Government of Wales Act 2006
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The Government of Wales Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It will reform the National Assembly for Wales, and allow further powers to be granted to it more easily. The bill creates a system similar to that of the United Kingdom system of government (the Westminster system), with a separate executive drawn from and accountable to the legislature.
It has the following provisions:
- an executive body - the Welsh Assembly Government, separate to the legislative body - the National Assembly for Wales. The Welsh Assembly Government is therefore altered from being a committee of the National Assembly to being a distinct body
- forbidding candidates contesting both constituencies and being on the a regional list
- provides a mechanism for Orders in Council to delegate power from Parliament to the Assembly, to be made as "Measures"
- provides for a referendum for further legislature competencies, to be known as "Acts of the Assembly"
- creates a Welsh Seal and a Keeper of the Welsh Seal (the First Minister)
- creates a Welsh Consolidated Fund
- creates the post of Counsel General as a member of the Welsh Assembly Government and its chief legal adviser.
- assigns to the Queen new ceremonial functions of formally appointing Welsh ministers and granting Royal Assent to Acts of the Assembly.
The bill received Royal Assent on 25 July 2006.
