Government of Wales Bill

It is for the Government to name him or her. I suspect that somebody came out of the woodwork one day and said to the Minister, ““Ah, Minister, better not.”” That is a very dangerous part of the civil servant’s language. ““Better not give the Welsh the possible power to do something about water. Better remind them that it’s not their water. It is, in effect, our water and we’re going to decide what is done with it. Better not, Minister. Let’s keep the powers that really matter.”” That is offensive to Welsh people. One would not have said that about any other community in the United Kingdom, either historic communities or newly found communities. I invite the House to substitute the names of a range of newly found communities in the clause and see how well that goes down. The quality of the drafting is below even the low standard of the Bill. I suggest that we use the Civil Contingencies Act to cover the problem of a revolutionary party in the Assembly bent on stopping people having water. There is no need for the clause. It is an unnecessary attempt to remind the Welsh where they really are—under the control not of the House, but of Ministers. If I were living in Wales, I would find the clause unacceptable, as the leader of the Conservative party in Wales suggested, and I hope very much that it is removed.