ANNEX
GOVERNMENT OF WALES BILL
Memorandum by the
Welsh Office
1. This memorandum
describes the powers to make subordinate legislation which will
be conferred by the Government of Wales Bill. The principal purpose
of the Bill is to provide for the establishment of the National
Assembly for Wales, to provide for the reform certain public bodies,
and generally to bring effective accountability for public services
in Wales.
2. The underlying
principle is that the Assembly will take responsibility for those
executive functions currently exercised by the Secretary of State
for Wales. The Assembly will not be a primary legislative body.
However, under powers conferred by Order in Council, the Assembly
will be enabled to exercise a range of subordinate legislative
powers that will generally not then be subject to Parliamentary
procedure. Nonetheless, the Bill establishes a range of subordinate
legislative powers exercisable mainly by the Secretary of State
or by Order in Council to which Parliamentary procedures will
apply. The Bill received its first reading in the House of Commons
on 26 November 1997. Second reading was on 9 December and third
reading on 26 March, the Bill having completed its committee stage
on 2 March.
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