1. What assessment has the Commission made of the impact of COVID-19 on the engagement activities of the Senedd and its committees? OQ57408

COVID-19 has not prevented us from undertaking important engagement work, but it has meant that much of the work has moved online. We have run focus groups and events online, as well as education sessions, surveys and workshops. While this has caused some challenges, it's also offered opportunities for us to reach people who have not previously engaged with our work, such as those who find it difficult to travel to our activities. We have been mindful of those who are digitally excluded by conducting face-to-face interviews wherever possible or to contact over the phone when needed. We are currently evaluating and reviewing our online engagement work to ensure that it complements face-to-face work when restrictions allow.

Thank you very much for that answer.

I have to say we have to give a compliment to all the people within the Commission who've managed to adapt very rapidly to moving services and provision online so that we can do the sort of engagement we've seen, and not least amongst this, I have to say, is the welcome approach of the education outreach section, separate from our committees and everything else, who've done so much to keep an involvement with our schools and potential young electorate as well, as we lowered the voting age to 16 at the last election. I wonder, though, whether or not you are anticipating a time when, whilst keeping the benefits of what we've learned through working online and a virtual medium, we also are able to bring young people, in particular, back to the Senedd, to the physical infrastructure, to the tangible manifestation of our place of democracy in Wales as soon as it is COVID safe, because there is no substitute, I have to say, to guiding them around this building, being in the education unit and hearing here in Cardiff exactly how we conduct our business of scrutiny.

Yes, I'm certainly anticipating the time when young people from schools and colleges right throughout Wales can once again visit our Senedd. I appreciate, I think as all Members do, the opportunity to meet those young people when they come to the Senedd to have a chance to discuss with them and enthuse them on the role that democracy plays directly with their lives, and to do that in the Senedd provides that opportunity for all—not that everybody's enthusiastic about it, but most young people very much benefit and enjoy the opportunity of visiting their Senedd.

But also, in addition to reopening our doors for the young people of Wales, we mustn't lose sight of the opportunities that have been now additionally added to our ability to contact young people virtually. We've known for a very long time that it is, of course, more difficult for schools and colleges in west, mid and north Wales to visit the Senedd as often as they would like to. So, virtually meeting young people from those areas will carry on, hopefully, beyond the pandemic, as it will for all. But I think that we're all very much keen to see our young people out of their schools, visiting environments different to their school settings, and hopefully taking advantage of the ability to learn more about their Senedd by visiting us in Cardiff Bay as soon as possible.

I thank the Llywydd.