Government of Wales Bill

My Lords, it is not for me to interpret the words of the Secretary of State in terms of petty mischief-making, but I think a number of us shared a certain irritation yesterday when there was a playing with words. The word ““audit””, for example, was excised from the Bill and replaced with another word, which causes a whole series of repercussive changes—consequential changes—throughout the Bill. If I can divine the meaning, in a very humble way, of what the Secretary of State was saying in that press release, perhaps he was referring not to some of the other measures that this House passed but to ““audit””, which seemed to be a rather arbitrary and, in my judgment, very wrong use of the power of this place. In respect of this amendment and the general question, I think I am with the Government on it, but the Government should give a reply to the concerns raised in the other place by the Father of the House, the right honourable Member for Swansea West. Essentially, he argues that by this device and by not having the additional safeguard of parliamentary endorsement, which is part of this amendment, the Government are moving towards a primary legislative position step by step. To move totally to a primary legislative power for the Welsh Assembly on the lines of the Scottish Parliament would be a major change in the rules of the game and a major change from what the people of Wales only just agreed in the referendum. Only 50 per cent of the electorate in Wales bothered to vote in spite of the Government, after a major election victory, campaigning strongly for it. The result was 25 per cent ““for””, 25 per cent ““against””. That was not part of the package put before the people of Wales in the referendum. Nevertheless, one could conceive of a position where the Government, or a future Government, would by a series of small steps avoid the ““big bang”” of a referendum. That danger has been put expressed very eloquently in the other place by the Father of the House and I think it deserves a considered reply. Although I am minded to support the Government, I would be grateful to know how the Government seek to respond to that very genuine concern.