5. Statement by the Llywydd: Introduction of a Commission-proposed Bill — Senedd and Elections (Wales) Bill

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:08 pm on 13 February 2019.

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Photo of Elin Jones Elin Jones Plaid Cymru 4:08, 13 February 2019

Thank you, Gareth Bennett, for your response and for looking more deeply into the Irish history on the naming of their Parliament than I have, even though I was able to attend the 100 years celebration of the setting up of the Irish Dáil a few weeks ago. You make some really valid points about aspects that need to be overcome with introducing a name change from the Assembly, whether that's to Senedd or Parliament or both. Those are issues that we need to be very aware of in making this change, because the change needs to be made with the people of Wales understanding the nature of that change.

We've already had a consultation with the people of Wales with a great number of people responding where they did recognise and support the need to change the name from an Assembly to a Senedd, Parliament. But I agree with you that we do need to ensure that there is a whole programme of engagement with people to ensure that they are very clear, by the time that this comes into force, that the name of their democratic political national institution is 'Senedd' here, not 'Assembly'. 

Then, very much so on the 16 and 17-year-old voting, I understand that your party is against that in principle, but I hope that, with considering how this is to be introduced in Wales—that it will be introduced both for national elections and local elections, one franchise, all 16 and 17-year-olds engaged in the political process in Wales, and with a well-developed political engagement programme—perhaps even those of you who may be sceptical at this point of introducing votes for 16 and 17 will see that the package in its entirety can enthuse young people in Wales. We've seen a hugely enthusiastic response to setting up a Welsh Youth Parliament. I think we should capture that mood. Young people are telling us, showing us, that they're interested, and we should enable them, then, to have an ownership of their own democracy so that, for the next 20 years and more, young people know that they will have a vote in how decisions are taken, and whether Alun Davies gets a railway station into his constituency or not. The 16 and 17-year-olds in that constituency deserve a say in that as much as anybody else.