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Wales Online
Wales Online
Politics
Ruth Mosalski

Assembly Members are going to sit until late tonight to debate the name of their institution

Assembly Members will sit in a special late night sitting tonight to discuss whether the name of the place they work should change.

The committee of the whole assembly is due to meet from 3pm to debate a piece of legislation known as the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Bill.

As it stands, they are due to sit until 9pm when a decision will be taken whether they continue to 11pm.

The only other time the Assembly has sat so late is for the Human Transplant Bill.

AMs will have to make their way through a whopping 355 amendments and vote 150 times.

What is it covering?

  • Whether the name of the institution should change
  • Whether 16 and 17-year-olds should get the vote
  • Make changes to rules on disqualification from being an Assembly Member
  • Extend the deadline for the first meeting of the Assembly after an election
  • Whether AMs should be allowed to work as councillors at the same time
  • Allowing foreign nationals resident legally in the UK to vote in Assembly elections
  • Disqualifying registered sex offenders from being AMs

The assembly was given powers over its own affairs - including its name - in 2017.

What's the argument about the name change?

Assembly Member Elin Jones (Richard Williams)

Presiding officer Elin Jones wants the assembly to be known as the Senedd, but could also be known as the Welsh Parliament.

Former First Minister Carwyn Jones has said there should be a bilingual name Welsh Parliament/Senedd Cymru.

That has received backing from current First Minister Mark Drakeford.

Labour AMs are expected to get a free vote.

Plaid Cymru want a Welsh-only name - Senedd.

Tory AMs are expected to back Mr Jones' plan for a bilingual name.

Should teenagers get the vote?

Part 3 of the Bill would allow people aged 16 and 17 to vote in Assembly.

Between November 2014 and June 2016 the Assembly consulted on lowering the voting age and found that 53% of the 10,375 who took part were in favour of lowering the voting age to 16.

The Welsh Government has also consulted on allowing 16-year-olds to vote in council elections.

The consultation, between July and October 2017, made it clear the Welsh Government supported reducing the voting age.

The policy was included in the manifestos of the Labour Party, Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats at the General Election.

The Assembly Commission’s Expert Panel on Electoral Reform recommended in December 2017 that the minimum voting age for Assembly elections should be reduced to 16 with effect from the 2021 election.

The panel said: "The evidence we have considered suggests a reduction in the minimum voting age to 16 would be a powerful way to raise political awareness and participation among young people".

It also said "any reduction in the minimum voting age should be accompanied by appropriate, effective and non-partisan political and citizenship education."

This is a Stage 2 debate, there are further stages before it comes into law.
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