6. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the role that educational institutions will play if the voting age in Wales is lowered to 16? OAQ52757

Thank you. Pupils currently study politics and current affairs within the Welsh baccalaureate and through personal and social education in the current curriculum. Our new curriculum has four purposes, including supporting young people to develop as ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world, who can exercise their democratic responsibilities and rights.

Cabinet Secretary, thank you for that answer, although I don't think it actually goes far enough. I did a consultation in two schools in my constituency—in Y Pant and Bryn Celynnog—and it resulted in this submission, which went in, in fact, to the Welsh Government's consultation on electoral reform in local government, but is directly relevant to the legislation that's being proposed now in terms of reducing the voting age. What was very clear was that 16-year-olds are very much of the view that they should have votes at 16, provided there is clear education that is sufficient to enable them to understand the issue. What was also very clear is that they felt it should start at the age of 14, but it should go much further than the way in which the baccalaureate—. In fact, there was a considerable degree of dissatisfaction with the adequacy of the level that was currently included.

If we are going to empower students at the age of 16 to be able to vote, then we actually have to have a clear system of political education within our schools that allows access to politicians, to organisations. For example, co-operatism and mutualism isn't taught within schools and hasn't really appeared in any part, yet it is a significant part of social policy, as are many other aspects of social history and so on. It does seem to me that we actually have to have a root-and-branch review of the consequences of giving votes to students at 16 and the actual need to ensure that the education system is adequate on all the issues that they will have to decide. With that responsibility really requires the education and the empowerment of those 16-year-olds.

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.

There'll be a differing view from some Members in the Chamber whether it should be 18 or 16, but there's a clear direction of travel that shows a vote at 16 will be coming into play in Wales. But at every opportunity—and this is where I agree with the Member for Pontypridd—young people have indicated that they do feel that they require more education to understand the role that they will play when it comes to casting their vote.

Could the Cabinet Secretary give a little bit more information as to how she sees that educational element of the McAllister review, for example, and other informative opinion pieces being rolled out in schools? Because we're only now just over two and a half years away from the next Assembly election. And if it is to be the franchise at 16, then surely the department has an idea of how this role in education is going to be unfolded in Welsh schools so that people can be informed, like young people are asking.

Well, Andrew, I don't disagree with you. As I said, we are using the experience of Scotland to guide us in this particular area. So, we are working with the Electoral Commission, who have a duty to provide public information on all elections. The Electoral Commission is developing a toolkit to help people register because that's an important part of the process, that young people understand the need to register to use their right to vote. So, we're in regular contact with them, and we will be discussing a public information campaign to register young voters, as well as looking at the evidence of Scotland, where Education Scotland actually produced materials for schools to be used in schools ahead of the referendum, to help teachers guide their students.

As I said, under the current curriculum, there is provision within the PSE element to be able to provide young people with these opportunities. I'm sure there are Members across the Chamber, of all political colours, who regularly attend visits in schools to talk to young people, as well as using the opportunity, like I did last week, to visit the Llangynidr Brownies to talk to young people about the history—in this case, the history of women voting—and why it's important to be a voter and why that matters. And I'm sure all Members—I think we all have a personal responsibility, as each of our parties has a political responsibility also, to be able to afford young people these opportunities. But I will write to the Member with more details of the work that is going to be undertaken in line with the Electoral Commission.FootnoteLink

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