Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024

Section 7- Review of possible job-sharing of offices relating to the Senedd

14. Section 7 makes provision requiring the Presiding Officer to table a motion proposing that the Senedd establishes a committee to review the extent to which persons should be able to jointly hold a relevant office (i.e. to ‘job-share’) or to temporarily hold a relevant office while the person holding that office is unavailable. “Relevant office” means the roles listed in section 7(3). The motion must be tabled as soon as practicable following the first meeting of the first Senedd elected after 7 November 2025 (i.e. this includes a Senedd elected by an extraordinary general election that resulted in the scheduled ordinary general election in May 2026 not taking place – see section 5(5) of the 2006 Act), but in any case, within six months of that meeting.

15. If it were agreed by the Senedd that such a review is to be undertaken, that review could include consideration of both the practical and legislative implications. The motion tabled by the Presiding Officer must also propose that the committee prepares a report on its review, with recommendations. If a committee established under this motion lays a report on its review before the Senedd, the Welsh Ministers must lay a statement before the Senedd setting out their response to the report and any steps they propose to take, which may include legislative steps.