Will the Commission confirm who made the decision, and when it was taken, to add the term "commonly known as Senedd" after Welsh Parliament in Commission communications?
The Commission made decisions necessary to implement the name change at its meeting on 27 January 2020.
The Commission noted that the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020 (“the Act”) is clear that the institution has two names of equal standing “Senedd Cymru” and “Welsh Parliament”. At the same time, the Act, in English and Welsh, refers to “Senedd” throughout, for example “Senedd elections”. The Act also prioritises “Senedd” in English in a number of specific contexts – including the descriptor for Members.
The Commission decisions were an extension of the legislative policy decisions made during the passage of the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Bill (as it then was). These are now reflected in the legislation, whereby “Senedd” is used to replace “Assembly” and “National Assembly for Wales” in most contexts. On the written naming convention, our decision respects the will of Members that there is a formal legal name in both languages, while normalising the use of “Senedd” in everyday usage. The Commission felt it was important to provide clear and consistent guidance on this policy.