Government of Wales Bill

The purpose of the amendments is to ensure a consistent approach to the devolved Administrations of the United Kingdom. Such consistency has not been evident in much of the debate—we seem to have moved away from the idea that there should be a coherent approach to the devolved Administrations. In Spain, there is something that is often called ““asymmetric devolution,”” whereby different parts of the country are governed in different ways, but I do not accept that difference is needed for difference’s sake. In Scotland for the past six and a half years, the clear and accepted description of the Administration in the Scottish Parliament has been ““the Scottish Executive.”” Were the equivalent body in Northern Ireland fully functioning, it would be called ““the Northern Ireland Executive””. It seems logical, coherent and beneficial to efforts to promote wider understanding of the functions of the devolved bodies that in Wales we replace the rather uncomfortable phrase, ““Assembly Government”” with ““Executive.”” To have a coherent system throughout the United Kingdom, with a Scottish Executive, a Northern Ireland Executive and a Welsh Executive, would allow and promote better understanding of what the Executives do, compared with the Assembly or Parliaments. Indeed, it would also assist debates in this House, because hon. Members’ references to ““the Executive”” would be clearer. A degree of coherence that has not previously been evident would be brought to the whole package if the amendments were made. As I am sure the Minister knows, the Select Committee on Welsh Affairs thought that ““Executive”” was a better term than ““Assembly Government””. The arguments advanced within the Committee have merit, which should commend them to the Minister. I hope that the amendments will be regarded as non-contentious and that they will attract Government support.