VOLUNTARY guidance aimed at making the Welsh Parliament more representative of the population lacks any real teeth, Senedd Members warned.

Sioned Williams described new draft guidance for political parties on diversity and inclusion as “too little, too late”, with the next Senedd election less than 18 months away.

Plaid Cymru’s shadow social justice secretary said the voluntary guidance has no teeth after the Welsh Government scrapped a proposed law on gender quotas in September.

She said: “Although any and all steps to try to increase diversity in politics are very welcome, I am deeply disappointed at the rolling back by the Welsh Government.”

Ms Williams suggested a once-in-a-generation opportunity to ensure a 50:50 gender split may have been missed, given the current progressive majority in the Senedd.

She said: “Candidates are already declaring their intention to stand.

“Voluntary guidance, which won’t be ready for months, really isn’t going to achieve that change for the Senedd elections in 2026.”

Her Plaid Cymru colleague Heledd Fychan pointed out there will be no penalties nor repercussions if political parties do not implement the guidance.

The Conservatives’ Darren Millar criticised a lack of engagement from the Welsh Government since legislation on gender quotas was withdrawn.

He questioned a “limited” focus on other aspects of equality such as age, faith and disability.

Mr Millar, who represents Clwyd West, said: “We very much hope when the final guidance is published it will be reflective of that broader range of characteristics.”

Jane Dodds, the Liberal Democrats’ leader in Wales, raised the Electoral Reform Society’s warning of a “sizeable risk” the next Senedd could be the least gender-balanced in history.

She told the debating chamber or Siambr: “The evidence is clear: legislative gender quotas are the only way to achieve gender-balanced Senedds.”

Ms Dodds, who represents Mid and West Wales, suggested political expediency and party interests were prioritised over women’s representation and democratic reform.

Hannah Blythyn, a Labour backbencher who represents Delyn, said making the Senedd more representative not only changes the face of politics but its focus too.

Ms Blythyn said: “We’ve talked about other protected characteristics and as an out lesbian, I’m very much in the minority in this place still and I’d like to see that diversity grow.”

In a statement to the Senedd on November 12, Jane Hutt recognised “huge disappointment” that gender quotas will not be underpinned by law.

Describing the draft guidance as a catalyst for change, the social justice secretary stressed that the Welsh Government remains committed to a gender-balanced Senedd.

Ms Hutt explained the final guidance, which is also aimed at council elections, will be published in spring following confirmation of new boundaries for the 2026 Senedd poll.

Pointing to measures under the Elections and Elected Bodies Act passed in July, she said: “We all know the guidance alone is not enough to ensure we achieve diversity in politics.”

She added: “Women are an under-represented majority in this Senedd. By including the section on voluntary gender quotas in the guidance, I want all parties to recognise the importance of considering what action they may take to increase women’s representation.”

A consultation on the draft guidance closes on January 7.

RATES of bullying in Welsh schools have reached record levels, with more than one in three children and young people reporting being bullied, the Senedd heard.

Gareth Davies raised concerns about a 6% increase in bullying between 2021 and 2023, according to a survey of more than 130,000 pupils in 200 secondary schools.

The Conservatives’ shadow mental health minister told the Senedd: “These results are higher than ever previously reported in the survey, which is deeply troubling.”

He said the latest survey showed regression on “just about every metric of pupil wellbeing”, including growing social isolation and a rise in behavioural issues.

Mr Davies, who worked in the NHS in north Wales for more than a decade, pointed to a 2021 legal duty to have regard to the mental health of children and young people.

He said: “The mental health of pupils has declined and reports of bullying in schools have only increased, so the Welsh Government have failed in that duty, unfortunately.”

Plaid Cymru’s Cefin Campbell called for an update to 2019 anti-bullying guidance for school governing bodies following a commitment from the Welsh Government eight months ago.

The shadow education secretary focused on the impact of poverty, warning the high cost of school uniforms can cause stress and lead to bullying.

Mr Campbell, a former lecturer, expressed concerns about penalties, such as detention, for pupils over non-compliance with uniform policies.

Raising a report on “horrific” experiences of racism in Welsh schools, he said one pupil was told a classmate did not want to sit next to them due to the colour of their skin.

“That’s entirely unacceptable in our schools,” said Mr Campbell.

Labour’s Carolyn Thomas warned children’s mental health is at an all-time low, pointing to smartphones and social media as major contributing factors.

She said: “They can be used to bully, manipulate and control, sending young people into an isolated world of despair, not thinking they can get out of it or go to somebody for help.”

The North Wales politician highlighted a petition calling for a ban on phones in schools.

Rhys ab Owen, an independent who represents South Wales Central, stressed that bullying can impact people for decades to come after school.

“But it’s an issue that doesn’t affect learners equally,” he said. “In Cardiff, around a third of learners come from ethnically diverse backgrounds.

“And I was staggered to read a survey from 2020, which said that 61.5% of learners had expressed stereotypes over skin colour, religion and nationality.”

In a statement on November 12 to mark anti-bullying week, Lynne Neagle accepted that bullying continues to be an issue in Welsh schools.

Pledging to prioritise the problem, Wales’ education secretary said new statutory anti-bullying guidance will be published for consultation after Christmas.

Ms Neagle pointed to concerning trends, including 42% of girls scoring high or very high in a questionnaire on psychological problems compared with 27% of boys.

She told the Senedd: “I wouldn’t want to be a teenager growing up today.”

Ms Neagle stated the Welsh Government provided more than £800,000 this year for one of the biggest surveys of children and young people in the UK.

She said: “The link between bullying and mental health is well known. At its most extreme, young people have taken their own lives as a result of being bullied. This is a tragedy for the young life lost, for their family and friends and for whole communities.”

A CALL for waste centre users across Pembrokeshire to “share the pain” in a cut in the number of days they are open rather than close St Davids’ recycling centre is being recommended to senior councillors.

Members of Pembrokeshire County Council’s policy pre-decision overview and scrutiny committee, at their November 12 meeting, received a report on the provision of recycling centres in the county, which had been referred from full council at its March budget meeting.

Back at that meeting, St Davids recycling centre, at risk of potential closure against a backdrop of severe budget pressures, was given a reprieve.

A report for the November committee, presented by Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services Cllr Rhys Sinnett, said the council’s medium term financial plan identifies “a ‘most likely’ projected funding gap of £84.6m over the period 2024-25 to 2027-28,” with the council needing to deliver at least £70,000 of savings against the waste and recycling centres, adding: “if this is not possible this saving will be required to come from alternative areas within environmental services impacting on collection arrangements and services provided across Pembrokeshire.”

Four options were presented to the committee: no change, with the £70,000 coming from other areas of the service; the closure of St Davids netting the £70,000; its closure along with reductions in the amount of days other centres at Winsel, Waterloo, Crane Cross and Hermon to save £110,000; the final option being a reduction in the number of days all were open, but keeping St Davids running, saving the £70,000.

The choice of the options, complicated by various capital investment requirements for the sites, before committee would take the form of a recommendation to the council’s Cabinet before a final decision is made.

Members heard many objections to the closure of St Davids had been received, with the city council “unanimously” opposed to it on many grounds, including its use by both the Coastguard and the RNLI for the disposal of maritime debris, and the distances involved for members of the public to use the other facilities.

Nearby local county councillor, Cllr Mark Carter of Solva said he had never seen as many responses to an issue in his seven-and-a-half years as a councillor, proposing the fourth option, later described as “a sharing of pain across all sites” be submitted to Cabinet.

He said the facility at St Davids was much valued by local residents.

“They understand Pembrokeshire County Council has got a severe financial problem, they understand doing nothing is not an option; they understand that, I understand that,” said Cllr Carter, adding: “The problem we’ve got with the budget is a county-wide problem, it’s not St Davids exclusively; logic says we should not be inflicting all the pain on this peninsula.”

He was backed by fellow local councillor Cllr Bethan Price.

Members, by nine votes to three, backed the fourth option of a reduction in hours at all sites but keeping St Davids open, be recommended to Cabinet, expected to be heard at its December meeting.