Government of Wales Bill. Programme motion (No 3) on consideration of Lords amendments and subsequent stages. Agreed to on question (formal). Lords amendments considered. Lords amendments 3, 17, 21, 22, 18 debated and disagreed to. Lords amendments 4 to 9, 19, 20 debated and disagreed to with amendments made in lieu. Lords amendments 16, 1, 2, 10 to 15, 23 to 102 agreed to. Ordered that a Committee be appointed to draw up Reasons to be assigned to the Lords for disagreeing to certain of their amendments. Reasons reported and agreed to. Message to the Lords to communicate Reasons, with the Bill and amendments.

Government of Wales Bill. Programme motion (No 3) on consideration of Lords amendments and subsequent stages. Agreed to on question (formal). Lords amendments considered. Lords amendments 3, 17, 21, 22, 18 debated and disagreed to. Lords amendments 4 to 9, 19, 20 debated and disagreed to with amendments made in...

The resolution of that problem does not lie in the Lords amendment, because even if the Lords amendment were carried, the Assembly could not compel Parliament to do anything. In the event of, as the hon. Gentleman puts it, an anti-devolution Conservative Secretary of State—I suppose that there might be...

The resolution of that problem does not lie in the Lords amendment, because even if the Lords amendment were carried, the Assembly could not compel Parliament to do anything. In the event of, as the hon. Gentleman puts it, an anti-devolution Conservative Secretary of State—I suppose that there might be...

I am following my right hon. Friend’s argument. Will he confirm that, under our constitutional arrangements, the Assembly cannot require this House to pass legislation? The Assembly may request that, but, at the end of the day, this Parliament of the United Kingdom holds the ultimate responsibility for law making...

I am following my right hon. Friend’s argument. Will he confirm that, under our constitutional arrangements, the Assembly cannot require this House to pass legislation? The Assembly may request that, but, at the end of the day, this Parliament of the United Kingdom holds the ultimate responsibility for law making...

That is absolutely the case. I agree with my hon. Friend. I could not have put that better myself. That is the point that I have been seeking to make. I want to make a secondary point. Let us also remember that it will still be for the Secretary of...

That is absolutely the case. I agree with my hon. Friend. I could not have put that better myself. That is the point that I have been seeking to make. I want to make a secondary point. Let us also remember that it will still be for the Secretary of...

I have listened to the Secretary of State’s comments with great interest and I acknowledge that he is genuinely attempting to acknowledge the concerns as highlighted by my Liberal Democrat colleagues in the other place and others. To an extent, his remarks have been reassuring and helpful. However, he has...

I have listened to the Secretary of State’s comments with great interest and I acknowledge that he is genuinely attempting to acknowledge the concerns as highlighted by my Liberal Democrat colleagues in the other place and others. To an extent, his remarks have been reassuring and helpful. However, he has...

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his intervention and I appreciate the open-minded and constructive way that he has sought a resolution to this and other outstanding points in a way that will allow the Bill to receive Royal Assent by the end of next Tuesday. If primary...

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his intervention and I appreciate the open-minded and constructive way that he has sought a resolution to this and other outstanding points in a way that will allow the Bill to receive Royal Assent by the end of next Tuesday. If primary...

I beg to move, That this House disagrees with the Lords in the said amendment. This amendment removes the Secretary of State’s discretion over how and when to lay a draft referendum Order in Council before Parliament if the Assembly passed such a request on a two-thirds vote. The purpose...

I beg to move, That this House disagrees with the Lords in the said amendment. This amendment removes the Secretary of State’s discretion over how and when to lay a draft referendum Order in Council before Parliament if the Assembly passed such a request on a two-thirds vote. The purpose...

I think I have responded to all the points that have been made, and I am conscious of the time. Question put, That this House disagrees with the Lords in the said amendment:— The House divided: Ayes 287, Noes 153.

I think I have responded to all the points that have been made, and I am conscious of the time. Question put, That this House disagrees with the Lords in the said amendment:— The House divided: Ayes 287, Noes 153.

The Secretary of State has made the constitutional points extremely well and I agree with him. But does he agree that there is a political element to this matter, too? Any decision to go ahead with the referendum to seek primary powers for the Assembly would have to be the...

The Secretary of State has made the constitutional points extremely well and I agree with him. But does he agree that there is a political element to this matter, too? Any decision to go ahead with the referendum to seek primary powers for the Assembly would have to be the...

If there is a commitment to devolution, it is necessary to ask why the Secretary of State would want to exert a power of refusal that would put him on a collision course with the Assembly of the day about the very powers that his Government have brought forward. The...

If there is a commitment to devolution, it is necessary to ask why the Secretary of State would want to exert a power of refusal that would put him on a collision course with the Assembly of the day about the very powers that his Government have brought forward. The...

Again, I could not agree with my right hon. Friend more. He is absolutely spot on. The proposal in the Bill—but certainly not the amendment—would require active partnership between the Assembly Government and the United Kingdom Government. In a sense, it requires that—rather than an Assembly elected at a different...

Again, I could not agree with my right hon. Friend more. He is absolutely spot on. The proposal in the Bill—but certainly not the amendment—would require active partnership between the Assembly Government and the United Kingdom Government. In a sense, it requires that—rather than an Assembly elected at a different...

It is always a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Monmouth (David T.C. Davies), with whom I agreed on a couple of points. However, there is no party political advantage to this proposal. The Opposition parties have had opportunities on Second and Third Reading, on Report and in the...

It is always a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Monmouth (David T.C. Davies), with whom I agreed on a couple of points. However, there is no party political advantage to this proposal. The Opposition parties have had opportunities on Second and Third Reading, on Report and in the...

I hate to correct the hon. Gentleman on facts and detail, but I was not a member of the Welsh Affairs Committee and I did not participate in that evidence session. I did read the report of that session, but I did not agree with it. Reference was made to...

I hate to correct the hon. Gentleman on facts and detail, but I was not a member of the Welsh Affairs Committee and I did not participate in that evidence session. I did read the report of that session, but I did not agree with it. Reference was made to...

I am happy to give way to the hon. Gentleman who sponsored the research.

I am happy to give way to the hon. Gentleman who sponsored the research.

I suffered the most appalling attack from the right hon. Member for Suffolk, Coastal (Mr. Gummer), an accidental defence of the Government. I sought no greater reward than a simple clarification using the words of Lord Kingsland. I hope that the Minister will not make me regret my experience of...

I suffered the most appalling attack from the right hon. Member for Suffolk, Coastal (Mr. Gummer), an accidental defence of the Government. I sought no greater reward than a simple clarification using the words of Lord Kingsland. I hope that the Minister will not make me regret my experience of...

I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will recognise the booklet that is in my hand—the Arbuthnot report. It reached the same conclusion and found that there was no evidence to suggest that this was an issue for the public. In fact, Arbuthnot went further and suggested that dual candidacy...

I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will recognise the booklet that is in my hand—the Arbuthnot report. It reached the same conclusion and found that there was no evidence to suggest that this was an issue for the public. In fact, Arbuthnot went further and suggested that dual candidacy...

I am grateful for the Minister’s reassurance. To save a bit of time, I ask him to confirm that as far as the Government are concerned, the measure must never be used"““to the detriment of those who have either benefited from or acted in reliance upon the state of the...

I am grateful for the Minister’s reassurance. To save a bit of time, I ask him to confirm that as far as the Government are concerned, the measure must never be used"““to the detriment of those who have either benefited from or acted in reliance upon the state of the...

What agenda does the Electoral Commission have? Would the hon. Gentleman care to speculate on that? I dare say that he cannot answer that question.

What agenda does the Electoral Commission have? Would the hon. Gentleman care to speculate on that? I dare say that he cannot answer that question.

I am certainly not trying to promote the Secretary of State, who is clearly struggling. [Hon. Members: ““Promote?””] No, provoke. I certainly would not want to promote him, although I think that he would like to promote himself. The right hon. Gentleman made some obtuse remarks about what is happening...

I am certainly not trying to promote the Secretary of State, who is clearly struggling. [Hon. Members: ““Promote?””] No, provoke. I certainly would not want to promote him, although I think that he would like to promote himself. The right hon. Gentleman made some obtuse remarks about what is happening...

The Secretary of State is right to say that, throughout, the Liberal Democrats have sought to improve the Bill, rather than to block it, and it is in that context that we have had the dialogue. In the context of what he is saying now, will he accept and register...

The Secretary of State is right to say that, throughout, the Liberal Democrats have sought to improve the Bill, rather than to block it, and it is in that context that we have had the dialogue. In the context of what he is saying now, will he accept and register...