Jane Hutt: ...us to be here today, and look forward to what our future generations would expect of us in taking the opportunities we have to make a Parliament that is fit for purpose, in terms of the widest representation of people in Wales.
Siân Gwenllian: ...possible at last. Without that Act, of course, we wouldn't be in this place discussing this. The next step is to hold a wide-ranging consultation on these issues that are contained in the report, not only about the number of Assembly Members—I'm slightly concerned that the discussion will focus on that, the number of Assembly Members and whether we need to increase the number of Assembly...
Gareth Bennett: ...we first have had such a referendum. Now, in terms of the other issues, votes at 16: we also have a national policy on that, and we do oppose extending the franchise to 16 and 17-year-olds. Equal representation of genders: we believe that should be up to the political parties themselves to decide. The problem with the consultation is how to get widespread involvement, and how to ensure...
Vikki Howells: I rise to speak in this debate as chair of the National Assembly Labour group. The issues addressed in the report of the expert panel on Assembly electoral reform are matters not for the Government in the first instance, but for us as representatives of our political parties, and for our communities and parties more widely to consider. I would like to place on record the thanks of my party...
Mr Simon Thomas: ...is something that we ought now to genuinely consider along with changes to the national curriculum. Thirdly, we have to ensure that whatever we do is commensurate with or proportional to the representation that we have in the Assembly already or improves on that proportionality. And it's important to Plaid Cymru that we strike the right balance between local accountability and the fact...
Elin Jones: All of us in this Siambr know that a call for more politicians is never going to be popular. Nevertheless, this report highlights the need to take action to address the capacity gap. The panel noted the proposals that have already been implemented to increase the capacity of the Assembly, but those methods in themselves aren't sufficient. So, the Assembly Commission has a responsibility to...
Jane Hutt: Dirprwy Lywydd, as we mark the centenary of partial women's suffrage this week with the Representation of the People Act 1918 on 6 February 1918, today we'd like to pay tribute, I know, to women from Barry who played their part in the suffrage movement, including Annie Gwen Vaughan-Jones, who was the Secretary of the Cardiff and District Women's Suffrage Society. Annie was a student at the...
Jayne Bryant: Thank you, Counsel General. Last year, the UK Government released statistics showing a shocking rise in the number of domestic violence survivors with no legal representation in family courts. The statistics reveal that the number of those having to represent themselves in courts in England and Wales have doubled during the last five years. In the first nine months of last year, 3,234...
Jeremy Miles: ...comment on specifically, but in relation to how this was dealt with in the court action, which may answer part of her question, because of the Welsh Government's acceptance that the 2017 plan did not comply with its duties, it made that representation in court, and so the discussions between ClientEarth and the Government relate to the terms of the consent Order, which embodies the Welsh...
Jayne Bryant: 5. What representations has the Counsel General made to the UK Government regarding the ability of victims of crime to access legal services? OAQ51717
Ann Jones: ...dress in purple, white and green because I think that's what we need to celebrate—and that we move forward together, as an Assembly Commission, as a Welsh Government, as the people of Wales, the representation of Wales, to celebrate the work of women? I just wonder whether you will agree that that is the best way forward.
Julie James: ...the power of somebody with a determined vision and the strength of character to pull it through. So, she was absolutely determined that we were going to have gender equality in our constituency representation for this place, and her determination shone through and won the day. That's the real message of Anita. Two things: have your vision, pursue it formidably—I think that's the right...
Dawn Bowden: Can I thank the leader of the house for her statement, which, I was pleased to note, acknowledges the sacrifices of those who went before us and those who spoke up for women's right to vote, and, indeed, women's right to stand for election? In the case of the Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney constituency, it's a matter of pride to me that such support came from Keir Hardie, who was their MP at the...
Julie James: ...forward to. I'm also looking forward to taking forward the debate about votes at 16, so that we lower the voting age so that everybody in this country who is eligible to pay taxes has proper representation in the places that represent them. We had the Brexit vote, and of course the Government will honour it, but what we didn't do is have a vote about the terms of that Brexit. We've had...
Julie James: ..., to assist people to continue those exhibitions into the future or to develop them in any way that they see fit. I should have answered in response to Siân Gwenllian, but I'll say it now: we are not looking at a short timescale to come back. We're imagining that a lot of these schemes will be towards the end of the year when some of the other centenaries are coming forward. The...
Jane Hutt: Can I just also very much welcome the statement by the leader of the house on the centenary of women's suffrage? We do, as you say, leader of the house, celebrate today the Representation of the People Act passed on 6 February 1918. It gave women the right to vote whilst also noting that women had to be over 30, and they, or their husband, had to meet a property qualification in order to...
Julie James: Diolch, Llywydd. Today marks the significant, 100-year anniversary of the Representation of the People Act 1918, which was passed on 6 February 1918. This Act enabled all men and some women over the age of 30 to vote for the first time. It is worth noting, however, that it wasn’t until 10 years later, with the passing of the Equal Franchise Act 1928, giving women the right to vote at age...
Jenny Rathbone: ...getting a limited vote—of course, this was at a time when men also had a limited vote; it wasn't all men who had the vote either—we need to make sure that women's votes count and that women's representation in our political institutions counts as well. I wanted to raise, leader of the house, the issue of period poverty, because it is shocking to learn that one in 10 women cannot afford...
Julie James: On the first very important matter, the Cabinet Secretary certainly heard your representations, and if you have specific instances that are leading you to the conclusion that that consultation is too short, then I suggest you write to the Cabinet Secretary and set those out. He's indicating his willingness to consider them. And on the second, I think you can hear the Cabinet Secretary...
Andrew RT Davies: ...provision for women from Northern Ireland and the consultation that has been brought forward by the Government. I make no observations about the substance of the consultation, but I have had heavy representations over the weekend about the length of the consultation that the Government has allowed for this important piece of work. Apparently, the length of the consultation, it has been put...
