Senedd

This article is about the devolved parliament of Wales. For the building housing it, see Senedd building. For the proposed devolved Cornish parliament, see Senedh Kernow.

"Welsh Assembly" redirects here. For the 1978 proposal, see Welsh Assembly (Wales Act 1978).

Welsh Parliament Senedd Cymru
7th Senedd
Type
Type	Unicameral
Term limits	None
History
Founded	12 May 1999
Preceded by	Welsh Office (1965–1999)
New session started	9 May 2026
Leadership
Monarch	Charles III since 8 September 2022
Llywydd	Huw Irranca-Davies, Labour since 12 May 2026
Deputy Presiding Officer	Kerry Ferguson, Plaid Cymru since 12 May 2026
First Minister	Rhun ap Iorwerth, Plaid Cymru since 12 May 2026
Leader of the Opposition	Dan Thomas, Reform since 12 May 2026
Structure
Seats	96
Political groups	Government (43)   Plaid Cymru (43) Opposition (53)   Reform (34)   Labour (9)   Conservative (7)   Green (2)   Liberal Democrats (1)
Committees	16 Business Committee Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Constitution, Justice and External Affairs Climate Change, Environment, Sustainability and Rural Affairs Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Economy, Energy and Connectivity Equality, Human Rights and Social Justice Finance Health and Social Care Legislation Local Government, Housing and Planning Llywydd’s Committee Petitions Public Accounts and Public Administration Standards of Conduct Whole Senedd
Authority	Government of Wales Act 2006 (as amended by Wales Act 2017)
Salary	Basic: £76,380 per year, plus expenses
Elections
Voting system	Party-list proportional representation (closed list, D'Hondt method)
Last election	7 May 2026
Redistricting	Recommendations made by the Democracy and Boundary Commission; confirmed by the Welsh Government
Meeting place
Siambr in the Senedd building, Cardiff, Wales, in 2026.
Website
senedd.wales
Rules
Standing Orders of the Welsh Parliament (April 2026)

The Senedd (/ˈsɛnɛð/ SEN-edh; lit. 'parliament' or 'senate'), officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English and Senedd Cymru ([ˈsɛnɛð ˈkəmrɨ] ^ⓘ) in Welsh, is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, its role is to scrutinise the Welsh Government and legislate on devolved matters that are not reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is a bilingual institution, with both Welsh and English being the official languages of its business. From its creation in May 1999 until May 2020, the Senedd was officially known as the National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru) and was often simply called the Welsh Assembly.

The Senedd comprises 96 members who are known as members of the Senedd (Aelodau o'r Senedd), abbreviated as "MS" (Welsh: AS). Between 2011 and 2026, members were elected for a five-year term of office under the additional-member system, in which 40 MSs represented smaller geographical divisions known as "constituencies" and were elected by first-past-the-post voting, and 20 MSs represented five "electoral regions" using the D'Hondt method of proportional representation. Since May 2026, elections use closed list proportional representation, and Senedd terms last for four years. Typically, the largest party in the Senedd forms the Welsh Government.

A National Assembly for Wales was created by the Government of Wales Act 1998, following the result of the 1997 referendum. The Assembly initially had no powers to make primary legislation. Limited law-making powers were gained through the Government of Wales Act 2006. Its primary law-making powers were enhanced following a Yes vote in the referendum on 3 March 2011, meaning that the UK Parliament or the Secretary of State for Wales were no longer consulted when passing acts of the National Assembly for Wales related to the 20 devolved areas. These powers were further extended by the Wales Act 2014 and Wales Act 2017, with the latter moving the Assembly to a reserved powers model of devolution like that of the Scottish Parliament. In May 2020, the Assembly was renamed to "Senedd Cymru" or "Welsh Parliament" when section 2 of the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020 came into force. The Senedd's powers in economic matters are significantly restricted by the UK Internal Market Act 2020, a primary purpose of which is to constrain the capacity of the devolved institutions to use their regulatory autonomy. Matters devolved to the Senedd include health, education, economic development, transport, the environment, agriculture, local government and some taxes.