11 Facts About Welsh Assembly

The Welsh Assembly initially had no powers to make primary legislation.

In July 2002, the Welsh Government established an independent commission, with Lord Richard as chair, to review the powers and electoral arrangements of the National Assembly to ensure that it is able to operate in the best interests of the people of Wales.

Changes to the Welsh Assembly's powers were commenced on 4 May 2007, after the election.

Later that year, the Llywydd – the Welsh Assembly's presiding officer – wrote to all Welsh Assembly Members explaining that the name change proposed in the Bill would be the monolingual name "Senedd".

The executive arm of the Senedd, the Welsh Assembly Government, has been a Labour administration since its inception in 1999.

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One important feature of the National Welsh Assembly until 2007 was that there was no legal or constitutional separation of the legislative and executive functions, since it was a single corporate entity.

The Welsh Assembly did have powers to pass secondary legislation in devolved areas.

The Welsh Assembly delayed local elections due to be held in 2003 for a year by use of secondary powers, so that they would not clash with Welsh Assembly elections.

Welsh Assembly gained limited primary legislative powers following the 2007 election and the passage of the Government of Wales Act 2006.

On 3 July 2012, the Welsh Assembly passed its first Act, the Local Government Byelaws Act.

Welsh Assembly Labour won 30 seats out of 60 in the 2021 Senedd elections.