5. Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: The Constitutional Commission

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:39 pm on 19 October 2021.

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Photo of Rhys ab Owen Rhys ab Owen Plaid Cymru 4:39, 19 October 2021

(Translated)

The commissions of the past were not a waste of time. They have led to the strengthening of this place and have improved the lives of the people of Wales. I'm sure that Rowan Williams is very familiar with preaching with three different topics; may I remind you of three previous commissions?

First of all, Lord Richard's commission on better governance. Now, this led to the Government of Wales Act 2006, and this gave us powers to pass primary legislation in specific areas. This legislation also separated the Assembly from the Government. This was very important to us as a democracy in Wales and followed the practices of democracies across the globe.

And then, the All-Wales Convention that led to full powers in devolved areas following the 2011 referendum. I, like Darren Millar, campaigned for that—not together, of course—but there was some excitement at that point, Darren, the parties working together to secure what was best for the people of Wales. All the parties put the nation first in order to get rid of those laborious LCOs. Months later, Counsel General, you were elected to this place at such an exciting and confident time for us as an institution.

And then the Silk commission—remember the Silk commission? It was the Conservative Government that commissioned that, that led to the Wales Act 2014 and the reserved-powers model, and that meant that we could pass laws in any areas that were not reserved to the UK Parliament. In the second part of the Silk commission, those recommendations were accepted by the Conservative Government, and that led to the St David's Day agreement of 2015.

Yes, commissions are not a waste of time, by any means; they are a way of nation building. As Darren Millar has said, Wales has been on a journey, and that journey continues, despite the efforts of some. Brexit, COVID-19, what's happening in Scotland, what's happening in Northern Ireland have led a number of people in Wales to reassess the situation and to reconsider the constitutional future of our nation. Unlike all previous commissions, this time, independence will be officially on the table. This is a huge step forward on our journey. This will be the biggest national conversation in the history of Wales as a devolved nation. I warmly welcome the appointment of Laura McAllister and Rev Dr Rowan Williams to their roles, and I wish them well as co-chairs.