Government of Wales Bill (UK)

The Government of Wales Bill is currently being considered by the United Kingdom Parliament.

The long title of the Bill is: A Bill to make provision about the government of Wales.

The current version of the bill contains the following parts:


 * Part 1 - National Assembly for Wales
 * Part 2 - Welsh Assembly Government
 * Part 3 - Assembly Measures
 * Part 4 - Acts of the Assembly
 * Part 5 - Finance
 * Part 6 - Miscellaneous and Supplementary
 * Part 7 - Regulation of Parties
 * Part 8 - Miscellaneous
 * Part 9 - General
 * Schedules 1 - 12

The Bill extends the power of the Welsh Assembly.

Certain provisions in the Bill make changes to the way members are elected to the Assembly.

Amendment 4 proposed in the Committee of the Whole House of Lords would have caused the Welsh Assembly to be elected by Single Transferable Vote. The amendment was withdrawn after debate.

The Bill as agreed by the House of Commons would prohibit members who are standing in a constituency election from simultaneously standing on a regional list. The government argues that this would stop candidates who have been rejected by the electorate in a constituency contest from being elected anyway. A similar provision is being proposed for elections to the Scottish Parliament in the Scottish Parliament (Candidates) Bill (UK) which does not have the support of the Government.

This proposal was reversed by the Committee of the Whole House of Lords which agreed to Amendment 17 to retain the status quo where members can stand simultaneously in a consitutuency election and on a constituency list. The amendment was carried by division: Contents 133, Not Contents 114

The Committee of the Whole House of Lords has ordered that the Bill be reported with amendments. The Bill is due to be debated at Report stage on 27th June 2006. The debate on Report is expected to conclude on 28th June 2006. This date is provisional and subject to change without notice.

The Bill has made the follwoing progress through Parliament: