon Commission) was set up in 1969 by Harold Wilson's Labour Government to investigate the possibility of devolution for Scotland and Wales.^[2] Its recommendations formed the basis of the 1974 White Paper Democracy and Devolution: proposals for Scotland and Wales.^[2], which proposed the creation of a Welsh Assembly. However, voters rejected the proposals by a majority of four to one in a referendum held in 1979.^[3][2] The logo of the National Assembly for Wales (NAW) including the name in Welsh and English below. ... The logo of the National Assembly for Wales (NAW) including the name in Welsh and English below. ... The Welsh Office building in Whitehall, London The Welsh Office was a department in the Government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Wales. ... Royal Commission on the Constitution can refer to: Royal Commission on the Constitution (Australia), 1927-1929 Royal Commission on the Constitution (United Kingdom), 1969-1973, also known as the Crowther Commission, Kilbrandon Commission or Kilbrandon Report Royal Commission of Inquiry on Constitutional Problems, Canada, 1953-1956 Category: ... James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, PC (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was one of the most prominent British politicians of the 20th century. ... A white paper is an authoritative report. ... In a referendum on St Davids Day (March 1) 1979, the people of Wales voted against proposals by the Labour government of the United Kingdom to establish a Welsh Assembly. ...

After the 1997 general election, the new Labour Government argued that an Assembly would be more democratically accountable than the Welsh Office. For eleven years prior to 1997 Wales had been represented in the UK cabinet by a Secretary of State who did not represent a Welsh constituency at Westminster.^[4] A second referendum was held on 18 September 1997 in which voters approved the creation of the National Assembly for Wales by a majority of just 6,712 votes.^[5] The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997. ... The Welsh Office building in Whitehall, London The Welsh Office was a department in the Government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Wales. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Secretary of State for Wales is the head of the Wales Office within the United Kingdom cabinet. ... Westminster is a district within the City of Westminster in London. ... is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ...

The following year the Government of Wales Act was passed by Parliament, establishing the Assembly. The Government of Wales Act, 1998 (1998 c. ... The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ...

Richard Commission

Some Plaid Cymru politicians had argued that its powers were limited and confusing.^[6] In July 2002, the Welsh Assembly Government established an independent commission, with Lord Richard (former leader of the House of Lords) as chair, to review the powers and electoral arrangements of the National Assembly in order to ensure that it is able to operate in the best interests of the people of Wales.^[7] The Richard Commission reported in March 2004. It recommended that the National Assembly should have powers to legislate in certain areas, whilst others would remain the preserve of Westminster.^[7] It also recommended changing the electoral system to the single transferable vote (STV) which would produce greater proportionality.^[7] Plaid Cymru (IPA:; English: ; often referred to simply as Plaid) is a political party in Wales. ... Official logo of the Welsh Assembly Government The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) (Welsh: , LlCC) was firstly an executive body of the National Assembly for Wales, consisting of the First Minister and his Cabinet from 1999 to 2007. ... Ivor Seward Richard, Baron Richard, PC (born May 30, 1932), is a British politician and former member of the Commission of the European Communities. ... This article is about the British House of Lords. ... This STV ballot for the Australian Senate illustrates group voting tickets. ... Proportional representation (sometimes referred to as full representation, or PR), is a category of electoral formula aiming at a close match between the percentage of votes that groups of candidates (grouped by a certain measure) obtain in elections and the percentage of seats they receive (usually in legislative assemblies). ...

In response the UK Government, in its Better Government for Wales White Paper, published on 15 June 2005, proposed a more permissive law-making system for the Welsh Assembly based on the use of Parliamentary Orders in Council. ^[8][9] In so doing, the Government rejected many of the cross party Richard Commission's recommendations. This has attracted criticism from opposition parties and others. is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Recent polls suggest that a majority of the Welsh support full legislative powers.^[10].

Enhanced powers: The Government of Wales Act 2006

Main article: Government of Wales Act 2006

The Government of Wales Act 2006 received Royal Assent on 25 July 2006. It confers on the Assembly legislative powers akin to other devolved legislatures, although Assembly Order-in-Council requests will be subject to the veto of the Secretary of State for Wales, House of Commons or House of Lords. The Government of Wales Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The Government of Wales Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... // The granting of Royal Assent is the formal method by which a constitutional monarch completes the legislative process of lawmaking by formally assenting to an Act of Parliament. ... Look up Devolution in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... An Order-in-Council is an executive order issued in Commonwealth Realms operating under the Westminster system. ... The Secretary of State for Wales is the head of the Wales Office within the United Kingdom cabinet. ... Type Lower House Speaker Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Leader Harriet Harman, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader Theresa May, (Conservative) since May 5, 2005 Members 659 Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist Party Sinn Féin... This article is about the British House of Lords. ...

The debating chamber in the Senedd

The Act reforms the assembly to a parliamentary-type structure, establishing the Assembly Government as an entity separate from, but accountable to the National Assembly. It enables the Assembly to legislate within its devolved fields. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 1557 KB) Summary Took the photo myself Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 1557 KB) Summary Took the photo myself Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Official logo of the Welsh Assembly Government The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) (Welsh: , LlCC) was firstly an executive body of the National Assembly for Wales, consisting of the First Minister and his Cabinet from 1999 to 2007. ...

The Act also reforms the Assembly's electoral system. It prevents individuals from standing as candidates in both constituency and regional seats. This aspect of the act was subject to a great deal of criticism, most notably from the Electoral Commission. The Electorial Commission is an independent body with powers in the United Kingdom, which was created by an Act of Parliament, the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. ...

The Act has been heavily criticised. Plaid Cymru, the Official Opposition in the National Assembly from 1999 - 2007, attacked it for not delivering a fully-fledged Parliament. Many commentators have also criticised the Labour Party's allegedly partisan attempt to alter the electoral system. By preventing regional Assembly Members from standing in constituency seats the party has been accused of changing the rules to protect constituency representatives. Labour had 29 members in the Assembly at the time, all of whom held constituency seats. Plaid Cymru (IPA:; English: ; often referred to simply as Plaid) is a political party in Wales. ...

The changes to the Assembly's powers were commenced on May 4th 2007, after the election.^[11] The Welsh Assembly Election 2007 will be a general election to the National Assembly for Wales, to take place on Thursday 3 May, 2007. ...

Building

Main article: Senedd

The Senedd, home to the National Assembly for Wales

The Assembly building in Cardiff Bay, the Senedd (English:Senate), was designed by the Richard Rogers Partnership and built by Taylor Woodrow . It uses traditional Welsh materials such as slate and Welsh oak in its construction, and the design is based around the concepts of openness and transparency. The National Assembly for Wales Building at night The Senedd in the daytime The Senedd (Welsh for Parliament or Senate) is the home of the National Assembly for Wales. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 1306 KB) Summary I took this photo myself. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 1306 KB) Summary I took this photo myself. ... Cardiff Bay Cardiff Bay (Welsh: Bae Caerdydd) is the regeneration area created by the Cardiff Barrage which impounded two rivers (Taff and Ely) to form a new 500 acre freshwater lake around the former dockland area south of the city centre of Cardiff in south Wales. ... The National Assembly for Wales Building at night The Senedd in the daytime The Senedd (Welsh for Parliament or Senate) is the home of the National Assembly for Wales. ... For the American composer, see Richard Rodgers. ... Taylor Woodrow Holdings Limited is one of the largest British based housebuilding and general construction companies. ...

The Senedd houses the debating chamber (Welsh: Siambr) and Committee Rooms. It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on St. David's Day, 1 March 2006.^[12] Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... Saint Davids Day (Welsh: Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant - Day of the Festival of Saint David) is the day that the patron saint of Wales, Saint David, is celebrated. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Senedd is designed to be environmentally friendly: it uses an Earth Heat Exchange system for heating; rainwater is collected from the roof and used for flushing toilets and cleaning windows, and the roof features a wind cowl which funnels natural light and air into the debating chamber below.^[13]

The Assembly was initially based in Crickhowell House, next to the site of the present building. The offices of Assembly Members are still in this building which is connected to the Senedd by a walkway. The National Assembly for Wales Commission is also responsible for the Pierhead Building, which is the location of "The Assembly at the Pierhead" exhibition , and is the Visitor and Education Centre for the National Assembly for Wales as well as housing a small giftshop. The exhibition (currently still in the process of being updated following May's election) provides visitors with a unique opportunity to access the most up-to-date information on who's who, what's happening and how the Assembly works. Image:Crickhowell House2007. ... The National Assembly for Wales Commission (usually referred to in Wales as the Assembly Commission) is the corporate body for the National Assembly for Wales. ... The Pierhead Building is a Grade 1 listed building of the National Assembly for Wales and is adjacent to the Senedd building and the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay, Wales. ...

Elected Officials

Main article: Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales

After each election, the Assembly elects one Assembly Member to serve as Presiding Officer (Welsh: Llywydd), and another to serve as a deputy. Lord Elis-Thomas, Plaid Cymru AM, has been Presiding Officer since the Assembly was created, and was re-elected to the position on 9 May 2007. Rosemary Butler AM was elected as his deputy. The Presiding Officer also acts as Chair of the National Assembly for Wales Commission. The Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales performs a similar function to that of the Presiding Officer in the Scottish Parliament, ie. ... The Presiding Officer (Oifigear-Riaghlaidh in Scots Gaelic) is the person elected by the Members of the Scottish Parliament to chair their meetings. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas AM is a UK politician from Wales. ... Plaid Cymru (IPA:; English: ; often referred to simply as Plaid) is a political party in Wales. ... is the 129th day of the year (130th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... The National Assembly for Wales Commission (usually referred to in Wales as the Assembly Commission) is the corporate body for the National Assembly for Wales. ...

Permanent Officials

As with the Scottish Executive, the permanent administrative and support staff of the Welsh Assembly Government are UK civil servants with the same constitutional status as their colleagues in the Wales Office and other Whitehall departments. In the Assembly itself, following the politically controversial departure of veteran Westminster clerk Paul Silk following a clash of visions between him and the Presiding Officer, UK civil servant Claire Clancy was appointed both to take over Silk's role as Clerk to the Assembly and also to take up the new post of Chief Executive Officer to the newly founded Assembly Commission. Claire Clancy is Registrar Of Companies for England and Wales. ...

Powers and status

This article or section needs to be updated. Parts of this article or section are no longer up to date. Please update the article to reflect recent events, and remove this template when finished.

The National Assembly consists of 60 elected members. They use the title Assembly Member (AM) or Aelod y Cynulliad (AC).^[14] The executive arm of the Assembly Welsh Assembly Government, is led by First Minister, Rhodri Morgan.^[15] Image File history File links Gnome_globe_current_event. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... An Assembly Member (Welsh: ) (AM) is a member of the Welsh Assembly in Wales, UK; or the London Assembly in London, UK. Categories: | ... Official logo of the Welsh Assembly Government The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) (Welsh: , LlCC) was firstly an executive body of the National Assembly for Wales, consisting of the First Minister and his Cabinet from 1999 to 2007. ... The First Minister of Wales is the leader of Wales and of the Welsh Assembly Government, Waless devolved administration. ... Rhodri Morgan, pictured while on an eve of poll visit during the National Assembly of Wales election in 2003. ...

The executive and civil servants are mainly based in Cardiff's Cathays Park while the Assembly Members, the Assembly Parliamentary Service and Ministerial support staff are based in Cardiff Bay where a new £67 million Assembly Building, known as the Senedd, has recently been built.^[16][17][18] Cathays Park is a civic area in central Cardiff, Wales, consisting of a number of early 20th century buildings and a central park area. ... Cardiff Bay Cardiff Bay (Welsh: Bae Caerdydd) is the regeneration area created by the Cardiff Barrage which impounded two rivers (Taff and Ely) to form a new 500 acre freshwater lake around the former dockland area south of the city centre of Cardiff in south Wales. ... The National Assembly for Wales Building at night The Senedd in the daytime The Senedd (Welsh for Parliament or Senate) is the home of the National Assembly for Wales. ...

One important feature of the National Assembly until 2007 was that there was no legal or constitutional separation of the legislative and executive functions, since it was a single corporate entity. Compared with other parliamentary systems, and arrangements for devolution in other countries of the UK, this was highly unusual. In practice, however, there was separation of functions, and the terms "Assembly Government" and "Assembly Parliamentary Service" came into use to distinguish between the two arms. The Government of Wales Act 2006 regularised the separation when it came into effect following the 2007 Assembly Election. Initially, the Assembly did not have primary legislative or fiscal powers, as these powers were reserved by Westminster. The Assembly did have powers to pass secondary legislation in devolved areas. Sometimes secondary legislation could be used to amend primary legislation, but the scope of this was very limited. for example, the first Government of Wales Act gave the Assembly power to amend primary legislation relating to the merger of certain public bodies. However, most secondary powers were conferred on the executive by primary legislation to give the executive (i.e., Ministers) more powers, and the Assembly has had wider legislative powers than appearances might suggest. For example, the Assembly delayed local elections due to be held in 2003 for a year by use of secondary powers, so that they would not correspond with Assembly elections. (In 2001 the UK parliament used primary legislation to delay for one month local elections in England during the Foot and Mouth Disease epidemic). A parliamentary system, or parliamentarism, is distinguished by the executive branch of government being dependent on the direct or indirect support of the parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. ... Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin MP Lord Speaker Hélène Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist Party Sinn Féin... Delegated legislation (sometimes referred to as secondary legislation or subordinate legislation) is law made by ministers under powers given to them by parliamentary acts (primary legislation) in order to implement and administer the requirements of the acts. ... Primary legislation is legislation made by the legislative branch of government. ...

While in principle the Assembly has no tax-varying powers, in reality it has some very limited power over taxes.^{[citation needed]} For example, in Wales, as in England, the rate of Council Tax is set by local authorities, but since the Assembly largely determines the level of grants to local councils, it can influence the level of local taxation indirectly.^{[citation needed]} It also has some discretion over charges for government services. Notable examples where this discretion has been used to create significant differences from other areas in the UK include: The Council Tax is the main form of local taxation in England, Scotland and Wales. ... There is no single system of local government in the United Kingdom. ...

1. Charges for NHS prescriptions in Wales — these have now been abolished.^[19]
2. Charges for University Tuition — are different for Welsh resident students studying at Welsh Universities, compared with students from or studying elsewhere in the UK.^[20]
3. Charging for Residential Care — In Wales there is a flat rate of contribution towards the cost of nursing care, (roughly comparable to the highest level of English Contribution) for those who require residential care.^[21]

This means in reality that there is a wider definition of "nursing care" than in England and therefore less dependence on means testing in Wales than in England, meaning that more people are entitled to higher levels of state assistance. These variations in the levels of charges, may be viewed as de facto tax varying powers. De facto is a Latin expression that means in fact or in practice. It is commonly used as opposed to de jure (meaning by law) when referring to matters of law or governance or technique (such as standards), that are found in the common experience as created or developed without...

This model of more limited legislative powers was partly due to the fact that Wales has had the same legal system as England since 1536, when it was annexed by England. Ireland and Scotland were never annexed by England, and so always retained some distinct differences in their legal systems. The Scottish Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly both have deeper and wider powers. For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Year 1536 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... The Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542 were a series of parliamentary measures by which the legal system of Wales was annexed to England and the norms of English administration introduced in order to create a single state and a single legal jurisdiction, which is frequently referred to as England... The Acts of Union were twin Acts of Parliament passed in 1707 (taking effect on 26 March) by the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. ... For the national legislative body up to 1707, see Parliament of Scotland. ... The logo of the Northern Ireland Assembly, a six flowered linen or flax plant. ...

The Assembly inherited the powers and budget of the Secretary of State for Wales and most of the functions of the Welsh Office. It has power to vary laws passed by Westminster using secondary legislation. Peter Hain, whose principal UK cabinet role is as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and who represents a Welsh constituency (Neath) in the Westminster Parliament, retains a vestigial role as Secretary of State for Wales. The Secretary of State for Wales is the head of the Wales Office within the United Kingdom cabinet. ... The Welsh Office building in Whitehall, London The Welsh Office was a department in the Government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Wales. ... Westminster is a district within the City of Westminster in London. ... Peter Gerald Hain PC MP (born February 16, 1950, Nairobi, Kenya) is a British, Left-wing Labour Party politician and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (he is also Secretary of State for Wales). ... The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is a position in the UK cabinet, responsible for the Department for Work and Pensions. ... Image:Neatharms. ... The Secretary of State for Wales is the head of the Wales Office within the United Kingdom cabinet. ...

Devolved areas

The Welsh Assembly has the power to make legislation in the following areas^[22]:

• Agriculture, fisheries, forestry and rural development
• Ancient monuments and historic buildings
• Culture
• Economic development
• Education and training
• Environment
• Fire and rescue services and promotion of fire safety
• Food
• Health and health services
• Highways and transport
• Housing
• Local government
• Public administration
• Social welfare
• Sport and recreation
• Tourism
• Town and country planning
• Water and flood defence
• Welsh language

The National Assembly for Wales also has matters to legislate which governs the body itself, mainly the costs of passing Assembly Measures and the register of interests. A fishery (plural: fisheries) is an organized effort by humans to catch fish or other aquatic species, an activity known as fishing. ... A decidous beech forest in Slovenia. ... Rural development in general is used to denote the actions and initiatives taken to improve the standard of living in non-Urban neighbourhoods, countryside, and remote villages. ... The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (Comisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru in Welsh) based in Aberystwyth, Wales. ... Cadw is a semi-autonomous publicly-funded body which with the mission to protect, conserve, and to promote the built heritage of Wales — the Welsh equivalent of English Heritage and Historic Scotland. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Economy of Wales ranks as the smallest of the four economies of the United Kingdom in terms of GDP(2002). ... Education in Wales differs in certain respects from the system used elsewhere in the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the profession. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The logo of NHS Wales NHS Wales is the name for the National Health Services activities in Wales. ... This article is about means of transport in the British principality of Wales, of which the capital city is Cardiff. ... Houses in Fishpool Street, St Albans, England For other meanings of the word house, see House (disambiguation). ... The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 (1994 c. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Public administration can be broadly described as the study and implementation of policy. ... ... The most popular sports in Wales are football and rugby union. ... Wales is an emerging tourist destination, with 8,078,900 visitors to National Trust and Welsh Tourist Board destinations in 2002. ... Urban, city, or town planning, deals with design of the built environment from the municipal and metropolitan perspective. ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... // Flood mitigation involves managing the effects of flooding, rather than trying to prevent it altogether. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... In Wales, an Assembly Measure is Primary legislation that is a category lower than an Act of Parliament. ...

Members, constituencies and electoral system

Under mixed member proportional representation a type of additional member system^[23][24] 40 of the AMs are elected from single-member constituencies on a plurality voting system (or first past the post) basis, the constituencies being equivalent to those used for the House of Commons and 20 AMs are elected from regional closed lists using an alternative party vote.^[25] There are five regions Mid and West Wales, North Wales, South Wales Central, South Wales East and South Wales West (these are the same as the pre 1999 European Parliament constituencies for Wales), each of which returns four members.^[25] The additional members produce a degree of proportionality within each region.^[25] Whereas voters can choose any regional party list irrespective of their party vote in the constituency election, list AMs are not elected independently of the constituency element, rather elected constituency AMs are deemed to be pre-elected list representatives for the purposes of calculating remainders in the d'Hondt method.^[25] Overall proportionality is limited by the low proportion of list members (33% of the Assembly compared to 43% in the Scottish Parliament and 50% in the German Bundestag) and the regionalisation of the list element.^[26] Consequently the Assembly as a whole has a greater degree of proportionality (based on proportions in the list elections) than the plurality voting system used for UK parliamentary elections, but still deviates somewhat from proportionality.^[26] The Single Transferable Vote system had been considered for the Assembly by the Labour Party as early as 1995-96, but according to the evidence given to the Richard Commission by Ron Davies, a former Welsh Secretary, Mixed member proportional representation, also termed mixed-member proportional voting and commonly abbreviated to MMP, is a voting system used to elect representatives to numerous legislatures around the world. ... The Additional Member System (AMS) is a voting system in which some representatives are elected from geographic constituencies and others are elected under proportional representation from party lists. ... An example of a plurality ballot. ... Type Lower House Speaker Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Leader Harriet Harman, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader Theresa May, (Conservative) since May 5, 2005 Members 659 Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist Party Sinn Féin... Closed list describes the variant of party_list proportional representation where voters can (effectively) only vote for political parties as a whole and thus have no influence on the (party-supplied) order in which party candidates are elected. ... Mid and West Wales is an electoral region of the National Assembly for Wales, consisting of eight constituencies. ... North Wales is an electoral region of the National Assembly for Wales, consisting of nine constituencies. ... South Wales Central is an electoral region of the National Assembly for Wales, consisting of eight constituencies. ... South Wales East is an electoral region of the National Assembly for Wales, consisting of eight constituencies. ... South Wales West is an electoral region of the National Assembly for Wales, consisting of seven constituencies. ... The DHondt method (mathematically but not operationally equivalent to Jeffersons method, and Budder-Ofer method) is a highest averages method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation. ... For the national legislative body up to 1707, see Parliament of Scotland. ... Type Lower house President of the Bundestag Dr. Norbert Lammert, CDU since October 18, 2005 Members 614 Political groups (as of September 18, 2005 elections) Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union of Bavaria Bloc (226), Social Democratic Party of Germany (222), Free Democratic Party (61), The Left Party. ... This STV ballot for the Australian Senate illustrates group voting tickets. ... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... Ron Davies Ronald Davies (born 6 August 1946) is a Welsh politician, former Secretary of State for Wales, former Member of Parliament and former member of the Welsh Assembly. ... The Secretary of State for Wales is the head of the Wales Office within the United Kingdom cabinet. ...

To date there have been three elections to the Assembly, in 1999, 2003 and 2007. Since its formation in 1999, there have been two elections to the National Assembly for Wales: The 1999 election; The 2003 election; The next election will be held in 2007 Categories: Elections in Wales ...

Elections

There have been three elections to the Assembly, in 1999, 2003 and 2007. First-Past-the-Post results Additional Members System Results ... The second election to the Welsh Assembly was held on May 1, 2003. ... The Welsh Assembly Election 2007 will be a general election to the National Assembly for Wales, to take place on Thursday 3 May, 2007. ...

Main article: Welsh Assembly election, 2007

The Welsh Assembly Election 2007 will be a general election to the National Assembly for Wales, to take place on Thursday 3 May, 2007. ... An example of a plurality ballot. ... Mixed member proportional representation, also termed mixed-member proportional voting and commonly abbreviated to MMP, is a voting system used to elect representatives to numerous legislatures around the world. ... The Wales Labour Party, also known as Welsh Labour, is the part of the Labour Party which operates in Wales. ... Plaid Cymru (IPA:; English: ; often referred to simply as Plaid) is a political party in Wales. ... The Welsh Conservative Party is the part of the Conservative Party which operates in Wales. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The British National Party (BNP) is a white nationalist political party in the United Kingdom. ... The United Kingdom Independence Party (commonly known as UKIP, pronounced //) is a British political party. ... The Green Party of England and Wales (GPEW) is the principal Green political party in England and Wales. ... The Socialist Labour Party (SLP) is a small left-wing political party in the United Kingdom. ... The Communist Party of Britain, which claims to have around 900 members, is the largest Communist party in the United Kingdom. ... The Blaenau Gwent Peoples Voice Group is a socialist political party based in the Blaenau Gwent area of South Wales. ... Logo of the Christian Peoples Alliance The Christian Peoples Alliance is a minor political party operating in the United Kingdom. ... The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist political party active in England and Wales and part of the Committee for a Workers International. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The English Democrats Party is the largest English Nationalist political party in England committed to the formation of a devolved English Parliament with at least the same powers as those granted to the Scottish Parliament. ... Veritas is a political party in the United Kingdom, formed in February 2005 by politician-celebrity Robert Kilroy-Silk following a split from the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP). ... The Socialist Equality Party is a minor Trotskyist political party in England. ...

Current composition

Following the 2007 election, no party held a majority of seats in the Assembly. On Friday 25 May 2007, Rhodri Morgan was renominated unopposed as First Minister, the Queen then confirmed his appointment. Talk over a Plaid-lead "Rainbow Coalition" with the Tories and the Liberal Democrats have come to nothing. Both Labour and Plaid have now formed a "Red-Green" coalition between the Welsh Labour Party and Plaid Cymru. The deal was ratified by a special party conference of Welsh Labour members on July 6th and a National Council of Plaid Cymru members on July 7th. ^[27] The Wales Labour Party, also known as Welsh Labour, is the part of the Labour Party which operates in Wales. ... Plaid Cymru (IPA:; English: ; often referred to simply as Plaid) is a political party in Wales. ... The Welsh Conservative Party is the part of the Conservative Party which operates in Wales. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Patricia Trish Law is the Independent AM for Blaenau Gwent. ... The Welsh Assembly Election 2007 will be a general election to the National Assembly for Wales, to take place on Thursday 3 May, 2007. ... One Wales (Welsh: Un Cymru IPA: /ɨn ˈkəmrɨ/) is the name of the coalition agreement for the Welsh Assembly between the Welsh Labour Party and Plaid Cymru agreed to by Rhodri Morgan, Welsh First Minister and leader of Welsh Labour, and Ieuan Wyn Jones, leader of Plaid Cymru, on...

See also

• National Assembly for Wales constituencies and electoral regions
• Welsh Assembly Election 2007
• Welsh Assembly Election 2003
• Welsh Assembly Election 1999
• List of Welsh Assembly by-elections
• UK topics
• United Kingdom budget
• Members of the National Assembly for Wales
• Government of Wales Act 2006
• Government of Wales Act 1998
• Contemporary Welsh Law (Assembly Measures)

National Assembly for Wales constituencies and electoral regions were first used for the Welsh Assembly election, 1999. ... The Welsh Assembly Election 2007 will be a general election to the National Assembly for Wales, to take place on Thursday 3 May, 2007. ... The second election to the Welsh Assembly was held on May 1, 2003. ... First-Past-the-Post results Additional Members System Results ... Thus far there have been only two by-elections to the National Assembly for Wales. ... This is a list of topics related to the United Kingdom. ... The United Kingdom budget[1] in the field of Public finance deals with HM Treasury budgeting the revenues gathered by Her Majestys Revenue and Customs and expenditures of public sector departments, in compliance with government policy. ... The National Assembly for Wales is composed of 60 members known as AMs or assembly members (in Welsh: ACau or Aelodaur Cynulliad). ... The Government of Wales Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The Government of Wales Act, 1998 (1998 c. ... Contemporary Welsh Law is a term applied to the body of primary and secondary legislation generated by the National Assembly of Wales, according to newly devolved authority granted in the United Kingdom parliament Government of Wales Act 2006. ...

References

is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... The Citizens Advice Bureau Logo. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 212th day of the year (213th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 212th day of the year (213th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Additional Member System (AMS) is a voting system in which some representatives are elected from geographic constituencies and others are elected under proportional representation from party lists. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ...

External links

• National Assembly for Wales (Assembly website)
• WalesCymru: Government
• Welsh politicians, including those of Welsh descent in other countries
• Assembly website in Welsh/Gwefan y Cynulliad yn Gymraeg
• NAW: Constituencies and Electoral Regions (map of the constituencies showing current members)
• NAW: Who? - Elected Members (list of members by constituency)
• Government of Wales Act 1998
• Government of Wales Act 2006
• Government of Wales Act 2006 website
• BBC's Senedd guide