Devolution

Devolution is giving government powers to a less important government body. It is sometimes called Home Rule.

In the United Kingdom devolution has happened in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Each of these three countries now has an elected legislature which can pass some laws and a government to administer those laws and propose new ones.

These bodies are called

• The National Assembly for Wales, and the Welsh Assembly Government;
• The North Ireland Assembly, and the Northern Ireland Executive; and
• The Scottish Parliament, and the Scottish Government

There is no devolution to Cornwall yet.

Devolved assemblies depend on the parent body. The British government could change its mind and abolish the devolved assemblies. This happened in 1972 to the government and parliament of Northern Ireland. It had been set up in 1920, with the parliament of Southern Ireland.

This is different from a federal country. In a federal country like Germany the states, and their powers, exist because of the constitution, not because of the national parliament.

See also

• Limited government
• Federal republic