Devolution has come a long way in Wales since its precarious birth following the 1997 referendum, writes Cefin Campbell MS.

 Over time, we’ve seen the establishment evolve - with increased powers, greater budgets and further influence on our day to day lives.

As the fledgling Assembly – now Welsh Parliament – has grown from strength to strength, so has public support in favour of devolution – echoed by the resounding support for further powers in the 2011 referendum, and the trouncing of anti-devolution parties in last year’s Senedd election.

Whilst the institution has matured in terms of responsibilities and public opinion, one thing that hasn’t changed however has been the number of elected representatives – still at the initial 60.

Despite the increased responsibilities, the current Senedd remains smaller than its other devolved counterparts, with the Scottish Parliament having 129 Members and the Northern Ireland Assembly having 90.

Discounting members of Government, Presiding Officers and party leaders, the number of Members available to ensure the Welsh Government works effectively for Wales is greatly hampered - with previous work by the Electoral Reform Society showing both the number and percentage of members available to undertake scrutiny and legislative functions is substantially lower than at Westminster, Holyrood and Stormont.

I’m pleased that Plaid Cymru’s Co-operation Agreement with the Welsh Government has ensured a commitment to enhance the number of Senedd Members to 96 – an ambition that has been further supported by a Senedd Special Purpose Committee.

The changes we are recommending will be a positive step to making our Parliament better reflective of Wales’s communities. By leading the way on gender quotas, it will mean women will have certainty of a fair representation, which can only lead to better and fairer outcomes for us all.

This would further the Senedd’s journey to being better reflective of the experiences, needs and hopes of the population it serves, helping people of all backgrounds to feel more included and heard in the democratic process. Increasing the number of politicians is no luxury, or jobs for the boys – it is merely delivering to ensure the Senedd and Welsh Government can continue to serve the people of Wales to its utmost ability.

Our Senedd has a central role to play in developing a self-confident, outward looking country and in creating a greener, wealthier and fairer Wales. Our focus now as politicians should be to do just that.