Dear Members,
cc Group and Support Staff
UPDATE FROM THE REMUNERATION BOARD
The Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd met on Thursday 17 October 2024.
This letter provides a summary of the Board’s key decisions and discussions. Information on the Board’s work is available here.
The Board met with the Members Representative Group and Staff Representative Group on 16 October and also met with several Members during themed Drop-Ins at the Cwrt on 16 October and 23 October and were grateful to those who attended to share their views on Members’ Pay and other matters of interest.
Autumn Consultation - Review of the Determination for the Seventh Senedd Part One
The Board finalised its proposals for Part One of the Review of the Determination for the Seventh Senedd. The consultation was published on 25 October and will close on 6 December.
The consultation focuses on initial proposals to support Members to undertake their work, including overnight accommodation, constituency office and engagement support and Senedd Group Support. The proposals also aim to simplify and streamline the rules and administrative requirements, where possible, for Members and their staff and also introduce clearer more consistent terminology relating to Members’ staffing and business support.
The proposed changes have been informed through a review of data and international comparative research and the views of Members, staff, the Commission and stakeholders; this supporting evidence has been published online alongside the consultation document.
The Board will consider consultation feedback during its meetings in early 2025 and will also publish a Part Two consultation on Members’ pay and staffing support and pay in the Spring, before publishing final proposals in the Summer 2025.
Annual Review of the Determination
The Board considered the latest economic forecast and discussed its approach to the Annual Review, which will be considered in more detail at November’s Board meeting. The Board will consult on proposals for the Determination 2025/26 between 8 January – 19 February. The Board will consider consultation feedback and agree any changes to the Determination at its meeting on 13 March 2025.
The Board considered correspondence from the Llywydd regarding the establishment of the new Future Senedd Committee. The remit and work of the new Committee will be of interest to the Board’s work, given its proposals may have relevance for the Determination for the Seventh Senedd. The Board also agreed that the Chair of the Committee should be remunerated at the Committee Chair (higher) additional office holder salary. It was noted that the Chair is the Deputy Presiding Officer who is already in receipt of an additional office holder salary and therefore would not be entitled to a second additional office holder salary (as per paragraph 3.1.5 of the Determination).
Real Living Wage
The latest real Living Wage was published by the Living Wage Foundation on 23 October. The changes introduced by the Board in last year’s annual review of the Determination means that Pay Point 1 of Band 3 is automatically uprated to the real Living Wage if necessary. The real Living Wage has increased to £24,243, which means a small number of staff will see this increase reflected in their monthly salary payments from 1 November 2024-31 March 2025. Those affected staff and their employing Members will be contacted by Members Business Support in due course.
Staff Pay and Grading Framework: Briefing Sessions, December 2024
Members are aware that the Board has commissioned the external pay and grading consultancy Beamans to develop a new pay and grading framework for Senedd support staff. Members and staff who contributed to Beamans’ review of the current pay and grading framework earlier this year and members of the Board’s representative groups will be invited to attend briefing sessions in early December at which Beamans will present an outline of the new framework under development. Attendees will be invited to provide feedback to help inform further development of the framework, with formal consultation with all Members, support staff and trade union representatives scheduled for the spring, before a final new pay and grading framework is published in summer 2025.
Next Board Meeting
The Board will next meet on Thursday 28 November 2024 and we will meet with Member and Staff representative groups and hold Drop-Ins for Members on Wednesday 27 November.
Should you have any matters you wish to raise with me or the Board or would like to discuss any matter further in the meantime, please do not hesitate to get in touch by emailing remuneration@senedd.wales.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Elizabeth Haywood
Chair, Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
Croesewir gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg neu Saesneg.
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