Senedd Cymru

Senedd Cymru
Name	Senedd Cymru
Native name	Senedd Cymru
House type	Unicameral legislature
Established	1999
Leader1 type	Llywydd
Leader1	Elin Jones
Leader2 type	Trefnydd
Leader2	Sioned Williams
Members	60
Structure	Senedd composition
Meeting place	Senedd building, Cardiff Bay
Website	Senedd.cymru

Senedd Cymru Senedd Cymru is the devolved unicameral legislature for Wales, created by the Government of Wales Act 1998 and expanded by the Government of Wales Act 2006 and subsequent orders. The institution sits in Cardiff Bay at the Senedd building and comprises 60 elected Members representing constituencies and regions across Wales. Its remit covers devolved matters transferred from Westminster and has evolved through successive legislation and judicial decisions, interacting with institutions such as the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, European Court of Human Rights, and UK Parliament.

History

The creation of Senedd Cymru followed the 1997 Welsh devolution referendum and was established by the Government of Wales Act 1998, initially as the National Assembly for Wales. Early legislative development involved the Welsh Office and figures like Alun Michael and Rhodri Morgan, with the assembly gaining powers after the Government of Wales Act 2006 allowed law-making via Assembly Measures and later Assembly Acts. The 2011 referendum on law-making powers confirmed expanded legislative competence, and the institution was renamed in 2020 following the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020; the change echoed debates involving politicians such as Carwyn Jones, Leanne Wood, and Mark Drakeford. The Senedd's powers have been shaped by cases such as Attorney General for England and Wales v Heffer and interactions with the UK Supreme Court and governmental shifts during events like the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum.

Structure and Membership

The Senedd comprises 60 Members elected from 40 constituencies and 20 regional seats, with leadership roles including the Llywydd and Trefnydd and party groups such as Welsh Labour, Plaid Cymru, Welsh Conservatives, Welsh Liberal Democrats, and Abbotist? — parties and independents have varied representation. Prominent Members have included Elin Jones, Rhun ap Iorwerth, Andrew RT Davies, Jane Dodds, Adam Price, and Jonathan Morgan. The institution features a Presiding Officer akin to roles in Scottish Parliament and historic assemblies such as the National Assembly of Québec and contemporary legislatures like the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Senedd's corporate body model initially mirrored the [National Assembly for Wales Corporate Body] arrangements and underwent reform to separate executive functions following conventions observed in bodies like the Welsh Government and agencies such as Natural Resources Wales.

Powers and Functions

The Senedd exercises primary legislative powers in devolved areas listed in the Government of Wales Act 2006 and later statutes, covering issues previously managed by the Welsh Office. It can pass Acts on matters such as health services administered by NHS Wales, transport policy interacting with entities like Transport for Wales, and aspects of environmental regulation touching Natural Resources Wales and frameworks influenced by the European Union pre-Brexit. Fiscal powers were extended through measures including the Wales Act 2014 and Wales Act 2017, enabling variations in income tax similar to provisions referenced in debates involving the Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly. The Senedd scrutinises the Welsh Executive, approves budgets affected by Barnett formula assessments, and engages with intergovernmental mechanisms such as the Joint Ministerial Committee and UK Intergovernmental Relations.

Electoral System and Elections

Members are elected using an Additional Member System combining first-past-the-post for constituencies and closed regional lists using the D'Hondt method for regions matching the Welsh electoral regions. Elections have occurred in 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2016, and 2021, with key campaigns shaped by figures like Rhodri Morgan, Nick Bourne, Carwyn Jones, Leanne Wood, and Mark Drakeford. The Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020 introduced changes including proposals for voting age adjustments and terminological changes mirroring reforms debated in jurisdictions such as Scotland and Northern Ireland; franchise and boundary matters intersect with bodies like the Boundary Commission for Wales and electoral events such as the 2019 United Kingdom general election.

Committees and Scrutiny

The Senedd operates a committee system including subject committees (e.g., Health and Social Care, Climate Change, Economy, Education) and cross-cutting panels such as the Finance Committee and Public Accounts Committee. Committees draw on approaches from committees in the Scottish Parliament and the House of Commons, summoning witnesses from organisations like NHS Wales, Welsh Local Government Association, Estyn, and Care Inspectorate Wales. Inquiries have examined matters including the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and issues raised by controversies such as the Cardiff Bay development disputes. The Senedd uses statutory instruments and affirmative/negative resolution procedures analogous to those in Westminster.

Building and Facilities

The Senedd sits in the Senedd building in Cardiff Bay, part of the Cardiff Bay regeneration and adjacent to the Pierhead Building and Riverside Museum at Cardiff Bay. Designed by Richard Rogers and opened by dignitaries including members of the British Royal Family, the building features debating chamber, committee rooms, and public galleries, with sustainability features inspired by projects such as One Angel Square and monuments like the National Assembly for Wales building precedents. Accessibility and public engagement initiatives mirror practices at institutions including the Palace of Westminster and Scottish Parliament Building.

Criticism and Reform proposals

Critiques have targeted the Senedd's size, electoral system, powers, and cost-per-member, with commentators and politicians referencing models from the Scottish Parliament, Dáil Éireann, and Northern Ireland Assembly in reform debates. Proposals have included expansion of membership, adoption of alternative voting systems advocated by organisations like the Electoral Reform Society, increased fiscal powers similar to the Scottish devolution settlement, and changes to intergovernmental arrangements such as the Joint Ministerial Committee. Reviews including those by commissions and academics have considered options akin to reforms enacted in the Government of Wales Act 2006 and recommendations from panels chaired by figures comparable to commissioners in other devolved contexts.

Category:Politics of Wales