According to the BBC the Electoral Commission will give its verdict later today on the proposed question for the referendum on whether the Welsh Assembly will be able to pass laws in the 20 areas of policy it is allowed to administer.
The Commission has spent the past 10 weeks trying out the question with members of the public. It will reveal if it believes the wording is suitable, or if it needs rewriting. Only when the question has been formally agreed can legal moves begin to call the referendum vote.
The BBC say that it is understood that the rest of the process for calling the referendum is close to completion, so this is seen as a major hurdle to be overcome before the vote goes ahead next year.
Update: The Electoral Commission say:
We conclude that the preamble to the question and the wording of the question itself are not easy to understand and are ambiguous.
6.6 For these reasons, the question and preamble have the potential to mislead voters. In our view, this is because of a lack of clarity and some ambiguity in the language used rather than any intention to mislead.
6.7 Overall, people thought the preamble was densely worded. This is offputting and some people will not read the preamble because of the density of words presented to them. Without reading the preamble, they are unable to understand the question. This means the question and preamble are not accessible to all voters.
6.8 Nevertheless, people do want an explanation of what they are being asked to vote for and prefer to have a preamble. Our public opinion research showed that people would prefer to have an easier to read format, rather than what appear as long paragraphs, and with bullet points. They would prefer to have shorter paragraphs. Young people especially would prefer an easier to read format.
Their suggested redraft is:
The National Assembly for Wales: what happens at the moment
The Assembly has powers to make laws on 20 subject areas, such as:
• agriculture
• the environment
• housing
• education
• health
• local government
In each subject area, the Assembly can make laws on some matters, but not others. To make laws on any of these other matters, the Assembly must ask the UK Parliament for its agreement. The UK Parliament then decides each time whether or not the Assembly can make these laws.
The Assembly cannot make laws on subject areas such as defence, tax or welfare benefits, whatever the result of this vote.
If most voters vote ‘yes’
The Assembly will be able to make laws on all matters in the 20 subject areas it has powers for, without needing the UK Parliament’s agreement.
If most voters vote ‘no’
What happens at the moment will continue.
Question
Do you want the Assembly now to be able to make laws on all matters in the 20
subject areas it has powers for?
Yes
No