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Formation of Tomorrow’s Wales
The proposal for the establishment of the cross party, cross sector group came as a response to the publishing of the Richard Commission Report of March 2004.

What is the Richard Commission?
The Commission was appointed in July 2002 to examine the powers and electoral arrangements of the Assembly and to produce an independent report on these matters.

 The Commission considered the following issues:

  • Whether the size of the Assembly is adequate to its present job?
  • Whether the present electoral system is sufficiently representative?
  • Whether any changes would be needed if the Assembly were to acquire further powers?

The Commission’s final report was published on the 31st of March 2004.

The Commission recommends:

  • there should be a legislative Assembly for Wales on the model in Chapter 13 of the report;
  • in the interim, the framework delegated powers approach should be expanded as far as possible with the agreements of the UK Government and Parliament;
  • if a legislative Assembly is constituted, tax-varying powers are desirable but not essential;
  • to exercise primary powers, the Assembly needs an increase in membership to 80 Members;
  • the Assembly should be reconstituted as a separate legislature and executive;
  • the present voting system cannot sustain an increase to 80, and the best alternative is the STV system;
  • these changes should be in place by 2011, or sooner if practicable.

Click here to read the report.

What happened next…
The Richard Commission Report was widely welcomed in Wales – by political parties, constitutional experts, the voluntary sector, trade, farming and teaching unions and faith communities.

In response to the Report, the Wales Labour Party produced a policy paper in August 2004, followed by the UK Government’s White Paper Better Governance for Wales which went out to public consultation during the Summer of 2005. The Government of Wales Bill was introduced into Parliament on the 8th of December by the Secretary of State for Wales Peter Hain and First Minister Rhodri Morgan which would, in their own words, be “giving the Assembly more powers to deliver tailor-made policies for Wales.” The Bill sets out to implement the proposals outlined in Better Governance for Wales and will replace the 1998 Government of Wales Act.


 

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