Dafydd El is right - but WAG should not need the Presiding Officer to fight its corner (Carmarthen East, Dinefwr and Llanelli Liberal Democrats)

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Carmarthen East, Dinefwr and Llanelli Liberal Democrats <jon@burree.co.uk>

Dafydd El is right - but WAG should not need the Presiding Officer to fight its corner

October 20, 2008 12:00 AM
Originally published by Welsh Liberal Democrats

Commenting on the letter written by Presiding Officer Dafydd Elis Thomas to Secretary of State Paul Murphy questioning the actions of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee in attempting to restrict the breadth of the lawmaking powers over affordable housing

Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Mike German said: "Dafydd is absolutely write in what he says - 100%. It is not the job of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee to restrict the powers requested by the Welsh Assembly Government. Particularly not on the grounds that they don't like what we may or may not do with these powers in some future time. I would hope that the First Minister is making this point on behalf of his government too. It should not be necessary for the Presiding Officer to intervene in the process.

"MPs have a role in ensuring the request for extra powers does not overstep the bounds laid down in the government of Wales Act. Beyond that, they should get out of the way, and let the powers come to the Assembly. How the powers are used is a matter for members of the National Assembly.

"There is no intention - among any of the main parties in Wales - to scrap the right to buy in Wales. Merely to suspend it in areas of particular pressure. However, it would be a nonsense to go through the long and arduous journey to get the power to suspend, then have to go back at a later date if the democratically elected government in Wales wanted to extend that in to a permanent ban. The widest powers should be devolved now, to ensure this process never needs to be repeated."