Devolution Flashcards

1
Q

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

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What electoral system is used in devolved nations?

A

Scotland and Wales - AMS. Northern Ireland - STV.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Which party is in power in each devolved nation?

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Who is the first minister of each country?

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is the location of each devolved government?

A

Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What did the Scotland Act 1998 do?

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What did the Scotland Act 2012 do?

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What did the Scotland Act 2016 do?

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

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

A

300.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What are the examples of Scottish Parliament Legislation?

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What did the Wales Act 1998 do?

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What did the Government of Wales Act 2006 do?

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What was the welsh referendum 2011?

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What did the Wales Act 2014 do?

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What did the Wales Act 2017 do?

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What did the Senedd and Elections Act 2020?

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What are the examples of welsh parliament legislation?

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Why is devolution for Northern Ireland different?

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

When was there a devolved government in place?

A

From 1921 to 1972.

20
Q

Why was the previous NI devolved government abolished?

A

It was dominated by unionists, and discriminatory towards nationalists.

21
Q

Where was Northern Ireland governed from during this time?

A

Directly from Westminster.

22
Q

Why was there a British Army presence in Northern Ireland?

A

To keep peace.

23
Q

What happened to Northern Ireland in 1998?

A

The Good Friday Agreeement.

24
Q

What did the Good Friday Agreement promise?

A

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

25
Q

What did the 1998 referendum ask residents?

A

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

26
Q

Why was the assembly suspended in 2017?

A

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

27
Q

What happened to Northern Ireland while the executive was closed?

A

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

28
Q

What are the unionist parties in NI?

A

The DUP, and the UUP.

29
Q

What are the nationalist parties in NI?

A

SDLP, Sinn Fein.

30
Q

What are the two non-sectarian parties in NI?

A

Alliance Party, Green Party.

31
Q

How are ministerial posts decided in Northern Ireland?

A

Party strength in the devolved elections.

32
Q

Which matters are devolved?

A

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

33
Q

Which matters are reserved?

A

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

34
Q

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

A

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.

35
Q

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

A

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.

36
Q

What are the examples of devolution in England?

A

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

37
Q

What are local councils responsible for?

A

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

38
Q

What is the role of Combined authorities?

A

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

39
Q

What are the examples of combined authorities?

A

Greater Manchester, West Midlands.

40
Q

Which piece of legislation allowed City mayors to be elected?

A

The local government act 2000.

41
Q

Which piece of legislation allowed metro mayors to be elected?

A

Cities and Local government devolution act 2016.

42
Q

How many city mayors are there currently?

A

15.

43
Q

How many metro mayors are there currently?

A

8.

44
Q

What do English local authorities rely on for funding?

A

Central Government.

45
Q

What limits do they have on their power?

A

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

46
Q

What are the arguments for an English Parliament?

A

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.

47
Q

What are the arguments against an English Parliament?

A

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.