WALES OFFICE

The 'Wales Office / Swyddfa Cymru' is a United Kingdom government department. It is a replacement for the old Welsh Office, which had extensive responsibility for governing Wales prior to Welsh devolution in 1999. Its current incarnation is significantly less powerful: it is primarily responsible for carrying out the few functions remaining to the Secretary of State for Wales that have not been transferred already to National Assembly for Wales and securing funds for Wales as part of the annual budget settlement.
The Secretary of State for Wales has overall responsibility for the office but it is located administratively within the Ministry of Justice (until 2007, Department for Constitutional Affairs). This was carried out as part of the changes announced on 12 June 2003 that were part of a package intended toward replacing the Lord Chancellor's Department. As of 9 May 2007, the Department for Constitutional Affairs will be known as the Ministry of Justice. The Prime Minister announced in March 2007 that the Home Office would re-structure to strengthen its capacity to deal with the "real and unprecedented" threat of terror attacks. A new Ministry of Justice would take responsibility for prisons, probation and courts from the Home Office. The Home Office will keep responsibility for counter-terrorism, crime, immigration and ID cards.
Ministers of the Wales Office as of 29 June 2007:

★ Secretary of State for Wales: The Rt Hon. Peter Hain (also Secretary of State for Work and Pensions)

★ Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State: Huw Irranca-Davies MP

Contents

External links and references

External links and references

★ Official website of the Wales Office