Welsh parliament and government

Question 1

What electoral system does Wales have?

Answer 1

AMS

Question 2

How many Welsh MPs are there?

Answer 2

60

Question 3

How many members are elected via FPTP?

Answer 3

40

Question 4

How are the other 20 members not elected via FPTP chosen?

Answer 4

They are elected in five multi member regions using the closed list PR system

Question 5

What does the Welsh government do?

Answer 5

Formulates and implements policy

Question 6

When did the Welsh government become separate to the Welsh assembly?

Answer 6

2007

Question 7

Who heads the government and appoints the cabinet?

Answer 7

The first minister, this is usually the leader of the largest party in the Senedd

Question 8

Who has been first minister since 2018?

Answer 8

Labour’s Mark Drakeford

Question 9

Who has been in power since the first elections in 1999?

Answer 9

Labour, but they have engaged in coalitions with the Lib Dems and Plaid Cymru

Question 10

What has the government arrangement been since the 2021 elections?

Answer 10

Labour and Plaid Cymru made a cooperation agreement but did not form a coalition

Question 11

What did the Wales Act 2017 do?

Answer 11

Moved to a system of primary legislative authority similar to Wales

Question 12

What type of powers does did the Senedd have initially?

Answer 12

Executive and secondary legislative, which meant that they could implement legislation on Welsh matters that had been passed by Westminster

Question 13

What did the 2006 government of Wales Act do?

Answer 13

Allowed the assembly to gain primary legislative powers if approved in a referendum

Question 14

What was the result of the 2011 devolution election?

Answer 14

64% voted in favour of extending revolution

Question 15

How many Welsh voters supported independence as of 2021?

Answer 15

30%

Question 16

What did the coalition government create to consider the devolution of further powers to Wales?

Answer 16

The Silk Commission

Question 17

What did the 2014 Wales Act do?

Answer 17

Implemented the first tranche of Silk Commission suggestions by devolving devolving control of landfill tax and stamp duty

Question 18

What did the 2017 Wales Act do?

Answer 18

• Delivered on proposals made in a second Silk commission
• It specified a list of reserved Westminster
• Gave Wales control of income tax by 10 pence in the pound
• Paved the way for assembly to change its name
• Made the Senedd and Welsh parliament features of the UK constitution

Question 19

What did the 1998 Government of Wales Act do?

Answer 19

Set up an elected Welsh National Assembly and a Welsh executive to be to be drawn from the largest party in the assembly and to be headed up by a first minister

Question 20

Why was the Welsh government financially dependant upon Westminster?

Answer 20

They relied on a grant from the UK government as they had no means of raising finances

Question 21

Why was the coalition government important in the extension of Welsh devolution?

Answer 21

Because decentralisation was a big part of the Lib Dem manifesto

Question 22

What was the outcome of the 2011 referendum on extending Welsh devolution?

Answer 22

63.5% of voters supported

Question 23

State the five main provisions of the 2017 Government Act

Answer 23

• Removed the requirement for devolution of taxation to be approved by a referendum
• Ability to vary income tax by 10p in the pound
• Greater freedom in borrowing
• Transferred legislative and administrative authority for more areas
• Created the Welsh Revenue Authority to collect Welsh taxes