§ Mr. EvansTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on his responsibilities following the establishment of the National Assembly for Wales. [68552]
§ Mr. MichaelImmediately after the election of the National Assembly for Wales I will retain all my current functions. A few weeks later I will transfer most of these functions to the Assembly in accordance with the Transfer of Functions Order. The Assembly will then become the centre of democracy within Wales. After that, the Secretary of State for Wales will continue as a member of the UK Cabinet and will have responsibility for primary legislation where it is proposed that powers be given to the Assembly, for Parliamentary procedures relating to those subordinate legislative instruments made by the Assembly which are still subject to such procedures, for securing and giving the Assembly its annual budget, for consulting the Assembly on the Government's legislative programme, for Welsh matters connected with the Palace and for minority languages.
Some of the powers under the Government of Wales Act 1998 which the Secretary of State will exercise as part of the transfer of functions are not time limited so that he or she may apply the Act to changed circumstances; for example, he or she may add to the powers of the Auditor General for Wales if a new function is transferred to the Assembly which involves the preparation of accounts and make provisions about the accounts of any new public body that may be created with functions that relate only to Wales.