, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Yes. It will be an amendment to the Members and elections Bill.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Will, do you want to answer those questions?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
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—?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
To correct the record.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Oh, apologies.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
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…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Thank you very much for your very important question.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence session with the Trefnydd and Chief Whip
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…
