 IPC, rydyn ni'n bynnag i chi i ddweud i ddech Tonwlau Mwwinol i'r ddweud i gynradd i chi i gyd i ddweud i'u ddweud i'r ddweud i'r ddweud i'r ddweud i'u ddweud i'u ddweud i Gl stratd perthwyd am gyntaf 2015. Cyfwrapu caen nhw i'r ddaf yn y gwirionedd ysgolwll yn 1998, maes i gyd yn swyddo i ddweud dayr, maes i gyd yn yn 2015. Ar y prif i ddwyg, mae i'n arferwyddaeth ein cyfringiad Gw fan wahanol iawn i Наerdaёт hon ac os mwyn hwnnw i The Order devolves legislative competence to the Scottish Parliament to change the date of the Scottish Parliament election, which is scheduled to take place on May 2020. When the fixed term Parliament Act 2011 was passed at Westminster, it provided that the next general election for membership of the UK Parliament would take place on the 7 May 2015, and subsequent general elections would take place ond the first Thursday in May every fifth year. The same act with the Scottish Parliament's agreement also provided that the next Scottish Parliament election would be held on the 50 May 2016. The Scotland Act 1998 provides that the poll of the Scottish Parliament ordinary general election is to be held on the first Thursday of May every fourth year. The combined effect of those two pieces of legislation is that, as things currently stand, there would be a general election to both the UK and Scottish Parliament elections on the 7 May 2020. Clearly, such a clash is undesirable. As set out in the Presiding Officer's letter of the 21 May 2015 to the Secretary of State for Scotland, party leaders in Scotland were in agreement that an alternative date for the Scottish Parliamentary election should be set, and that view is supported by the Scottish Government. There is also universal agreement that voters should know the length of the parliamentary term that they are voting for before they go to the polls in May 2016. However, if the Scottish Parliament is to legislate in advance of the May 2016 elections, then the powers to do so need to be devolved now. Devolving that power is exactly what this order does. Order, as you said, is made under section 30 of the Scotland Act 1998, which provides a mechanism whereby schedule 4 and schedule 5 of the 1998 act can be modified by an order of council subject to the agreement of both the UK and Scottish Parliaments. This order amends both schedule 4 and schedule 5. Firstly, schedule 4 to the act lists enactments that are protected from modification by the Scottish Parliament, and much of the 1998 act is itself included in that list. This order will amend schedule 4 to allow an act of the Scottish Parliament to modify section 22 in relation to the first Scottish Parliamentary ordinary general election after 2016. Secondly, schedule 5 of the 1998 act lists the matters that are reserved to the UK Parliament and, among other things, elections for membership of the Scottish Parliament are reserved. In order that the Scottish Parliament can determine the day of the poll at the first Scottish Parliament ordinary general election after 2016, this order will amend schedule 5 to provide that that matter is no longer a reserved matter. Those combined amendments will ensure that the Scottish Parliament has the power to determine the date of the first Scottish Parliamentary ordinary general election to be held after next May's election. The order also amends section 2 of the act in connection with amendments to schedule 4 and 5. The order also places certain limitations on the day that can be chosen. Specifically, the order prevents the day of the poll determined by the Scottish Parliament being the same day as the day of the poll of a UK parliamentary general election other than an early parliamentary election, which clearly could not be predicted, a European parliamentary general election or an ordinary local government election in Scotland. Those limitations are in line with the recommendation of the Smith commission agreement and are consistent with Gould's recommendations. That is an outline of the order, which has already been approved by both houses of the UK Parliament. How the powers devolved by this order are exercised will be a matter for Parliament to consider in a future bill. However, in her statement on the Scottish Government's programme for government, the First Minister announced that the Scottish election dates bill will be introduced in the Scottish Parliament once this order has been approved by her Majesty in Cancel. That bill will propose a five-year term for the Scottish Parliament following next year's general election, moving the following general election to May 2021, both Northern Ireland and the Wales Assembly general elections, which would have been on May 2020, have already been moved to 2021. Moving the Scottish Parliament elections to the first Thursday in May 2021 will, however, mean that there would be a clash with the local government elections, which are scheduled for the same date. We are currently in the process of seeking the views of COSLA on what action it might be taking to address that. One option would be to move those elections to 2022. That would mean a five-year term for those local government councillors elected in May 2017 and would replicate a similar one-year extension to the current local government term. Those are matters that the Parliament will consider when the bill is introduced, but I hope that the committee agrees that this order is a sensible and pragmatic solution that will allow the Scottish Parliament to change the date of the Scottish Parliament election, which is currently scheduled for May 2020 and thereby avoid a clash with the UK general election. I am happy to answer any questions that the committee has. I am sure that no-one is going to object to the bill, but I may just be not understanding completely, but are you saying specifically about this one election? I am just wondering why there is not a general power to determine all future elections, because you can see that happening over and over again. The further powers are dealt with in Smith and are being looked at in that context. That is specifically about this one election, which has to be done now, so we could not wait for Smith. I want to clarify that, because the others that you rightly mentioned in your remarks, the European elections, the local elections and the UK general election are fixed now, we know that forevermore. Has the Government given any thought to how the Scottish elections in the future are going to fit into that time table, given that we have certainty around those other elections? Obviously, when that order has passed, we will have competence for the one election after the next election, and that will be discussed by the Parliament in the bill that is forthcoming. When additional powers come, it will be for Parliament at that time to have those deliberations about what happens in the long term, but I think that there is an argument for five-year terms going forward, does not it? Any other questions from any other colleagues? No further questions. We will then go to agenda item 2, dealing with the same order. I ask the minister to move motion S4M14274, that the devolution for the powers committee recommends that the Scotland act 1998 modification schedules 4 and 5 order in 2015 draft be approved. The other members agree. Thank you very much. Minister, we all agree. Just on terms of that, is it okay if we delegate to Duncan and I just to sign off a short report on the recommendation to Parliament? Item agenda 3 is a draft report on IGR to consider the draft report at future meetings in private. Are we agreed? We now move into private session.