, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 8
Great. Thanks, Chair. Thank you.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 8
Okay. Thank you. And just a final point from me on the registration without application: the Bill suggests a 45-day window to request anonymous registration. I just wonder what you think the risk may be of electors missing that window, those 45 days, and how…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 8
Thanks. And you haven't perhaps touched on—. And perhaps it's the way I've framed the questions, but witnesses on this issue have talked about the potential for confusion for the electors themselves—those elections that are Welsh responsibility versus…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 8
Okay. Thank you. There's plenty there to chew over. Just going back to that accuracy point: how do you think the Welsh Government can ensure that electoral registers are accurately maintained under the electoral registration without application system?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 8
Just on electoral registration without application, clearly it's quite a significant part of the Bill in here. I just wondered what challenges you think the Welsh Government might face when piloting electoral registration without application, as provided for…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 8
Okay. Thank you. That's an interesting way of breaking it down. It's probably slightly less good value for money than the Scottish model, though, if you did it per elector, I suppose. But, yes, that's one way to look at it. Thank you. Just if I may, Chair…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 8
Thank you. On this point on the EMB still, there is a proposed level of resource in the Bill. Do you think it's sufficient to deliver the functions provided to it?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 8
Thank you. Just moving away from that a little bit, but continuing to think about the electoral management board, the Bill looks to provide direction-making powers for the EMB. Do you have a view on that?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 8
Thank you for that. Your view is very clear, so thank you for giving that. In the Scottish model, of course, they are funded by the Scottish Government themselves, aren't they, to the tune of around £200,000 a year, and they argue their independence is then…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 8
Thanks, Chair, and good morning, Professor Clark. I appreciate your time with us today. Just a few questions on the electoral management board proposals within the Bill. As I'm sure you noticed, the Bill does establish the EMB as part of the Democracy and…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Thanks. Thanks, Chair.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Thanks. So, just a slightly different point now, which is in relation to electoral pilots: the Bill that we're scrutinising would give the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru, hosting the electoral management board, duties in the evaluation of electoral…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Yes, thank you. Can I just ask a further question, Chair—is that okay?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
No, no, that's fine—trying to get the details is really, really helpful, so, thank you for that. So, if I was to get this right then: so, there's an annual report and there is opportunity for regular, written evidence as and when it's presented to you and…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Thank you. And on that point, can I just understand that a little bit further? So, that accountability to the Parliament, could you help me understand what that looks like? So, is that an annual sitting in front of a committee? I know you mentioned the report…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Thanks for that. I absolutely accept that, ultimately, it is a decision for Parliament what happens here. I guess I'm trying to just pick away at your experience and observations in Scotland as to how these things could work, and I agree with you in terms of…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Diolch yn fawr iawn, John. Good morning, Malcolm, thank you for joining us here today. It's appreciated. The Bill that we're scrutinising places a duty on the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru, which is a Welsh Government-sponsored body, and it's the…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Okay. Thanks.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
We've received evidence from others who perhaps have some concerns—well, all sorts of different concerns—about the voter information platform, and I wonder whether you'd share any of those broader concerns about information being held, who's responsible for…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Just on that point, Chair, can I ask a further question?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
You don't have a view. All right. Thanks, Chair.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Obviously, lots of things are matters for Senedd Members, but perhaps you had a view on it, at all.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Thanks. And just more broadly, I wonder if you have a view on—. We have a remuneration panel here in the Senedd, and that's not been—. The opportunity to do something with that within this hasn't been taken. I wonder if you had a view on that at all. It seems…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
More than happy, Chair, yes, no problem at all. It sounded like I should, didn't it? [Laughter.] So, section 56 of the Bill abolishes the IRP for Wales and transfers its functions to yourselves. What are your views on this?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Okay. That makes some sense. Thanks, Chair.
