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Government of Wales Bill

I have not joined in this debate at all, but I was a member of the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee for four years. I am absolutely convinced that it is not making a political point; it is not taking an attitude for or against the Welsh Assembly. The point is whether this House should agree to primary legislation, an unlimited amount by degrees, taking place because of an order from Westminster. I think it was my noble friend on the Front Bench who said that it was as if the regulatory reform Bill coming to this House were already in place. It is a major step for secondary legislation to bring about primary legislation. While I have much less experience than the noble Lord, I would say to him that this is a constitutional point. I rather resent that he is entirely politicising this, saying it is a Conservative fetish because it does not like the Assembly. I am fully in favour of the Assembly—the Welsh people voted for it—just as I am fully in favour of the Scots Parliament. I am fully in favour, if the Welsh people want it, that they should have more power to do primary legislation. I am surprised that a very distinguished Liberal Democrat lawyer from the Front Bench has said that because this is a step towards more power to the Welsh Assembly he will not stand in the way. To my mind, this is a constitutional point, a legal point, and a very big one. I hope we will not have a Division because I suspect the amendment would be defeated. I do not know what my noble friend is planning to do, because it is a huge issue. Westminster would be making a very big mistake if it agreed to this.