asked the Lord President of the Council what responsibilities his proposed Welsh Assembly will have that have not already been largely or wholly administratively devolved to the Welsh Office.

There is no automatic identification between present functions of the Welsh Office and future functions of the Welsh Assembly. Nevertheless, most of the Assembly's future responsibilities are currently exercised by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales. Important functions to be added to these include functions relating to rate support grant, further and higher education, some transport matters, fire services, drainage and freshwater fisheries.