Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill

The Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill has been referred to the Reform Bill Committee for Stage 1 scrutiny of the general principles of the Bill.

The information on this page provides more detail about what the Committee is looking at and how you can share your views. All of the information is also available to download as a Microsoft Word document. Information about how to use the accessibility options in the Microsoft Word version is available in an explainer document.

Terms of reference

To help inform its scrutiny, the Committee asked for views on:

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>>>The general principles of the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) (Wales) Bill and whether there is a need for legislation to deliver the Bill’s stated policy objectives (see below for further information about the Bill).

>>>Any potential barriers to the implementation of the Bill’s provisions, and whether the Bill and accompanying Explanatory Memorandum and Regulatory Impact Assessment take adequate account of them.

>>>Whether there are any unintended consequences arising from the Bill.

>>>The Welsh Government’s assessment of the financial and other impacts of the Bill as set out in Parts 2 and 3 of the Explanatory Memorandum.

>>>The appropriateness of the powers in the Bill for Welsh Ministers to make subordinate legislation (as set out in Part 1: Chapter 5 of the Explanatory Memorandum).

>>>Matters relating to the competence of the Senedd including compatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights.

>>>The balance between the information contained on the face of the Bill and what is left to subordinate legislation.

>>>Any matter related to the quality of the legislation.

>>>Any other matter related to the constitutional or other implications of the Bill.

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The deadline for submissions to this consultation was Friday 3 November 2023.

Information about the Bill

If passed, the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill will:

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>>>Increase the size of the Senedd to 96 Members.

>>>Decrease the length of time between Senedd ordinary general elections from five to four years.

>>>Increase the maximum number of Deputy Presiding Officers from one to two.

>>>Increase the legislative limit on the size of the Welsh Government to 17 (plus the First Minister and Counsel General), with power to further increase the limit to 18 or 19.

>>>Require candidates to, and Members of, the Senedd to be resident in Wales (by disqualifying candidates and Members who are not registered to vote in a Senedd constituency).

>>>Provide a mechanism for the Seventh Senedd’s consideration of job-sharing of offices relating to the Senedd (by requiring the Llywydd in the Seventh Senedd to propose the establishment of a Senedd committee to review specified matters).

>>>Change the Senedd’s electoral system so that all Members are elected via closed list proportional representation, with votes translated into seats via the D’Hondt formula.

>>>Repurpose and rename the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales; provide the renamed Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru (DBCC) with the functions needed to establish new Senedd constituencies and undertake ongoing reviews of Senedd constituency boundaries; and provide instructions for the DBCC to follow when undertaking boundary reviews.

>>>Provide for review of the operation and effect of the new legislative provisions following the 2026 election (by requiring the Llywydd after the election to propose the establishment of a Senedd committee to review specified matters).

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