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Amending the regulations to extend the term of office for the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales from 4 to 7 years

 
Wales has four Commissioners who are appointed by the First Minister for Wales. They are supported through similar funding and governance arrangements. The Welsh Language Commissioner, the Children’s Commissioner for Wales and the Future Generations Commissioner are all appointed on a fixed, non-extendable, 7-year term of office.

However, The Older People’s Commissioner for Wales (OPCW) is appointed on a 4-year term of office. There is the possibility of 2-year extension or to reapply under a competitive process, if agreed by the First Minister and those that represent the views of older people in Wales.

The OPCW is appointed in accordance with the following regulations:
  • The Commissioner for Older People in Wales (Appointment) Regulations 2007 as amended by:
  • The Commissioner for Older People in Wales (Appointment) (Amendment) Regulations 2016
We propose that the term of office given to all Welsh Commissioners should be consistent at 7 years. This would allow all four Commissioners the same term of office and therefore the same opportunity to work with the groups of people that they represent and to champion change on their behalf.

To do this, we would like to amend the regulations which allow the First Minister to appoint the OPCW. We would increase the term of office from 4 to 7 years and withdraw the opportunity to ask the First Minister for an extension of 2 years, or to reapply through a competitive process.

The next OPCW is to be appointed by August 2024. We would like to make these changes to the regulations so that the next OPCW can be appointed on a 7-year term of office.

Are you completing the survey as a member of the public or on behalf of an organisation?

 

We want your views on whether we should make these changes.

Do you agree that we should change the regulations for appointing the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales from a 4-year term of office to a 7-year term of office in line with the other Welsh Commissioners? In doing so we will remove the opportunity to ask for a 2-year extension or to reapply.

 

Do you have any additional comments to support your answer?

 

We would like to know your views on the effects that changing these regulations will have on the Welsh language, specifically on opportunities for people to use Welsh and on treating the Welsh language no less favourably than English.

What effects do you think there would be? How could positive effects be increased, or negative effects be mitigated?

 

Please also explain how you believe the proposed changes could be formulated or changed to have positive effects or increased positive effects on opportunities for people to use the Welsh language and on treating the Welsh language no less favourably than the English language, and no adverse effects on opportunities for people to use the Welsh language and on treating the Welsh language no less favourably than the English language.

 

What in your view would be the likely impacts upon individuals and groups with protected characteristics from these changes? Your views on how positive effects could be increased, or negative effects could be mitigated, would also be welcome.