, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Okay, Counsel General and your officials, if there are no other questions from committee members, I think that concludes our evidence session with you today. You will be sent a transcript to check for factual accuracy in the usual way. Diolch yn fawr.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Another aspect of this, of course, is the possibility of areas being left without representation, which is obviously not desirable. Is there anything that you might introduce to guard against that possibility? Might elections be required to take place within…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Yes, okay. Perhaps I may ask a couple of further questions with regard to the removal of grace periods. We heard concerns that this could potentially mean more local by-elections taking place soon after general elections, as it were, are held, and this might…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Could I just ask about that? Presumably the electoral management board in providing the platform, hosting the platform, having some degree of responsibility for the platform, might have potential legal liability for the content of candidates' statements…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Okay. Diolch yn fawr. Carolyn Thomas.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Sorry, Adam Price.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Okay, Jayne. Carolyn Thomas.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Diolch yn fawr, Adam. Jayne Bryant.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Okay, Counsel General, many thanks. We'll move on to Adam Price.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
So, you're not, then, considering widening it further. For example, we heard from an academic regarding data mining and access to databases, and there was a suggestion that Department for Work and Pensions data might be used, for example, and obviously that…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
A couple more questions from me before we move on to other committee members. You told us previously, Counsel General, in terms of the data used to automatically register, that it was 'work in progress'. I think some of your officials were looking at council…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
I see. And, Counsel General, will the annual canvass continue in Wales once we have automatic registration?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Diolch yn fawr, Sam. Counsel General, sticking with some of the more practical and technical aspects, we heard from the Association of Electoral Administrators regarding their concerns on the technical implications of the local government register and the…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Okay, thank you, Counsel General. Sam.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
But is there any particular reason why people shouldn't be anonymous in the way that they want to be simply because that's their desire rather than their particular personal circumstances in terms of surviving abuse or something similar?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
—is that perhaps on some of the practical issues that you've mentioned, is there any in-principle objection to people being anonymous in terms of the electoral register simply because they want to be anonymous rather than having particular personal…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
I think what we're wondering, as a committee, Counsel General—
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Diolch yn fawr. Sam. Sam Rowlands.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Okay, Adam?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Yes, if you could come back to us on that, we'd be grateful. Yes. Okay. Adam.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Just before you come back, Adam, Counsel General, could you direct us to that part of the proposed legislation then that would require the annual report to the Senedd?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Okay. Thank you very much for that. Adam Price.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
We heard, for example, from the boundary commission, that, given that it would have these new functions regarding the setting up of the electoral management board, those functions shouldn't really be given to the boundary commission before that electoral…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Thank you all very much for coming in to give evidence to committee this afternoon. Perhaps I might begin with a fairly general question. The Electoral Commission has told this committee that while they are generally supportive of the Bill, some concerns have…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
We will move on, then, to item 3, our further evidence session with regard to the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill. I'm very pleased to welcome the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution, together with some of his officials. Counsel…
