Royal Commission on the Constitution (United Kingdom) facts for kids

The Royal Commission on the Constitution, also known as the Kilbrandon Commission, was a special group set up by the British government. Its job was to look at how the United Kingdom and its islands were governed. They also considered if any changes should be made to these systems.

The commission started on April 15, 1969, led by Lord Crowther. After he passed away in 1972, Lord Kilbrandon took over. The group finished its work and released its report on October 31, 1973.

The commission looked at different ways of sharing power, like devolution (giving more power to local areas) and federalism (where power is divided between a central government and regional governments). They also thought about whether the UK should split into separate countries. They looked at Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man separately from Scotland and Wales.

The commission published many reports and research papers. Their final report went to the government led by Edward Heath. The report said that Scotland and Wales should not become independent or have a federal system. Instead, it suggested they should have their own elected assemblies, which means a form of devolution. However, two members of the commission disagreed with the report's findings. They published their own separate views.

Why the Commission Started

The Kilbrandon Commission was created because more and more people in Wales and Scotland wanted "home rule" or even full independence. This idea became very popular after some important special elections. For example, Plaid Cymru (a Welsh political party) won a seat in 1966, and the Scottish National Party won a seat in 1967. These wins showed that many people wanted changes in how their countries were governed.

Who Was in the Commission?

The commission had two main leaders:

• Lord Crowther (from 1969 until he died in 1972)
• Lord Kilbrandon (from 1972 onwards)

Many other people were members, including politicians, professors, and other important figures. They all worked together to study the UK's government.

What the Commission Suggested

The commission members did not all agree on everything. The final report included different ideas supported by various members. Two members even wrote their own separate report because they disagreed with the main findings.

Ideas for Scotland

Eight members of the commission thought Scotland should have its own elected assembly. This assembly would make laws for Scotland. Ministers chosen from the assembly members would lead the Scottish government.

The Scottish assembly would be in charge of many areas, including:

• Education
• The environment
• Health
• Home affairs (like policing)
• Legal matters
• Social services

Some areas, like farming and fishing, would be shared between the Scottish assembly and the UK government. The UK government would keep control over electricity supply.

If a Scottish government was set up, the number of Scottish Members of Parliament (MPs) in the UK Parliament would be reduced. It would go from 71 to about 51.

The assembly would have about 100 members. They would be elected using a fair voting system called single transferable vote. The commission did not give the assembly a name, but "convention" was suggested. The UK Parliament would decide how many seats there were and where the voting areas would be.

The head of the Scottish government might be called "Scottish Premier." The job of the Secretary of State for Scotland (a UK government minister for Scotland) would be removed. However, a UK cabinet minister would still represent Scotland.

Ideas for Wales

Six commissioners wanted Wales to have its own law-making assembly, similar to the idea for Scotland. However, the Welsh assembly would have less power over legal matters. This is because Scotland has its own separate legal system, unlike Wales.

Like Scotland, a 100-member assembly was suggested for Wales. It would also be elected using a fair voting system. The name "Senate" was suggested for this body. The head of the Welsh government might be called "Welsh Premier." The job of the Secretary of State for Wales would also be removed. The number of Welsh MPs in the UK Parliament would be reduced from 36 to about 31.

Ideas for England

The main report's signers all agreed that England as a whole, or its regions, should not have their own law-making assemblies. However, they did suggest some powers could be given to regional levels:

• Eight members supported creating advisory councils for English regions. These councils would give advice to the central government on regional issues. Each council would have about 60 members. Most would be elected by local councils, and some would be chosen by a minister to represent businesses and other groups.
• Two members wanted regional assemblies with real power, elected like those in Scotland and Wales.

The regions used for these ideas were based on existing economic planning areas.

Cornwall

The commission knew that a small number of people in Cornwall felt they had a separate identity and wanted their own government. However, the commission felt there was not enough evidence that Cornish people wanted to be separate from the rest of England for government purposes. Still, they recognized Cornwall's unique character. They suggested using the name "Duchy of Cornwall" more often to show Cornwall's special relationship and identity within the UK.

Northern Ireland

The commission did not make specific suggestions for Northern Ireland. This was because a new law, the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973, had already been made for it. However, the report did suggest that Northern Ireland should have more MPs in the UK Parliament, increasing from 12 to about 17.

Channel Islands and Isle of Man

The commission did not suggest any changes to how the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man related to the UK. They did not agree with dividing responsibilities for international affairs. However, they supported the idea of more formal discussions when international agreements affected the islands.

Different Views

Lord Crowther-Hunt and Professor Peacock did not sign the main report. They wrote their own separate report with different ideas.

Regional Assemblies

They suggested having seven elected regional assemblies: one for Scotland, one for Wales, and five for England. These assemblies would have much more power than suggested in the main report. They would take over many central government tasks in their areas and have their own staff. They would also replace other regional bodies, like health and water authorities. They would even oversee gas and electricity companies. These assemblies could also make plans for the development of their regions.

A special minister for the regions would be part of the UK government cabinet.

Changes to Parliament

The separate report also suggested changes to the United Kingdom House of Commons (the main part of the UK Parliament). MPs would form special committees for different government departments. These committees would have their own staff and would look at UK and European laws. They would also have power to make policies. To reflect these bigger jobs, MPs would be paid full-time professional salaries.

What Happened Next

After the report, a new government came to power in 1974. This Labour government published a plan based on the report. This led to a bill (a proposed law) called the Scotland and Wales Bill, but it did not pass.

Later, two separate laws were passed in 1978: the Scotland Act 1978 and the Wales Act 1978. These laws would only take effect if people voted for them in special public votes called referendums.

Referendums were held on March 1, 1979. In Wales, most voters rejected the idea of a Welsh assembly. In Scotland, 51.6% of those who voted supported devolution. However, a rule had been added to the Scotland Act saying that 40% of all eligible voters (not just those who voted) had to support it. Since only 32.9% of all eligible voters said yes, the Scottish devolution plan also failed.

Because the referendums failed, the laws were cancelled. This led to the government losing a vote of no confidence and a new general election in 1979. The Conservative Party won, starting 18 years of their rule.

Scottish and Welsh devolution finally happened under the next Labour government, which was elected in 1997. This led to the Scotland Act 1998 and the Government of Wales Act 1998, which created the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly.

See also

• Constitutional reform in the United Kingdom
• Devolution in the United Kingdom