Will the Counsel General provide an update on achievement of recommendation 18 from the Reform Bill Committee's Stage 1 report on the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill?
Welsh Government officials have convened a Senedd Electoral Reform Delivery Board, and engagement with key partners is taking place through such, including on the issue of coordinating national and local public information and awareness-raising campaigns about the electoral reforms. The Board meets on a bimonthly basis.
A number of organisations also have roles and statutory responsibilities in this respect, including the Senedd Commission, the Electoral Commission and Local Authorities. The Electoral Management Board will also have a role to play if the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill is passed by the Senedd. It is important that each organisations’ individual statutory duties and powers are respected. At the same time, there is a common desire to ensure national and local public information and awareness-raising campaigns about the electoral reforms are planned and co-ordinated effectively and efficiently, to avoid duplication and amplify the effectiveness of those campaigns.
The Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill receiving Royal Assent will be a significant milestone in enabling the preparation of such campaigns. Costs associated with public information and awareness-raising were previously considered as part of the Bill’s Regulatory Impact Assessment.