Government of Wales Bill

My Lords, in the Government’s manifesto before the last election there was not an iota of warning that foreshadowed Part 3, nor was there any discussion of any of the issues or structure contained in it. To the extent that there was any debate, it was solely on the decisions made by the commission of the noble Lord, Lord Richard. I say to the noble Lord, Lord Elystan-Morgan, that the only reason we are supporting a devolution of further powers to the Welsh Assembly is that the initial devolution in 1998 was authorised by the referendum. That being so, it seems to us wholly wrong not to adopt exactly the same procedure again. My noble friend Lord Crickhowell—