Assembly powers bid over organ donation

There may or not be a new way of making laws for the Assembly following the referendum in March, but the current system is still on course to deliver a major change.

As you know, the Assembly must request permission from Parliament to make laws under the much-criticised LCO (Legislative Competence Order) system.

Well today, the last LCO from the Labour-Plaid Cymru coalition government has been laid and it could usher in significant change when it comes to organ donation.

Assuming the LCO bid jumps through all its hoops, it could mean people here in Wales would have to opt-out from being organ donors  rather than opting in as they do now.

We’ll get more details when the minister makes a statement tomorrow (Tuesday) but for now here are two immediate responses.

Plaid Cymru AM Dai Lloyd, who was behind the original proposals, said today was a proud day for him and that he believed the change would ‘lead to a great number of lives being saved in Wales.’

He added,

We know from studies and first hand experience that there are a lot of people who would like to be organ donors but who are not registered to do so.  Moving to an opt-out system will ensure that the number of people who donate increases and a number of lives are no longer needlessly lost.

The other reaction comes from Secretary of State for Wales Cheryl Gillan. She said,

I am pleased to have been able to put this LCO forward for pre-legislative scrutiny. It is important that this vital and sensitive matter is examined thoroughly both at Westminster and in the Assembly.

There’s a political dimension to this which could come to the fore during the impending referendum campaign.

Dai Lloyd is of course an advocate of much greater powers for Cardiff Bay and he’s pointing to presumed consent as a sign of the sort of difference that devolution can make.

But those who are opposed to devolving further powers could also seize on what is likely to be a significant change delivered under the unloved system.

 

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