Ballot will give AMs the chance to pass new Welsh laws

Assembly Members who are not part of the government are to get their first chance to pass laws for Wales under the Assembly’s new powers. The Government of Wales Act gives the Assembly power to make its own legislation on devolved matters such as health, education, social services, local government. These will be a new category of Welsh laws called Assembly Measures. Before making Measures in relation to a particular area of devolved government, the National Assembly for Wales will need to obtain ‘legislative competence’ – the legal authority to pass Measures – on a case by case basis by the UK Parliament. Legislative competence can be granted either in Acts of Parliament or using the new route of “Legislative Competence Orders” (LCO), and once the Assembly is granted legislative competence on a topic by the UK Parliament, it can begin the process of passing Assembly Measures. The Presiding Officer, Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas has announced that on 26 June he will hold ballots for Members to submit proposals, one for LCOs and one for Measures. Any AM who is not a Member of the Assembly Government can enter the ballot and the LCO and Measure which are successful in the ballot will go before plenary (the winners will be chosen by an “electronic shuffle”) The Presiding Officer said: “I was determined to move quickly on this, because I was not content to be in a position where the Government was able to legislate, but the rest of us could not. I am certain that there will be increasing interest among those who watch us and follow our proceedings in the fact that we have now commenced the process of legislating, not just in terms of Government but in terms of Assembly Members.”  He also urged members of the public to contact AMs with their own ideas for legislation.