, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Carolyn.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
'Futureproofing' is not a word this committee enjoys hearing, but we will leave it at that and move back to Carolyn. Thank you very much.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
It sounds like a bit of a cop out, doesn't it, to increase it further through a delegated power that somebody else will exercise. I don't want to spend the afternoon pursuing this, I have to say, but it would be useful if there was rationale for that. I don't…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
So, what led you to 17? That's the interesting question, isn't it? What led you? Is it 12 at the moment? Perhaps I should know. It is 12, yes.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
I appreciate that, Minister. I've read the legislation. But it's not going to be difficult for a newly elected First Minister to gain a majority, is it? It's not a real hurdle or barrier. I can certainly think of two Members in those circumstances who'll be…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
I was enjoying the conversation there, but I want to bring you back to other matters as well, Counsel General. You'll be very aware that this committee doesn't like giving Government powers unless there is a reason for doing so. Now, you have asked for powers…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Luke.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
James Evans.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
It's always good to follow the example of Ukraine in these matters. I'm sure the Counsel General enjoys that.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
I'm grateful to you for that. I'm going to bring Carolyn in next and then James Evans and Luke Fletcher. Carolyn.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Okay. That's interesting. You've described there the engagement of different pieces of this legislation with other existing legislation. I assume, therefore, that you have debated or discussed these matters with the United Kingdom Government. Have you…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
By another Minister.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Okay. Just to conclude this first section, setting out the context for the legislation, you've introduced a number of pieces of legislation recently—I think Carolyn is dealing with the elections Bill that you introduced a few weeks ago on the Local Government…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
I'm interested by your answer there, Counsel General. It's an answer very similar to one that the First Minister gave me in the Chamber when I asked him about certain aspects of the legislation: 'We're carrying out the wishes of the Senedd', which is slightly…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
I accept that. The Kilbrandon commission, of course, reported in 1973. I was in primary school in 1973. So, it's certainly true that we've been debating and discussing these matters—the shape of any democratic institution in Wales—for quite some years. But…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Now, this Bill, of course, is different to some of the other legislation that you've brought in front of us and that others have brought in front of us, in that it's a constitutional Bill. It has significant aspects of it that will change fundamentally the…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Thank you very much. We've got a number of questions, as you'd imagine, Counsel General. We've probably got far too many questions than we've got time to cover this afternoon. So, with your consent, we'd be very happy to write to you at the conclusion of this…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
The second item today is the evidence session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution. I'd very much like to welcome the Counsel General. You're a regular participant in our affairs here in this committee, and we're always very grateful to…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest
Welcome to this meeting of the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee. As agreed at last week's meeting, I'll be chairing today's meeting. This is because Huw Irranca-Davies will not be participating in the committee's consideration of the Senedd…
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
But going back to the allowances, I was a Member, of course, that represented the largest region—the Mid and West Wales region—and then I was elected to represent one of the smallest constituencies in Blaenau Gwent. And so I went through exactly the change…
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
In what way?
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
So, have you had any discussions within the remuneration board on that matter?
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
But—sorry, if I could come in there—you wouldn’t calculate the core costs, the allowance that you're describing—and I think office allowance is as good as any to use as an example—on the basis of a number of Members, would you? Because I've never seen that in…
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
This might be a very short session; my coffee might last longer. I find it quite difficult to have this conversation with yourselves, quite honestly, because I’ve always assumed that the remuneration board will take decisions on supporting Members and staff…
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
Well, I think that’s not what we expected as Members when we took that decision.
