Voting Age

Part of 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education – in the Senedd at 2:11 pm on 17 October 2018.

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Photo of Kirsty Williams Kirsty Williams Liberal Democrat 2:11, 17 October 2018

Thank you very much, Mick. Well, I've got a 14-year-old at home and she is delighted at the prospect of being able to cast a vote at the next set of elections. But you're absolutely right—[Interruption.] I don't think so. [Laughter.] You're absolutely right that we need to ensure that our children are given the information that they need to be able to exercise these new opportunities.

We are learning the lessons of what happened in Scotland when Scottish 16-year-olds had the right to vote in their referendum. There was a great deal of work between the Electoral Commission in that nation, and schools, and Government. We are in regular contact with the Electoral Commission here to understand the lessons that can be learned. That also means the production of suitable materials for use in our schools, and I hope to be meeting alongside my Cabinet colleague the Cabinet Secretary for local government and the Presiding Officer shortly, to discuss the implications of the vote that was held here recently and how we need to work together to ensure that our young people have the information that they need.