Comisiwn y Cynulliad
Assembly Commission

NAFWC 2011 (Paper 3)
Assembly Commission portfolios

Date:   16 June 2011
Time:  13:00
Venue: Conference Room 4B
Author name and contact number: Claire Clancy, ext 8233

Assembly Commission portfolios

1.0 Purpose and summary of issues

1.1. The Commission is corporately responsible for the exercise of the functions conferred upon it and for the governance of the organisation.  During the Third Assembly each Commissioner had particular responsibility for a portfolio of services.

2.0 Recommendations

2.1. The Commission is asked to agree portfolios for each Commissioner.

3.0 Discussion

3.1. The Commissioners are corporately responsible for the exercise of the functions conferred on the Commission and for the governance of the organisation and, accordingly, act in the interests of the Assembly as a whole.

3.2. During the Third Assembly, the Commission’s responsibilities were split into separate portfolios.  Each Commissioner took a particular interest in an area of the Commission’s work.  This provided Commissioners with the opportunity to build up their knowledge in particular areas and to work with officials to provide strategic direction on a more regular and thorough basis than Commission meetings alone would allow.

3.3. The draft portfolios attached at Annex A are, in part, aligned with the structure by which services to Members are delivered, but also balanced to ensure a reasonable distribution between Commissioners.  These reflect experience of portfolio working in the Third Assembly.  A senior official has been paired with each portfolio to act as the key link between the Commissioner and service areas.

3.4. Although the Deputy Presiding Officer is not a member of the Commission, the Presiding Officer has asked him to attend meetings.  Identifying areas of interest upon which he will focus complements his other responsibilities as DPO and will support the portfolios of Commissioners.  Possible areas of interest include Assembly business, the Pierhead as a centre for Assembly development and debate, and links with Wales Governance Centre and other bodies relevant to this role.  Adrian Crompton would be the lead official for these purposes.