ALL ABOUT WALES AND DEVOLUTION

BY KIT, THomas AND ZOLLA <3

Why was it introduced/deemed necessary? 

 National identity, language, culture differences were all reasons for
devolution 
 From 1979 (in which only 20% voted in favor of devolution) to in 1997
with 50.1% votes in favor of devolution 
 Plaid Cymbru is a center-left and Welsh nationalist party in Wales
founded in 1925. It is seen to have grown in popularity. This could lead
to devolution to keep nationalist parties from aiming for
independence.  
 After a decade of austerity and thirteen years after the financial crash
things in Wales don’t seem to be improving (because of this, many have
lost faith in the work of politicians and those in Parliament)  
 Historically, the limited scope of devolution in Wales is usually
chalked up to lower levels of popular support or politicized civil
society to justify further devolution 
 
How has the devolved power evolved? 
 Government Of Wales act grants considerate admin devolution to Wales
(1998) 
 Executive branch created replacing Welsh Secretary Of State (1999) 
 Government Of Wales Act grants considerate admin devolution to Wales
(2017) 
 Welsh Assembly Renamed the Welsh Parliament (2020) 
 
How has it been successful? 
 It has allowed them to start a new program teaching younger generations
in the Welsh language which previously was dying out. 
 In 2007, Wales was able to independently vote to make all prescriptions
free (this was swiftly followed my Northern Ireland and Scotland) 
 
Have there been any issues with the devolution? 
 Wales did not have the infrastructure or resources to be able to manage
their own education system. They have successfully built hundreds of new
Welsh speaking schools but there is much more call for English schools.
Many pupils do not have a place at English schools this year and its not
possible to expect them to join a school in a language they do not
speak. 
 The Sennedd only has one house, so it is difficult to impose checks and
balances on plans put forward 
 Wales has always struggled to fund its local councils and now that this
is independent of England, they do not have the administrative power to
work out all of these issues. E.g. Bad roads, council housing.  
 Particularly in the last few years, funding has been focussed on the
south in the capital as that is where a lot of the tourism happens to
keep up appearances meaning that many councils in the less populated
north are left without essential funding to manage schools and roads.