Public asked views onAssembly name
THE public are being asked to have their say on what the National Assembly for Wales should be called.
In July the National Assembly unanimously agreed that “the Assembly should change its name to reflect its constitutional status as a national parliament”.
Presiding Officer Elin Jones AM, has launched a public consultation to ask the people of Wales which name would best reflect the role of the Assembly.
There are three options – Parliament, Senedd or Assembly. In the consultation people are asked whether they agree or disagree with three statements:
the role of the National Assembly for Wales is well understood;
the name of an institution is important to explain what it does; and
the National Assembly for Wales should change its name.
They are also asked: “How well do you feel the names below describe the role and responsibilities of the National Assembly for Wales?”
A new name for the National Assembly will mean a new name for Assembly Members, and the options include: Member of the Parliament of Wales (MPW)/Aelod o Senedd Cymru (ASC), Wales Parliament Member (WPM)/ Aelod o Senedd Cymru (ASC), Member of the Welsh Parliament (MWP)/ Aelod o Senedd Cymru (ASC), Welsh Parliament Member (WPM)/Aelod o Senedd Cymru (ASC), Member of Senedd Cymru (MSC)/Aelod o Senedd Cymru (ASC) and Member of the Senedd (MS)/Aelod o’r Senedd (AS).
The National Assembly for Wales is the demo- cratically elected body that represents the interests of Wales and its people, makes laws for Wales, agrees Welsh taxes and holds the Welsh Government to account.
Since the Assembly was established by the 1998 Government of Wales Act, there have been two further Acts of Parliament.
Now it is the national legislature, with the power to pass laws and agree taxes.
It holds the government to account for all of its decisions and its use of a budget of £15bn a year, and it is the focal point for national democratic debate in Wales on the most important issues of the day.
The Wales Bill that is currently before the UK Parliament will, if passed, make further changes to the devolution settlement and give the Assembly control over its own ar- rangements – including the power to change its name.
Ms Jones said: “The extraordinary pace of change in Welsh devolution has come at the cost of consistent public understanding of the role of the Assembly and the matters for which it has responsibility. Electoral turnout for National Assembly elections, public perception surveys and information gathered through Assembly Commission engagement work all point to a low level of understanding about what the Assembly does and the scope of its powers.
“The Assembly delivers a range of programmes to increase awareness, understanding and participation.”
To take part in the consultation, visit www.assembly.wales/name. You can also call 0300 200 6565 to request a copy of the consultation to be posted to you.