, Plenary
Group 1: Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru: name of the Commission (Amendments 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 49, 50, 51, 115, 52)
Diolch, Llywydd. In making my opening comments at this Stage 3 debate today, I want to once again put on record my thanks to the Reform Bill Committee team for their support and work throughout the stages of this Bill so far, supporting Members—including…
, Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
Trefnydd, can I call for a statement on the Welsh Government's childcare offer? I've been contacted by a number of concerned constituents in my constituency of Clwyd West who are expressing with dismay the lack of support with childcare costs that they are…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
One of the rare species in Wales that is affected by biodiversity loss, of course, is the red squirrel, and, as the red squirrel species champion, it would be improper of me not to take this opportunity to ask the new First Minister what action his Government…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Women's Caucus
Okay, thank you.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Women's Caucus
I was just going to say that, obviously, the Senedd has achieved 50:50 without the need for quotas, so I was just interested—[Interruption.] If you'll just let me finish, it was without the need for statutory quotas—that's the point I'm making. So, obviously…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Women's Caucus
I'm going to ask Janet to respond now, but before I do, obviously, Janet, our party hasn't done particularly well in terms of the diversity of the sexes on our benches over the years. You've obviously broken through the system, as it were, and managed to get…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Women's Caucus
Diolch, Sioned. Rhianon, you wanted to come in.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Women's Caucus
I know that Rhianon wants to come in, but if I can take Sioned first and then come back to you, Rhianon.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Women's Caucus
Thank you. In terms of legislative gender quotas—I appreciate there's a diversity of opinion, so feel free to let me know if you want to come in—do you think that the voluntary actions that have already been taken by political parties are sufficient? Your…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Women's Caucus
And can you just tell us, perhaps—? I don't know whether there is, but I'm assuming that there's diversity of opinion within the caucus on the provisions in the Bill. Or is there a caucus position on the Bill and its provisions?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Women's Caucus
So, it's about encouraging women to get involved in the life of the Senedd and to put themselves forward as candidates of the Senedd, and to assist women getting political positions within the Senedd, yes?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Women's Caucus
Thank you. I'll put this question to Joyce, if that's okay? Welcome to you all. Can you just tell us a little bit more about the role of the Senedd women's caucus and the sort of activities that you undertake?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Women's Rights Network
Okay. Thank you.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Women's Rights Network
No, I think—. Look, I'll be blunt with you. I don't think my party has done enough on the diversity agenda. It's taken some positive steps. We have some of the things in place that the Labour Party has, for example, but there are other things, probably, that…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Women's Rights Network
Yes, just one final question. I asked the previous panel this as well. Do you think that there ought to be, that the one step forward that could be taken would be a statutory requirement for every political party to produce a diversity action plan of sorts…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Women's Rights Network
Thank you.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Women's Rights Network
Which would be the corrupt practices sort of legislation, so added to the schedule of corrupt practices for the purposes of elections. Okay. Thank you very much.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Women's Rights Network
But you believe that there are insufficient sanctions at the moment on the Bill for those who choose to make a false statement.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Women's Rights Network
Yes. Just in terms of sanctions now, if I may, so you're quite—. You rightly identify that the Bill does not make it a corrupt practice to make a false statement in relation to whether someone's a woman or not a woman at the point that they submit their…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Women's Rights Network
And just to be clear, you believe that, if this Bill is to proceed, it needs to be clear that, for the purposes of the legislation, 'woman' means 'female of any age'.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Women's Rights Network
Can I just come on to this issue of data protection? So, you make reference in your evidence to the fact that you don't believe that there is a sensitivity around these statements, and that they ought to be publicly available to people to be able to probe. In…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Women's Rights Network
So, it's obviously a gift to lawyers, isn't it? Can I just come on to this issue about—
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Women's Rights Network
The Minister seemed to be adamant that the Welsh Government had no intention of wanting to define what a women is for the purpose of the legislation, and that that ought to be a matter for the courts to decide if a challenge was made. What she also didn't…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Women's Rights Network
The Minister has suggested that the way to resolve situations like that would be in the courts, in her first evidence session with us. Do you think that's a sensible thing?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Women's Rights Network
So, you're talking there about someone who might make a false statement or claim to be a woman at the time that they become a candidate, and then choose to live their life as a man thereafter, yes, as they were previously.
