Sir,
Two letters, one from Nigel Williams and one without a name, headed 'Vote no', which were published on 16th February together with a pamphlet produced by 'True Wales' are all very misleading and none of them address the real question being asked in the referendum on 3rd March.
The question is clearly set out in the little black book which was posted to all addresses by The Electoral Commission.
Here is an example of what is to be decided by the referendum.
For a long time the Welsh Assembly has been worried by the large differences in the methods and standards in providing and charging for domiciliary social care for the disabled by the 22 local authorities in Wales.
It is a post code lottery as to what care one receives and how much one has to pay for that care. One local authority has a maximum weekly charge of £10 while another has a maximum weekly charge of £200.
Although 'local government' and 'social welfare' are two of the 20 devolved areas in which the Welsh Assembly can already make laws, in these areas the Assembly must ask the UK Parliament for agreement. A Legislative Competence Order (LCO) is required in each case.
In November 2007, a proposal for an LCO was introduced to the UK Parliament by the WAG to enable the standardisation of paying for domiciliary social care throughout Wales.
It took until November 2009 before the Royal Assent was given. That is two years of wasted time. The Act now approved by WAG to correct the anomalies in paying for care and the introduction of a £50 maximum weekly charge will take effect in April this year, but without the need for the LCO the measure could have become law two years earlier to the benefit of all disabled people in Wales.
The eradication of the need for LCOs in already devolved areas will save a large amount of the valuable time of Assembly Members and of civil servants and will save a huge amount of our money.
Tom Moran MBE
(Monmouth)