Anglican Communion News Service - Digest News

In a public lecture at Cardiff Law School tonight (Wednesday 9 April 2008), the Chair of Tomorrow's Wales, Dr Barry Morgan Archbishop of Wales, will outline the movement's vision for the future of devolution and its views on the work of the All-Wales Convention.

Entitled ‘A Convention for the Future? The Road Ahead for Welsh Democracy', the Archbishop's address will reaffirm the movement's endorsement of the Richard Commission's report "as the most detailed and thoughtful analysis of Wales' governmental arrangements that there had ever been".

Notwithstanding the fact that the All-Wales Convention's remit is explicitly linked to the provisions of Part 4 of the Government of Wales Act 2006, which sets out what powers the Assembly would have following a successful referendum, the Archbishop will call on the Convention to enable a "wider discussion on Welsh governance to take place".

Tomorrow's Wales deems that the current arrangements for governing Wales, under the terms of Part 3 of the 2006 Act, are problematic in that Part 3 creates a complex and confusing system of government and leaves devolved and non-devolved government so entangled that it simply may not work. Although Part 3 is progress, it is only a "transitional arrangement, not an end point". The Archbishop will emphasise that "Part 3 was not designed to, nor can it ever, provide a stable devolution settlement". Therefore, a positive outcome in a referendum is necessary.

Tomorrow's Wales believes that Part 4 of the 2006 Act is a step in the right direction; one of the most evident benefits of Part 4, should it come into force, would be that the powers of the Assembly to make laws would be clearly and fully set out. However, it would leave a number of unresolved issues which Richard had previously addressed.

The Archbishop will note that Richard gave careful and detailed examination of the range of problems that had developed with the limited measure of self-government that the 1998 Government of Wales Act had put in place.

More significantly still, Richard's recommendations had the unanimous agreement of all members of the Commission and for the first time ever it provided a blueprint for the government of Wales which had the support of representatives from all four political parties. This is why it was felt that an organisation was needed to lead a campaign in support of the main thrust of the Richard recommendations - and Tomorrow's Wales was formed.

The Archbishop will suggest three things that the All-Wales Convention, chaired by Sir Emyr Jones Parry and warmly welcomed by Tomorrow's Wales, should seek to achieve. Firstly, it needs to build a clear account of the needs for Wales' National Assembly to obtain primary legislative powers. Secondly, it needs to help the public understand this. Tomorrow's Wales believes that the very nature of the current devolution arrangements means that they are not very amenable to public understanding. A referendum would mean that the public needs to understand the issues, and be involved and engaged with them. The public would need to think not only that what is proposed is best for Wales, but that it is worth their while to turn out and vote in the referendum.

The third, and most radical, suggestion to Sir Emyr and his colleagues is that they should not shy away from considering the other issues which remain unresolved by Part 4 of the 2006 Act. Richard's report dealt with issues including the number of AMs, the electoral system, and the issue of financing the Assembly which are all absent from Part 4. The Archbishop will state that it is only after these issues are properly addressed will we see a stable, lasting and democratic devolution settlement for Wales. The provisions of Part 4 of the 2006 Act are merely "the next step in developing devolution for Wales, but they are only the next, and certainly not the final step".

Tomorrow's Wales' understanding of the Convention's terms of reference would enable a wide-reaching discussion on Welsh governance beyond the boundaries of Part 4 of the 2006 Act. The terms of reference state that the Convention is required to 'facilitate and stimulate a widespread, thorough and participative consultation at all levels of Welsh society on the issue of primary law making powers'. Tomorrow's Wales does not believe that this can be done without considering all relevant issues, including those that lie outside the Government of Wales Act 2006.

Ends

Notes to editors:

A copy of the full address by the Archbishop of Wales is available by request.

The unresolved issues which are left by Part 4 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 are outlined in a briefing paper produced by Tomorrow's Wales.  For further details visit:

http://www.tomorrow-wales.org/resources/Tomorrow's%20Wales

Cymru Yfory – Tomorrow's Wales was established in July 2004 by the Archbishop of Wales as a positive response to the recommendations of the Richard Commission Report, published in March 2004, with the hope of encouraging and supporting wider discussion in Welsh society of its recommendations on the powers of the National Assembly for Wales.

Item from: The Church in Wales