Jump to content

Wales Act 2014

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wales Act 2014
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long titleAn Act to make provision about elections to and membership of the National Assembly for Wales; to make provision about the Welsh Assembly Government; to make provision about the setting by the Assembly of rates of income tax to be paid by Welsh taxpayers and about the devolution of taxation powers to the Assembly; to make related amendments to Part 4A of the Scotland Act 1998; to make provision about borrowing by the Welsh Ministers; to make miscellaneous amendments in the law relating to Wales; and for connected purposes.
Citation2014 c. 29
Introduced byDavid Jones
Territorial extentUnited Kingdom
Dates
Royal assent17 December 2014
Other legislation
AmendsGovernment of Wales Act 1998
Government of Wales Act 2006
Amended byWales Act 2017
Status: Amended
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended

TheWales Act 2014[1](c. 29) is anactof theParliament of the United Kingdom.

The bill was introduced to theHouse of Commonson 20 March 2014[2]byChief Secretary to the Treasury,Danny AlexanderandSecretary of State for Wales,David Jones.[3]The purpose of the bill was to implement some of the recommendations of theSilk Commissionaimed atdevolving further powersfrom theUnited KingdomtoWales.

It passed the final hurdles in Parliament and receivedRoyal assenton 17 December 2014, becoming law.[4]

Provisions[edit]

The act's provisions include the following:[1]

  • Devolvingstamp duty,business ratesandlandfill taxto Wales and enabling theWelsh Assemblyto replace them with new taxes specific to Wales.[5]Further taxes can also be devolved, with the agreement of the UK Parliament and the Welsh Assembly.
  • Providing for areferendumin Wales on whether an element ofincome taxshould be devolved. If there is a vote in favour then the Welsh Assembly will be able to set a Welsh income tax rate. Fluctuations in revenues will be managed by new borrowing powers for Welsh Ministers.
  • Extending Welsh Assembly terms permanently from four to five years in order to reduce the chance of Assembly elections clashing with general elections to the Westminster Parliament as a result of theFixed-term Parliaments Act 2011.
  • Removing the prohibition on candidates in Welsh Assembly elections from standing in a constituency and also being on the regional list.
  • ProhibitingWelsh Assembly Membersfrom also being MPs (seedual mandate).
  • Formally changing the Welsh Assembly Government’s name to theWelsh Government.
  • Clarifying the position of theFirst Ministerbetween dissolution of the Assembly and an Assembly election.
  • Allowing Welsh Ministers to set a limit for the amount of housing debt that individual local housing authorities in Wales may hold. The UKTreasurywill limit the total Welsh housing debt.
  • Requiring theLaw Commissionto provide advice and information to Welsh Ministers on thelaw reformmatters that they referred to the Commission.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ablegislation.gov.ukWales Act 2014
  2. ^"Press release: David Jones and Danny Alexander introduce Wales Bill in Parliament".Gov.UK. 20 March 2014.
  3. ^"Wales Bill".UK Parliament.Retrieved12 April2014.
  4. ^ParliamentWales Act 2014
  5. ^"Welsh taxes to be in place by 2018 under Wales Bill timetable unveiled by the UK Government".Wales Online. 20 March 2014.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wales_Act_2014&oldid=1198931069"