Constitutional future of Wales to be considered by new National Commission

Two co-chairs will lead the next phase of the conversation around Wales’s constitutional future through a new National Commission for Wales.

The Commission will be an independent, standing body, established to provide advice, evidence and analysis on Wales's constitutional future.

Operating in an advisory role, it will provide an enduring forum to support informed debate and discussion in the years ahead.

It will be distinct in nature from the time-limited Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales, building on previous work rather than repeating it.

Led by Co-Chairs, Dame Menna Rawlings and Professor Emyr Lewis the Commission will have four core functions:

• Provide independent advice on devolution priorities, including areas such as the Crown Estate, rail infrastructure, justice and policing.

• Support an ongoing national conversation about Wales’s constitutional future, engaging with people across Wales and supporting inclusive and informed public debate.

• Strengthen the evidence base for future discussion and decision-making through research on key political, economic and democratic questions relevant to Wales’s future.

• Help inform future reform by considering the three viable options identified by the Independent Commission: enhanced devolution, a federal United Kingdom, and independence.

Publishing the Terms of Reference for the Commission, the Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution, Dafydd Trystan Davies said it will build on important work Wales has already undertaken as constitutional debate does not stand still:

“The way the United Kingdom is structured and governed is under increasing strain, and debates about devolution, accountability and where decisions should be made are increasingly pressing.

“Responsible government means ensuring Wales is ready to shape its own future, with the evidence, advice and democratic space needed to make informed choices. This is not an abstract debate. It is about whether Wales has the right tools, powers and democratic arrangements to deliver better outcomes for our people.

“That preparation cannot be the work of government alone. It requires a broad, open and constructive conversation across this Senedd and across Wales.

“The future constitutional development of Wales should be shaped with people across Wales, not simply presented to them.

“Together, we have an opportunity to help shape a confident, democratic and ambitious future for Wales.”