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Welsh voice focuses on devolution debate - in Scotland

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Wayne David MP
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Labour's spokesman on Scotland (and many other things)- Caerphilly MP Wayne David

One of the consequences of the SNP landslide in this year's general election is that MPs from south of Hadrian's Wall are having to immerse themselves in Scottish issues at Westminster.

Step forward Wayne David. MP for Caerphilly, shadow Minister for political reform and criminal justice in the shadow Justice team, shadow Cabinet Office minister. And shadow Scotland Office minister.

Mr David was at the despatch box on Wednesday, demanding assurances that the Scottish government will be able to use its new powers to compensate people who lose out from the UK government's cuts in tax credits (they will).

He told me the government had conceded under pressure policy changes that were originally part of signed off by David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Milliband. "It's a great pity that they had to be dragged screaming to the despatch box to make the key concessions as they would see it which they promised initially," he said. "It would be far better had they simply done what they promised they would do in the first place."

So would he like to see those powers given to the National Assembly for Wales?

"No, because Wales is very different to Scotland. I think what is absolutely fundamental is the fact that relatively speaking Scotland is better off than Wales. We are very reluctant to accept any measures which the government would basically use to make Wales poorer. We want to see a more prosperous nation in Wales, not a poorer one.

"We want to see more powers going to the assembly but of course they have to be appropriate powers, the same as these powers are appropriate to Scotland. Wales and Scotland are not the same countries, they are different economically today, they have a different history they have different traditions and those need to be taken account for this asymmetrical approach to devolution which we've got."

'Scrutiny'

That "asymmetrical approach" is seen in the different powers being offered to Scotland and Wales. The Scotland Bill should clear its Commons stages within days; the draft Wales Bill is currently subject to pre-legislative scrutiny.

Wayne David says there are similarities between the two pieces of legislation - and big differences too. He said: "The draft Bill has as its centrepiece the idea of a reserved powers model for the Welsh assembly which is borrowed quite rightly from Scotland.

"The difficulty however is that the Wales Office have actually introduced another proviso which on the one hand gives power to the Welsh assembly but on the other hand gives it back as well. So they're having their cake and eating it. So they're learning some of the lessons but also they're learning what not to do as well."

But what of his Scottish duties? Since his appointment to the role by Jeremy Corbyn two months ago, how many times has the Caerphilly MP visited the country?

He tells me he spent a week there during last year's referendum campaign, which is a polite way of saying he has yet to visit in his new role. You can see my report on the Scotland Bill on Sunday Politics Wales on Sunday at 12:20 GMT.