, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
Can I just follow this up? So, one of the questions that has been asked is in relation to the length of terms—I know we discussed it earlier—four years with another four years renewal. Would it be better just to have a single eight-year term?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
Okay.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
That's the average commitment, is it?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
It does seem very large. I note that the quorum is only going to be three. You said you were happy with a quorum of three earlier on. Well, if you can get by in a meeting with three people, why do you need nine?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
I see. I get it. That's quite big, isn't it?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
Plus.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
Interestingly, I notice that the explanatory memorandum refers to there being nine commissioners on the face of the Bill, not the seven on the Bill, but that's just a note for us to consider as a committee. Was there ever any discussion about that?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
So, you're happy with those costs. You think they are going to be reflective.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
Is it, really?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
I can see the patterns in terms of you having your peaks and troughs in work, and that's how that's been fed into the budget, but are these figures enough? Are they realistic? Because presumably, in my experience as an accountant in the past, you would…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
When I looked at the costs associated with the commission in the explanatory memorandum—. Can you tell us to what extent did those costs change over time, as you discussed them with the Welsh Government, Shereen?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
Can I just go back to this issue of the electoral management board, if I can? When we met with your Scottish counterparts, they did make it clear that they felt that there ought to be this arm's-length arrangement and that it worked well in Scotland…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
So, effectively, the flexibility has not been doubled, it's been quadrupled, hasn't it, because of this 10 per cent variation that you're allowed to extend to, which does seem rather high and, obviously, inconsistent with elsewhere. But, you're saying that…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
Just picking up on this issue of the threshold, given that the size of the constituency is going to, obviously, be roughly double the size of the Westminster constituencies, that also gives you greater flexibility, doesn't it, because you're dealing with much…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
It's one renewable term.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
It's reappointment once, isn't it?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
Okay. I wasn't aware of that, but that's helpful to know. Thank you.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
So, you've got an interface.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
So, you've got the capacity there, with the existing experienced commissioners, effectively, to do this first coupling of constituencies job.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
So, just in terms of the organisational memory, you currently have staggered appointments, effectively, over a period of time. So, when do current appointments come to an end?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
Yes.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
Okay. But could you have the capacity to do that?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
And can I just ask you about the role and responsibilities, then, as well? As you say, you're taking on the responsibility for the remuneration side of things for local authority members. Have you considered whether it might be appropriate for you to take on…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
Did you want to add anything, Shereen?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
And in terms of the scope of your work, so, again, when we met with the people from Scotland recently, they were talking about the relationship between the commission and the electoral management board in Scotland, which is quite a different one because…
