UK Constitution and Government/Devolved Administrations
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Devolved Administrations
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[edit] Devolution
Devolution is the decentralisation of political power by establishing separate legislative and executive local authorities. This differs from federalism, as under a federal system power is clearly split between central and local authorities with neither being able to alter the split unilaterally. Under devolution in the UK, the UK Parliament at Westminster has devolved some of its power to these local bodies. However, it can reclaim the devolved powers at any time should it wish, through a new Act of Parliament.
The term specifically applies to the creation of a Parliament and Executive for Scotland, an Assembly and Executive for Northern Ireland and an Assembly for Wales. In each case, the power of the local government differs. Scotland has a wide range of powers and can even repeal some Acts of Parliament, while Wales can only make "secondary legislation" relating to local matters. In Northern Ireland, the local Assembly and Executive are currently suspended due to the instability of the political situation there.
[edit] Scotland
The Scottish legislative authority is the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Parliament is a unicameral body composed of 129 members (called Members of Scottish Parliament, or MSPs) elected for fixed four-year terms. Each of 73 members is elected by a constituency. The remaining are elected by eight regions, with each region electing seven members. Each voter has one constituency vote—cast for a single individual—and one regional vote—cast either for a party or for an independent candidate. Regional members are allocated in such a way as to permit a party's share of the regional vote to be proportional to its share of seats in the Scottish Parliament.
The Scottish Executive is the executive authority of Scotland; it is led by the First Minister. Other members of the Scottish Cabinet are generally given the title of Minister. The First Minister must retain the confidence of the Scottish Parliament to remain in power.
Scotland has responsibility over several major areas, including taxation, criminal justice, health, education, transport, the environment, sport, culture and local government. The Parliament at Westminster, however, retains authority over a certain number of reserved matters. Reserved matters include foreign affairs, defence, immigration, social security and welfare, employment, and general economic and fiscal policy.
[edit] Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is the Welsh legislative authority. It is, like the Scottish Parliament, a unicameral body; it also uses a similar electoral system. Forty of its sixty members are chosen from single-member constituencies, while the remaining twenty are regional members. (There are five regions.) The Welsh Government is led by the First Minister and includes other Ministers, who must retain the confidence of the Assembly.
The third Welsh Assembly can legislate using a system called "Assembly Measures". This system is a lower form of Primary Legislation similar to Acts of Parliament. They can be used to repeal laws, create provision and amend laws. The difference with "Assembly Measures" and "Acts of the Assembly" is that Measures do not have a bulk of powers with them, each Measure will come with a LCO, or Legislative Competency Order, which transfers powers from the UK Parliament to the Welsh Assembly Government. Devolution in Wales has changed a lot since 1999. The UK Parliament also transfers powers to the Assembly through a bill, which once it becomes law, it will then be transferred.
In order for the National Assembly to have full legislative powers, they will need to trigger a referendum through both the Assembly and both houses of the United Kingdom parliament. Once done, Wales will for the first time ever, will be able to legislate and make their own Acts. (To be known as Acts of the Assembly, or Acts of the National Assembly for Wales).
[edit] Northern Ireland
The Northern Ireland Assembly is now suspended and direct rule from Westminster imposed. Six members of the unicameral assembly were elected by the Single Transferrable Vote method from each of the eighteen Westminster constituencies, giving 108 members in total. Currently, functions of the Excecutive Committee in Northern Ireland are undertaken by the Northern Ireland Departments (established in the Belfast agreement), under the direction of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Under devolution the Executive was made up of members from the largest parties in the Assembly, with seats on the Executive allocated on a proportional basis. This Executive was headed by a First Minister and Deputy First Minister. The Assembly's powers were broad and similar to those of the Scottish Parliament, with the exception of taxation and criminal justice.
