SCECLB347 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)?

Quotas are not the way to achieve an equal number of women and men within the Senedd. Instead, the barriers to women putting themselves forward to stand for election should be addressed.

And of course the focus on ‘gender’ rather than ‘sex’ shows that it is not women that will benefit from this legislation.

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

The reliance on an unverified statement from a candidate as to ‘whether they are a woman or not a woman’ is ludicrous. There needs to be a clear definition of woman – and if this bill aims to tackle an imbalance of the number of men and women MSs, that needs to be ‘adult human female’. However, it seems that the bill will allow biological men to self-ID as women. We do not have self-ID in the UK.

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?

The number of women MSs could actually fall because men will be defined as women.

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?

Wales does not have the power to introduce this legislation – the Llywydd has stated that this bill is outside the legislative competence of the Senedd. It is clearly a reserved matter as equalities legislation is not devolved.

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

After the debacle in Scotland, it is clear that this legislation will end up in the Supreme Court.