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Government of Wales Bill

In his heart, the Secretary of State is a Liberal, and hope springs eternal. Although we hoped for a big step forward, we have a small shuffle in the right direction. However, even the Bill’s modest powers are better than nothing. I assure hon. Members that Liberal Democrats will continue to dream of a devolution settlement that is worthy of the nation that we represent. It is a shame that the Government found themselves snoozing for five days at the various stages of the Bill’s passage. However, I hope that, through working together, the Government will perceive the flaws in the measure and have the humility to come back and put right the elements that they have allowed to go badly wrong in the five days and 33 hours that we have had in which to debate the matter so far.