National Assembly prepares for the future with a broad-ranging review of its ways of working
27 May 2010
The National Assembly has announced that it will be reviewing its procedures to ensure the continued effective working of the Assembly as it enters a second decade of devolution in Wales.
The Presiding Officer, Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas AC, has announced that the review will commence with a formal consultation on the Assembly’s Standing Orders, which govern how the Assembly works.
The Assembly therefore wishes to hear from organisations or individuals on how they feel Standing Orders could be changed to ensure they are easily understood, but also allow for innovation and improvement in the Assembly’s roles of representing the interest of Wales and its people, holding the Welsh Government to account and also how the Assembly makes laws for Wales.
Standing Orders cover all aspects of Assembly proceedings, for example: the organisation of business in Plenary meetings, such as how much time is dedicated to government business and opposition parties; how Members can ask questions of Ministers; the legislative process and how Members undertake their scrutiny role in Committees.
“The Assembly prides itself on being an innovative and forward-looking legislature, and our achievements during the first ten years of devolution are a testament to that aspiration,” said the Presiding Officer, Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas.
“However, we cannot afford to become complacent. The nature of politics is continually evolving. The forthcoming year will see an opportunity for the people of Wales to decide in a referendum on whether they would like the Assembly to have powers to pass laws for Wales on devolved subjects without Westminster’s involvement.
“Similarly, Wales will have an opportunity to vote on who they would like to be their elected representatives in the Assembly next year.
“The Assembly therefore has a duty to ensure our ways of working continue to be innovative, effective and accessible. I am certain that this review will go a long way to ensuring this is the case.”
The National Assembly’s Business Committee would like to know if the Assembly's way of working is accessible and effective in fulfilling its roles of:
– holding the government to account;
– making laws; and
– representing the people of Wales.
The Committee would also welcome your views on:
– the general principles which underpin how the Assembly should work and which will form the basis for the review (see further details of these in the call for evidence);
– how the Assembly’s proceedings and rules could be improved to reflect the principles;
– changes you think would improve any particular provisions within Standing Orders.
The Committee would like to invite you to submit written evidence to assist its work. The Committee welcomes contributions in English and Welsh and will consider responses to the written consultation during the autumn term. Where they relate to more general comments on the Assembly’s ways of working, we will also bring them to the attention of other Assembly Committees or officials.
If you wish to submit evidence, the closing date is 23 July 2010. It may not be possible to take into account responses received after this date. View the call for evidence.
Please send an electronic copy of your submission to StandingOrders@wales.gsi.gov.uk
Entitle the e-mail: Consultation – Review of Standing Orders
Alternatively, you can write to:
Llinos Madeley, Procedures Clerk, National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff Bay, CF99 1NA.