No, it is completely untrue, and that is definitely not the case; it is about other measures taken to do what I've said all along, and that is that this Welsh Government is committed to encouraging anyone and everyone to be able to vote and for their vote to be counted.

Now, I said earlier that the Equality and Human Rights Commission had warned of the impact of voter ID requirements, and, in fact, the former Conservative Attorney General, Dominic Grieve, has said that these new rules threaten to create a two-tier electorate and discourage participation by the least advantaged. And the Conservative chair of the UK Parliament's Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, William Wragg—he's been in the news recently—summarised his committee's findings, saying,

'We feel that the Elections Bill proposals lack a sufficient evidence base.'

The Welsh Conservative amendment is also an attempt at political sleight of hand, because the OSCE has not endorsed or even commented on the Government's current proposals that are the subject of today's debate. And the Electoral Commission said in its 2018 evaluation of voter ID pilots that there was

'not yet enough evidence to fully address concerns and answer questions about the impact of identification requirements on voters.'

Llywydd, whilst there are some discrete elements of the Bill that we may wish to pursue in our own electoral reform legislation, we have been clear that we will not be introducing voter ID measures in Wales for devolved elections. But we are concerned about the broader implications of its use for reserved elections in Wales and the particular voter confusion that may be caused as a result of the UK Government's proposed legislation. It would be particularly challenging if devolved and non-devolved elections were also to take place on the same day. It's a situation that we therefore wish to avoid in the future, and these are points that I have made to the UK Government Ministers, and I will continue to do so.

There is not even time to consider in full the many other pernicious aspects of this Bill. The attack on free and fair campaigning at elections, as well as the threat it deliberately poses to our democracy by allowing foreign political donations to flood our system. That is just as much part and parcel of what this Elections Bill is actually about.

The Welsh Government's approach is in stark contrast to the UK Government's. We want to make elections as open and accessible as possible, and we want to find new ways to engage with voters, to make sure they have every opportunity to participate in the democratic process. And that is why we supported votes at 16 and for qualifying foreign citizens—people who contribute to our communities and our nation and who deserve to have their voices heard in our democracy.

To support the extension of the franchise, the Welsh Government is working with local authorities, education and third sector partners to deliver a comprehensive campaign of engagement and awareness raising ahead of the local government elections in May. Members will be aware that Wales's first set of electoral pilots will be taking place as part of the elections this May, ahead of a potential national roll-out in the 2026 Senedd elections. These will look at increasing the opportunities for people to vote, reflecting people's busy lives. We have announced details of four advanced voting pilots being taken forward—in Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly and Torfaen. We have designed the pilots to provide evidence for the different types of advanced voting, whether at an existing polling station or a new central one, and opening these on different days.

Each pilot will be different, helping us to see what works best in Wales, and I'm particularly excited about the voting opportunities at Ebbw Vale Learning Zone and Cynffig Comprehensive School. For the first time in any part of the UK, students at education establishments will be able to vote at that establishment. The pilots provide new flexibilities for the electorate in Wales, and we will encourage people to make use of them, especially those who might not have originally intended to vote. Subject to consultation, the Welsh Government also hopes to work with partners on an amended version of the postal voting statement to trial at the 2022 elections.

The findings from the pilots will inform our work on considering future electoral reform, fit for purpose for the twenty-first century, ensuring that devolved elections in Wales are as inclusive as possible. We will be considering our own proposals for how to achieve this, and I look forward to working with colleagues in the Senedd on this in due course. Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd.