Working with the Welsh Assembly Government

Wales has two levels of Government: the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) and the National Assembly for Wales.

The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) is responsible for: making decisions on matters which affect people’s daily lives by developing laws and implementing policy.

The National Assembly for Wales is responsible for holding the Welsh Assembly to account on the decisions it makes.

Influencing your Assembly Member (AM)

If you live Wales, as well as your MP, you have five Assembly Members you can influence! You have a constituency AM and four AMs that represent you region.

What can my Assembly Member do for you?

AMs are your representative at a National Assembly Government level and they can:

• raise issues in debates
• ask formal questions
• lobby on your behalf
• raise matters with Welsh Assembly Government Ministers
• raise matters with relevant Assembly Committees

To find out who your AMs are, visit the National Assembly website: www.assemblywales.org

Before contacting your Assembly Member, it is important to recognise whether he or she actually has the remit to do anything about your issue. Some of the areas in which the National Assembly currently has significant powers include culture, education and training, environment, health, housing, transport and recreation

To find out who your AMs are, go to the National Assembly website, http://www.assemblywales.org/. You can then contact them by writing to their constituency office or the Assembly (National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff CF99 1NA)

The Assembly website will also have details for the constituency offices or you can phone the Assembly Information Line on 029 2082 5111.