1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
Well, clearly, we hope to take the public with us, don't we, Darren, in terms of this development. Actually, I have had sight of—I know it's just come through, hasn't it—these YouGov survey findings. Of 1,000 adults in Wales aged 16 plus, 14 per cent strongly…
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
Diolch yn fawr. We know how toxic politics can be, and intrusive, particularly facing women. The women here in this room know what that has meant, and what it means to them. We also know that we have—. I think I would bring in here our violence against women…
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
I think it's a really valid point. We're looking again at the evidence that's come forward. I think what's interesting, which is very encouraging, is the way that there's been so much evidence that, if we create the demand through the provisions in the Bill…
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
I mean, I think—. As I said, we know that there are very few casual vacancies of that kind. But I think it's important that we recognise that we're talking here about candidate quotas in this Bill, so the rules apply to candidates on party lists and not…
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
Well, there aren't any plans, currently, to change this under the Bill. But I think if you look at party lists having—. If the party lists have the required proportion of women and have ordered them according to the rules, then, in theory, there should be at…
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
Yes. I think we've also got provision in the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill in terms of these circumstances. We are talking, in terms of our experience over the last 25 years, about very low levels of withdrawals or vacancies that occur, which…
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
Well, as you say, it's not, under the current rules, possible to withdraw a candidate or a list of candidates from the election after the deadline for the submission of nominations. But we're working through the process with key stakeholders on this, on how…
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
Yes. It will be an amendment to the Members and elections Bill.
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
Yes, and we did discuss this on Monday at your committee. It was important when we drafted the Bill to observe that balance between primary and secondary legislation, but that, indeed, that balance is struck in all our legislation, with a similar approach to…
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
Well, I think it is important that everyone has adequate time, as you say—we talked about compliance earlier on—to complete the necessary compliance checks. I think that's where the section 13 Order, the conduct Order, would make provision for changes to the…
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
Well, I think we still continue to work, don’t we, closely with the Association of Electoral Administrators, and we’re hearing views on the timetable, and, indeed, not just from them, but from all stakeholders. But, of course, that would be very much part of…
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
Will, do you want to answer those questions?
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
No, I think we're confident in terms of the timescales that have been set out for this, that we would be able to deliver on this. But, obviously, we have a phased approach to taking this forward, depending on how the Bill progresses, because then, alongside…
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
Well, I think it has really been helpful to see, in the evidence coming before your committee, how people have identified also that quotas aren't the only answer and that there's more we need to do on top of that to attract and retain women in politics. We've…
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
Diolch yn fawr, Heledd. Yes, seeing some of the powerful evidence that's come through from stakeholders, and I've mentioned already the evidence that you received, for example, from EYST, the Ethnic Minorities and Youth Support Team, and Race Council Cymru…
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
Well, I think there are ongoing discussions, but we're really geared up, as they are, to help us with this. Will, do you want to—?
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
To correct the record.
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
Oh, apologies.
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
Absolutely. And, as I've said, this is very much a matter for the Senedd Commission and the Cardiff Bay 2032 project. That's looking at long-term estate and accommodation needs, and I hope very much it will look at childcare facilities. The Senedd Commission…
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
Diolch, yes. Well, the access to elected office fund, which you refer to, was made available, particularly to reach out to disabled people, and it is being reviewed at the moment. It was the responsibility of finance and local government, and now the new…
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
Yes, the Welsh Government has written. In fact it was Julie James, I recall, who wrote in 2020 to the UK Government to ask for section 106 of the Equality Act to be implemented. Of course, just for everyone to know, section 106 is about the diversity and…
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
Absolutely. We know that you need funding as well as legislation, and the policy has to drive that. It's very disappointing that we lost Chwarae Teg. We’ve lost Chwarae Teg and many other very progressive organisations, I would say, largely due to the loss of…
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
Because we have got to ensure that we tackle those barriers, the barriers that many of us have faced in our lives—barriers that are faced particularly by women. But also there are barriers that we of course need to address in terms of the whole population and…
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
Diolch yn fawr am eich cwestiwn pwysig iawn.
1 Mai 2024 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip
The discussion about whether this is needed or not will develop as part of the Senedd reform programme. But I don't think, Will, at this point we've thought further than that. I think it will be interesting to see what comes out of the—. We're in very early…
