More powers for Welsh Assembly backed in poll

15 Aug 13
More than half of the Welsh public want the National Assembly for Wales to gain more powers, but they are divided on which areas should transfer, a survey has found.

By Mark Smulian | 15 August 2013

More than half of the Welsh public want the National Assembly for Wales to gain more powers, but they are divided on which areas should transfer, a survey has found.

Research for the Commission on Devolution in Wales among 2,009 people found 51% would like to see increased powers for the assembly, and a further 9% supported full independence.

The most favoured policy areas to pass into assembly control were renewable energy and wind farms, mentioned by 70% of respondents, policing (63%) and broadcasting and media regulation (58%).

Welfare and benefits provided the most contentious area, with 51% favouring its transfer to the assembly while 46% felt it should remain at UK level.

The poll found there was a high awareness of whether particular policy areas lay at UK Parliament or assembly level.

Respondents largely supported the assembly retaining all its present powers, though for education and health significant minorities favoured returning control to the UK parliament, at 20% and 27% respectively.

Commission chair Paul Silk said: ‘The results are generally consistent with trends identified in other surveys, but while they show a continued growth in support for the National Assembly as an institution and for it to have further powers, we need to be mindful that the people of Wales have differing views.’

The survey found the Welsh public more favourably disposed towards the assembly than to the UK Parliament, with 56% saying they were satisfied with the former and only 43% with the latter.

Highest levels of satisfaction with the assembly were found among those aged 16-34, women and those who regard their national identity as ‘Welsh’, rather than ‘British’.

Asked whether the assembly had done a better job for Wales within its existing powers than the UK parliament would have done, 48% replied ‘yes’ and only 8% ‘no’, though 35% said it had made no difference.

The research found that while many respondents wanted the assembly to have increased powers, their support tended to be conditional on good performance rather than a matter of principle.

Respondents also appeared not to regard further devolution as urgent, with two-thirds saying any new powers should be transferred within five years or more, rather than in the next year.

The commission was set up in 2011 to review financial and constitutional arrangements in Wales, and is taking evidence on the assembly’s future powers.

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