Order, Order.

We turn now to a Stage 1 Debate on WB151 in the name of the SPUP. The question is whether this Parliament approves the general principle of the Education (Maps) Bill

Education (Maps) Bill

An Act of the Senedd Cymru to make provision for the use of accurate maps in classrooms in Wales, and for connected purposes;

Having being passed by the Senedd Cymru and having received the assent of His Majesty, it is enacted as follows:

Section 1: Duties of the Minister for Education and Cymraeg

(1) The Minister shall have the responsibility to ensure that all Maps within classrooms are accurate, as defined within this Act.

(2) The Minister shall have the ability to make such regulations with respect to the duties of educational and local authority staff as they see reasonable and prudent to carry out their duties under Subsection (1).

(3) The power to make regulations under this act is exercisable by statutory instrument.

Section 2: Accuracy of Maps

(1) A map is inaccurate if it presents any of the following to be true:

(a) the Earth being flat, or hollow,

(b) the existence of a Mythological Landmass or Location defined in Schedule 1,

(c) the existence of territory held by a Disputed Entity defined in Schedule 2,

(d) the existence of borders contrary to those defined in Schedule 3,

(2) The Minister may make regulations under this section to amend Schedules to this act so as to add further Mythological Landmasses or Locations, Disputed Entities or Borders where those regulations concern a territory or landmass not currently covered by those Schedules.

Section 3: Coming into Force and Short Title

(1) This act comes into force on the day after which this Act receives Royal Assent.

(2) The short title of this Act is the Education (Maps) Act.

Schedule 1: Mythological Landmasses and Locations

Atlantis

Lemuria

El Dorado

Schedule 2: Disputed Entities

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

The Republic of Kosovo

The Donetsk People’s Republic

The Luhansk People’s Republic

The Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic

Schedule 3: Disputed Borders

The border between the State of Israel and the State of Palestine shall be that set out by the demarcation line set out in the 1949 Armistice Agreements between the nations of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Israel known as the Green Line.

The border between Russia and Ukraine must include the territories of Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea as part of Ukraine.

The territory of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste is the territory of East Timor as defined in the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste at the time of the entry into force of this act.

Where not otherwise specified in this act, the proper borders of a given state are those recognised by the Government of the United Kingdom.

This bill was written by /u/SpectacularSalad on behalf of the Serbian People’s Union of Pontyprydd, with reference to the Protected Sovereign States and Territories Bill written by the Right Honourable Dame Youma, The Baroness of Motherwell, LT MBE PC MP.

Opening Speech,

Llywydd,

Recently in this chamber, one of our wisest Parliamentarians said that maps in classrooms should be accurate “for the simple fact if we feed out children lies then they’ll believe them to be truths”. Llywydd, the earth is not flat, Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea belong to Ukraine, both Israel and Palestine have a right to exist in peace, and Kosovo is a part of Serbia. These are immutable facts, and we must ensure that our children are not tricked into believing otherwise.

This bill will establish a new duty for the Minister for Education and Cymraeg to ensure that maps in classrooms are accurate, and give them the power to ensure this is achieved. I am sure this is well within their capabilities, as an individual with a brain so large that minor planets are drawn into it’s orbit.

And to those who may fear this strays into a reserved area, I ask them to relax. This is not a matter of foreign policy, but education policy, a clearly devolved matter. Let us not be afraid in this place of legislating with ambition and clarity, we are the legitimate body for the voice of the Welsh people, let us not be afraid to speak out loud and clear.

Debate on this bill will end on Tuesday 30th of January 10pm GMT