4. Will the Commission make a statement on its memorials policy in relation to those who have tragically died whilst serving as Assembly Members? OAQ55029

The Commission made a decision on the memorial policy in February 2019. It notes that the Commission will not consider memorials for individuals until 10 years have passed since the death of that individual.

Thank you for that response, Presiding Officer. I personally believe that it is very important that we do reflect on those Assembly Members who have passed away whilst they've been an Assembly Member, right across the terms of the Assembly since 1999. I hear what you say about the policy and the 10-year rule, and I was grateful to see a letter, obviously, but disappointed with its contents, that the Commission recently discussed this.

If the Assembly decided that, actually, that policy needed to change to reflect the sentiment I've just put to you, would the Commission be open to reconsidering its position so that a fitting memorial, at no expense to the taxpayer, could be erected on the Assembly estate? So that remembrance could be shown to those Members who have passed away in the time that they were Assembly Members.

It is a sensitive matter to be discussing and deciding on a memorial to a deceased friend and colleague in this Senedd, and one I find personally quite difficult. Early on in my time as Chair of the Commission we faced two requests of this nature: a purple plaque for Val Feld and a location for a statue for Rhodri Morgan. In light of these individual decisions the Commission had to take, and they were not straightforward or easy decisions to have taken, we decided to formulate a policy to aid Commissioners in the future on such matters. The policy, as I outlined, is merely one year old, and we are now being asked to make individual exceptions to this policy. The policy, as you've referenced, Andrew R.T. Davies, belongs to the Assembly as a whole and to all Members. If political groups wish for this policy to be revised, then I would be happy to discuss representations and proposals made by the political groups and Members to the Commission, with a view to revising our policy, if that is the wish of this Assembly.

I'm very pleased to associate my name with the cross-party letter that we sent you, and thank you for your reply. Before we delve into a different approach, I just want to examine a bit further the current memorial policy, which I think gives some discretion to achieve what I am trying to seek, which is a memorial to Carl Sargeant. Because I note, under criteria 6.1, regarding the 10-year rule, the last sentence is:

'A shorter period may be considered by the Commission in exceptional circumstances.'

I would like to argue that a memorial to Carl Sargeant would meet the criteria for an exceptional circumstance, because the contribution that Carl Sargeant made to the Senedd—both as a formidable backbencher as well as an outstanding Minister, including being the architect of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, for which this Assembly, Senedd and our country is increasingly known as being a pathfinder for how we need to tackle climate change—as well as the tragic circumstances surrounding Carl's death, surely merits exceptional consideration of a plaque to Carl before the 10-year moratorium. I'd be most grateful if the Assembly Commission would give this due consideration. 

I really don't want to be in a position to discuss the merits of individual deceased colleagues in this forum. I understand the point that you've made, and that the three Members who wrote to me have made. The Commission expressed its view on the policy that it has in place; that we were not able to make individual exceptions at that point. As I said in my answer to Andrew R.T. Davies, if political groups representing the majority view of this Assembly want to make representations on behalf of any matter that the Commission is responsible for, please do so. You are represented on the Commission by Commissioners from all political parties. Please feel empowered to make those views known to your Commissioners and to the Commission. But I need to have the policy and the decisions expressed in the context of the majority feeling of this Assembly. Please do not ask me to make any comment on individuals in this forum here.

Question 5 is to be answered by David Rowlands, as Commissioner. Question 5, Bethan Sayed.