'What has devolution ever done for us?'

TWENTY years since voters in Wales went to the polls to elect the first-ever Welsh Assembly, the time is right to reflect on what it's done for us.

On the one hand, we've got free prescriptions, free parking at hospitals and free breakfasts for school children. Wales was also ahead of the curve on charges for carrier bags, deemed consent for organ donation and requiring food businesses to display their hygiene ratings, and the future generations act - which requires a long-term view to be taken on the potential impact of any legislation - is widely hailed as a trailblazing piece of law.

On the other, our economy remains languishing at the bottom of the UK league tables, Welsh workers earn a good deal less than they would do in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and results in our schools paint a pretty grim picture of our education system.

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So are things perfect? Not by a very long shot. But the question is, would we be better off if all the power rested in the hands of Westminster?

There's certainly a faction who think so, and I'm surely not the only one who's noticed an upswing in campaign to scrap the Assembly in recent months and years.

Ukip has adopted scrapping the Assembly as official party policy - maybe betraying more than a little about how they think they'll do in 2021 - and a poll released late last year predicted the single-issue Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party was on course to win regional seats in north and mid and west Wales.

Those opposed to the Assembly take pains to point out just how close the 1997 devolution referendum was - and they're right, with 50.3 per cent to 49.7 per cent about as close as you could possible come.

But this is a bit of a disingenuous argument - the Venn diagram showing those who want a referendum on scrapping the Assembly and those who say a second Brexit vote would be a "betrayal" is basically a circle.

But, rationally speaking, there'll never be a referendum on scrapping the Assembly. Just imagine asking people to vote for taking their political powers away - it won't happen.

So the fact is, love it or hate it, the Assembly is here to stay.

But, 20 years on, devolution in Wales is very much the poor cousin of Scotland. While some progress has been made in the way of tax powers, I know Welsh politicians look with envy with how seriously the Scottish Parliament is taken.

Regardless of what you think of her, Nicola Sturgeon is treated as a world leader, albeit one of a small country, while few people outside Wales - or even in it - even know who Mark Drakeford is.

Even the name 'Assembly' is more indicative of sitting on a hard floor in a draughty hall talking about road safety and stranger danger than matters of national importance - no wonder there's moves in place to formally rename it the Welsh Parliament.

If a devolved government is to exist, it should have the powers it requires to make a difference.

The question then is whether we need more AMs.

A report published in late 2017 - a massive tome which is still on my desk and will come in handy if I ever need to bludgeon a burglar - recommended the number of AMs should be increased from 60 to as many as 90 and presiding officer Elin Jones has used the anniversary to throw her support behind the plan.

The argument is that an increasing number of powers means a greater number of AMs are needed to spend more time scrutinising the Welsh Government and creating effective legislation.

But this is going to be a very, very hard sell - both to the public and AMs themselves. In a time where faith in politicians is about as low as it has ever been, the idea of creating more is not going to be popular.

The Assembly is characterised by many as a talking shop and, to be honest, it can sometimes feel like that - and plonking in 30 more AMs could make this worse still.

Or, if they're smart about it and revamp the way things work, it could turn the Assembly into the legislative force it always should have been.

The past 20 years has given plenty of reasons to be optimistic, but also more than a few causes for concern. And there's been a few more off-the-wall moments.

Who can forget when metal legend Lemmy from Motörhead - now playing in the great gig in the sky - popped in to talk about efforts to tackle drug use? On the other hand, 007 wasn't so lucky after permission to film the most recent James Bond blockbuster Spectre in the Senedd was refused.

METAL: Lemmy was allowed in - but Bond wasn't. Pic: EPA/Anders Birch

Having seen the film, maybe that was for the best.

I'd put money on the Assembly still existing in some form in another 20 year's time. Whether this will be 20 years of lost potential, or the two decades when Welsh devolution finally comes into its own remains to be seen.