Blair government critical of Assembly performance

Prime Minister and Welsh voters backed direct lawmaking powers by an overwhelming 63.5% to 36.5%.

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However, newly released papers from the National Archives show that in July 2004 Blair's cabinet thought the Richard Commission had gone too far in calling for primary lawmaking powers for Wales and believed the people of Wales would not want it.

The commission, chaired by Lord Ivor Richard, also called for an increase in the size of the then National Assembly.

The cabinet papers summed up the discussion by cabinet members who agreed the Government had not been consulted about the setting up of the Richards Commission and "was not bound by its findings".

The consensus of the cabinet was that "some of the more far-reaching proposals were not acceptable".

The minutes said: "Even in Wales, opinion on some of the proposals was strongly divided. It should be made clear that any decision to change the devolution settlement for Wales was a matter for the UK Government, not for the National Assembly of Wales."