, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Thank you for your question. The Welsh Government has committed to piloting a basic income scheme for care leavers in Wales. The pilot will help to inform any future decisions of the Welsh Government, including whether to bring legislation before the Senedd.
, Plenary
Debate: President of the Welsh Tribunals Annual Report
Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. Can I thank all the speakers who've contributed to this debate at the end of this long day? Can I also just reiterate the comments of support and recognition of the work of Sir Wyn Williams? I suspect he may well be listening in, so…
, Plenary
Debate: President of the Welsh Tribunals Annual Report
The past year has seen the Welsh Tribunals continue to respond to the very significant challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic. The president gave evidence to the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee on 1 November and advised that all cases…
, Plenary
Debate: President of the Welsh Tribunals Annual Report
Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'm very pleased to open this debate, the debate on the president of the Welsh Tribunals annual report for 2020 to 2021. This is the third annual report by Sir Wyn Williams during his period as president. Before I discuss the report…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: Update on the Constitutional Commission
Well, thank you for your comments. I always worry when someone starts off their speech with 'with the greatest respect', which then means they're going to proceed with absolutely no respect whatsoever. I also then get a bit worried when the person then says…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: Update on the Constitutional Commission
Can I thank the Member for his comments and contributions? We have indeed been on a devolution journey that continues, and society continually changes. Constitutions continually change. Nothing remains static. You asked a number of quite important questions…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: Update on the Constitutional Commission
Can I thank you for those points? They’re all valid points and raise important issues—issues that we’ve been giving a lot of thought to over the past couple of months, and have been the subject of considerable discussion. Just firstly on the constitution, the…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: Update on the Constitutional Commission
Collectively, they represent both the traditional academic rigour and the new alternative perspectives that the commission will require to think creatively and radically about Wales's future. I welcome the constructive engagement that I was able to have with…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: Update on the Constitutional Commission
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Last month, I announced the appointment of the co-chairs to the Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales. I am delighted to be able to come back to the Senedd to announce the appointment of the…
, Plenary
Debate: Voter Inclusion
It is always difficult, Dirprwy Lywydd, when you have the Conservatives behind you and you can't see what they're up to. [Laughter.] Dirprwy Lywydd, if this was happening in Russia, we would be calling it by what it is: corruption, and an attack on democracy…
, Plenary
Debate: Voter Inclusion
I think that sums up the position of a lot of young people and comments I had yesterday. Can I also make this point? Darren Millar said 'Well, you know, if you're so concerned about this, why aren't you legislating?' Well, that's the whole point. We will be…
, Plenary
Debate: Voter Inclusion
Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. Can I just, before I get into my main summation, say that I attended Coleg Gwent yesterday in Blaenau Gwent, in the Member's consistency, and met a fairly substantial group of young people, and can I say how impressed I was by them?…
, Plenary
Debate: Voter Inclusion
Llywydd, when some 50 per cent of the population fail to vote in our elections regularly or at all, I suggest that the democratic health of our country is not good. There is no silver-bullet solution to this long-standing decline in civic participation, but I…
, Plenary
Debate: Voter Inclusion
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. It's a pleasure to open this debate today on voter inclusion. In looking at the health of our society, of course we consider things such as poverty, equality, employment, social well-being, health, culture and language…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: The Constitutional Commission
Can I thank the Member for his comments? He says, 'Why now?' Well, if not now, when? Because when you are facing change, when you are facing dysfunction, when you are facing the inclarity in the decision-making process, the inclarity in the financial…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: The Constitutional Commission
Can I firstly congratulate the Member on waking up this morning? And the first thing he did was to exercise some thought. I hope this isn't a one-off. Can I also thank him for the comments because I think, within the positions he's expressed—I understand why…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: The Constitutional Commission
I thank the Member for his thoughtful questions and comments. If I might start by actually saying how important I recognise the role of the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee is, and in fact, I think I'm taking one of your papers home, which is a…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: The Constitutional Commission
If I can thank the Member for his contribution and the summary, I think, of the history of devolution—certainly my recollection from the early 1970s, when I have to say that there were those of us who were never sure it was going to happen, but the lesson…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: The Constitutional Commission
Can I thank the Member for his contribution? You have raised issues that are important in respect of your political position. Could I also thank your party for the engagement that I've had up until now? And, of course, there will be further engagement…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: The Constitutional Commission
Llywydd, the first broad objective of the independent commission will be to consider and develop durable options for fundamental reform of the constitutional structures of the United Kingdom. We want the independent commission to initiate a conversation with…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: The Constitutional Commission
Llywydd, before the summer recess, I made a statement to Members setting out in more detail the plans for an independent commission on the constitutional future of Wales. And today, I am able to continue sharing with you the progress that we have made since…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: The Constitutional Commission
Thanks, Llywydd. Llywydd, before the summer recess, I made a statement to Members setting out in more detail the plans for an independent commission on the constitutional future of Wales. Today, I am able to share with you the progress that we have made since…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: Codes of Welsh law: A programme to improve the accessibility of Welsh law
Could I thank the Chair of the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee for those comments? Of course, the role of the committee in the actual scrutiny, not just of the integrity of legislation, but all the underlying principles and the issues of…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: Codes of Welsh law: A programme to improve the accessibility of Welsh law
Can I thank the Member, as ever, for a very far-reaching and wide-ranging series of comments and questions? I suspect if I were to answer in detail all of them, I would attract the ire of the Llywydd, but I will do my best within the time that is available to…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: Codes of Welsh law: A programme to improve the accessibility of Welsh law
You did refer to the issue of more acceptable law in normal times and the resources and the programme that we can expect. It is fair to say that the programme for consolidation, the work on codification, the work on the development of the resources around the…
