Attack: Jones

Ieuan Wyn Jones has said the Welsh assembly is failing to take a distinctive line from policies adopted by the Westminster government.

Plaid Cymru launched a two-pronged criticism of the way the assembly is functioning, with the publication of figures indicating that little more than one tenth of measures passed by the assembly are "significantly different" from those passed by Westminster, and that in the devolved areas of health and education London passes almost as much legislation for Wales as the assembly.

Ieuan Wyn Jones, leader of the Welsh nationalists, accused Whitehall of maintaining a "vice like grip" on policy initiatives even in areas where power has been devolved during a lecture to the Institute of Welsh Politics in Aberystwyth on Monday evening.

Jones pointed to figures compiled by his party showing that in the 18 months between January 2000 and July 2001, the assembly passed 58 statutory instruments (SIs) in health and education while the House of Commons passed 62 Wales-only SIs in the same field.

And from the total of 120 SIs, only in about 15 did the assembly take a different line from Whitehall, says Plaid. The rest were either identical, or showed only minor differences.

"These figures show how little Labour's assembly has delivered for Wales in the last 18 months. It also clearly demonstrates how Whitehall is keeping a vice-like grip on policy initiatives even in areas where power has been devolved," Jones said.

The Plaid Cymru leader will argue the statistics support the case for a more powerful legislative body for Wales.

"This is ample evidence that we need legislative powers as soon as possible. It also explodes the myth that Labour can deliver Welsh solutions to Welsh problems," Jones said.

He also singled out rural affairs secretary Margaret Beckett and her department for behaving as if devolution "has not happened".

"Rhodri Morgan has been telling us that he has been pressing strongly for new powers over animal health to be devolved to the assembly. And yet the new Animal Health Bill currently before parliament does not even refer to the National Assembly.

"It seems that DEFRA is acting as though devolution has not happened. I see no evidence of any willingness by Whitehall to transfer these powers," Jones said.

The picture of the functioning of the assembly pained by Jones differs markedly from that set out by the prime minister when he addressed the assembly on October 30.

In his speech Tony Blair acknowledged there were "difficulties and tensions between parties and within parties" but he said the Welsh assembly was delivering on its promises in areas such as education, health, and concessionary bus travel for pensioners and people with disabilities.

"The National Assembly has confidently handled its baptism of fire- the fuel crisis, last year's flooding, Corus, and foot and mouth. That is a credit to the assembly," he said.

Blair also rejected suggestions that Whitehall was not devolving responsibilities to the newly devolved bodies in the UK.

"Instead of one centre of power focussed on Whitehall and Westminster, there are several with the opportunity for power to be exercised closer to the people it affects. And I believe the most remarkable thing is not the problem of devolution but the ease with which what amounts to a constitutional revolution, has bedded down," Blair told AMs.