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Government of Wales Bill

I am astonished that the Minister should have left the principle of increased democracy until his peroration. Whatever else Part 3 does, it certainly does not increase democracy. It reduces democracy, both in this Parliament and the Welsh Assembly. Essentially, laws are going to be made by deals struck between the First Minister in Wales and the Secretary of State for Wales. They will produce legislative proposals which cannot be amended in either the Welsh Assembly or this Parliament. Why on earth should that be labelled ““democratic””? I do not know. Compared to Part 3, Part 4 is a far more logical solution, and of much greater benefit to Wales. It is certainly far more democratic. All it needs is a referendum. The noble Lord, Lord Thomas of Gresford, was kind enough to see some merit in my criticisms of Part 3; but what overrode his determination to support me was the fact that he wanted Welsh devolution at all costs. I do not mean that in the literal sense; but rather that the noble Lord was so determined to achieve Welsh devolution that he was not going to drop the opportunity this Bill afforded. Am I right in saying that?