The size and electoral arrangements of the National Assembly should be decided by the Assembly itself with the people of Wales.
That's the view of the cross-party Assembly Commission, which is calling for those powers to be devolved to the Assembly. The Commission also wants to see the size of the Assembly increase to between 80 and 100 Members in order to ensure that it continues to deliver robust legislative and policy scrutiny in the face of current and future constitutional change.
The maximum cost of a legislature of that size would represent just 0.4% of the Welsh Block.
The Commission's report is being published against the backdrop of debate about the future of the UK's constitutional makeup and devolution in Wales. This is the Commission's contribution to that debate and the future powers of the Assembly.
"Our argument is driven by the desire to give Members a realistic opportunity to scrutinise the policy, administration, spending and legislative proposals of the Welsh Government as robustly as the people of Wales deserve," said Presiding Officer, Dame Rosemary Butler AM, Chair of the Assembly Commission.
"With only 60 Members, the National Assembly is small by any objective local, national or international comparison.
"Assembly Members are thinly spread, especially in their committee work, and these pressures will only intensify as our legislative and fiscal responsibilities increase."
The Assembly is responsible for authorising some £15 billion of expenditure to fund the delivery of public services in Wales.
"We want this Assembly to be a strong, accessible and forward looking democratic institution and legislature that delivers for the people of Wales," the Presiding Officer added.
"Much has been achieved by Assembly Members to deliver this since the Assembly was established.
"However, the strength and success of Welsh devolution in the future will be at risk if we do not take steps to match the size of the institution to the size of the task.
"I am encouraged to see that the Scottish Parliament today is being offered greater powers over its own operation, including its electoral arrangements and the number of MSPs. What we are seeking is parity of powers with Scotland in respect of these matters."
In their discussions, the Commission concluded that:
- the Assembly needs to have between 80 and 100 Members if it is to properly hold the Welsh Government to account or to scrutinise the growing volume of policy and legislation for which the institution is responsible;
- the expectations evident on Members today, let alone any extension of the Assembly's powers and responsibilities, make a compelling case for more Members;
- with only 60 Members, the National Assembly is under powered and over-stretched;
- the Assembly is small by any objective local, national or international comparison, its Members are thinly spread in their committee work especially, and its legislative and fiscal responsibilities are increasing;
- Assembly Members face a weekly cycle of committee work, demanding a high level of specialised policy, legislative, financial and procedural expertise, timetabled around two Plenary sessions where a high level of attendance and participation is the norm. This is added to for many by the demands of key leadership roles upon which the institution relies;
- an Assembly of 80 Members would still be low for a small European state or a sub-national legislature representing more than three million people. Though the position would be improved, significant capacity constraints would continue;
- an increase to 100 Members would bring the Assembly closer to a position where every Member would be able to develop specialist expertise and concentrate solely on their principal role - be that as office holder, spokesperson or committee member;
- the size and electoral arrangements of the National Assembly should be matters decided by the institution itself but with full consultation with the people of Wales. We wholeheartedly endorse, therefore, the Presiding Officer's call for these matters to be devolved in full to the Assembly at the earliest possibility after the 2015 UK General Election.