House of Lords written question – answered at on 18 July 2007.
Lord Rowlands
Labour
asked Her Majesty's Government:
What legislative competences (a) have been transferred to the National Assembly of Wales; and (b) would be transferred to the Assembly were legislation currently before Parliament enacted in its current form, within each policy area since the Government of Wales Act 1998; and what legislative competencies within each policy area remain at Westminster.
Lord Evans of Temple Guiting
Government Whip
Schedule 5 to the Government of Wales Act 2006 outlines the Legislative Competence of the National Assembly for Wales. Schedule 5 was populated in field 5 Education and Training and field 9 Health and Health Services as a result of the National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Conversion of the Framework Power) Order 2007.
There are provisions in the further education Bill and the local government Bill, currently before Parliament, which will further enhance the legislative competence of the National Assembly. All other competences remain with Westminster.
The house of Lords is the upper chamber of the Houses of Parliament. It is filled with Lords (I.E. Lords, Dukes, Baron/esses, Earls, Marquis/esses, Viscounts, Count/esses, etc.) The Lords consider proposals from the EU or from the commons. They can then reject a bill, accept it, or make amendments. If a bill is rejected, the commons can send it back to the lords for re-discussion. The Lords cannot stop a bill for longer than one parliamentary session. If a bill is accepted, it is forwarded to the Queen, who will then sign it and make it law. If a bill is amended, the amended bill is sent back to the House of Commons for discussion.
The Lords are not elected; they are appointed. Lords can take a "whip", that is to say, they can choose a party to represent. Currently, most Peers are Conservative.
