Schedule 1
Commissioner for Older People (Wales) Bill [Lords]
11:00 am
Nick Ainger (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Office of the Secretary of State for Wales; Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, Labour)
The hon. Lady makes some probing points about the appointment of the deputy and asks why the issue is dealt with in the Bill, rather than being left to the discretion of the Assembly or being dealt with in secondary legislation.
Amendment No. 5 would remove the requirement in schedule 1 that the commissioner appoint a deputy and it would replace that requirement with a discretionary power. Schedule 1 follows the successful model of the Children’s Commissioner for Wales, guaranteeing that there is a deputy who can undertake the full range of the commissioner’s functions and act on his or her behalf. The deputy will be able to take charge during any vacancy in the office, or when the commissioner is absent or unable to act for any reason. That will provide clarity, avoid confusion and guarantee continuity of service to the public. The hon. Lady asks whether in these days of equality, the deputy should be a woman.