Julie James MS, Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
Today, the Senedd Cymru (Member Accountability and Elections) Bill and its accompanying Explanatory Memorandum have been laid before the Senedd.
This legislation sets out to build stronger foundations for Welsh democracy by giving voters the ultimate constitutional sanction to remove, during a Senedd term, Members of the Senedd who commit serious breaches of conduct rules.
The Bill establishes a system of recall for Members of the Senedd based on two trigger events: a Member being convicted and sentenced to imprisonment (including suspended sentences); and serious misconduct as determined by the Senedd following a Standards of Conduct Committee recommendation.
The Bill strengthens the Senedd’s standards process by requiring every Senedd to establish a Standards of Conduct Committee, which may include independent lay members. The Commissioner for Standards would gain additional flexibility to investigate concerns about Members’ conduct.
Furthermore, the Bill will place a duty on Welsh Ministers to include provisions prohibiting false statements in future Conduct Orders governing Senedd elections.
Following publication of the draft Bill in October, this formal introduction marks the beginning of the legislative scrutiny process. I will provide an oral statement to the Senedd tomorrow and look forward to working constructively with all Senedd Members as we progress this important legislation.
The Bill and supporting documents are available on the Senedd website.