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Wales

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 Cyfieithiad Cymraeg

Welsh Assembly Government Headquarters

Carreg Cennen Castle, Carmarthenshire

Cathays Park, Cardiff.  Headquarters of the Welsh Assembly Government, situated in Cardiff’s distinctive Edwardian civic centre.

Carreg Cennen Castle, Carmarthenshire.  Dating from the 13th and 14th centuries, the castle is now in the care of the Welsh Assembly Government’s heritage agency, Cadw.  Photo © 2001 Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments.

Priority area of work within BIC : Minority and Lesser Used Languages & Social Inclusion (jointly with Scotland)

Government: Wales is part of the UK. Following a referendum in favour of devolution to Wales in September 1997, the UK Parliament passed the Government of Wales Act 1998 in July 1998 setting out the powers and functions of the National Assembly for Wales.

The first Assembly election was held in May 1999 and further elections are held every 4 years, the most recent being on 3 May 2007. The Assembly has 60 Assembly Members (AMs), 40 of whom represent a particular constituency and are elected under the first past the post system. The other 20 AMs represent one of the 5 electoral regions (i.e. there are 4 AMs per region) and they are elected by proportional representation.

The UK Parliament passed the Government of Wales Act 2006 in July 2006 to extend the devolution settlement in Wales. The 2006 Act provides for legal separation between the National Assembly for Wales (i.e. the 60 AMs) and the Welsh Assembly Government. It gives the National Assembly for Wales the power to pass Welsh laws called Measures of the National Assembly for Wales in relation to devolved matters.

The Welsh Assembly Government has executive responsibility for the following devolved areas of government:

* Agriculture, fisheries, forestry and rural development
* Ancient monuments and historic buildings
* Culture
* Economic development
* Education and training
* Environment
* Fire and rescue services and promotion of fire safety
* Food
* Health and health services
* Highways and transport
* Housing
* Local government
* Public administration
* Social welfare
* Sport and recreation
* Tourism
* Town and country planning
* Water and flood defence
* Welsh language

UK Ministers continue to be responsible for matters which are not devolved to the Welsh Assembly Government, such as foreign policy, taxation and social security."


Contact details : If you would like to know more about Wales, please go to www.wales.gov.uk