More voters want a full-blown Welsh Parliament than ever, a new survey has revealed.

An Institute of Welsh Politics survey found support for an institution like Scotland's has doubled in the last five years to 40%.

Voters want the Welsh Assembly to have a greater say than Westminster over the way Wales is governed, the survey claims.

Welsh Assembly responsibilities

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Academics who drew up the survey at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, have been tracking the electorate's attitude to their form of government for the last five years.

But Dr Richard Wyn Jones, from Aberystwyth University who worked on the report, said the change in attitude appeared to have nothing to do with voter satisfaction with the job done so far.

"It is not because people think the assembly is doing a fantastic job or has transformed their lives or could be doing better," said Dr Jones.

"What we find is that pre-1997, expectations of devolution were really low."

Dr Jones said those people canvassed were asked to give their response to full independence, Scottish-style Parliament, keeping the status quo and returning to pre-devolution.

"There is a big shift going on from people not wanting any devolution at all to those who want a full-blown Parliament.

"People who voted yes thought it was going to do fantastic things and those that voted no thought it would be absolutely awful.

"Those that voted no seem to have gotten used to it, it has become part of the furniture, and it seems to be the feeling is that if we are going to have it, let's do a proper job of it."

But Tory Monmouth AM David Davies said he noted on the streets that feelings ran against a full Parliament.

"We do not want to force on the people of Wales a parliament people do not want. There are people within my party that have differing views."

The "yes" camp scraped through Wales' 1997 devolution referendum with a tiny majority.

Since its inception at Cardiff Bay in 1999, the Welsh Assembly has struggled to make significant headlines - the most radically divergent policies from Westminster have clearly come from the current education minister.

Several members have voiced their frustration at what they are able to do within the devolution settlement passed in the Government of Wales Act.

The new survey indicates opposition to devolution - so prevalent in 1997 - is clearly on the wane, replaced by hunger for more power.

Hungry for power

But the question of just what institution the Welsh want appears to remain far from settled.

Thirty-nine percent of survey respondents wanted a parliament like that in Edinburgh - a rise of 19% in five years.

And support for the current assembly is slightly down at 26%.

Scotland's parliament can make new laws

Just 12% of people want independence - a goal now supported by none of the mainstream political parties in Wales.

The Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh can raise taxes and make new laws. Plaid Cymru called for parity for Wales at its party conference Friday.

Even Labour assembly ministers like Carwyn Jones have expressed frustration with Westminster's remote control on subjects like animal disease control.

The Liberal Democrats also favour further devolution but Welsh Conservatives are cooler to the idea - they want the current assembly to prove itself.

Powers review

With a clear majority, 56% of voters wanted the Welsh Assembly - and not the UK Government - to have the greatest say in the governance of Wales.

Lord Richard of Ammanford is currently chairing an independent commission reviewing whether Cardiff needs more power.

He will report back to First Minister Rhodri Morgan in the autumn.

But his recommendation could meet a stormy passage at Downing Street - only Westminster can tweak the devolution arrangement.