Clause 3 - Review of exercise of functions of Assembly and other persons
Children's Commissioner for Wales Bill
11:30 am
Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy, Plaid Cymru)
I want to take the Minister back to what he said, before the intervention by the hon. Member for North Dorset, about the commissioner commenting more widely on matters affecting children in Wales. Does he not agree that the last thing a commissioner will do is to stray from the strict statutory definition of his office, at least in the first few years, as he would be finding his way with the 24 bodies concerned, and the other bodies listed in schedule 2B? The commissioner will therefore be hampered in the performance of his duties in the initial few months. The Minister said more than once that he would be able to comment on things outside the strict definition of devolved matters. However, I have heard no example being given.