The Government of Wales Act 1998 (c. 38; ) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Passed in 1998, the act created the National Assembly for Wales, Auditor General for Wales and transferred devolved powers to the assembly. The act followed the 1997 Welsh devolution referendum.
A bound version of the act was presented to Queen Elizabeth II at the opening ceremony of the National Assembly for Wales at Crickhowell House.
Provisions
The act brought about the then National Assembly for Wales as a corporate body.
Under the 1998 act, the Welsh Assembly received powers to legislate on powers previously held by the Secretary of State for Wales. Powers included agriculture, forestry, fisheries and food; ancient monuments and historic buildings; culture (including museums, galleries and libraries); economic development; education and training; the environment; health and health services; highways; housing; industry; local government; social services; sport and recreation; tourism; town and country planning; transport; water and flood defence; the Welsh language.
The act also established the Auditor General for Wales and the Welsh Administration Ombudsman and also gave the National Assembly for Wales the ability to reorganise some Welsh public bodies.
Welsh Assembly elections would include one vote for a constituency Assembly Member (AM) and one regional vote of Wales's five electoral regions. There would be 40 constituency AM's were elected "first past the post" and 20 "list" AMs were elected via the D'Hondt method.
The bill did not give the assembly primary legislative powers.
Amendments
The Government of Wales Act 2006 made several amendments to the act, including primary legislative powers.