I don't have a view on that. I think it's obviously important that we make sure that we have an informed electorate at all ages, and I think we should take every opportunity that we can to make sure that is the case. 

The responses to the consultation that the Commission has conducted suggest that if we encourage people to engage with politics at a young age, they are more likely to remain engaged as they grow older. This should ensure strong levels of public participation in the democratic process for the future, and what better way to engage young people than to allow them to take part and vote in the elections that have a direct impact upon their lives? The Welsh Government believes that it's not just young people who must be allowed a voice; the right to vote should apply to all those who have a stake in our society. Our forthcoming local government and elections Bill will therefore also enfranchise all foreign nationals legally resident in Wales to vote in Welsh local government elections. The Welsh Government believes this principle must be applied consistently across the electoral franchises of Wales, and the Government would like to explore these issues, as this Bill progresses, with the Assembly Commission.

I welcome, too, the proposal to reform the existing provisions in the 2006 Act relating to disqualification. As I think is now widely recognised, those provisions conflate two quite separate questions: on the one hand, who, if anybody, should be precluded from standing for election because of the offices they hold, and on the other hand, which of the offices that a successful candidate should resign before being able to take up their membership of the Assembly. We need clarity on this, and I hope that the Bill's proposals will help provide that.

I'm pleased to express the Welsh Government's support for the proposed introduction of this Bill. I look forward to the introduction and welcome the opportunities it brings for further debate and consideration, to ensure that our legislature continues to effectively serve the people of Wales in a changing constitutional landscape.