Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill
A Welsh Government Bill, introduced by Mick Antoniw MS, Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution. The Business Committee has referred the Bill to the Local Government and Housing Committee.
Following the appointment of the First Minister on 20 March, and appointment of the new Cabinet, Mick Antoniw MS, Counsel General was authorised as Member in Charge of the Bill by the First Minister in accordance with Standing Order 24.4(ii).
If passed, the Bill will:
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>>>Confer the functions of an Electoral Management Board for Wales on the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru, which will involve the Commission establishing the Board to take responsibility for oversight of the coordination and administration of devolved elections, collaboration with Returning Officers, and Electoral Registration Officers and advising Welsh Ministers on issues related to the democratic health of the nation.
>>>Introduce electoral registration without application, and the ability to pilot the most appropriate means of achieving this.
>>>Create a duty on the Welsh Ministers to put in place arrangements aimed at improving diversity within Senedd and local government democratic structures, and for individual schemes to be created and tailored to provide support for protected characteristics.
>>>Remove the requirement to set out the specific wording and format of the local government candidate survey in regulations.
>>>Create a requirement for a voter information platform that can host candidate and voter information for Senedd and ordinary principal council elections.
>>>Hold candidates and agents accountable for notional expenditure only where they direct it, allowing authorised persons to make payments not via an election agent, and restricting who can operate as a third-party campaigner in devolved elections. To support these campaign finance changes, the bill also proposes enabling the Electoral Commission to include them in their codes of practice.
>>>Make adjustments to the role and remit of the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales, including changes to the name and function of its audit committee, significant strengthening of electoral review arrangements, and the conferring of functions on the Commission to undertake the majority of the functions currently undertaken by the Panel. The Commission will also be responsible for determining the amount of any resettlement payment payable by a principal council to councillors, who fail to be re-elected to the council at a local council election.
>>>Disqualify town and community councillors in Wales from serving as Members of the Senedd, and remove the existing “grace period” for principal councillors elected to the Senedd and Members of the Senedd elected as Members of Parliament.
Further detail about the Bill can be found in its accompanying Explanatory Memorandum.
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill (PDF 446KB)
Explanatory Memorandum (revised after Stage 2) (PDF 2.9MB)
Senedd Research – Bill summary (PDF)
Current stage
BillStage3
The Bill is currently at Stage 3. An explanation of the various stages of Senedd Bills is available in the Guide to the Stages of Public Bills and Acts.
Record of Passage in the Welsh Parliament
The following table sets out the dates for each stage of the Bill’s passage through the Senedd.
¬¬¬Stage 3, Plenary consideration of amendments (Current)
Following the completion of Stage 2 proceedings, Stage 3 commenced on 17 May 2024.
Stage 3 proceedings are scheduled to take place on 2 July 2024.
The Senedd agreed on 25 June 2024, under Standing Order 26.36, that the order of consideration for Stage 3 proceedings would be:
Sections 1-59, Schedule 1, sections 60-73 and the long title.
Notice of Amendments – 12 June 2024
Notice of Amendments – 21 June 2024
Welsh Government: Purpose and effect table – 21 June 2024
Notice
of Amendments – 24 June 2024
Notice of Amendments – 25 June 2024 (V2)
Marshalled List of Amendments – 2 July 2024
Grouping
of Amendments – 2 July 2024
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¬¬¬Stage 2 Committee consideration of amendments (7 February 2024 – 16 May 2024)
Stage 2 consideration took place in Committee on 16 May 2024.
On 20 February 2024, the Business Committee agreed to (PDF 47KB) extend the deadline for Stage 2 proceedings to 17 May 2024.
The Committee agreed on 18 April 2024, under Standing Order 26.21, that the order of consideration for Stage 2 proceedings would be:
Sections 1 to 59, Schedule 1, sections 60 to 71, and the long title.
Notice of Amendments – 15 March 2024
Notice of Amendments – 19 April 2024
Notice of Amendments – 30 April 2024
Notice of Amendments – 1 May 2024
Welsh Government: Purpose and effect table – 1 May 2024
Notice of Amendments – 8 May 2024 (V2)
Notice of Amendments – 9 May 2024 (V3)
Marshalled List of Amendments – 16 May 2024
Grouping
of Amendments – 16 May 2024
Elections
and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill as amended at Stage 2 - (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 2
Explanatory
Memorandum, revised after Stage 2
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¬¬¬Financial Resolution (6 February 2024)
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 Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill was agreed in Plenary on 6 February 2024.
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¬¬¬Stage 1, Committee consideration of the general principles (5 October 2023-6 February 2024).
A debate took place in Plenary on 6 February 2024. The motion to agree the general principles of the Bill was agreed.
Public consultation - The consultation closed on 10 November 2023, the responses have been published. In addition to the consultation, the Committee also launched a survey on the provisions relating to electoral registration without applications. Analysis of the survey has been published.
Committee dates
The Local Government and Housing Committee will consider the Bill on the following dates
Date and Agenda |
Purpose of the meeting |
Transcript |
Senedd.TV |
Consideration of approach to Stage 1 scrutiny (Private) |
n/a |
n/a |
|
Evidence session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution |
|||
Evidence sessions with stakeholders |
|||
Evidence sessions with
stakeholders |
|||
Evidence sessions with
stakeholders |
|||
Evidence session with the Counsel General and Minister for
the Constitution |
|||
Consideration of draft report |
(private) |
(private) |
|
Consideration of draft report |
(private) |
(private) |
The
Local Government and Housing Committee laid its report on 26
January 2024. The Welsh Government responded
to the report on 12 February 2024.
Additional
information
Statement
of Policy Intent for Subordinate Legislation
Letter
to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution – 3 November 2023
Letter
from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution – 10 November 2023
Letter
from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution – 15 November 2023
Letter
from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution - 12 February 2024
The
Legislation, Justice and
Constitution Committee
will consider the Bill on the following dates:
Date and Agenda |
Purpose of meeting |
Transcript |
Senedd.TV |
Evidence
session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution |
The
Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee laid its report on 26
January 2024. The Welsh Government responded to the report on 6
February 2024 and also on 12
February 2024.
The
Finance Committee will consider the Bill on
the following dates:
Date and Agenda |
Purpose of meeting |
Transcript |
Senedd.TV |
Evidence
session with the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution |
The
Finance Committee laid its report on 26
January 2024. The Welsh Government responded
to the report on 1 February 2024.
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¬¬¬Bill introduced (2 October 2023)
Elections and
Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill, as introduced (PDF 446KB)
Explanatory
Memorandum (PDF 2.3MB)
Presiding
Officer’s Statement: 2 October 2023 (PDF 133KB)
Written
Statement: Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill (2 October 2023)
Business
Committee’s Report on the timetable for consideration of the Bill: 2 October
2023 (PDF 38KB)
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Contact information
Clerk:
Catherine Hunt
Phone:
0300 200 6565
Postal address:
Welsh
Parliament
Cardiff
Bay
Cardiff CF99 1SN
e-mail: SeneddHousing@senedd.wales
Business type: Bill
Reason considered: Senedd Business;
First published: 02/10/2023
Documents
- Statement of Policy Intent for Subordinate Legislation
PDF 275 KB
- Letter to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution - 3 November 2023
PDF 91 KB
- Letter from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution - 10 November 2023
PDF 342 KB
- Letter from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution - 15 November 2023
PDF 167 KB
- Letter from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution to the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee - 11 December 2023
PDF 172 KB
- Joint schedule of amendments: Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill and the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill - 11 December 2023
PDF 1 MB
- Letter from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution to the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee - 6 February 2024
PDF 129 KB
- Survey analysis
PDF 371 KB View as HTML (8) 69 KB
- Letter from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constiturion to the Chair of the Finance Committee - 1 February 2024
PDF 201 KB
- Letter from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution - 12 February 2024
PDF 234 KB
- Notice of amendments - 15 March 2024
PDF 114 KB View as HTML (11) 141 KB
- Notice of amendments - 19 April 2024
PDF 111 KB View as HTML (12) 131 KB
- Notice of amendments - 30 April 2024
PDF 94 KB View as HTML (13) 127 KB
- Notice of amendments - 1 May 2024
PDF 157 KB View as HTML (14) 208 KB
- Welsh Government: Purpose and effect table - 1 May 2024
PDF 306 KB
- Notice of amendments - 8 May 2024
PDF 119 KB
- Notice of amendments - 9 May 2024
PDF 213 KB View as HTML (17) 236 KB
- Marshalled list of amendments - 16 May 2024
PDF 358 KB View as HTML (18) 418 KB
- Grouping of amendments - 16 May 2024
PDF 101 KB View as HTML (19) 127 KB
- Hide the documents
- FM Letter to Llywydd - 5 April 2024
PDF 101 KB
- Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill - as amended at Stage 2
PDF 463 KB
- Printing changes to the Bill as amended at Stage 2
PDF 131 KB
- Notice of amendments - 12 June 2024
PDF 83 KB View as HTML (24) 124 KB
- Notice of amendments - 21 June 2024
PDF 90 KB View as HTML (25) 129 KB
- Notice of amendments - 24 June 2024
PDF 115 KB View as HTML (26) 150 KB
- Welsh Government: Purpose and effect table - 21 June 2024
PDF 255 KB
- Notice of amendments - 25 June 2024
PDF 238 KB View as HTML (28) 259 KB
- Marshalled list of amendments - 2 July 2024
PDF 268 KB View as HTML (29) 298 KB
- Grouping of amendments - 2 July 2024
PDF 99 KB View as HTML (30) 127 KB
Consultations
- Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill (completed)