Cyflwynwyd yr ymateb hwn i ymgynghoriad y Pwyllgor Biliau Diwygio ar Fil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau).

This response was submitted to the Reform Bill Committee consultation on the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill.

SCME30 Ymateb gan:  | Response from: Mrs L Sargent
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I am submitting this response as an individual. I am over 18.

You may publish my name. I am happy to stand up & be counted. This evidence is not confidential.

1)  I am totally against proposals to increase the size of Senedd, the number of representatives or the frequency of elections. We are living in constrained times financially & our public representatives have a duty to consider the circumstances of the people who vote for them. As a pensioner I cannot afford to subsidise a vanity project such as this, nor am I willing to do so.  I do not believe it is necessary. It is profligate & irresponsible in the extreme. The Senedd should remain the size it is now, with elections every five years.

2) I have no objection to increasing the number of deputies from one to two as long as it is done within the existing number of members.

3) I am opposed to increasing the number of Welsh Government in any way whatsoever. It should remain the size it is now. Once again it is a total waste of money, nothing more than a vanity project, & i am not prepared to pay for it.

4)  I am in favour of requiring candidates to live in Wales.

5) I am opposed to job sharing as it is inefficient & officers have a duty to provide us with the best value for money.

6) I am opposed to the introduction of proportional representation. Where this is in place eg some parts of the EU, it has led to endless discussion & very little decision making. Again, it is a total waste of money.

7) I am opposed to giving the Local Democracy & Boundary Commission powers to change the number of geographical limits of constituencies in Wales. It's simply giving them carte blanche to increase the size of Senedd & the cost for ordinary Welsh people. They can call themselves what they like.

8) As I am almost certain my opinion will be totally ignored I am in favour of a review of any legislation post the 2026 Senedd election. Hopefully by then circumstances may have changed.

Yours faithfully

Mrs L Sargent