, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
You'd expect the margin to go down the bigger a constituency is, you see.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Two months. Okay.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
So, it's going to take two months to translate it, is it?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
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—
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
So, why do you need an extra two months over and above the four months elsewhere?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
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?
, Plenary
Motion under Standing Order 17.14 to elect a Member to a committee
I move.
, Reform Bill Committee
Papers to Note
Okay.
, Reform Bill Committee
Papers to Note
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.
, Reform Bill Committee
Papers to Note
Yes.
, Reform Bill Committee
Papers to Note
Chair, can I ask a question?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
—we need to be a bit more realistic than that. Okay. And including office security—
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the 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—
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
Although that's within the office costs at the moment.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
Because it's not capped in any way.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the 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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the 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'?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the 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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the 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—
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
Okay. Thank you.
