So… you’ve probably heard of the Senedd. It’s Wales’ parliament, based in Cardiff Bay. Basically where politicians – the ones that you choose - speak up for people in Wales.
First up - laws! And not boring, tiny ones – real-life stuff that affects you.
Take schools for example. The Senedd passed the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act in 2021 which did some of these things:
Introduced a new curriculum in Wales. Introduced skills-based learning. And strengthened Welsh language learning
A real law that you can see in action every day.
Education, the NHS, the environment, culture, and the Welsh language are all devolved areas. Put simply devolved means that the UK Parliament in Westminster isn’t involved.
So, when something is devolved the decisions about it have been handed from Westminster to Wales — so the Senedd can create the laws for it.
But, before you ask, not everything is devolved. Things like… Defence - that funds the army, RAF and the navy. Benefits - that helps people who need financial help. And immigration - controlling who and how many people can come into the UK.
These are still decided by the UK Parliament in Westminster. Not us in Wales.
The Senedd deals with money too. The Senedd decides and approves some Welsh taxes, which stay in Wales to pay for things like schools, teachers, GPs and mental health care. The Senedd also keeps an eye on how the Welsh government spends the money.
So, the Welsh government is doing the spending, and the Senedd is the one saying,
“Okay… show us where the money’s going and why it’s going there.”
And when I say money, I mean around 25 billion pounds a year. Most of that comes from the UK government, but some comes from taxes raised here in Wales. And that money stays in Wales.
The Senedd’s job, among other things, is tackling the long NHS waiting lists, subsidising rail tickets and some bus routes. It’s responsible for the money needed to build social housing and it supports the Welsh language through things like the Urdd Eisteddfod.
Small place, big responsibilities.
Now, here’s an important thing that people mix up.
The Welsh government runs the services. But, the Senedd checks they’re not messing it up.
It makes sure that the Welsh government is accountable, so they can’t just do whatever they want — they must be answerable to others.
Members of the Senedd — called MSs — scrutinise the Welsh government’s decisions, they debate what they’re planning, and they vote on new laws.
Working this way ensures that the laws being passed have the best interests of the public - that’s you and me - in mind.
So, that’s what the Senedd does!
Makes laws. Set some taxes. And represents the people of Wales, that’s you and me.
Description
Learn about the responsibilities and powers of the Welsh Parliament. Find out how it impacts Wales by making laws and holding the Welsh Government to account.
Find out more about GCSE Politics (Wales)
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