Questions

1. Explain the difference between the United Kingdom and Great Britain.
2. Which central institution delegates powers to devolved and local government?
3. Which parts of the UK does the Westminster Parliament legislate for after devolution?
4. Define (a) ‘devolution’ and (b) reserved matters.
5. Describe Scotland’s model of devolution.
6. How have Wales’ devolved powers developed since 1998?
7. What is the unique feature contained in the Northern Ireland Act 1998?
8. What is the Supreme Court’s devolution jurisdiction?
9. What is the West Lothian question?
10. Define (a) a combined authority and (b) a metro mayor.

Answers

1. The United Kingdom is a state consisting of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. It does not include the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. Great Britain consists of England, Wales, and Scotland but not Northern Ireland.
2. The UK Parliament in Westminster.
3. It now makes law for England and for the UK as a whole on non-devolved matters. It voluntarily does not normally make laws on devolved matters without a devolved legislature’s consent.
4. (a) Devolution delegates power to other bodies (e.g. regional or local) but the delegating body retains ultimate legal authority over them; (b) only the UK Parliament can make law on reserved matters, and the UK government has sole responsibility for administering them.
5. It operates under a reserved powers model. It can make primary legislation (Acts of the Scottish Parliament) on any matter not specifically reserved to the UK Parliament.
6. It was initially created as an executive government, with executive and legislative functions, but was only given power to make secondary legislation. The Government of Wales Act 2006 strengthened its legislative powers. The Wales Act 2017 allows the Assembly to make law on any matter not reserved to the UK Parliament, although there are almost 200 reserved areas.
7. Only the Northern Ireland Act refers to the possibility of future independence; section 1 provides that Northern Ireland will remain part of the UK unless the majority of the people of Northern Ireland vote to leave in a referendum.
8. Under the devolution Acts, it reviews whether law made by the devolved bodies is outside the legislative competence granted to them by the UK Parliament, and decides on its legal validity.
9. Why can Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Ireland MPs at Westminster debate and vote on laws only affecting England, while English MPs have no say in devolved issues in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland?
10. (a) Combined authorities were introduced by the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, where two or more local councils can combine to form a legal body for more effective local government (except in London); (b) combined authorities can have a directly elected mayor (a ‘metro mayor’) with powers over housing, transport, planning, and policing.