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| Queen opens stronger new assembly | Queen opens stronger new assembly |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The Queen has arrived in Cardiff Bay to open the third session of the Welsh assembly as it gains new powers. | The Queen has arrived in Cardiff Bay to open the third session of the Welsh assembly as it gains new powers. |
| Arriving with the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall, she was greeted at the Senedd by Presiding Officer Dafydd Elis-Thomas. | |
| A 21-gun salute rang out on board HMS Exeter, docked in Cardiff Bay. | |
| It is her fifth visit to the assembly where extended powers mean laws can be drawn up in Wales, though they will have to be voted on in Parliament. | |
| Officially opening the Senedd, she told Assembly Members: "The Government of Wales Act opens a new era for devolution." | |
| It is up to the newly-elected AMs, she added, to ensure policy and legistation meets the aspirations of the people of Wales. | |
| As well as the increased powers, other changes to assembly procedure will see the Queen meet the first minister, similar to her weekly talks with the prime minister. | |
| Rhodri Morgan is leading a minority Labour administration in the Senedd after last month's election. | Rhodri Morgan is leading a minority Labour administration in the Senedd after last month's election. |
| The Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall, will also attend the ceremony. | The Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall, will also attend the ceremony. |
| The meeting of the Queen and Mr Morgan marks the new constitutional relationship in which the first minister is now officially appointed by the monarch. | The meeting of the Queen and Mr Morgan marks the new constitutional relationship in which the first minister is now officially appointed by the monarch. |
| Speaking on Radio Wales before the opening, Mr Morgan said he had not prepared a script for the royal meeting. | Speaking on Radio Wales before the opening, Mr Morgan said he had not prepared a script for the royal meeting. |
| He added that he thought both he and the Queen would probably be "playing it off the cuff". | He added that he thought both he and the Queen would probably be "playing it off the cuff". |
| "I guess I will be listening to her advice and she will be listening to my advice as well," he said. | "I guess I will be listening to her advice and she will be listening to my advice as well," he said. |
| Mr Morgan added that it was too early to predict the outcome of the meeting as it would be the "first of a new kind of audience". | Mr Morgan added that it was too early to predict the outcome of the meeting as it would be the "first of a new kind of audience". |
| Moving onto the subject of increased powers for the assembly, Mr Morgan said it was important they were used to the utmost. | Moving onto the subject of increased powers for the assembly, Mr Morgan said it was important they were used to the utmost. |
| "We have to find a way of using these new powers to the full, using good old British and Welsh common sense," he said. | "We have to find a way of using these new powers to the full, using good old British and Welsh common sense," he said. |
| This government will have to engage with other parties... this will call for maturity on all sides and can only lead to a more vibrant democracy Assembly Presiding Officer Dafydd Elis-Thomas | This government will have to engage with other parties... this will call for maturity on all sides and can only lead to a more vibrant democracy Assembly Presiding Officer Dafydd Elis-Thomas |
| The new legislation allows the assembly to make its own laws and has provided for an eventual move to full law-making powers, but only after a referendum. | The new legislation allows the assembly to make its own laws and has provided for an eventual move to full law-making powers, but only after a referendum. |
| But any laws have to be approved by the Houses of Parliament. | But any laws have to be approved by the Houses of Parliament. |
| A committee of MPs has told AMs that they should ask Westminster for permission to pass new laws only a handful of times a year due to the parliamentary timetable. | A committee of MPs has told AMs that they should ask Westminster for permission to pass new laws only a handful of times a year due to the parliamentary timetable. |
| On Monday, the Archbishop of Wales criticised Wales's new legislating system as "tortuous and convoluted", saying it did not go far enough. | On Monday, the Archbishop of Wales criticised Wales's new legislating system as "tortuous and convoluted", saying it did not go far enough. |
| 'Under the shadow' | 'Under the shadow' |
| Labour took control in the Senedd after three weeks of uncertainty following the 3 May election. | Labour took control in the Senedd after three weeks of uncertainty following the 3 May election. |
| Labour, with 26 of the 60 seats, is the biggest party, but three rivals - Plaid Cymru, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats - may form a so-called "rainbow coalition" to force Mr Morgan out of power. | Labour, with 26 of the 60 seats, is the biggest party, but three rivals - Plaid Cymru, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats - may form a so-called "rainbow coalition" to force Mr Morgan out of power. |
| As a Welsh person, I do not see how the monarchy is relevant to my everyday life, and to my generation Bethan Jenkins AM, Plaid Cymru | As a Welsh person, I do not see how the monarchy is relevant to my everyday life, and to my generation Bethan Jenkins AM, Plaid Cymru |
| Assembly Presiding Officer Lord Elis-Thomas, speaking at the Senedd on the eve of the royal opening, said that "one of our problems in Wales is that we are still under the shadow of the Westminster two-party system". | Assembly Presiding Officer Lord Elis-Thomas, speaking at the Senedd on the eve of the royal opening, said that "one of our problems in Wales is that we are still under the shadow of the Westminster two-party system". |
| But he said that was "not the model of Welsh politics and we should not be applying it to Wales". | But he said that was "not the model of Welsh politics and we should not be applying it to Wales". |
| He told AMs: "We will now enter a period with a minority government, and this government will have to engage with other parties in order to get its business through the assembly. | He told AMs: "We will now enter a period with a minority government, and this government will have to engage with other parties in order to get its business through the assembly. |
| "This will call for maturity on all sides and can only lead to a more vibrant democracy, which will increase voter engagement and strengthen devolution." | "This will call for maturity on all sides and can only lead to a more vibrant democracy, which will increase voter engagement and strengthen devolution." |
| Two Plaid AMs, Leanne Wood and Bethan Jenkins, are boycotting the royal opening, and will visit a homelessness project in Swansea instead. | Two Plaid AMs, Leanne Wood and Bethan Jenkins, are boycotting the royal opening, and will visit a homelessness project in Swansea instead. |
| "As a Welsh person, I do not see how the monarchy is relevant to my everyday life, and to my generation," said Ms Jenkins, | "As a Welsh person, I do not see how the monarchy is relevant to my everyday life, and to my generation," said Ms Jenkins, |
| Click here to e-mail the programme with questions for the politicians | Click here to e-mail the programme with questions for the politicians |