Government of Wales Bill

I want to make a brief contribution. The hon. Member for Beaconsfield (Mr. Grieve) says that part 3 gives primary legislation to the Welsh Assembly by the back door. That is the basis of his argument, which is a huge exaggeration. The proposals in the Bill are relatively modest. I would support primary legislative powers and campaign for them, but only if there were a referendum. I do not believe that the proposed measures introduce primary legislative powers. Part 3 clearly preserves the right of Parliament to oversee legislation in Wales in principle. It is clearly laid down that that right will be debated in Parliament and that the Assembly will not be able to go ahead with anything unless it is debated here. If the hon. Gentleman’s proposals were adopted, it would make the whole process much more cumbersome and difficult. It would be a step backwards. As a result, a proposal that I support strongly, albeit a small step forward, would be held back.