Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020
An
Assembly Commission Bill, introduced by Elin Jones AM, Llywydd and Chair of the
Assembly Commission. The
Business Committee emitted the Bill to the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs
Committee.*
About the Bill
The purpose of the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Bill was “to:
- rename the National Assembly to Senedd;
- lower
the minimum voting age of National Assembly elections to 16; and
- deliver other reforms to the National Assembly’s electoral and operational arrangements”.
Further detail about the Bill can be found in its accompanying Explanatory Memorandum.
Current Stage
The
Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2019 became law in Wales on 15 January 2020.
Record of Passage in the
National Assembly for Wales
The
following table sets out the dates for each stage of the Bill’s passage through
the National Assembly for Wales.
Stage |
Documents |
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Bill introduced: 12 February 2019 |
Senedd
and Elections (Wales) Bill, as introduced Deputy
Presiding Officer’s Statement: 12 February 2019 Business
Committee’s Report on the timetable for consideration of the Bill: 13
February 2019 |
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Stage 1: Committee considerations of general principles |
The Constitutional and
Legislative Affairs Committee considered its approach to Stage 1 on 18 February 2019 Interviews with witnesses Jess
Blair, Electoral Reform Society Professor
David Egan, Cardiff Metropolitan University Professor
Ellen Hazelkorn, BH Associates Correspondence Letter
from the Llywydd – 12 February 2019 (PDF, 677KB) Letter from Counsel General – 13 February 2019 (PDF, 352KB) Letter
from the Llywydd – 2 April 2019 (PDF, 3MB) Letter
from the Llywydd – 13 June 2019 (PDF, 125KB) Letter
to the Llywydd – 19 June 2019 (PDF, 83KB) Letter
from the Counsel General – 25 June 2019 (PDF, 147KB) Committee Stage 1 Report The Committee laid its report
(PDF 1 MB) on 28 June 2019 Response
(PDF 271KB) from the Llywydd to the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs
Committee report - 13 August 2019 Committee dates
The Finance
Committee considered the Bill on the following dates:
Letter
from the Llywydd – 15 February 2019 Letter
from the Chair of the Finance Committee to the Llywydd – 17 April 2019
(PDF, 133KB) Evidence
from the Electoral Commission – March 2019 (PDF, 425KB) Letter
from the Llywydd to the Finance Committee -
7 May 2019 (PDF, 128KB) Letter
from the Chair of the Finance Committee to the Llywydd – 27 June 2019 (PDF, 157KB) Finance Committee report: Financial implications of the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Bill |
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Stage 1: Debate in Plenary on general principles |
A debate took place
in Plenary on 10 July 2019. The motion to agree the general principles of
the Bill was agreed. |
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Financial Resolution |
In accordance with Standing Order 26.68 the Presiding
Officer indicated that a financial resolution was required for this
Bill. Further information about
financial resolutions is available in section 3 of the Guide
to the scrutiny stages for Public Bills. A Financial Resolution in relation to the Senedd
and Elections (Wales) Bill was agreed in Plenary on 1 October 2019. |
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Stage 2: Committee consideration of amendments |
Stage 2 began on 11 July 2019. On 18 September 2019, in accordance with Standing
Order 26.17(iii), a Committee
of the Whole Assembly was convened to consider Stage 2 proceedings of the
Bill. The Committee of the Whole Assembly agreed on 1 October 2019, under
Standing Order 26.21, that the order of consideration for Stage 2 proceedings
will be: sections 2 to 9, Schedule 1, sections 10 to 29, Schedule 2, sections
30 to 41, section 1, and Long title. Stage 2 consideration took place in a Committee
of the Whole Assembly on 9
October 2019. Notice
of Amendments – 19 July 2019 Purpose
and Effect Table: Member in charge – 19 July 2019 Notice
of Amendments – 27 September 2019 Purpose
and Effect Table: Member in charge – 27 September 2019 Purpose
and Effect Table: Member in charge – 30 September 2019 Purpose
and Effect Table: Welsh Government – 30 September 2019 Notice
of Amendments – 1 October 2019 Purpose
and Effect Table: Member in charge – 1 October 2019 Marshalled
list of Amendments – 9 October 2019 Groupings
of Amendments - 9 October 2019 (v3)
Printing changes to the Bill as amended at Stage 2 Explanatory Memorandum, revised after stage 2 (PDF 4MB) Further scrutiny of financial implications by the
Finance Committee Letter
to the Llywydd and Counsel General - Stage 2 amendments - 17 July 2019
PDF 136 KB Letter
from the Counsel General and Brexit Minister - 3 September 2019 PDF
251 KB Letter
from the Counsel General - Stage 2 amendments - 20 Sept 2019 PDF 444
KB Stage
2 draft amendments - 19 Sept 2019 PDF 134 KB Finance
Committee report on the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Bill: Further scrutiny
of the financial implications (PDF, 146KB) Response
from the Counsel General to the Finance Committee report (PDF, 292KB) Letter
from the Llywydd to Chair of the Finance Committee – election expenditure – 8
October (PDF, 97KB) |
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Stage 3: Plenary consideration of amendments |
Stage 3
consideration and disposal of amendments took place in Plenary on 13 November 2019.
The National
Assembly for Wales agreed on 6
November 2019, under Standing Order 26.36, that the order of
consideration for Stage 3 proceedings will be: sections 2 to 9; Schedule 1;
sections 10 to 28; Schedule 2; section 29; Schedule 3; sections 30 to 41;
section 1; Long title. Notice
of Amendments – 24 October 2019 Notice of Amendments – 4 November 2019 Purpose and Effect Table: Welsh Government – 4 November 2019 Purpose and Effect Table: Member in Charge – 4 November 2019 Notice of Amendments – 5 November 2019 Notice of Amendments – 6 November 2019 Notice of Amendments – 7 November 2019 (late amendment under Standing Order 26.35) Notice of Amendments – 8 November 2019 (late amendments under Standing Order 26.35) Marshalled
List of Amendments - 13 November 2019 (v3) Groupings of Amendments – 13 November 2019 (v3) Senedd and Elections (Wales) Bill, as amended at Stage 3 (Amendments to the Bill since the previous version are indicated by sidelining in the right margin.) Printing changes to the Bill as amended at Stage 3 Letter from the Llywydd – 13 November 2019 |
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Stage 4: Passing of the Bill in Plenary |
Deputy
Presiding Officer’s Statement: Bills with protected subject-matter The Bill was agreed by the Assembly on 27 November 2019. Senedd
and Elections (Wales) Bill, as passed. |
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Post-stage 4 |
The Counsel
General (PDF, 32KB) and Secretary
of State for Wales (PDF 234KB) wrote to the Presiding Officer to advise
that they would not be referring the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Bill to the
Supreme Court under Sections 112 or 114 of the Government of Wales Act 2006. |
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Date of Royal Assent |
Royal Assent was given on 15
January 2020. |
Background documents and
correspondence
Contact information
Clerk:
Gareth Williams
Phone:0300
200 6362
Postal address:
National
Assembly for Wales
Cardiff
Bay
Cardiff
CF99
1NA
Email:
SeneddCLA@assembly.wales
Business type: Bill
Reason considered: Commission Business;
Status: Complete
First published: 12/02/2019
Documents
- Revised Explanatory Memorandum (Laid before the Assembly on 6 March 2020)
- Letter from the Llywydd - 12 February 2019
PDF 677 KB
- Letter from the Counsel General - 13 February 2019
PDF 352 KB
- Letter from the Llywydd - 15 February 2019
PDF 107 KB
- Letter from the Llywydd to the Minister for Housing and Local Government and to the Minister for Education - 8 March 2019
PDF 157 KB
- Letter from the Chair of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee to the Minister for Education - 21 March 2019
PDF 76 KB
- Letter from the Llywydd - 2 April 2019
PDF 3 MB
- Letter from the Minister for Education to the Chair of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee - 3 April 2019
PDF 164 KB
- Letter from the Chair ofthe Finance Committee to the Llywydd - 17 April 2019
PDF 133 KB
- Letter from the Chair of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee to the Llywydd - 8 May 2019
PDF 93 KB
- Letter from the Llywydd to the Chair of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee - 16 May 2019
PDF 125 KB
- Letter from the Llywydd – 13 June 2019
PDF 125 KB
- Evidence from the Electoral Commission - March 2019
PDF 425 KB
- Letter to the Llywydd - 19 June 2019
PDF 83 KB
- Letter from the Counsel General - 25 June 2019
- Letter to the Chair of the Finance Committee to the Llywydd - 27 June 2019
PDF 157 KB
- Schedule of oral evidence
PDF 16 KB View as HTML (17) 29 KB
- Letter to the Counsel General 10 July 2019
PDF 133 KB
- Letter to the Llywydd and Counsel General - Stage 2 amendments - 17 July 2019
PDF 136 KB
- Notice of Amendments - 19 July 2019
PDF 62 KB
- Purpose and Effect Table - 19 July 2019
PDF 66 KB
- Response from the Llywydd to the Finance Committee report - 13 August 2019
PDF 278 KB
- Response from the Llywydd to the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee report - 13 August 2019
PDF 247 KB
- Letter from the Counsel General and Brexit Minister - 3 September 2019
PDF 251 KB
- Letter from the Counsel General - Stage 2 amendments - 20 Sept 2019
PDF 444 KB
- Stage 2 draft amendments - 19 Sept 2019
PDF 134 KB
- Llythyr gan y Dirprwy Lywydd i'r Llywydd - 20 Medi 2019
PDF 178 KB
- Llythyr gan y Dirprwy Lywydd i'r Llywydd (Cadeirydd y Pwyllgor Busnes) - 20 Medi 2019 (Saesneg yn unig)
PDF 178 KB
- Notice of Amendments - 27 September 2019
PDF 64 KB
- Purpose and Effect Table - 27 September 2019
PDF 143 KB
- Notice of Amendments - 30 September 2019
PDF 270 KB
- Purpose and Effect Table - 30 September 2019
PDF 40 KB
- Response from the Counsel General to Finance Committee report - Stage 2 amendments - 30 September 2019
PDF 292 KB
- Notice of Amendments - 1 October 2019
PDF 117 KB
- Notice of Amendments - 2 October 2019
PDF 94 KB
- Purpose and Effect Table: Welsh Government - 30 September 2019
PDF 485 KB
- Marshalled List of Amendments - 9 October 2019
PDF 352 KB
- Groupings of Amendments - 9 October 2019
PDF 74 KB
- Purpose and Effect Table: Member in charge – 1 October 2019
PDF 159 KB
- Letter from the Llywydd to Chair of Finance Committee - election expenditure - 8 October 2019
PDF 97 KB
- Vote Summary - Stage 2
PDF 1 MB
- Senedd and Elections (Wales) Bill, as amended at Stage 2
PDF 220 KB
- Notice of Amendments - 24 October 2019
PDF 89 KB
- Notice of Amendments – 4 November 2019
PDF 143 KB
- Purpose and Effect Table: Welsh Government – 4 November 2019
PDF 441 KB
- Purpose and Effect Table: Member in Charge – 4 November 2019
PDF 189 KB
- Notice of Amendments - 5 November 2019
PDF 64 KB
- Notice of Amendments - 6 November 2019
PDF 95 KB
- Notice of Amendments - 7 November 2019
PDF 58 KB
- Notice of Amendments - 8 November 2019
PDF 61 KB
- Marshalled List of Amendments - 13 November 2019 (v3)
PDF 205 KB
- Groupings of Amendments - 13 November 2019 (v3)
PDF 67 KB
- Letter from the Llywydd - 13 November 2019
PDF 126 KB
- Senedd and Elections (Wales) Bill, as amended at Stage 3
PDF 238 KB
- Deputy Presiding Officer’s Statement: Bills with protected subject-matter
PDF 80 KB
- Printing changes to the Bill as amended at Stage 2
PDF 78 KB
- Printing changes to the Bill as amended at Stage 3
PDF 94 KB
- Senedd and Elections (Wales) Bill, as passed
PDF 233 KB
- Letter from the Counsel General to the Llywydd - 3 December 2019
PDF 32 KB
- Letter from the Secretary of State for Wales to the Llywydd - 20 December 2019
PDF 234 KB
- Letter from the First Minister to the Llywydd - 28 September 2020
PDF 254 KB
- Letter from the First Minister to the Chair of the Business Committee - 4 June 2020
- * Following a resolution in Plenary on 29 January 2020, the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee became the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee.
Consultations
- Senedd and Elections (Wales) Bill (completed)