---

Government of Wales Bill

My Lords, I added my name to the amendment having spoken to many people in the Assembly. In Committee, the Minister insisted that Clause 29 was to be only a fall-back position, but that cannot be reconciled with the Bill as currently worded. Clause 29 provides for all Assembly committees to be established using the d’Hondt formula, unless the Assembly resolves by a two-thirds majority to disapply that requirement. That does not seem to tally with the notion of a fall-back position. It would mean that every time that the Assembly wanted to establish a committee or sub-committee, a Motion would need to be tabled to disapply the requirements of the Act and Standing Orders if an alternative structure was required. That seems overly burdensome. Determining the size and structures of Assembly committees should definitely be within the preserve of the Assembly. The Bill takes an overly restrictive approach, quite apart from the results that will accrue, which have already been discussed in Committee. I emphasise that I have been hearing about considerable opposition to the measure, both in this House and in the Assembly. It is a pity that the Government have been unable successfully to make the case for that change. Nor have they been able to refine the Bill through a government amendment to address the concerns that I initially raised at Second Reading and were subsequently raised in Committee.