Lord Elis Thomas - 'three areas of concern' in the White Paper

Lord Elis-Thomas welcomed proposals to give the assembly more of a law-making role, but raised several concerns.

The Plaid Cymru AM attacked plans for a new committee to create standing orders as "an insult to all of us as AMs".

He forecast fellow peers would oppose a ban on candidates standing in both constituencies and on regional lists.

Lord Elis-Thomas, a former Plaid president, has held the equivalent of the House of Commons Speaker role since the assembly was founded six years ago.

In a speech at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, at Monday lunchtime, he gave his views on a white paper outlined two weeks ago by Welsh Secretary Peter Hain.

If ordinary clubs and societies are allowed to write their own rules, then surely the National Assembly should take full responsibility for its own standing orders? Lord Elis-Thomas

During his address, he said a "proper Parliamentary body" would represent a major challenge to members and officials.

He added that "long before 2007" the public would see a substantial change in the way the assembly operated.

The bill would give the assembly more powers to shape laws for Wales in areas like health and education, and streamline the role of Westminster. But it falls short of other parties' demands to give AMs in Cardiff Bay full law-making powers.

However, Lord Elis-Thomas said Labour "now believes, as set out in the white paper, that the National Assembly should be established as a proper parliamentary body".

'Talking shop'

He said when AMs moved into their new debating chamber this autumn they would be "acting like a parliament".

He also predicted a more effective committee system with the possible abolition of regional committees, which were currently a "talking shop".

But while he said that he welcomed the white paper, he also raised "three areas of concern".

Rhodri Morgan said more law-making could be undertaken by the assembly

"Firstly, the suggestion of creating an advisory committee answerable to the Secretary of State to draft standing orders is an insult to all of us as Assembly Members," he said.

"If ordinary clubs and societies are allowed to write their own rules, then surely the National Assembly should take full responsibility for its own standing orders?

"I also oppose the proposal to bar candidates from standing both in constituencies and on regional lists.

"This seems to me to be unnecessary and undemocratic, and quite possibly an infringement of candidates' human rights, and I am sure the House of Lords will take a cool view of this proposal."

He is also critical of the term Welsh Assembly Government to describe First Minister Rhodri Morgan and his ministers.

Lord Elis-Thomas argues that calling it the "Government of Wales" as set out in the original act setting up the assembly, would "provide greater democratic clarity."

But he added: "Even with these weaknesses, I believe the white paper represents a major step forward in the creation of a proper parliament for Wales."

He predicted that the assembly would be able to go further than England and bring in a total ban on smoking in public places as a result.