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National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Welsh Language)

Indeed I do. As there are fears around, we need some definition in the legislation. I think that is what the Secretary of State is trying to reflect, as a lot of it is about fear. That brings me to my final point, which is about the fifth and final challenge. We must ensure that MPs and Assembly Members, including the Secretary of State and Ministers in the Assembly Government, continue to develop the teamwork and co-operative approach that has characterised the work of the Welsh Affairs Committee, which surely has to be the central principle of devolution. The first 10 years have been a decade of ups and downs. Sometimes the Welsh Assembly has looked too inward-looking and too narrow in its focus. Some Whitehall Departments have not understood that they still have to engage with Wales in the interests of the Welsh people, and not regard it as if Wales had drifted offshore by 100 miles. I think we see some growing maturity and reconnection. Devolution must be an effective reality—there must be joined-up thinking rather than that sort of either/or approach. I referred earlier to the failure of the shadow Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham, to understand the process, but so too, as I indicated, has the Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales. Much of what he said in the lecture at the Eisteddfod this year was positive and constructive, but he also said: ““If we wish to make the LCO process more effective and less open to be obstructed by irrelevant considerations, then in my opinion, whichever House of Commons’ Committees that scrutinises legislative competence orders must adopt an attitude more akin to that of the House of Lords’ Constitutional Committee. Although that Committee of course takes note of all proposed orders, it does not scrutinise them unless there is some feature of them which raises constitutional questions.”” That, with respect to him, misses the point—it is wrong. We need to scrutinise the power that is being transferred and the terms of that power, not the Measures that will then emerge as a result. That is a basic point that the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham and the Presiding Officer of the Assembly have missed. What happens with Measures is the business of the Assembly. The power has been transferred; it is their responsibility. Our responsibility is to consider what powers transfer and under what conditions. It is the responsibility of the Welsh Affairs Committee to advise the House, having properly scrutinised any proposal in the way that has been done on this occasion. Let us celebrate this report and the consensus across four parties on the potentially contentious issue of the Welsh language. That we can be united on this topic speaks volumes for the members of the Committee and, of course, the quality of chairmanship received by the Committee. It also speaks volumes for the potential of politicians in the National Assembly for Wales and Welsh Members of Parliament to work together in the best interests of making devolution a working reality, and to work together in the best interests of the people of Wales.