Bethan welcomes All Wales Convention backing for further powers
19 November 2009
BETHAN Jenkins has welcomed the report by the All Wales Convention suggesting a majority of people favour the Welsh Assembly gaining law making powers as in Scotland.
The All Wales Convention, chaired by Sir Emyr Jones Parry, which has hosted public consultations to gauge opinion on further powers for the Welsh Assembly, received 700 pieces of evidence and spoke to 2,000 people.
Bethan, who represents South Wales West, said: “The people of Wales have spoken, and what they have said is very encouraging. They see the need to improve our system of government.
“We have spent a number of years burdened with a cumbersome system that slows the pace of legislative change to a crawl. No matter how anyone feels about more powers for Wales, this situation benefits no one and I think many people would agree that it needs sorting.
“If we quicken the enactment of legislation, people in South Wales West will see how Plaid intends to implement our priorities – ensuring more affordable housing, giving our children safe travel safely on buses, providing greater powers over the Welsh language, and allowing us to legislate to tackle climate change.
“Who in Wales believes that we are less capable of legislating than the people of Scotland? Who thinks that decisions about Wales taken in London are going to be better than those taken in Wales? I don’t. We are providing Welsh solutions to Welsh problems – now let’s clear the path and let us get down to the important business of politics – changing lives for the better.”
