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Government of Wales Bill

It is a great pleasure to take part in this debate on the developing devolution situation in Wales. Unfortunately, the last time that the House considered devolution legislation I was not a Member, but I was interested in the way that the procedure was handled. It has correctly been pointed out that the referendum on setting up an Assembly was won only marginally. I could not get very enthused about the proposal. I did not think that it would capture the imagination of the Welsh people because it did not go far enough. One of the reasons why turnout in the 1997 referendum was so low was that the prospect for devolution in Wales was much less than for devolution in Scotland. The Bill will push forward the powers of the Welsh Assembly, which will appeal to the people of Wales, but it could be much better done. It seems illogical to give the Assembly powers to deliver health and education and to be responsible for local government, yet not to give it the necessary primary legislative powers to promote those services in Wales.