Welsh powers row overshadows arrival of new draft law

Fighting back: David Davies MP says plans to give Wales more power are "a step towards independence".

Christmas has come early for us political anoraks.

On Thursday, MPs will debate changes to the House of Commons standing orders to implement what the government calls "English votes for English laws".

On Wednesday, Sir Paul Silk and Sir Kenneth Calman, who both chaired commissions on devolution, will give evidence to a House of Lords committee looking at devolution.

And on Tuesday, Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb will publish proposals to give Wales more power in the form of the draft Wales Bill.

Chancellor George Osborne told us during the general election that Welsh legislation would be going through parliament within 100 days of May 7 but the delay will presumably whet the appetite of those who study these things.

Mr Crabb has resisted calls from First Minister Carwyn Jones to delay publication further - his office suggests Mr Jones originally wanted to see the legislation sooner rather than later.

The first minister believes the draft Bill may actually weaken the devolution settlement, but Monmouth Tory MP David Davies, who chairs the Welsh affairs committee at Westminster, describes it as "a step closer to independence".

The contents of the draft legislation have been overshadowed by a row between two governments over their possible consequences, a dispute about reserved powers so technical even Stephen Crabb joked he didn't know what the arguments were about.

In Whitehall, the key issue seems to be the consequences of a Welsh law in a devolved area such as health having a knock-on effect in a reserved area such as policing. In Cardiff, the first minister complains that under the new system he would not be able to pass some laws without Westminster's consent.

So expect more heated debate over the proposals when they are finally unveiled on Tuesday. We're not expecting any major surprises but here's a reminder of some of the powers to be transferred.

David Davies's committee will now scrutinise the draft legislation before the real thing is finally introduced around February 2016.