§ 7. Sir Sydney Chapman (Chipping Barnet)When he next plans to meet the Committee Secretaries of the National Assembly for Wales to discuss the timetable for devolution of powers to the Assembly. [85161]
§ The Secretary of State for Wales (Mr. Alun Michael)I welcome the hon. Gentleman's belated arrival in the devolution debate. His question should clearly be treated as a sort of maiden speech.
Under the Transfer of Functions Order debated and agreed in the House on 24 February and in the other place on 3 March and made by Her Majesty in Council on 10 March 1999, the functions of the Secretary of State for Wales transfer to the Assembly on 1 July. By Committee Secretaries, I assume that the hon. Gentleman means the Assembly Secretaries, who are effectively the Ministers who make up the Assembly Cabinet. I meet them very frequently. There is no need to debate the date of the transfer of functions as the House has already decided it.
§ Sir Sydney ChapmanThe Secretary of State is sadly but characteristically misinformed, as I have already taken part in the debates on devolution. Will he confirm that it is his intention to resign as Secretary of State? Surely it is incompatible to be both First Secretary and Secretary of State.
Taking education as an example of one of the devolved subjects, if the Assembly takes a decision to spend more money in a particular area of education, will that have to come out of another part of the Welsh Budget, or will the Secretary of State or his successor lobby the Cabinet to change its decision and give more money to Wales?
§ Mr. MichaelI said that the hon. Gentleman's first question was rather like a maiden speech. The second is equally ill informed. As I have said for many months, I will stand down as Secretary of State for Wales at the appropriate time, when I have assisted in the transition 638 between the responsibilities that I currently hold and the establishment of the right relationships between the Assembly and colleagues in the United Kingdom Cabinet.