, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral reform organisations
But they've done so without legislation, haven't they?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral reform organisations
Yes, it's just on this issue of gender and diversity quotas. So, obviously, the Senedd has a pretty good record on gender so far. We did achieve 50:50 after one election, and given that that system is currently working—. And I appreciate that some parties—my…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral reform organisations
Thank you.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral reform organisations
Yes, just very briefly. So, I had the benefit of sitting on the previous Senedd reform committee, which I then resigned from because it was hijacked. But one of the issues that was discussed in that committee was the possibility of instead of using either the…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral reform organisations
—approach in the EU.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral reform organisations
So, there are only two other countries that have this sort of—
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral reform organisations
Yes. Good point.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral reform organisations
I'm very interested in this issue as well, if I may, of the potential of variable district magnitudes. One of the challenges that we all have as politicians sometimes is explaining where our boundaries lie to our constituents. People might be familiar with…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral reform organisations
Can I just come back to Alberto's point? You say that having a more proportional system is likely to be a safeguard against lower potential turnout. But we have higher turnouts for first-past-the-post elections, don't we? In the UK general election, we have a…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral reform organisations
Yes. I just wanted to pick up on voter turnout, if I can. Jess, you mentioned the fact that it's very difficult at the moment to get a handle on the data as to what the turnout is for certain groups of people, whether that be age or other demographic issues…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral systems academics
Yes. Forgive me for not being clearer.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral systems academics
Yes, please.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral systems academics
Perhaps another slightly different question on the same theme, and that is around what if a political party no longer exists and they have lists. We've had that situation in Wales, where a party had a number of individuals represented. Those individuals…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral systems academics
Okay. And how about you, Professor Clark?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral systems academics
And can I just ask you about this a little bit more? So, my understanding is that the reason that there are no provisions for by-elections for regional Members who may vacate a seat at present is because of the sheer size of the current regions and…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral systems academics
Well, it's more likely with the smaller constituencies. They're not the size of the current regions, are they?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral systems academics
Dr Larner, you’d agree with that view? Okay, thank you for that. Can I just turn, if I may, to this issue of vacancies that might arise? So, obviously, at the moment, if a regional Member of the Senedd passes away, or for whatever reason decides to step down…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral systems academics
Because it could be widely interpreted, and how you define healthy democracy, et cetera.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral systems academics
So, the extent to which the elements of a healthy democracy are present in Wales—that’s the provision, isn’t it?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral systems academics
Professor Clark, sorry. It’s difficult when you’re not in the room.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral systems academics
What do you think?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral systems academics
Yes. I just wanted to touch on this whole area of the review of the provisions in the Bill, if I can. So, obviously, everyone would want to have a look at how the new system functions once it's been introduced, to make sure that it's working. But it is—or…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral systems academics
Okay. Thank you.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral systems academics
What about you?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with electoral systems academics
I know it's like a Mastermind question, but is it a big number or very small number? [Laughter.]
