How is Wales governed under devolution, and how has the settlement developed?
Devolution and the government of Wales: the creation and development of the Senedd, its powers, the Welsh Government, and the strengths and limits of the devolution settlement.
A WJEC AS Unit 1 study of devolution in Wales: the Government of Wales Acts, the creation and renaming of the Senedd, its primary law-making powers, the role of the Welsh Government and First Minister, and debates about the strengths and limits of the settlement.
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What this dot point is asking
This WJEC AS topic, central to the Wales-focused Unit 1, asks you to explain how Wales is governed under devolution and to evaluate how far the settlement has succeeded. You need the history of the Government of Wales Acts, the powers of the Senedd, the role of the Welsh Government, and the strengths and limits of the arrangement.
The answer
What devolution is
Wales has asymmetric devolution: it does not have identical powers to Scotland or Northern Ireland, and the Welsh settlement has changed more often than the others.
The development of the settlement
The Welsh settlement has been built up in stages.
- Government of Wales Act 1998. Created the National Assembly for Wales after a narrow yes vote in the 1997 referendum, but with only secondary (administrative) powers at first.
- Government of Wales Act 2006. Separated the Assembly (legislature) from the Welsh Government (executive) and allowed primary law-making powers to be granted area by area.
- 2011 referendum. A clear yes vote gave the Assembly direct primary law-making powers across all devolved fields.
- Wales Act 2017. Moved Wales to a reserved-powers model (the Assembly can legislate on anything not specifically reserved to Westminster) and devolved limited tax powers.
- Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020. Renamed the body Senedd Cymru / the Welsh Parliament and lowered the voting age in Senedd and local elections to 16.
The powers of the Senedd
Areas such as defence, foreign affairs, immigration, and most policing and justice remain reserved to Westminster.
The Welsh Government
The Welsh Government is the executive, led by the First Minister, who is normally the leader of the largest party in the Senedd and is supported by ministers. It develops and implements policy in devolved areas. Distinctive Welsh policies have included free prescriptions, a soft opt-out system for organ donation, and measures to promote the Welsh language toward a million speakers.
Strengths and limits
Supporters point to closer, more responsive government and distinctive policies suited to Wales, plus growing public acceptance shown by the 2011 referendum. Critics point to the complexity of a settlement that has changed repeatedly, the constraint of funding through the Westminster block grant, and relatively low turnout in Senedd elections, which raises questions about its mandate.
Examples in context
Distinctive policy. Devolution has let Wales diverge from England. Wales abolished prescription charges in 2007, well before any similar move elsewhere, and introduced a deemed-consent (opt-out) organ donation system in 2015. These choices, made by the Welsh Government and Senedd in devolved health policy, illustrate the core argument that devolution allows decisions to reflect Welsh priorities rather than a single UK-wide approach.
Try this
Q1. When and how was the National Assembly for Wales created? [3 marks]
- Cue. By the Government of Wales Act 1998, following a narrow yes vote in the 1997 referendum.
Q2. Name two areas of policy devolved to the Senedd. [2 marks]
- Cue. Any two of health, education, local government, the Welsh language, agriculture, the environment, housing, transport.
Q3. To what extent has devolution been a success in Wales? [25 marks]
- What the marker wants. A judgement weighing closer government and distinctive policy against complexity, funding limits and low turnout, with Welsh examples.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WJEC AS Unit 110 marksExplain the powers of the Senedd.Show worked answer →
A short-answer question testing AO1 knowledge of the devolution settlement.
The Senedd has primary law-making powers in devolved areas and can pass Acts of Senedd Cymru. Devolved areas include health, education, local government, the Welsh language, agriculture and the environment. Since the Wales Act 2017 Wales operates under a reserved-powers model, so the Senedd can legislate on anything not specifically reserved to Westminster. The Senedd also has limited powers over income tax and scrutinises the Welsh Government.
The best answers name specific devolved areas and note the move to a reserved-powers model rather than just asserting that the Senedd "makes laws".
WJEC AS Unit 120 marksTo what extent has devolution been a success in Wales?Show worked answer →
An extended evaluation requiring a balanced judgement.
Case for success: devolution has brought decisions closer to the Welsh people, allowed distinctive policies (for example on prescription charges, organ donation and the Welsh language), and steadily gained powers and public acceptance, confirmed by the 2011 referendum on primary law-making powers.
Case for limits: the settlement is complex and has changed repeatedly; funding through the block grant constrains choices; some argue powers remain too limited, others that divergence from England causes confusion; and turnout in Senedd elections is often low.
The top band weighs democratic and policy gains against funding and complexity, and reaches a supported judgement.
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