8. UKIP Wales Debate: Assembly Electoral Reform

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:06 pm on 7 February 2018.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Gareth Bennett Gareth Bennett UKIP 5:06, 7 February 2018

Yes, well I do tackle this point, David and Mike, so thank you.

It is interesting to note that the statutory obligations of an AM, that is, our legal duties, amount to almost nothing, in effect. So, if we are going to say that more AMs are needed, perhaps we first need to lay down a much more stringent set of statutory duties. You will recall how the Assembly was brought into some disrepute recently by the frequent non-attendance of Nathan Gill. Well, we can all shake our heads and say, 'Naughty Nathan Gill', but, actually, here's a question: how often is this Chamber ever near full? It is now, but it wasn't earlier on today. A point I would like to make is that on Wednesdays we now quite often begin proceedings with only about 20 to 25 Members, and sometimes we are down to less than 20. So, even something as basic as attending Plenary is not an obligation, it is optional, as is the rest of the job, and some—[Interruption.]—and some opt not to be here very much. We've even had the Labour Government telling us recently that Wednesday debates are mere opposition debates that don't really matter very much at all, almost suggesting that we don't need to be here. On top of all that, every Friday is free of any scheduled Assembly commitment. Yes, Members do—[Interruption.] Yes, Members do things—[Interruption.] Members do things on Fridays, of course. But the point is that you don't have to do things. Yet this report speaks about us as if we're all—[Interruption.]—as if we're all perpetually snowed under with work.