Wales Office
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Wales Office marks 10 years of working for Wales
On the 10th anniversary of being created, the Wales Office is working harder than ever for the people of Wales, Welsh Secretary Peter Hain said today (1 July, 2009).With the establishment of the National Assembly following the Government of Wales Act 1998, the former Welsh Office became the Wales Office on 1 July 1999.
Speaking from Gwydyr House to mark the 10th anniversary, Mr Hain said: “The modern Wales Office continues to play a pivotal role for delivering a better quality of life for everybody in Wales. Although responsibilities for key services such as health, education, economic development and transport have been devolved to the Welsh Assembly Government, the Wales Office performs a crucial role within Government, making devolution work to benefit Wales and the UK.
“In the 10 years of Welsh devolution, the budget for the National Assembly for Wales has been more than doubled by Westminster to £15.5 billion.
“The Government of Wales Act 2006 has also enabled more legislation than ever to be devolved to the National Assembly for Wales. Through Orders in Council and Framework Powers, the Wales Office is enabling the Assembly to deliver tailor-made policies for Wales.
“Today, as we look back at the 10 years of the Wales Office, we remember that devolution is not an abstract principle, divided from the delivery of services for Wales - it is about better governance. It is about the ‘Team Wales’ approach that has seen Westminster and Cardiff Bay working together to deliver better services and tackle social injustice for the people of Wales. And it is about working together to support Wales out of recession and back to economic stability.
“As a Welsh politician, it is a privilege to have held the post of Secretary of State for Wales for more than five years. My return to the Wales Office last month further reinforced my commitment to working alongside Wales Office Minister Wayne David and our colleagues at the Welsh assembly Government to deliver economic recovery and social justice for all Welsh people and devolve additional powers from Westminster to Wales.”
More information on the Wales Office can be found at: http://www.walesoffice.gov.uk/about/
