In 1978, theWelsh Assembly (Welsh:Cynulliad Cymru) was a proposedlegislature forWales that would have acquired a set list ofdevolved powers from theParliament of the United Kingdom. Provisions to establish the assembly were set out in theWales Act 1978, subject to a post-legislative referendum. The assembly was not established as the proposals were defeated in the1979 Welsh devolution referendum.
Adevolved Welsh assembly would not become a reality until 1999 following the1997 Welsh devolution referendum leading to theGovernment of Wales Act 1998 establishing aNational Assembly for Wales, now the Senedd (or Welsh Parliament).
The proposed assembly would have had 72 members elected by thefirst-past-the-post system, with each Westminster constituency returning either two or three assembly members.
It was planned that the assembly would have operated under the committee system, with subject committees formed with representation of all groups in the assembly.[1] An Executive Committee would have been formed, made up of the chairs of the various subject committees and other members selected by the assembly. A Chairman of the Executive Committee would have been selected, who would also serve as Leader of the Assembly.
It was proposed that the assembly would have met at theCoal Exchange inCardiff.
The Wales Act 1978 proposed to create a Welsh Assembly without primary legislative or tax raising powers. The assembly would have had the power to passsecondary legislation, but responsibility for primary legislation would have remainedwith theUK Parliament at Westminster. It would have taken over the powers and functions of theSecretary of State for Wales.
The proposed assembly would have had responsibility for:
It would have been able to aid the development of:
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