13 Rhagfyr 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Gweinidog
You'd expect the margin to go down the bigger a constituency is, you see.
13 Rhagfyr 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Gweinidog
So, if I can turn, then, to this issue of the 10 per cent electoral quota margin that is built into the Bill, obviously we know that the quota margin is 5 per cent for the UK Parliament elections, and that's on a constituency size of around 75,000. A 10 per…
13 Rhagfyr 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Gweinidog
Two months. Okay.
13 Rhagfyr 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Gweinidog
So, it's going to take two months to translate it, is it?
13 Rhagfyr 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Gweinidog
But they're pretty significant changes, aren't they, when there are boundary changes taking place across the UK in terms of UK Parliament elections? So why do you need six months as opposed to four? You haven't given me a reasonable—
13 Rhagfyr 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Gweinidog
So, why do you need an extra two months over and above the four months elsewhere?
13 Rhagfyr 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Gweinidog
And as you pointed out, there will be a truncated review, effectively, for the first coupling of constituencies for the 2026 elections, but thereafter things will be, obviously, much more significant, potentially, in terms of change, and it will include a…
13 Rhagfyr 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Gweinidog
And in terms of the operation of the reviews that need to take place, obviously we're not just talking about a simple boundary review, are we? We're also talking about the significant changes to the electoral system, which add further complexities to the mix…
13 Rhagfyr 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Gweinidog
Yes, and of course we all know what led to the conclusions of the Special Purpose Committee on Senedd Reform—that was the instructions they were given by the First Minister and former leader of Plaid Cymru. Nevertheless, if I can turn very quickly to the…
13 Rhagfyr 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Gweinidog
But you think—hopefully, I would expect you to think—that such significant changes should have widespread public support. But the fact of the matter is that, in terms of the responses we've received as a committee, in terms of the evidence we've received from…
13 Rhagfyr 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Gweinidog
Thank you. Minister, good morning to you. Can you tell us what the Welsh Government's view is on how you're paying attention to public views on this Bill?
13 Rhagfyr 2023 , Cyfarfod Llawn
Cynnig o dan Reol Sefydlog 17.14 i ethol Aelod i bwyllgor
Rwy'n cynnig.
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Papurau i'w nodi
Okay.
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Papurau i'w nodi
Just in relation to the letter to the First Minister and the leader of Plaid Cymru, have we had a response to that? Because I noticed the dates were very soon, as it were, in terms of availability, that we'd invited them to attend.
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Papurau i'w nodi
Yes.
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Papurau i'w nodi
Chair, can I ask a question?
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
—we need to be a bit more realistic than that. Okay. And including office security—
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
But assumptions about there being simply another 36 are pretty unrealistic, right, in terms of office set-up costs et cetera, because, if you've got retiring MSs or people who aren't returned and people wanting to make arrangements for new offices, then—
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
Although that's within the office costs at the moment.
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
Because it's not capped in any way.
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
I guess travel is the only thing that isn't capped, really, isn't it? You know what people's allowances are going to be, pretty much, unless there is an extra committee here or there. You know what their upper limit of allowance is going to be on office…
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
And nor have they reflected the potential additional costs of Members having to roam across bigger constituencies either. Again, is that something you challenged them on when they came to you to say, 'Are you happy with these assumptions we've made'?
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
—given a bit of churn, plus an additional 36 coming in. I note that that hasn't been reflected in the figures for things like office set-up costs and things like that in the Senedd Commission's workings. Was that something they discussed in detail with you or…
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
It's just one brief question, if I may. I noticed that you referred to assumptions about a potential 50 or 60, I think, new Members—
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
Okay. Thank you.
