The general effect of the bill is to provide the National Assembly for Wales with additional powers in the field of transport.

BILL'S PROGRESS Origin: House of Commons Introduced: 15 December 2004 Second reading: no date

Along with its existing powers it will enable the assembly to develop and implement, in partnership with Welsh local authorities and other bodies, a safe, integrated and sustainable transport system serving Wales.

The bill requires the National Assembly for Wales to prepare and publish a document to be known as the Wales Transport Strategy.

The document will set out the assembly's policies and proposals for discharging the general transport duty.

Having published the strategy, the assembly is to be required to keep it under review and may revise it from time to time.

Before preparing or revising the strategy the assembly must consult all county and county borough councils in Wales and those county and district councils in England whose areas border Wales and it may consult anyone else it thinks appropriate.

The assembly will not be able to delegate the function of approving the strategy.

So although detailed preparation of the strategy will be delegated to assembly ministers - working in partnership with local authorities and other stakeholders - the strategy will have to be approved by an affirmative vote of the members of the assembly in plenary session.