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| Welsh Assembly (now Senedd Cymru) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Senedd Cymru |
| Native name | Senedd Cymru |
| Established | 1999 |
| Preceded | National Assembly for Wales |
| Legislature | Senedd |
| Leader1 type | Llywydd |
| Meeting place | Senedd building, Cardiff Bay |
Welsh Assembly (now Senedd Cymru) is the devolved legislature for Wales created in 1999 following the Welsh devolution referendum 1997 and rebranded as Senedd Cymru after the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020. It holds powers in areas transferred from Westminster by the Government of Wales Act 1998 and the Government of Wales Act 2006, and works alongside institutions such as the Welsh Government, the Office for National Statistics, and the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in matters of competence.
The institution originated from the campaign of the Campaign for a Welsh Assembly and the political movement led by figures including Alun Michael, Rhodri Morgan, Plaid Cymru activists, and members of the Labour Party (UK), culminating in the Welsh devolution referendum 1997 and the Government of Wales Act 1998. The first elections in 1999 returned Members to the Assembly who followed models from the Scottish Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly, influenced by drafts from the Calman Commission and debates in the House of Commons. Subsequent constitutional developments included the Government of Wales Act 2006, the Welsh devolution referendum 2011, and the Wales Act 2014 and Wales Act 2017, which expanded legislative competence and fiscal powers, leading to the renaming under the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020 and interaction with institutions like the UK Parliament and the Electoral Commission.
The legislature has authority in devolved fields such as health, originally overseen by ministers like Jane Hutt and Mark Drakeford, education influenced by policies from figures including Nicola Sturgeon’s counterparts in Scotland, local government matters involving Cardiff Council and Conwy County Borough Council, and transport including projects affecting M4 motorway corridors. Its competence is defined by statutes like the Government of Wales Act 2006 and clarified by rulings from the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and appeals to courts such as the Court of Appeal of England and Wales. The body can pass Acts within devolved fields after the 2011 referendum, legislate on matters tied to frameworks like the Barnett formula, and set budgets negotiated with the HM Treasury and scrutinised by committees modeled on those in the House of Commons.
The legislature comprises Members elected through a mixed system combining first-past-the-post constituencies such as Cardiff West and regional additional member system lists from regions like South Wales Central. Elections occur every five years under rules set by the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020 and overseen by the Electoral Commission. Political parties represented include Welsh Labour, Plaid Cymru, the Conservative Party (UK), Liberal Democrats (UK), and smaller groups including UK Independence Party in earlier terms. Prominent Members have included Carwyn Jones, Leanne Wood, and Andrew RT Davies, and the chamber has diversity policies reflecting guidance from bodies such as Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Internal roles include the Llywydd (presiding officer) comparable to the Speaker of the House of Commons, committee systems that mirror committees in the Scottish Parliament and the House of Commons, and a Cabinet-style Welsh Government led by the First Minister appointed through Senedd votes, a process seen in parliaments like the Dáil Éireann and the Northern Ireland Assembly. Procedures cover scrutiny of Welsh Ministers, question periods modelled on Prime Minister's Questions, and provision for statutory instruments under powers in acts like the Public Bodies Act 2011. The legislature engages with external auditors such as the Auditor General for Wales and watchdogs including Estyn and the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales.
Bills may be proposed by ministers, individual Members, or via petitions and follow stages analogous to Westminster processes in the House of Commons but adapted for committees and plenary in the Senedd chamber; after passage they receive Royal Assent from the Monarch of the United Kingdom or are subject to judicial review by the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom if competence is disputed. The process includes scrutiny by subject committees, evidence sessions with stakeholders like NHS Wales and Trade Union Congress, amendments, and voting by Members representing constituencies such as Aberconwy and regions like North Wales. Delegated powers allow statutory instruments to implement Acts subject to affirmative or negative resolution procedures similar to those used by the UK Parliament.
Relations are framed by statutes including the Government of Wales Act 2006 and reviews such as the Calman Commission and negotiations involving the Cabinet Office and Welsh Office predecessors. Interactions include fiscal settlements with HM Treasury, concordats with UK Government departments, intergovernmental relations through the Joint Ministerial Committee, and disputes adjudicated by courts exemplified by cases before the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. The Senedd engages with European institutions indirectly through mechanisms used after the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum 2016 and post-exit legislation like the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 where competence and legislative consent motions have been central.
The legislature meets in the purpose-built Senedd building in Cardiff Bay, part of the Senedd estate near Pierhead Building and the Wales Millennium Centre, with earlier sittings at venues including County Hall, Cardiff and other regional offices across Swansea, Wrexham, and Newport. The Senedd estate incorporates facilities for committees, public galleries, and offices for Members and staff, designed in consultation with bodies such as Cadw and subject to planning by Cardiff Council.