Devolution

Question 1

How many elected members are in Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish Parliaments?

Answer 1

Scotland - 129. Wales - 60. Northern Ireland - 90.

Question 2

What electoral system is used in devolved nations?

Answer 2

Scotland and Wales - AMS. Northern Ireland - STV.

Question 3

Which party is in power in each devolved nation?

Answer 3

Scotland - SNP. Wales - Labour. Northern Ireland - Sinn Fein and the DUP.

Question 4

Who is the first minister of each country?

Answer 4

Scotland - Humza Yousaf. Wales - Vaughn Gething. Northern Ireland - Michelle O’neill.

Question 5

What is the location of each devolved government?

Answer 5

Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast.

Question 6

What did the Scotland Act 1998 do?

Answer 6

Gave the Scottish parliament primary legislative powers in areas such as law and order, health, education, and transport.

Question 7

What did the Scotland Act 2012 do?

Answer 7

Transferred tax raising powers to the Scottish Parliament by 10p in a pound. Devolved stamp duty and Landfill taxes.

Question 8

What did the Scotland Act 2016 do?

Answer 8

Transferred more powers to Holyrood, such as abortion, law, speed limits. Allowed Scotland to set its’ own income tax.

Question 9

How many pieces of legislation has the Scottish Parliament passed since it started?

Answer 9

300.

Question 10

What are the examples of Scottish Parliament Legislation?

Answer 10

Period Products Act, Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill adults act, Gender Recognition reform bill, visitor levy bill.

Question 11

What did the Wales Act 1998 do?

Answer 11

Set up the welsh assembly, and gave it the ability to devise secondary legislation areas such as Agriculture, Education and Housing.

Question 12

What did the Government of Wales Act 2006 do?

Answer 12

Enabled assembly to request further powers from Westminster, set up the welsh government.

Question 13

What was the welsh referendum 2011?

Answer 13

Asked if people wanted the assembly to be able to make legislation in the areas it has power. Yes Had 64%.

Question 14

What did the Wales Act 2014 do?

Answer 14

It was the first major transfer of tax raising powers to Welsh Government, such as Stamp duty and business rates.

Question 15

What did the Wales Act 2017 do?

Answer 15

Transferred important powers to Wales, gave the welsh government more primary legislation power.

Question 16

What did the Senedd and Elections Act 2020?

Answer 16

Changed the name of the parliament to the Senedd, gave the vote to 16 and 17 year old’s.

Question 17

What are the examples of welsh parliament legislation?

Answer 17

Abolition of the right to buy act, Trade Union Act, Childcare funding act, Public health act.

Question 18

Why is devolution for Northern Ireland different?

Answer 18

It’s done so with the backdrop of the troubles, meaning terrorist campaigns by nationalist and republican paramilitaries.

Question 19

When was there a devolved government in place?

Answer 19

From 1921 to 1972.

Question 20

Why was the previous NI devolved government abolished?

Answer 20

It was dominated by unionists, and discriminatory towards nationalists.

Question 21

Where was Northern Ireland governed from during this time?

Answer 21

Directly from Westminster.

Question 22

Why was there a British Army presence in Northern Ireland?

Answer 22

To keep peace.

Question 23

What happened to Northern Ireland in 1998?

Answer 23

The Good Friday Agreeement.

Question 24

What did the Good Friday Agreement promise?

Answer 24

A return to devolved government, prisoner release for paramilitary terrorists, reductions in British Army troops.

Question 25

What did the 1998 referendum ask residents?

Answer 25

If they approved of the Good Friday Agreement, they voted yes by 71 to 29%.

Question 26

Why was the assembly suspended in 2017?

Answer 26

The collapse of the power sharing agreement, due to the handling of a green energy scandal.

Question 27

What happened to Northern Ireland while the executive was closed?

Answer 27

The civil service extended rights of same sex marriage, and legalised abortion.

Question 28

What are the unionist parties in NI?

Answer 28

The DUP, and the UUP.

Question 29

What are the nationalist parties in NI?

Answer 29

SDLP, Sinn Fein.

Question 30

What are the two non-sectarian parties in NI?

Answer 30

Alliance Party, Green Party.

Question 31

How are ministerial posts decided in Northern Ireland?

Answer 31

Party strength in the devolved elections.

Question 32

Which matters are devolved?

Answer 32

Health, Education, Local Government, Agriculture, Transport, Taxation, Justice, Sports.

Question 33

Which matters are reserved?

Answer 33

Social Security, Broadcasting, Constitution, Defence, Employment, Equal opportunities, Foreign Policy, Immigration, Trade.

Question 34

What are the arguments devolution has worked well in the UK?

Answer 34

It has allowed regional political differences to be settled, strengthened the union, popular with voters, ensured the peace process, allowed policy laboratories, enabled different electoral systems.

Question 35

What are the arguments devolution hasn’t worked well in the UK?

Answer 35

Inequalities in provision and cost of public services, demands for greater separation, gave nationalist parties more governing confidence, community relations are still fragile, hasn’t created momentum for a change in the voting system.

Question 36

What are the examples of devolution in England?

Answer 36

Unitary councils, Metropolitan Boroughs, County councils, district boroughs, combined authorities, London boroughs, City Mayors.

Question 37

What are local councils responsible for?

Answer 37

The full range of local services such as social services, education and training programmes, leisure, planning, waste collection.

Question 38

What is the role of Combined authorities?

Answer 38

Enable a group of two or more councils to collaborate and take collective decisions across council boundaries.

Question 39

What are the examples of combined authorities?

Answer 39

Greater Manchester, West Midlands.

Question 40

Which piece of legislation allowed City mayors to be elected?

Answer 40

The local government act 2000.

Question 41

Which piece of legislation allowed metro mayors to be elected?

Answer 41

Cities and Local government devolution act 2016.

Question 42

How many city mayors are there currently?

Answer 42

15.

Question 43

How many metro mayors are there currently?

Answer 43

8.

Question 44

What do English local authorities rely on for funding?

Answer 44

Central Government.

Question 45

What limits do they have on their power?

Answer 45

They can only raise council tax by up to 5%, but can gain approval from government to raise it by more.

Question 46

What are the arguments for an English Parliament?

Answer 46

Would provide parity with the rest of the UK, provides an answer to the West Lothian Question, convention was broken in 2015 by Scottish MPs voting on English legislation, A private members’ bill was introduced to parliament, which would have meant federalism.

Question 47

What are the arguments against an English Parliament?

Answer 47

An English parliament would dominate a federal UK, England lacks cohesive identity, argument over location, extra cost with more government, would severely undermine Westminster, weaken the union, lack of enthusiasm.