Gareth ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what requests he has received from the Welsh Assembly Government for Wales only legislation to be included in(a) the current legislative programme and (b) the legislative programme for each of the last three years. [144399]
§ Mr. TouhigThe information is contained in the following table.
923W
Legislative programme 2003–04 Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Wales) Bill Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Bill Tourism Accommodation (Registration) (Wales) Bill Transport (Wales) Bill Smoking in Public Places
Legislative Programme 2002–03 NHS (Wales) Bill Common Land (Wales) Bill Sunday Licensing (Wales) Bill St. David's Day Bill Land Use Planning Bill Education Bill Audit (Wales) Bill Housing Ombudsman (Wales) Bill Passenger Transport Bill 2001–02 Health and Well-Being (Wales) Bill Education (Wales) Bill St. David's Day Bill Census (Amendment) (Wales) Bill No formal bids were made for the 2000–01 session as they would have needed to be submitted at a time when the Assembly had only just been constituted. However, informal discussions resulted in a bid being made for a Bill to extend the functions of the Children's Commissioner for Wales.
The Assembly Government also informed us of the Assembly's call for a Bill to ban smoking in public places.
In most cases, the Government publishes Wales-only Bills in draft. The Assembly Government supports this and makes its bids in that context.