Devolution — AQA A-Level Politics
Devolution explained
Devolution covers 5 specification points, including Devolution, The Scottish Parliament and… and The roles, powers and responsibilities of the….
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Key concepts and terminology: devolution, The Scottish Parliament and Government, The Welsh Assembly and Government, The Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive.
Devolution is the transfer of specified powers from the UK Parliament at Westminster to elected bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, while Westminster keeps legal sovereignty and can in principle legislate for the whole UK. Learn each body's correct name and function. Scotland has the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, which legislates in devolved areas, and the Scottish Government, led by the First Minister, which runs policy. Wales has the Welsh Parliament (Senedd), often still called the Welsh Assembly, and the Welsh Government. Northern Ireland has the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont, which legislates, and the Northern Ireland Executive, a power-sharing body led jointly through designated roles. Distinguish legislature from executive: parliaments and assemblies make law; governments and executives implement it.
the roles, powers and responsibilities of the different devolved bodies in the UK
Each devolved body has a defined role, set of powers and responsibilities. The Scottish Parliament legislates and scrutinises the Scottish Government across devolved areas such as health, education and justice, and Scotland has tax-varying and welfare powers within limits set by Westminster. The Welsh Parliament (Senedd) legislates in devolved fields and the Welsh Government delivers policy; Wales has limited tax powers. The Northern Ireland Assembly legislates in transferred matters and the Northern Ireland Executive, a power-sharing executive, implements policy, with some matters reserved to Westminster. All devolved bodies operate within powers granted by UK statute, and Westminster retains sovereignty. Learn to match each body to its functions and to the limits on its powers.
debate around devolution in England
This topic asks you to analyse and evaluate the argument about devolution within England, not devolution to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. The debate turns on whether England should gain its own tier of regional or sub-national government, and how far existing arrangements already do that. Build your answer around competing claims: supporters argue that devolving powers to English regions or combined authorities brings decisions closer to people, improves economic coordination and corrects an asymmetry in which other nations have their own institutions. Critics argue that English devolution is uneven, creates a patchwork of deals between central government and selected areas, lacks a clear constitutional settlement and may entrench inequality between well-organised and weaker regions.
existing devolution in England
This topic tests your knowledge of the devolution arrangements that already exist within England, as distinct from the settlements for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. English devolution has developed unevenly: some powers have been passed to combined authorities led by directly elected metro mayors, and some areas have negotiated bespoke deals with central government. The key knowledge is that there is no single English parliament or uniform English-wide settlement; instead arrangements vary by area and by deal. When answering, distinguish devolution to English regions and combined authorities from the UK-wide and national settlements, and recognise that the powers and institutions differ between places.
impact of devolution on government of the UK.
Devolution transfers specified powers from Westminster to the Scottish Parliament, Senedd and Northern Ireland Assembly while Westminster keeps sovereignty. An answer should weigh impacts on UK government: policy divergence in health and education, different income tax and welfare choices in Scotland, and the territorial distribution of funding through the Barnett formula. Consider constitutional consequences: the Sewel convention, pressure for a second Scottish independence referendum, and English devolution to mayors and combined authorities. Balance these against continuing central control of reserved matters such as defence and macroeconomics, and note asymmetry between the nations. Reach a judgement on how far devolution has reshaped, rather than replaced, central government authority.
Your focus
- Define devolution accurately using the transfer-of-powers idea.
- Match each devolved legislature and executive to its nation.
- Distinguish law-making bodies from policy-implementing bodies.
Show all 15 objectives
- Describe the roles of each devolved legislature and executive.
- Explain the powers and responsibilities of devolved bodies and their limits.
- Distinguish reserved matters from devolved responsibilities.
- Analyse competing arguments about devolution within England.
- Support arguments with specific English devolution examples.
- Evaluate and reach a supported judgement on the English devolution debate.
- Identify features of existing devolution within England.
- Distinguish English devolution from the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish settlements.
- Recognise that English devolution varies between areas and deals.
- Explain the powers devolved and reserved under the current settlement.
- Assess the consequences of devolution for UK central government.
- Reach a reasoned judgement on the extent of change to UK government.
Devolution exam tips
Marking Points
- Defines devolution as the transfer of specified powers from Westminster to elected bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland while Westminster retains sovereignty.
- Identifies the Scottish Parliament as the legislature and the Scottish Government as the executive in Scotland.
- Identifies the Welsh Parliament (Senedd), formerly the Welsh Assembly, as the legislature and the Welsh Government as the executive in Wales.
- Identifies the Northern Ireland Assembly as the legislature and the Northern Ireland Executive as the power-sharing executive.
- Distinguishes legislatures, which make devolved law, from executives, which implement policy.
- States that the Scottish Parliament legislates and scrutinises the Scottish Government in devolved areas such as health, education and justice.
- States that the Welsh Parliament (Senedd) legislates in devolved fields and the Welsh Government delivers policy.
- States that the Northern Ireland Assembly legislates in transferred matters and the Northern Ireland Executive implements policy through power-sharing.
- Explains that devolved powers are granted by UK statute and that Westminster retains sovereignty, so powers are limited and can be changed.
- Distinguishes reserved matters retained by Westminster from devolved responsibilities.
- Identifies that the debate concerns devolution within England rather than the settlements for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Explains at least one argument that devolving power to English regions or combined authorities brings decision-making closer to citizens.
- Explains at least one criticism that English devolution is uneven or creates a patchwork of bespoke deals.
- Uses a specific English example, such as a combined authority or metro mayor, to support the analysis.
- Weighs competing arguments and reaches a supported judgement on the extent to which English devolution is desirable.
- Recognises that devolution in England has developed unevenly rather than as a single uniform settlement.
- Identifies combined authorities and directly elected metro mayors as features of existing English devolution.
- Distinguishes English regional and combined-authority devolution from the settlements for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Recognises that powers devolved within England vary between areas and negotiated deals.
- Identifies the powers transferred to the Scottish Parliament, Senedd and Northern Ireland Assembly and the matters reserved to Westminster.
- Explains how devolution produces policy divergence, for example in health, education or income tax, and links this to reduced uniformity of UK government.
- Assesses the constitutional impact, including the Sewel convention and pressure for a second Scottish independence referendum.
- Weighs the counter-argument that Westminster retains sovereignty and control of reserved matters such as defence and macroeconomic policy.
- Reaches a supported overall judgement on how far devolution has changed the government of the UK.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Learn each body as a pair: legislature plus executive, so you can match names to functions quickly.
- 💡Use the current official name and note the older name in brackets where it still appears in sources.
- 💡Read the question stem for whether it asks about law-making or policy delivery before choosing an option.
- 💡Build a three-column table of nation, legislature and executive, then add one power and one limit for each.
- 💡Check whether a question asks about powers, responsibilities or scrutiny before selecting an option.
- 💡Remember that Westminster sovereignty frames every devolved power, so use it to eliminate overstrong options.
- 💡Read the question to check whether it asks about the debate around English devolution specifically, and keep every paragraph on that focus.
- 💡Anchor each argument in a named English example so the analysis is concrete rather than abstract.
- 💡Reserve time to state and justify a conclusion that directly answers the question asked.
- 💡Check whether the question concerns England specifically before selecting an answer about Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
- 💡Look for the option that reflects the uneven, deal-based character of English devolution.
- 💡Eliminate options that describe a single uniform English settlement, since the arrangements vary.
- 💡Plan by impact area (policy, constitutional, territorial) so each paragraph makes a distinct point.
- 💡Anchor every claim in a specific institution or power rather than general statements about 'more local control'.
- 💡Build the conclusion from the evidence weighed in the body rather than adding a new argument at the end.
Common Mistakes
- Confuses the Scottish Parliament with the Scottish Government; keep the legislature and the executive as separate bodies.
- Calls the Welsh body only the Welsh Assembly and ignores its current name, the Welsh Parliament or Senedd; use both names.
- Treats the Northern Ireland Executive as a legislature; describe it as the power-sharing executive and the Assembly as the legislature.
- Claims devolution removes Westminster's sovereignty; state that Westminster keeps ultimate legal authority.
- Assumes devolved bodies have unlimited powers; state that their powers are granted by statute and limited.
- Treats reserved and devolved matters as identical; separate what Westminster keeps from what is devolved.
- Describes the Northern Ireland Executive as a single-party government; explain its power-sharing design.
- Ignores scrutiny roles; include that parliaments and assemblies hold their governments to account.
- Confuses devolution in England with devolution to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland; keep the focus on English regional and sub-national arrangements.
- Lists arguments for and against without weighing them; reach a judgement that explains which case is stronger and why.
- Describes devolution as a single uniform policy; recognise that English devolution varies between areas and deals.
- Assumes England has a single parliament or uniform devolution settlement; recognise that arrangements vary by area and deal.
- Confuses English regional devolution with the Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish settlements; keep the English arrangements distinct.
- Treats all combined authorities as having identical powers; recognise that powers differ between negotiated deals.
- Treats devolution as a transfer of sovereignty; keep the point that Westminster remains sovereign and powers are lent, not surrendered.
- Lists devolved policy areas without explaining their effect on UK government; connect each example to a consequence for central authority.
- Ignores asymmetry between the nations; note that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different settlements and England has its own arrangements.