the Welsh Assembly
noun /ðə ˌwelʃ əˈsembli/
/ðə ˌwelʃ əˈsembli/
(also the National Assembly for Wales)
[singular]- the group of people who are elected as a government for Wales, which is to some extent independent of the UK parliament and has the power to make some lawsCultureThe Assembly meets in Cardiff and is made up of 60 Assembly Members. 40 of them are directly elected to represent a constituency and 20 are elected to represent the regions of Wales using a form of proportional representation. The Welsh Assembly began work in 1999. It has the power to develop and carry out policies affecting Wales in areas including education, culture, health, agriculture, the environment, tourism and the Welsh language but cannot change most taxes. It is led by a first minister who is chosen by the Assembly and who chooses the other Assembly Ministers to make up a cabinet. The Government of Wales Act of 2006 separated the two roles (parliamentary and governmental) of the Welsh Assembly and created separate legal bodies to carry them out: the Welsh Government to carry out governmental functions, and the National Assembly for Wales to carry out parliamentary functions, including law making. note at devolution