Wednesday, July 02, 2008
A right to legislate
Welsh Office Minister, Huw Irranca Davies is quoted in the Western Mail this morning as reassuring MPs over the Assembly's Legislative Competence Order on Affordable Housing.
He says that plans to allow Welsh Councils to suspend the right to buy are not “a magic bullet to be used indiscriminately, but it does add a significant new power where there is an acute issue to be addressed. It may well be that existing Assembly policies, by and large, will be able to address affordable housing issues.” He added: “The Welsh Assembly Government still remains committed to the principle of Right to Buy.”
Although, it is good of Mr. Davies to speak on behalf of the Welsh Government in this way it is a fact that he cannot possibly give these assurances regarding the LCO nor should it be his job to do so.
The Legislative Competence Order exists to confer powers on the Assembly. It is the role of MPs to either approve or reject that Order not to try and second guess how it will be used. It may well be that the existing government will only use powers over the right to buy sparingly but that does not mean that a future government will follow suit, nor can MPs or Mr Irranca Davies tie them down to their interpretation.
This process would be so much simpler if MPs kept to the role assigned to them in it rather than trying to second guess the Assembly.
He says that plans to allow Welsh Councils to suspend the right to buy are not “a magic bullet to be used indiscriminately, but it does add a significant new power where there is an acute issue to be addressed. It may well be that existing Assembly policies, by and large, will be able to address affordable housing issues.” He added: “The Welsh Assembly Government still remains committed to the principle of Right to Buy.”
Although, it is good of Mr. Davies to speak on behalf of the Welsh Government in this way it is a fact that he cannot possibly give these assurances regarding the LCO nor should it be his job to do so.
The Legislative Competence Order exists to confer powers on the Assembly. It is the role of MPs to either approve or reject that Order not to try and second guess how it will be used. It may well be that the existing government will only use powers over the right to buy sparingly but that does not mean that a future government will follow suit, nor can MPs or Mr Irranca Davies tie them down to their interpretation.
This process would be so much simpler if MPs kept to the role assigned to them in it rather than trying to second guess the Assembly.
