, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Okay. Malcolm, thank you very much for giving evidence—[Interruption.] Sorry, Joel. Joel.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Okay?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Okay, Sam. Carolyn Thomas.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Yes.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Okay, thank you very much, Malcolm. We'll move on, then, to another committee member, Sam Rowlands. Sam.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Okay. Just one quick supplementary: could you explain how the resource and budget allocation works for the management board in Scotland?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Yes, I see. Finally from me, before we move on to other committee members, Malcolm, I wonder if you could set out your views on the importance of the independence of the Electoral Management Board for Scotland, and the steps you take to ensure that that…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
I see. Okay. Could you just tell us, as well, if a returning officer was to disagree with a direction from the board, what action could the board take? Is there a particular procedure for dealing with that potential eventuality?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
So, does that have any particular implications, then, for the operation of the electoral management board and the way that things work, in the way that you've described them?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Is that quite a recent development, Malcolm, that that turnover is higher than it's been in the past?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
[Inaudible.]—community where, obviously, people know each other, and I guess some people have been in position for a number of years and relationships are well established.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Okay. Thank you very much for that, Malcolm. You've also said that the board in Scotland would only make directions following consultation, and you've mentioned the exceptional circumstances, really, of COVID. Would there be any other examples that you could…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Okay, welcome back, everyone, to committee this morning. We've reached item 3 in our evidence taking sessions with regards to the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill. At this point, I'd just like to add the apologies of Jane Bryant to the apology from…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Okay, Sam. Okay. Thanks very much. If there are no other questions from committee members, it just falls on me to let you know, as I'm sure you already do, that you will be sent a transcript of this session, to check for factual accuracy. So, thank you, both…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Yes, absolutely.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Okay. Thank you very much.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Okay, Carolyn. Could I ask you, as well, on the electoral management board and the voter information platform, would you see the electoral management board hosting that platform?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Yes. Carolyn.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
—democratic legitimacy compared to other areas. Would that be your take on—?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
So, it could potentially then affect the geography of reviews and re-allocation of geographical areas, then. So, an area that has a higher number, a higher percentage, of population of voting age who are not registered could see change that would, well, I…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Yes. Okay. And finally from me, at least, the electoral management board and automatic voter registration—would you have any views or concerns on the potential impact of automatic voter registration on the electoral management board?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Okay, Joel? Just one or two other questions from me. Firstly, sections 65 and 66 make changes to the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru's governance and audit committee arrangements. What view do you have on those provisions?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Thank you, Sam. Joel.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Right. Did you want to deal with the abolition of the independent remuneration panel, Sam?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Can I bring Sam in at this point? Sam.
