, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Did you consider merging the two into one Bill at all, as a Minister?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
But there would have to be significant changes to the other Bill, wouldn't there, if this one fell?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Obviously, the other Bill does have references to the new body, which this Bill is going to create. Isn't that a risk—having two Bills running concurrently that are interdependent on one another? What consideration have you given to having to throw them both…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
I appreciate that it might be some time off, but I don't recall there being any—. I haven't seen any evidence of consultation with local government over four-year terms at all. I mean, are you able to share with us—?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Did you ask local government?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Did you ask them?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Yes. Just in terms of the term length, I have no issue with a four-year term. I think it's perfectly appropriate, to be honest, and I think the more frequently you can go back to the people, the better, frankly. But there will now be an inconsistency with…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Two thirds of the Members who are instructed to vote for a proposal, whether they like it or not.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
But you don't accept that this is simply a political agreement, rather than the considered views of a respected Senedd committee that was trying to do a difficult job of working through various options for reform that could then have a broader consensus…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
You speak about the work of the special purpose committee. I was actually a member of that committee, Chair, and its work was completely stymied and overturned by a political agreement, frankly, between the First Minister and the former leader of Plaid Cymru…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
None of the commissions that were established by the Senedd to consider this matter came up with any of the proposals on this particular list that you're now implementing. So, I ask you again: how can you demonstrate public support for the specifics in this…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
But I don't recall reading in any political party's manifesto a commitment to 96 Members of the Senedd, elected on closed lists, with four-year terms. Frankly, there was none of the detail, was there, in anybody's manifesto? And if you ask most people on the…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Can I turn to the issue of public support for this Bill? How can you demonstrate that the public are behind the proposals in the Bill as published?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
But you accept that one outcome could be that we have seven more Ministers eventually, with one extra committee in the Senedd—and you think that's satisfactory.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Can I just pick up on what the Chair was just saying there? The scenarios presented by the Commission, in terms of the costs that they've put down, are that there might just be one additional committee. They've done a range of between one and three additional…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Look, I accept that operational responsibility lies with the north Wales fire authority, but you are the Welsh Government. You set the guidance. You set the guidelines for this organisation to function. You also are responsible for making sure that…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Well, it's the Welsh Government that's ultimately responsible for the fire service in north Wales, and we know, Minister, that the fire services in Rhyl and Deeside are currently staffed around the clock for a reason: the station in Rhyl serves a very large…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Thank you, Presiding Officer. Minister, you'll be aware that the North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority has been undertaking a review of emergency cover across north Wales, and has undertaken a consultation on three options for change. Each of those options…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
It's a stock answer.
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Minister, it's quite clear to everybody that the funding formula for local government in Wales is outdated and it is not fit for purpose. It's got over 4,000 variables, some of which date back to the 1990s, and frankly, it is an ageist formula that does not…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
8. What consideration has the Minister given to undertaking an independent review of the local government funding formula? OQ60002
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: The Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill
I am. The remuneration board that affects our pay and allowances here in the Senedd has been in place for 13 years and has never been subject to review, and I wonder whether the Welsh Government has considered whether it might be an opportunity as well to…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: The Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill
When it comes to pilots, we know that there have been some voting pilots in Wales that took place on early voting earlier this year. We had a report on that and, of course, that concluded that they were pretty unsuccessful, actually. The turnout was lower in…
, Plenary
Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: The Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill
Can I thank the Minister for an advance copy of his statement? He's very busy in his team and department at the moment, of course, because this is one of three Bills that are being worked on by the Welsh Government. It's a little bit like when you wait for a…
, Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
Trefnydd, can I call for two statements from the Minister for Health and Social Services, please? The first on the role of the Welsh Government in overseeing managed practices in Wales. I've got a managed practice in Colwyn Bay in my constituency—the West End…
