Powers Progress Should Be Automatic For The People

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 18th May 2005

Welsh Liberal Democrat leader in the Assembly Mike German has called for Labour to bring forward a timetable for action on further devolution rather than their current vague promises.

His comments come after the Queen's Speech which confirmed that there would be a white paper on giving the Assembly greater law making powers, but not when full powers would be transferred, nor when any referendum on the issue might be held. Mr German said: "If Labour is serious about letting the people of Wales have what they want - a parliament with law-making powers, just like Scotland - then it must give us a timetable for making that change. And it must make clear how the people of Wales can trigger that process.

"What we have so far is a pledge from Peter Hain to do something, sometime. That sounds like the long grass in to which Labour likes to kick all the decisions it finds most difficult. Just because Labour cannot agree what is best for the Labour Party, the people of Wales should not be denied the opportunity to decide what is best for them.

"It is not good enough to say 'at some stage in the future'? The people of Wales want to know how and when they will be able to give the Assembly the tools it needs to do the job.

"The interim proposals, which would allow both the House of Commons and the House of Lords to veto proposals drawn up in Wales for Wales, can only be a short term stepping-stone. There should be automatic progression in a two-stage process, exactly as recommended by the Richard Commission. The great danger is that if it is left up to Labour politicians to decide whether to go forward or not the long grass will grow ever longer.

"They must trust the people of Wales to decide their future."