WELSH secretary Peter Hain and first minister Rhodri Morgan were last night celebrating Royal Assent for new powers for the Assembly. Mr Hain said the Government of Wales Act would now "endure for a generation or more". "It will enable the Assembly to deliver tailor-made policies for the people of Wales," he added. Mr Morgan said the new Act heralded a "new dawn for devolution". "It will make the election process in Wales far more exciting and the Third Assembly elected next year will be a more exciting place to serve in," he said. Mr Morgan said he would probably be retired before Wales secured aScottish-style parliament. A consensus in favour of areferendum was unlikely to emerge in the near future, he added. Mr Morgan plans to stand down in 2009 if he is still in power after next year's Assembly election. Presiding Officer Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas said the Act would finally clear up the distinction between the Assembly and the Welsh Assembly Government. Critics claim the new system relies too heavily on the goodwill of Parliament and the Welsh Secretary. But Lord Elis-Thomas was "absolutely convinced permission will be forthcoming" from Westminster when the Assembly applies for law-making rights. "We are not going to be making very controversial legislation, I would have thought, in the first couple of years," he said. But AMs would have to work harder and "be more representative of what people in Wales want", he added. The new Government of Wales Act in 2007 will grant the Assembly: * The right to apply to Parliament via an Order in Council for enhanced lawmaking powers over devolved areas such as health and education. * The ability to seek areferendum on Scottish-style full law-making powers for Wales if two-thirds of AMs want it and Parliament approves. * The most bitterly-opposed aspect of the Bill was a ban on Assembly candidates standing for constituency and regional seats at the same time. | 
