, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Thanks, Chair. Just on the 12-year period versus 10 years, I'm just interested in your thoughts, because, obviously, community councils and principal councils usually have a five-year cycle, so I was just wondering where your thoughts are when there may be…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Okay. Thanks, Chair.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Isn't the whole point of this to have a view on legislation the Government is putting forward?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Can I just expand that a little bit further? You're saying you don't have a view on whether the Welsh Government should compel local authorities to have pilots. With your experience, you have no view on that.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
All right. Thanks, Chair.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Just to be clear on that point, it's about getting the ducks in a row.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
It would be good, wouldn't it? Okay, thank you. And then just a final question from me, Chair, if I may. In the commission's written evidence, you've highlighted that commencement powers should be altered to ensure that certain provisions in the Bill don't…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Do you think it is a fair challenge if people have concerns about independence due to the funding and the public appointments process? Is that fair, or do you think that's not a fair challenge?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
But that public appointments process is by the Welsh Minister, isn't it?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
On that point of independence, there has been some criticism by academics and by the Electoral Commission about a potential lack of independence because your funding comes from the Welsh Government. How can you reassure us that independence would be there…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Yes. Best of luck. And then just in terms of who the right people are to establish the electoral management board, do you think that the democracy and boundary commission is the right body to establish this board?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
And do you think that Joe Bloggs, the general public, will feel that difference and feel like it will be better for them?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Thanks. There might be a simple answer, but how do you think establishing the board is going to make things better?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 6
Thanks, Chair. Good morning. Thanks for coming here this morning, we really appreciate your time. Just on that point about the electoral management board, obviously, section 1 of the Bill does include that provision for the commission to establish that board…
, Plenary
Statement by Sam Rowlands—Introduction of a Member-proposed Bill: Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill
Well, thank you, Darren, again for your broad support of this and also for acknowledging the economic impact that this Bill could have, and the economic difference to the economy that outdoor education and outdoor activity centres have currently. As I said…
, Plenary
Statement by Sam Rowlands—Introduction of a Member-proposed Bill: Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill
Thank you, Peter Fox, for your contribution there. I certainly acknowledge the efforts made, at your time, in maintaining the centres in Monmouthshire, and I was proud also, in Conwy, that—. Conwy, Monmouthshire and Cardiff, I believe, are the only councils…
, Plenary
Statement by Sam Rowlands—Introduction of a Member-proposed Bill: Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill
Thank you, Carolyn, for that. I'm sorry that you think committee time has been wasted by looking at a private Member's Bill. I think as Members who aren't in the Government, we're all grateful to committees for their work on this, and I think it's really…
, Plenary
Statement by Sam Rowlands—Introduction of a Member-proposed Bill: Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill
Thank you, Tom Giffard, for that. You're absolutely right, and I referenced it in my response to Alun Davies a moment ago, about pupils engaging with their cynefin. It's within the Curriculum for Wales. And actually, being out and about in a national park, or…
, Plenary
Statement by Sam Rowlands—Introduction of a Member-proposed Bill: Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill
I thank the Member for his positive comments about residential outdoor education and outdoor education more broadly. I think that experiential education is really important from a learning point of view, but also from a cynefin point of view for us here in…
, Plenary
Statement by Sam Rowlands—Introduction of a Member-proposed Bill: Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill
I thank Russell George for pointing to some of the health benefits of this Bill. As you alluded to, we do know there is a growing problem in Wales, and more broadly in the western world, with things like diabetes. We know that there are around 200,000 people…
, Plenary
Statement by Sam Rowlands—Introduction of a Member-proposed Bill: Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill
Thank you, Jenny Rathbone, for those points. I appreciate, again, the broad support for the principles of the Bill. I certainly acknowledge, as well, the challenges around the funding of this. First of all, to your point around special schools perhaps not…
, Plenary
Statement by Sam Rowlands—Introduction of a Member-proposed Bill: Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill
Wel, diolch yn fawr iawn, Heledd, for the questions and comments there. I appreciate the broad support for the principles of this Bill, certainly, here today. In terms of the first point in regard to the universality of this, I guess it comes down to the…
, Plenary
Statement by Sam Rowlands—Introduction of a Member-proposed Bill: Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill
Well, thank you very much, Laura Anne Jones, for that contribution as well, and certainly for acknowledging the benefits of the Bill, particularly within the classroom. I thought it was an interesting piece by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, which carried out a…
, Plenary
Statement by Sam Rowlands—Introduction of a Member-proposed Bill: Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you, Minister, for your response to my statement here this afternoon. And I certainly share your acknowledgement that outdoor education is more than just a single experience. But I think, as you would…
, Plenary
Statement by Sam Rowlands—Introduction of a Member-proposed Bill: Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm incredibly grateful for this opportunity to introduce the Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill to the Senedd here this afternoon. Will Wales lead the way? That's a question I've been asked on social media about…
