What assessment has the Counsel General made of the costs of establishing a Senedd committee for the post-implementation review of the operation of the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill in 2026 and 2032, as set out in the Bill and is this included in the Bill's costings?
Whilst Section 19 of the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill would require the Llywydd to table a motion proposing to establish a committee to undertake a post-implementation review, it will of course be for the Senedd itself to determine whether or not to support such a motion.
The Bill would not preclude the Senedd from deciding to include this review work within the wider remit of a committee established at the start of the Seventh Senedd – it would not need to be remitted to a dedicated committee. Therefore, the potential costs associated with the discharge of any such requirement are entirely dependent on future decisions taken by the Seventh Senedd.
A series of “common assumptions” agreed by the Senedd Commission in consultation with the Business Committee and Independent Remuneration Board set out a “minimal change” scenario, which could include one additional Senedd Committee, and a “greater change” scenario which could include three additional Senedd Committees. The costs associated with these scenarios are set out in the Regulatory Impact Assessment.
This work is being carried out in collaboration with Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, leader of Plaid Cymru, as part of the Co-operation Agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru.