'No, Minister', says Commons speaker

Rhodri Morgan has called for more Commons courtesy

The issue of what to call members of the National Assembly cabinet has been raised again, following a ruling by the House of Commons' new speaker.

The Assembly leaders recently decided to change their titles from "Secretaries" to "Ministers", a move seen as giving their roles greater status.

However, on Wednesday, the speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin ruled that Rhodri Morgan and his Assembly Cabinet colleagues should be referred to by their "proper titles" when referred to in the Commons .

That would make Mr Morgan the "First Secretary" rather than the "First Minister" he adopted after the Assembly's coalition reshuffle last month.

Following Mr Martin's ruling, Mr Morgan said it would have been more courteous if the Assembly had been consulted about the matter first.

Michael Martin: "Proper titles"

The Speaker's ruling came after a point of order from a Conservative MP. He ruled that "First Secretary" should be used because it is the term used in the Government of Wales Act which set up the Assembly.

Both Rhodri Morgan and Presiding Officer Dafydd Elis-Thomas have pointed out that there is often a lack of consistency between the official titles of ministers in Westminster and the common usage terms used to refer to them - for instance, the Secretary of State for Wales, is commonly called the Welsh Secretary.

Rhodri Morgan said that he was not aware of any consultation with the Assembly Cabinet's Secretariat before Mr Martin's ruling, and he did not think the office of the Presiding Officer of the Assembly had been consulted either.

He added that he did not think he would want reference to the House of Commons' standing orders to be seen as having any bearing on the National Assembly's standing orders.

South Wales East Tory AM William Graham said the Welsh Conservatives were content to abide by the Presiding Officer's ruling on the use of titles in the Assembly.

'Spirit of devolution'

"Whatever the First Minister wishes to call himself he may do so," he said.

Dafydd Elis-Thomas said he would contact Mr Martin and send him a copy of the Official Record of the National Assembly for 17 October when the issue was last discussed.

The Presiding Officer made it clear he intended to include in the explanation at the beginning of the National Assembly's Standing Orders the interpretation that a Secretary can be referred to as a Minister.

Dafydd Elis-Thomas also said that what happened in the Commons on Wednesday was not in keeping with the spirit of devolution.