SCECLB225 Individual

Senedd Cymru | Welsh Parliament

Y Pwyllgor Biliau Diwygio | Reform Bill Committee

Bil Senedd Cymru (Rhestrau Ymgeiswyr Etholiadol)| Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill

Ymateb gan Unigolyn | Evidence from Individual

What are your views on the general principles of the Bill and the need for legislation to deliver the Welsh Government’s stated policy objective (to make the Senedd a more effective legislature by ensuring it is broadly representative of the gender make-up of the population)?

I think that you absolutely do need to represent the two different sexes of the population of Wales and am assuming that when you use the word Gender, you are using it in the sense that there are two sexes which have different needs and need to have equal representation in law and policy making in Wales and that in particular the voices of women will be heard.

What are your views on the system of enforcement and potential sanctions for non-compliance proposed in the Bill?

I do not think it is enough to ask someone if they are a man or a woman and I do not think you should have a ‘rather not say’ option. ‘Rather not say’ is about as useful as ‘neither agree nor disagree’ and the options should more specifically ask about the sex of a person. So people should be asked if they are male or female. If you really want to make sure that women are represented then you have to eliminate the chance of people who are not female from identifying into the sex class that is female. They could also be asked if they are transgender. Please don’t use words like ‘assigned’

You need to find a way to accurately ascertain from applicants if they are male or female. At the moment it seems that anyone could identify as male when they are in fact female. I

As a woman represented by the Senedd I do not want the quota for female candidates to be filled by people who are not female.

Using the checking system you describe above, 5 out of 10 candidates could be male and no one would be checking if you just take their word for it. Places formerly taken by women could be lost.

Making a statement that you are a woman, does not make you a woman. There is no legal precedent, no law, in this country that says self identification as a particular sex means that you are that sex. You would be opening yourselves to abuse and possibly legal action if you created a situation such as this.

Are there any potential barriers to the implementation of the Bill’s provisions? If so, what are they, and are they adequately taken into account in the Bill and the accompanying Explanatory Memorandum and Regulatory Impact Assessment?

Are any unintended consequences likely to arise from the Bill?

Yes, there will be a consequence if one sex is allowed to identify as another. Either way, someone could lose out.

What are your views on the Welsh Government’s assessment of the financial and other impacts of the Bill?

What are your views on the balance between the information contained on the face of the Bill and what is left to subordinate legislation? Are the powers for Welsh Ministers to make subordinate legislation appropriate?

Do you have any views on matters relating to the legislative competence of the Senedd including compatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights?

Do you have any views on matters related to the quality of the legislation, or to the constitutional or other implications of the Bill?

Are there any other issues that you would like to raise about the Bill and the accompanying Explanatory Memorandum or any related matters?

You are eliminating sex from this bill. If you do not ask for the sex of the candidates you are being ridiculous. On an issue like this, which is supposedly set to make sure that women are represented fairly in Welsh Government it would be foolhardy to create a situation where, however unlikely, there is potential for one woman or even more to lose their place to a man just because he has self-IDed as one. Even with a GRC, a male candidate will never be a woman.