May I say how much I welcome this motion today, not for my sake or that of any of us here as Senedd Members now, but for those who would never consider that it was a possibility for them to become a Member of the Senedd—people with caring responsibilities, for example, not only with children, but perhaps with an elderly parent or a partner who needs their support; disabled people who think that they could never be here regularly because of their conditions, and the fact that the need to be in Cardiff is a barrier to them thinking that they could be a representative of their region or constituency; and those who live far away too?

I'm lucky; I represent South Wales Central. It's not far for me to travel here to the Senedd; it is, in fact, within my region. But, for those who have to travel perhaps 20 hours a week just to be here, that is a barrier for many in considering becoming a Member of the Senedd. So, I welcome this. If we are to have a Senedd that is democratic and representative, and has 96 Members, if that comes to pass, then I want it to be a Senedd that represents the whole of Wales, and I welcome this.

Of course, there will be times when there are benefits to being here in Cardiff. Most of us try to be here, and there are so many benefits when we can come together, in terms of sharing ideas, getting to know each other in committees and so on. But, being here all of the time isn't necessary, and we have shown that it can work through the COVID period.   

I am very disappointed to hear some comments from the Tories in the press today, talking about 'representation from the Senedd, not the sofa'. Well, we all have offices within our constituencies and regions; we can represent our constituents there. I also think that we need to bear in mind that the vast majority of us have taken advantage of this at times. Certainly, when one gets a phone call from their child's school to say that they're unwell, for example, the fact that you can be there to collect them and can continue to contribute to the Senedd is extremely important, and it means that you aren't penalised for being a parent, because it is possible for you to participate. 

There were so many times when I was a county councillor when I was criticised if I missed one meeting because it wasn't possible to participate in a hybrid manner, as compared to a man who was perhaps retired who could attend all meetings. Did that mean that I was a lesser representative of my community because I missed that one meeting? The fact that I was then able to be there, with my child at home, whilst also representing my community, that made a very real difference, because people do use that against you, if you look at just the record of attendance. That doesn't mean that you are not an effective representative.

Having spoken to people with disabilities too who welcome this change, they've said that this would mean that they could stand, because the greatest barrier is having to be here for every session and having to be here to vote. So, I warmly welcome this. I very much hope that the Conservatives will rethink some of their derogatory comments, in my view, because our democracy isn't open to everyone as things stand. This is an important step forward; it won't remove all barriers, but it is an important step forward and I welcome it.