Tories' law-making powers hint

'Bide your time, an answer will come' said Cheryl Gillan on the referendum issue

The shadow Welsh secretary has hinted that a Conservative government could agree to a referendum on law-making powers for the assembly.

Cheryl Gillan told BBC Wales the Tories would let the people of Wales decide but it was not their first concern.

She was speaking after a question and answer session which included Welsh Conservative leader Nick Bourne.

Mr Bourne criticised the number of times Gordon Brown had visited Wales as prime minister.

It will come on our timetable, not on your timetable Cheryl Gillan MP, Shadow Welsh Secretary

If the Conservatives win the next general election and Cheryl Gillan becomes Welsh secretary she said would have to approve any assembly request to hold a referendum on giving the Welsh assembly full law-making powers.

She said: "We will let the people of Wales decide and I am sure you will have an answer eventually but this is not our primary concern at the moment, it is jobs, it is law and order, it is people's security."

Cheryl Gillan said the Conservatives would set out their position after the all-Wales convention reports next month.

"Bide your time, an answer will come," she said.

'One real flaw'

"It will come on our timetable, not on your timetable."

She was speaking days before she meets senior officials at the Ministry of Justice to discuss a possible transfer of power after the general election.

Earlier this week Conservative leader David Cameron admitted there were differences within his party over the future of devolution but appealed to activists not to argue about them.

"There are more sightings of Elvis in Wales than there are of Gordon Brown" Nick Bourne AM, Welsh Conservative leader

It comes after Welsh Conservative leader Nick Bourne criticised the number of times the prime minister came to Wales.

He was speaking in the Conservative conference in Manchester in a "chat-show" style session which was chaired by Cheryl Gillan.

"There are more sightings of Elvis in Wales than there are of Gordon Brown."

He also made clear the Conservatives had embraced devolution.

"There is only one real flaw in devolution and that is that we don't run it," he said.

He also said there was too much focus on some forms of renewable energy.

"There is too much concentration on wind energy. We do need to look at other sources of renewable energy," he said.

And he repeated a pledge that a Conservative assembly government would insulate every home in Wales.