Roll up for views on Welsh powers

BBC reporters were making a noise across Wales - asking people for their views on assembly powers

BBC Radio Wales reporters dressed up and took to the streets around Wales to ask about the National Assembly's powers.

In a straw poll, people were asked questions on what they believed the assembly could do at the moment and whether it should have more powers.

It comes on the eve of the publication of the findings of a public consultation by the All-Wales Convention on whether a referendum should be held on more powers for the assembly.

CHRIS DEARDEN, BANGOR

The hardest part was plucking up the courage to ring the bell and start shouting in the middle of the High Street.

I'd volunteered to do my part of the broadcast in Bangor High Street dressed as a town crier, complete with handbell, borrowed from the local primary school.

Chris Dearden posed as the town crier to attract attention in Bangor

But when you are surrounded by over a hundred people, watching their faces go past, and knowing that in a few seconds they are all going to start looking at you, it takes quite a lot of willpower to get going.

When I did begin, the one thing most people knew about the assembly government was that it had powers over the health service. The reason they knew this was because of free prescriptions. A few people hesitantly suggested education, but many conceded they weren't completely sure.

Several people voiced concerns that the assembly government seemed very distant in Cardiff.

As for more powers, the overwhelming response was "leave things as they are". I realised that I'd been stood just a few feet away from the spot where Emyr Jones Parry did some of his own fieldwork for the convention.

I wonder whether he got the same answers?

SARAH MOORE, HAVERFORDWEST, PEMBROKESHIRE

Friday 13th was the day of the big storm, when parts of Pembrokeshire were brought to a standstill by flash floods, thundering rain and howling winds.

Sarah Moore in Haverfordwest

In the morning, the weather wasn't too bad, although it was surprising to see so many people at the Haverfordwest Farmers Market considering how gloomy and dark the skies were, even at 10am. So, I set up my BBC Radio Wales stall, between Teifi Cheese and Costa Coffee.

Dressed for three hours in a Wales rugby shirt, Wales woolly bobble hat, and Wales scarf, I managed to attract 60 people over to my ballot box, to take part in the BBC Radio Wales straw poll.

All but 12 of those admitted that they didn't really know, or that they only had some understanding of the powers held currently by the assembly government and the National Assembly. But when it came to question number two, their opinions were split straight down the middle, 30-30.

KAYLEY THOMAS, NEWPORT

How do you convince the people of Newport to take a few precious minutes out of a wet and windy day to talk to you about the Welsh Assembly? Turn on the charm, give an X-Factor winning performance? No you wear red.

The theory behind this... if it stops traffic, hopefully it'll have the same effect on unsuspecting members of the public. If not, it might appeal to their patriotic side.

People in Newport were drawn to the hand-made ballot box

It worked for some; others were more interested in the solid construction of my hand-crafted Radio Wales ballot box than talking about the assembly. Many urged me to add another box to our rather crude questionnaire sheet for those who "didn't want the assembly in the first place".

In the 1997 referendum on whether or not Wales should have its own assembly, almost two-thirds of people who voted in Newport, voted "no". In my distinctly less scientific straw poll, most were happy to stick with the status quo, a handful bestowed extra powers on the assembly and the rest just saw red at mere mention of the D-word.

CHARLOTTE DUBENSKIJ, NEWTOWN, POWYS

"Do you want more power?" my trusty placard called out. Newtown was hot and cold, but in the end opinion was split fairly down the middle.

"What's it ever done for us?" a gaggle of women shouted at me when I dared ask them if they wanted a package of powers transferred all at once to the assembly government, or to remain with the status quo.

And that was not the last time my question sent people snapping at my heels.

Charlotte Dubenskij took to the streets of Newtown with the questions

By halfway through the day, I felt marooned in a place that was disillusioned with devolution - but then the skies opened up and as the rain spat down, the people of Newtown seemed to warm up.

"We voted 'no' in 97 because we were erring on the side of caution," a middle-aged, well-dressed couple told me, "but now we see all the benefits it's brought and we'd be happy for the assembly to have more control."

Three hours and one hoarse voice later, the matter was settled. Some 52% opted to stay with the current step-by-step transfer of power, while 48% called for power all at once.

TOM SINGLETON, SWANSEA

Being a reporter often puts you in situations where you think: 'I wonder what's going to happen next?'

Tom Singleton (right) in Swansea

Never have I pondered that more then stood in the centre of Swansea, with a loud-hailer to my lips, and a sheaf of questionnaires about devolution in my hand.

I wasn't so much worried about the passers-by who would take me for an eccentric, or worse. It was how many of them would know - or care - about the All Wales Convention.

Three hours later, my unscientific straw poll suggested some support for further devolution. Others had answered my questions with a question of their own: 'Where's the option for getting rid of it altogether?' No consensus, then, on the streets of Swansea - but there were at least strong views.

Leaving, perhaps, the policy-makers and politicians pondering that same question: 'I wonder what's going to happen next?'