National Assembly for Wales

Annual Report and Statement of Accounts of the Assembly Commission: 2007-08

This is a Flash Object


2. New Powers: New Assembly

Members’ Research Service

The Members’ Research Service established several new information, research and current awareness services available to the public.  These included a service tracking the progress of Legislative Competence Orders (LCOs) and Measures, and also the progress of Scrutiny Committee inquiries; Assembly powers tracking notes, which provide an updated log of amendments, both proposed and enacted, to each of the 20 Fields contained within Schedule 5 to the Government of Wales Act 2006 and in tandem with these tracking notes, an updated online version of Schedule 5 to reflect the Assembly’s increasing legislative competence.  

During 2007-08, the Research Service responded to the enhanced legislative and scrutiny functions of the Third Assembly and produced 3,500 pieces of written work for Assembly Members, including almost 3,000 replies to individual enquiries (400 more than last year); a wide range of publicly available information including 120 Research Papers, Quick Guides and Topic Briefs on matters of topical interest to Members and approximately 300 pieces of briefing for the Assembly’s scrutiny and legislative committees, as well as providing a wide range of support to Private Members' legislative proposals.The Research Service also provides confidential and impartial research support and advice to the Assembly's scrutiny and legislation committees and to all 60 individual Assembly Members and their staff and consists of:

  • three research teams providing specialist advice on specific areas of policy;
  • a dedicated research team providing specialist finance and statistical information;
  • the Members’ Library, which provides a reference and information service to Members and their staff;
  • a Brussels office which provides advice, information and assistance on EU issues.

The Service has continued to provide briefing and support to Assembly Members on a variety of EU-related matters, led by our EU Policy Analyst based in Brussels, working closely with MRS and clerking colleagues in Cardiff.  In particular, support has been provided the European and External Affairs Committee on its first inquiry of the Third Assembly on the European Investment Bank.  A monthly "Europe Matters" electronic newsletter was produced and a research paper on the European Commission’s 2008 Annual Work Programme, with a focus on matters of particular relevance to Wales.  Meetings with senior European Commission officials for a delegation of Assembly Members and staff visiting Brussels were arranged as well as briefing material for visits to the Assembly by high ranking European officials, including Commission Vice President, Margot Wallstrom and Slovenian Ambassador to the UK, His Excellency Iztok Mirošiè.