Found: Another was the Johnson government’s introduction of new material into the Elections Bill at Commons

Found: Legislative Process: Preparing Legislation for Parliament , para 41 9 Constitution Committee, Elections Bill

Found: However, we are focused on ensuring that we have, we hope, a Bill coming—an elections Bill—subject

Found: example, at the end of the 2021-22 session, the House of Lords was simultaneously considering the Elections Bill

Found: As active participants in the consultations surrounding the Elections Bill, LDA also supported the proposals

Found: researching for this submission, I came across the contribution by Lord Stunell to the debate on the Elections Bill

Found: Our Home Our Vote was formed in 2021, in response to the changes announced by the then 2021 Elections Bill

Found: RNIB raised strong concerns about the introduction of voter ID when the Elections Bill was going through

Found: I think, certainly while the Elections Bill was being debated, and as it went through Parliament, we

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions she has had with the Electoral Commission on potential provisions for the planned elections bill.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government has engaged with, and continues to engage with, various stakeholders, including the Electoral Commission, ahead of the publication of the Government's Strategy for Elections. As the independent regulator, the Electoral Commission offers valuable insight, and its contributions are helping to inform policy development in a number of areas.

Found: It follows the proposals of the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill.

Found: It follows the proposals of the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill.

Found: Data from the 2011 Census (used in the Elections Bill EQIA (see reference 10)) shows only 66% of those

Anti-Corruption and Responsible Tax APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: The Elections Bill that is currently being considered by Parliament will curtail the authority and operational

Found: Elections Bill 2021-22.

Found: Commons, UK Parliament) ____________7 Consideration of recall during the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill

Found: For example, the Explanatory Memorandum that accompanied the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill

Question

Does the Counsel General expect the Welsh Government's proposals for electoral reform and Senedd expansion to increase turnout at Senedd elections?

Answered by Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution

The Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill seeks to ensure that no Member will be returned through a disproportionate first-past-the-post system, facilitating a Senedd that more accurately represents the choice of voters expressed at an election.

By providing a single route to election, as opposed to the current mixed-member approach, we are creating a simplified, consistent system that is familiar and easily understandable to voters.

Question

Is the Welsh Government open to abandoning the closed lists system that is part of its proposed Senedd reforms, following the Chair of the Expert Panel on Electoral reform stating that the system would put too much power in the hands of parties and erode trust in politicians?

Answered by Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution

The Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill, as introduced to the Senedd, is a carefully calibrated package of measures, including closed proportional lists, which responds to the recommendations of the Special Purpose Committee on Senedd Reform, which were endorsed by Members of the Senedd.

The Bill is currently being scrutinised by the Senedd.

As the First Minister and former Chair of the Special Purpose Committee on Senedd Reform have noted in their written evidence to the Reform Bill Committee, a key element of the committee’s remit was to make recommendations for a package of reform measures that carried the support of two-thirds of the current Members of the Senedd.

The recommendation of a closed proportional list system was made on the basis that the required super-majority within the Senedd considered it to be the most appropriate system for Senedd elections. It was subsequently endorsed by two-thirds of Senedd Members, and I am confident that remains the case.

This work is being carried out as part of the Co-operation Agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru.

Question

Will the Counsel General provide an update on the consolidation and remaking of The National Assembly for Wales (Representation of the People) Order 2007, and what proposed changes have been considered so far?

Answered by Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution

As you are aware The National Assembly for Wales (Representation of the People) Order 2007, more commonly referred to as the Conduct Order sets out the detailed rules for conducting elections to the Senedd. It sets out the way in which the election and the election campaign are conducted, including provisions for legal challenge to the election.

As the Conduct Order has previously been reviewed and amended before each Senedd election and as the original Order was made in 2007, this represents a valuable opportunity for us to consolidate and re-state the law as part of an accessible, bilingual framework for the first time. 

In doing so, we will take account of the principles set out in the Legislation (Wales) Act 2019, and seek to produce an Order using modern and clear language which is accessible to the reader. This reflects our ambition to deliver an accessible, bilingual legislative framework and modernising electoral law.

As you are aware, two Bills related to electoral reforms (the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill and the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill) are currently being scrutinised by the Senedd. Subject to the Senedd approving both Bills, the Government intends to give further effect to the changes introduced in both Bills through the detailed Articles and Rules contained in the Conduct Order.  For example, the Government intends to give further effect to certain policies in the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill by updating the detailed rules relating to campaign finance arrangements, provide  improved accessibility for voters, and modernise the undue influence offence. The Government also intends to include changes to the rules for Senedd elections made necessary by the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill.

The Government intends to consult on a draft version of the Conduct Order incorporating these changes in the Autumn of 2024.   

I have written to the Chair of the Senedd Reform Bill Committee this month to provide an outline of the plans for the Conduct Order.

Question

What assessment has the Counsel General made of the costs of establishing a Senedd committee for the post-implementation review of the operation of the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill in 2026 and 2032, as set out in the Bill and is this included in the Bill's costings?

Answered by Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution

Whilst Section 19 of the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill would require the Llywydd to table a motion proposing to establish a committee to undertake a post-implementation review, it will of course be for the Senedd itself to determine whether or not to support such a motion.

The Bill would not preclude the Senedd from deciding to include this review work within the wider remit of a committee established at the start of the Seventh Senedd – it would not need to be remitted to a dedicated committee. Therefore, the potential costs associated with the discharge of any such requirement are entirely dependent on future decisions taken by the Seventh Senedd.

A series of “common assumptions” agreed by the Senedd Commission in consultation with the Business Committee and Independent Remuneration Board set out a “minimal change” scenario, which could include one additional Senedd Committee, and a “greater change” scenario which could include three additional Senedd Committees. The costs associated with these scenarios are set out in the Regulatory Impact Assessment.

This work is being carried out in collaboration with Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, leader of Plaid Cymru, as part of the Co-operation Agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru.

Question

How was it decided that there should be 96 Senedd Members, given the report A Parliament that Works for Wales by the Expert Panel on Assembly Electoral Reform's assessment that there would be less return for the costs beyond 90 Members and recommended between 80 and 90 Members?

Answered by Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution

The Explanatory Memorandum to the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill sets out that the Special Purpose Committee on Senedd Reform considered that the size of the Senedd should be increased to 96 Members, and that this was marginally beyond the range of 80 to 90 previously recommended by the Expert Panel in 2017. The Special Purpose Committee believed this increase to be a proportionate adjustment, in light of the wide array of changes in the political landscape of Wales since the Expert Panel reported. The committee noted, for example, that the responsibilities of the Welsh Government and the Senedd had increased since the time of the panel’s report, primarily as a result of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. In addition, as a result of the pandemic, public awareness of the Senedd’s and Welsh Government’s responsibilities was believed to have significantly increased, providing opportunities for greater public engagement.

This work is being carried out in collaboration with Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, leader of Plaid Cymru, as part of the Co-operation Agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru.

Question

How does the Counsel General seek to address concerns by Professor Alan Renwick that the proposed new voting system will reduce Senedd election disaffection further?

Answered by Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution

The Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill increases the size and capacity of the Senedd, and therefore increases both the level of representation of Senedd electors nationally, and the effectiveness with which elected members can represent their constituents.

The removal of the first-past-the-post element of the current mixed-member system ensures that all members will be elected on a proportional basis, and by returning the length of a Senedd term to four years, the frequency with which electors can renew or remove a government’s mandate is significantly increased.

This work is being carried out in collaboration with Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, leader of Plaid Cymru, as part of the Co-operation Agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru.

Question

Will the Counsel General set out any concrete targets for increasing Senedd election turnout as part of Senedd reform plans and if so, how specifically will these targets be achieved?

Answered by Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution

The Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill will place a duty on the Llywydd to table a motion, to establish a Senedd Committee to review the operation and effect of the Act as well as to review the extent to which the elements of a healthy democracy are present in Wales.  The review provisions would also allow the Committee to include, within its report, an assessment of any other Senedd Reform issues that it considers relevant, such as an assessment of turnout levels and an exploration of proposals for how this may be increased.

We are working to promote participation in democratic processes through our Democratic Engagement Grant, which supports organisations to increase voter participation and ensure that every citizen can play their full part in our democracy. We are currently supporting 17 projects that work directly with individuals and communities to understand the barriers to participation and to overcome these through education and support.

Supporting citizens to vote at Senedd elections is the responsibility of us all, not just government and other public bodies. We, as Members of the Senedd and political parties, must support better information, better campaigning and better engagement to ensure turnout is as high as possible at the next election.

Question

What discussions has the Counsel General had with the Senedd Commission regarding the current levels of Senedd office occupancies compared with total capacity before bringing forward plans for Senedd expansion, given the considerable shift toward home working for Senedd staff?

Answered by Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution

Ultimately these are issues for the Senedd Commission. The Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill, informed by the 'common assumptions' agreed by the Senedd Commission in consultation with the Business Committee and Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd, assume Tŷ Hywel will accommodate and provide sufficient space for each Member of the Senedd plus Member support staff and group support staff and also for Commission staff.

The work on Senedd reform is being carried out in collaboration with Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, the Plaid Cymru designated member, as part of the Co-operation Agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru.

Question

What legal advice has the Counsel General sought in relation to the Senedd expansion proposals to introduce gender zipping for elections, and what was the outcome of this advice?

Answered by Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution

We are working to create a modern, representative Senedd which reflects the Wales we live in, which supports our democracy today and into the future. As part of our commitment to a stronger, and representative Parliament, we want a Senedd which truly reflects the people of Wales.

The recommendation in the Special Purpose Committee relating to integrated gender quotas will help us achieve this alongside the wider package of ambitious Senedd reform provided for in the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill that has been introduced today.

The Special Purpose Committee encouraged the Welsh Government to take appropriate steps to ensure that the recommendations on Senedd reform for 2026 are not put at undue risk of a Supreme Court referral. The First Minister has already indicated the intention to bring forward a separate Bill to provide for gender quotas. This approach enables the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill to focus on the majority of the other measures that are required to deliver on our ambitious plans for Senedd reform.

Legislation relating to gender representation in the Senedd is being developed and our aim is to introduce that Bill this winter. We will ensure, as we do for all Bills, that the legislation we introduce is robust and within the legislative competence of the Senedd.

This work is being carried out in collaboration with Rhun ap Iorwerth, the Plaid Cymru designated member, as part of the Co-operation Agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru.

By delaying the implementation of the act, there would be time to fully consult with the public and see what they really think of the cost and the benefits.
The Welsh Government has admitted that, “in the timescale available for developing the legislation it was not possible to undertake its own open public consultation on either the general concepts of Senedd Reform or a draft Bill.”
- Page 91 of the Explanatory Memorandum to the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill https://senedd.wales/media/ixjdywtx/pri-ld16037-em-e.pdf

Found: ” - Page 91 of the Explanatory Memorandum to the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill https://senedd.wales

Found: the UK’s departure from the European Union and the recently passed Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill

Found: Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill - Bill Summary 05/24

Found: Government’s wider programme of electoral reform, which includes the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill

Found: ...................................................................9Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill

Found: In September 2023, the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill was introduced into the Senedd.

Found: ...................................................................7Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill

Found: Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill – Bill Summary

Found: Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill Bilingual Glossary