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Welsh Governance

I am grateful for my right hon. Friend’s support for the White Paper. He played a distinguished role in Cabinet in helping me to shape it into something that is at the centre of gravity of public opinion in Wales. I agree with my right hon. Friend—indeed, I probably echo his experience—that during the general election campaign not one voter raised the issue of the Assembly’s powers with me. On the only occasion on which it was raised, it was raised by journalists. That indicates the priorities of the chattering classes in Wales. Nevertheless, the case has been made for the sensible staged reforms that we propose.