Thank you very much, Dirprwy Lywydd, and it’s a pleasure for me to speak this afternoon on an issue that is a signal that we are taking a further step in the creation of a modern, progressive, inclusive Senedd we can all be proud of. The Business Committee by majority view has agreed to propose a number of changes to the Senedd’s proxy voting scheme. The Business Committee is proposing these changes in order to futureproof the options available to Members and to provide Members who are absent from proceedings, for a range of reasons, with a means to express their views on the decisions before the Senedd.

Now the existing temporary provisions did cover parental leave, but parental leave only, and I had direct experience of this, and held a proxy vote for Adam Price in the last Senedd, and Dai Lloyd did so on behalf of Bethan Sayed too. So, it’s positive today that Business Committee is now proposing that these provisions should be made permanent, and, in doing so, we are also proposing that the length of proxy voting for this purpose should be amended to a period of seven months for both partners.

The Business Committee is also proposing that the Senedd agrees to extend proxy voting to include cases where a Member is absent from the Senedd for other reasons—three other reasons specifically. Firstly, absence because of long-term illness or injury; secondly, absence because of caring responsibilities, which make it a requirement for them to be absent from the Senedd; and, thirdly, for reasons of bereavement.

The Business Committee proposes that a proxy vote to cover long-term illness or injury or for caring responsibility should be one that could last for at least four weeks, with a maximum of six months. If a Member were to be absent because of bereavement, the length of the proxy vote period is to be agreed between the Member and the Llywydd. These proposed changes would ensure that the proxy voting provisions in this Senedd would go further than the provisions currently made in any one of the other UK Parliaments. I'm very proud of that, and it's a clear sign of our willingness here in Wales to create a caring and inclusive workplace in our national Parliament.

The committee also proposes that the Llywydd should hold discretion to vary the arrangements when required, in response to individual circumstances. The committee is also of the opinion that proxy voting should have equal status with a vote cast directly by a Member, and, as such, it's proposing that restrictions on the types of votes are removed and proxy voting is permitted in all forms of voting in Plenary and in the Committee of the Whole Senedd.

The Business Committee has agreed to review these provisions before the end of the sixth Senedd, so I urge you to approve these changes to our Standing Orders.