, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Right. We're not going to get through all the questions we have, Minister, because we've got five minutes, and I've got vacancies to discuss, I want to discuss the future boundary reviews, and there's an issue of costings we haven't even touched on yet. So…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Darren, I need to move on.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Minister, I need to move on, because we have, according to your schedule, eight minutes left, and we've still got a lot of areas we need to cover.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
The Minister has given an answer, which we will consider as far as that answer—
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Darren.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Heledd, and then Darren, have short supplementaries on this.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Well, the Bill will—. The time the Bill goes through the Senedd will decide whether there's a two-thirds majority at that point.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
I understand what you're saying, Minister. You're simply reminding us that you are implementing the recommendations from that special purpose committee, and our job may be to explore, from the Chair of that committee, as to why that conclusion came around…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Okay. Jane.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Can I just ask one question on this, then? You've identified that job sharing is a complex area and that it needs a lot of work to look into it; if that's the case, if a committee is established at the start of the next Senedd, will the next Senedd, in a…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Well, we're very careful. I'm sure the Senedd will take everything into consideration, Minister, so you don't have to remind of us of that all the time, don't worry. I want to move on because we have quite a few important areas that we still haven't covered…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Let's see how we go, okay. The residency requirement, Darren.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
I want to move on now, because I'm conscious of the time, and we may end up, Counsel General, perhaps going a little bit longer than 11 o'clock, if you're free.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Okay. Heledd.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Heledd, did you want to ask about the size?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Heledd, you don't want to—. Darren, on that point.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
So, are we going to be in a situation where four years actually creates more jammed legislation towards the end, rather than actually give us sufficient time to scrutinise those pieces of legislation?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
My final question is on the length of term. You've identified throughout this morning so far the changes in the powers, the responsibilities the Senedd has, the complexities that exist as a consequence of all these. Those complexities will exist in…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Heledd.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
And you mentioned the Thomas commission, you mentioned the Richards commission beforehand, the previous committee—not the special purpose committee, but the previous committee, chaired by Dawn Bowden in the last Senedd—and of course the expert panel. Did you…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Minister, I accept what you've just said, and I accept that you've indicated that you are responding to the Senedd requirements of that special purpose committee, and your job is to put a Bill together to resolve what that committee said. I'm going to come to…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
I'm going to—. The question here—. That's a political question, not specific to the Bill. The Minister may not wish to answer that because we are looking at the Bill here, not necessarily what parties will decide to do as far as the whip is concerned.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Jane has got a supplementary she wants to come in on.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Darren.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Well, it's something I'm putting to you now, as a thought, Minister. Let me give you a hypothetical example that worries me: after the next election, if this goes through, you have a Government that has 17 members, but you need a coalition, and perhaps to…
