3. Will the Commission make a statement on efforts to promote the forthcoming Assembly election? OAQ55042

Promoting the 2021 Senedd election is one of three interrelated campaigns that the Commission is prioritising over the next 16 months, along with votes at 16 and the name change. The Commissioners agreed that our work on promoting the Welsh general election should seek to increase awareness of that election next May, to increase knowledge on how to vote, and to provide the necessary materials for individuals and organisations working in education and to communicate with key audiences.

Thank you for that answer, Llywydd. I've been looking at a study from the University of Cambridge's Centre for the Future of Democracy, and that suggests that the number of people in the UK who are dissatisfied with democracy stands at nearly three out of five. The centre has tracked views on democracy since 1995, and this is the highest recorded level ever. In a context where turnout in devolved elections tends to be lower than for UK-wide general elections, how is the Commission engaging with partners to promote awareness, understanding and participation ahead of next year's Senedd elections?

Thank you for that question and for referencing that important piece of work that highlights something that many of us probably know from our own political work in our constituencies. It sounds like an interesting piece of work; it's one that I'll ask my officials to look at as we look to prepare our own communications and promotional work in preparing for the elections next year. As I said in my opening response, there are particular areas that we are keen to prioritise. One, of course, is votes at 16 and 17, a new component to our electorate, but also seeking to work with partners who are involved with working with people from communities that feel particularly estranged from the democratic process. We need to work to ensure that those people are particularly informed and engaged and empowered to use their democratic vote next year. 

Question 4 is going to be answered by the Llywydd. Andrew R.T. Davies.