Uk Devolution Flashcards
Define devolution ?
-the delegation of some governmental powers, known as devolved powers, away from the centre (parliament) to the regions, which have their own elected assemblies/parliaments that make many laws themesleves
What are reserved powers ?
Certain policy matters such as trade, defence and foreign policy that are retained by Westminster
What is the Scotland act 1998 ?
-gave the Scottish parliament primary legislative power in a number of domestic areas, including law and order, health, education, transport and the environment
-it allowed to vary the rate of income tax by up to 3p in the pound (the Scottish variable rate (SVR))
What was the Scotland act 2012 ?
-Transferred significant tax raising powers to the Scottish Parliament, most notably to raise or lower income tax by 10p in the pound- Scottish rate of income tax (SRIT)
-it devolved stamp duty and landfill taxes to Scotland and allowed the Scottish government to borrow up to £5 billion and set up it own tax authority (revenue Scotland)
What was the Scotland act 2016 ?
-involved a further major transfer of powers over to parliament including authority over areas such as equal opportunities, abortion law, speed limits and gaming machines
-it also allowed the Scottish parliament to set it own rate of air passenger duty (APD) and create income tax rate across any number of bands and to make its own law regarding who could vote by the parliament.
What is the government of wales act 1998 ?
-set up the Welsh assembly which lacked primary legislative powers but did have the ability to devise secondary legislation in specific areas, including agriculture, fisheries, education, housing and highways
What was the government of wales act 2006 ?
-enabled the assembly to request further powers from Westminster and to gain primary legislative power if approved by a referendum
-it also set up a proper executive body the Welsh assembly government, and in may 2011 set up as the Welsh government
What was the 2011 referendum ?
-a referendum which asked the direct question ‘do you want the assembly now to be able to make laws on all matter in the 20 subject areas it has powers for ?’
-the Welsh government gained the power to enact primary legislation in 20 devolved areas of policy these included health, education and agriculture
What was the percentage of YES vote in the 2011 referendum and what did this indicate ?
-the referendum delivered a resounding ‘YES’ vote of 64% a clear indication of how support for a welsh government had grown since 1997
What was the wales act 2014 ?
-represented the first major transfer of some tax raising powers to the Welsh government, these included steam duty, business rates and landfill tax
-enabled the Welsh government to replace them with taxes specific to wales
What was the wales act 2017 ?
-granted the Welsh government with greater primary legislative powers in additional policy areas including control over its own electoral system and policy areas such as road signs, onshore oil, and gas activity
By 2017 what could the welsh government do regarding with tax ?
-it also vary the rate of income tax by up to 10p in the pound and it set up the Welsh revenue authority
What reason allowed the Welsh government to change its name and put them at the same level as the Scottish parliament ?
Wales act 2017
What is the Senedd and Election (Wales Act 2020) ?
-this act passed by the Welsh government using the powers devolved to by earlier Westminster legislation, formally changes the name of the legislature to Senedd Cymru or the Welsh parliament
-it also gave the vote to 16-17 year old for Welsh parliamentary and local election as in Scotland
What did England adopt in 2020 from the Welsh government showing the Welsh effective use of its primary legislative powers ?
The ‘opt out’ system for organ donation in 2015
What is the ‘troubles’
Involved a terrorist campaign by both unionist and nationalist paramilitaries which began in 1969 arsing out of the nationalist civil rights movement
By which side was the stormont parliament dominated by and what assumption was made about this?
-dominated by the unionist and was seen by many as discriminatory towards the nationalist minority
What did the trouble uprising in 1969 lead to ?
Parliament was suspended in 1972 and abolished in 1973 any restoration of devolved assembly would need to secure the engagement and agreement of both communities
Since 1972 who was Northern Ireland governed by ?
-governed by direct rule from Westminster while the British army had a large peace-keeping presence in the country which was highly controversial to many nationalist
What was the Good Friday agreement in 1998 ?
-involved a promise of a return to devolved government but also other measures designed to embed the peace process
What measure were taken to embed peace measures in Ireland by the Good Friday agreement in 1998 ?
-prisoner release for convicted paramilitary terrorist, reduction in the number of British army troops stationed in Northern Ireland and civil rights measures
-it also promised parity of esteem and of just and equal treatment for the identity, ethos and aspiration of both communities for the two communities in Northern Ireland
What was the vote outcome in May 1998 referndum which established the Northern Ireland assembly and executive ?
71%-29%
Why did the Irish Parliament remained suspended in 2017 and 2020 ?
Due to the collapse of the power sharing agreement between the democratic unionist party (DUP) and Sinn Fein
Why was the Irish parliament suspended in 2017 to 2020 ?
It’s was due to the controversy over the DUP’s handling of a green energy scandal, compounded by deep division over the introduction of an Irish language act
