The Devolution of Wales: Administrative Aspect

Abstract

The article is devoted to the Wales’s devolution process. The author comments well-known statement that devolution is a “process, not event”. He traces its main stages — administrative and two legislative. The author based mainly on official documents — laws and related “command” documents. Attention is drawn to British tradition of independent commissions. The work of the Richard, Holtham and Silk’s commissions analyzed. Indicated that the rights of Wales are less than those in Northern Ireland and Scotland. Wales is more integrated with England, in legal terms it was a single space “England and Wales”. Therefore, devolution’s support was here initially low. In the 1997 referendum, it was supported by only 50,3% of those who voted, with a turnout of 51%. Consequently, the idea’s support was by only a quarter of the inhabitants. However, the support is gradually expanding. This is the basis of the gradual expansion of the region’s rights. The devolution’s consequences are contradictory. Does it strengthen the kingdom, as its initiators believed, or lead to its collapse?

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