A discussion between Members of the Senedd. Debates take place in the Siambr and can be followed by a vote.

Debates on Members' Legislative Proposals provide a mechanism for Members to debate proposals for legislation, outside the confines of the Senedd’s legislative process and to provide individual Members with an opportunity to debate potential ideas for legislation and test the level of support in the Senedd outside the confines of the formal legislative process. A 30 minute slot is made available on a Wednesday once every half term for the chosen proposal to be debated in the Siambr.

Members of the Senedd are required, in certain instances, to make oral declarations to ensure that the public is made aware of any past, present or future financial interest which might reasonably be thought by others to influence the Member's contribution to a debate or discussion.

Democracy means that those eligible to vote can have a say in who decision-making processes. In a democratic country, elections will be held and the people choose who should represent them in a central parliament.

Deposited papers include any paper required to be placed in the Senedd Library by a Minister, the Presiding Officer or any other Member, which is not laid before the Senedd in any other way. Deposited papers generally take the form of letters or other communications conveying information from a Minister to another Member that cannot be expressed fully during a Plenary session. They can include copies of correspondence with outside bodies, maps or statistical information.

The Presiding Officer may, in accordance Standing Orders, determine the proper form in which Bills and amendments must appear.

Devolution is the transfer or delegation of power to a more local level. It is typically used to refer to the transfer of power from the UK's central government to the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive. In Wales, powers have been devolved from UK Ministers to Welsh Ministers and law-making powers from the UK Parliament to the Welsh Parliament.

The Wales Act 2014 transferred certain taxation and borrowing powers from the UK Government to the Welsh Parliament and Welsh Ministers.
The Wales Act 2014:
• enabled the Welsh Parliament to legislate for Welsh taxes on transactions involving interests in land (Land Transaction Tax (LTT)) and on disposals of landfill (Landfill Disposals Tax (LDT)), both of which took effect from 1st April 2018;
• empowered the Welsh Parliament to set Welsh Rates of Income Tax (WRIT) for Welsh taxpayers;
• enabled the Welsh Government to borrow up to £500 million to fund capital expenditure.
The Wales Act 2017 increased the Welsh Government’s overall capital borrowing limit to £1 billion and the annual limit to £150 million.

Dissolution is the official term for the end of a parliamentary term.

See Laid Documents.

This is the first stage of the budget process in Wales and allows Members and committees to scrutinise the Welsh Government’s spending plans prior to the Annual Budget Motion.