Devolution

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Devolution is when a central government transfers powers to a local government.[1] It is sometimes called Home Rule or decentralisation.

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

England does not currently have its own parliament, but there have been increasing calls today for one[source?].

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.

Related pages[change | change source]

References[change | change source]

  1. "devolution". Merriam Webster. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  2. legally called the Scottish Executive but in 2007 the new Scottish National Party government decided to use the new name