Although England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are constituent parts of the United Kingdom, there are different legislative frameworks and policies in relation to religious education. There is also much that is similar, as one would expect, particularly in England and Wales, both of which followed the same legislation up until 2006 when the Government of Wales Act granted the National Assembly of Wales the power to enact primary legislation on any subject except those specifically reserved to the UK Parliament. It is this common legislative history that justifies treating religious education in England and Wales together in what follows, albeit account is taken of recent developments where they differ. Religious education in Scotland and in Northern Ireland are sufficiently different from that of England and Wales and from each other to be considered separately.