We now move to the election of the Deputy Presiding Officer. In accordance with Standing Order 6.12, I would like to remind Members that only a nomination from a different political party to mine and a group with an Executive role will be valid in the first place. However, this rule can be disapplied with the support of two thirds of Members once the nominations are known. Do we have a Member of a different political party—? Is there a nomination for the Deputy Presiding Officer?

Llywydd, can I nominate John Griffiths for the post of Deputy Presiding Officer?

Do we a Member from a different political group to second the nomination?

I second John Griffiths AM.

Thank you. Are there any other nominations?

I want to nominate Ann Jones.

Do we have a Member from a different political group to second that nomination?

I would like to second Ann Jones.

Thank you for that. Are there any other nominations? I see that there are none. I therefore propose in accordance with Standing Order 6.8—no. That’s my first error. If there is more than one nomination—all right. Therefore, there are two nominations for the post and a secret ballot will be held under Standing Order 6.8. Prior to that, I now invite the nominated candidates to address the Assembly, and I will call them in the order in which they were nominated. I therefore firstly call upon John Griffiths to address the Assembly.

Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd. Could I firstly congratulate you on your election to the post of Presiding Officer, and also add my appreciation to the work of Rosemary Butler, the former Presiding Officer, who I think everybody in this Chamber would agree did a great deal of good work over the previous five years and provides a very fine example to follow?

In that vein, could I also say that, if I am to become Deputy Presiding Officer, it will be a great challenge to follow the role set out and fulfilled by David Melding, who I think, again, everybody in this Chamber would agree fulfilled his duties as Deputy—[Applause.]—fulfilled his role as Deputy with great distinction, Llywydd?

Llywydd, many of us have been on a long journey with devolution. I’ve been here since the beginning in 1999 and it’s been a tremendous privilege to watch devolution grow and develop and this institution grow and develop—develop its powers, develop its role and increase its standing with the people of Wales. The future, the next five years, will see a further increase in those powers and I hope a further increase in the standing of the National Assembly for Wales. I believe it’s a very exciting time with the Wales Act and electoral arrangements to be decided here offering new possibilities in terms of the way we organise ourselves and engage with the people of Wales.

If I were to become Deputy Presiding Officer, I would be very keen to play a role in taking that very, very important work forward. I do believe that I have important experience, having been here since 1999 and also having been leader of the legislative programme and Counsel General, as well as, of course, a backbencher in more recent times. So, I do believe I have a good deal of relevant experience and I also believe I have the abilities to fulfil this role effectively.

Llywydd, can I say, finally, it’s obviously very important to strike the right balance between the Government and opposition and, I believe, more crucial to ensure that the rights of backbenchers are not just protected but enhanced? So, what I would say in conclusion is that, if I were to become Deputy Presiding Officer, my utmost priority would be to be impartial and fair to all, and I ask for your support on that basis.

And Ann Jones.

Thank you, Presiding Officer, and congratulations.

A gaf fi ychwanegu fy niolch i Rosemary Butler ac i David Melding am yr adegau y buont yn y Gadair yn ystod y Cynulliad diwethaf? Deuthum i’r pumed Cynulliad hwn, fel John, o fod wedi bod yma ers 1999, ond o fod wedi tyfu i fyny gyda thaith datganoli, o fod wedi tyfu i fyny’n rhwystredig â thaith datganoli ar y ffordd, ond o fod wedi gweld y sefydliad hwn, er hynny, yn dod yn rhan annatod o raglen ddeddfwriaethol pobl Cymru, ond hefyd yn ffordd y gallwn ni yng Nghymru wneud pethau'n wahanol bellach, ac ar wahân.

Hoffwn adleisio'r hyn a ddywedodd John. Bydd pawb ohonoch yn gwybod am fy rhwystredigaeth, ond byddwch hefyd yn gwybod fod gennyf feddwl annibynnol—byddai’n well i chi ofyn i'r rhes flaen ynglŷn â pha mor annibynnol fy marn oeddwn i yn y Cynulliad diwethaf neu'r Cynulliadau cyn hynny—ond rwyf bob amser wedi meddwl bod lle yma i bobl sy'n gallu datblygu’r syniadau hynny, datblygu'r sgiliau hynny a bod yn deg ag Aelodau’r meinciau cefn. Rwy’n meddwl bod John a minnau ein dau’n teimlo hynny fel Aelodau'r meinciau cefn.

Rwyf eisiau datblygu menywod mewn bywyd gwleidyddol a Menywod mewn Bywyd Cyhoeddus y cymerodd y cyn-Lywydd—. Ond rwyf hefyd yn awyddus i weld—. Nid oes gennym gynrychiolaeth ddigonol ar gyfer pobl ag anableddau ac rwy'n credu bod gennym ffordd bell i fynd o hyd ym maes anabledd o ran dod i gysylltiad â phobl ag anableddau—caniatáu iddynt ddod ymlaen mewn gwirionedd a chwarae eu rhan mewn cymdeithas.

Felly, rwy'n gofyn am gefnogaeth heddiw. Rwyf wedi gwneud 17 mlynedd. Rwy'n teimlo mai nawr yw’r amser i mi gynorthwyo'r Llywydd i newid y pumed Cynulliad hwn, sy’n mynd i fod yn wahanol. Mae pob un wedi bod yn wahanol. Ac rwy’n meddwl mai nawr yw’r amser i mi ddweud: credaf fod gennyf syniadau newydd, mae gennyf syniadau annibynnol, ond rwyf am wrando ar eich holl syniadau chi yn ogystal ac rwyf am eu datblygu gyda'n gilydd, ar y cyd, fel Cynulliad, fel sefydliad, ond yn anad dim, gan gofio bod pobl Cymru yno ac y dylem fod yno i'w gwasanaethu. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

We will now adjourn the meeting to allow the secret ballot to take place. Members will once again have 30 minutes to cast their vote, and, once again, the voting will take place in briefing room 13. I therefore adjourn the meeting.

Plenary was suspended at 14:25.

The Assembly reconvened at 14:58, with the Presiding Officer in the Chair.

Assembly, I am now in a position to give you the result of the secret ballot for the Deputy Presiding Officer. John Griffiths received 29 votes and Ann Jones 30 votes. I therefore declare, in accordance with Standing Order 6.9 that Ann Jones is elected as Deputy Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales.

Once again, before proceeding, I think it would be appropriate for us to acknowledge the work of the former Deputy Presiding Officer, David Melding: insightful and diligent work during this past Assembly, in this Chamber, beyond this Chamber and as Chair of Assembly committees. Therefore, may I take this opportunity to thank David Melding very much on behalf of this Assembly? [Applause.]

I congratulate Ann Jones on her election as Deputy Presiding Officer and ask, if she so wishes, whether she would wish to say a few words.

Diolch, Lywydd. Can I just say, ‘Thank you, John’, because John and I have spent lots of time walking corridors—haven’t we John—over the last couple of days? And I’d like to say thank you to John, because I think what we’ve done is we’ve worked together with the best interests of this Assembly at heart. And I haven’t had this slim a majority—I’ve been known to have slim majorities—but I haven’t had this slim a majority, but, nevertheless, can I thank everybody for their confidence in me? I promise I won’t let you down, and I promise that I will work very hard to make sure that this institution is regarded as what it should be and what it really is, and that is the best of the institutions across the UK. So, diolch yn fawr iawn; thank you. [Applause.]