The Numbers Game

MP's have today called on the Welsh Assembly to stop sending them so many pesky LCO's request. Apparently the Assembly's thirst for new power has caught the MP's off guard, and they just cannot keep up with the workload. There are 11 LCO's working their way through the complicated mess of a system at the moment, and the MP's are throwing their toys out of the pram, insisting that they only expected four or five.

Back in late 2006 the Lord that is our Presiding Officer suggested that the Assembly would propose 18 LCO's during the first year of the new system. His prediction was shouted down by Labour, who insisted that:

"We've been working on the assumption of about four or five.This is a little bit wide of the mark from Dafydd Elis-Thomas"

In fact, according to Peter Black, 18 was a much more accurate figure and that the Assembly would have reached it if the One Wales Government weren't holding back.

This fresh moaning from the MP's only serves as further evidence that the whole Devolution 1.1 dreamt up by Rhodri and Peter Hain (remember him!) to keep their MP's happy was always going to be a mess. The UK Parliament passed 31 acts last year, the Scottish Parliament 17. Did they really expect the Assembly to only want to legislate on 4 matters per year?

The so-called "senior Labour figure" back in 2006 went on to stick the boot into the Presiding Officer by stating:

"It's worth remembering that he's quite far away from the process of deciding how the new system will work."

Looking at how things panned out you must wonder whether it was the MP's who have been a bit far away from the process of how the system works!