Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of abolishing fixed terms for the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and Northern Ireland Executive alongside proposals to repeal the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011.

The use of fixed terms in elections to the Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru is a devolved matter and for the Devolved Administrations in Scotland and Wales to consider. The fixed terms set for Northern Ireland Assembly elections are not a devolved matter and there are currently no plans to change the law.

The UK Government continues to engage with the Scottish and Welsh Administrations, as well as considering the particular circumstances of Northern Ireland, with regards to any impact of the departure from fixed terms in the UK Parliament on the administration of elections in devolved areas.