Meetings

The Commission was updated on the Public Accounts Committee Scrutiny of Accounts 2016-17, in particular the two recommendations in their final report relating to the Commission.

Commissioners agreed their response to the Public Accounts Committee’s report.

Paper 5 - Letter from the Assembly Commission to the Chair - Remuneration Board Determination underspend - 28 March 2017

6.1 The Committee agreed to write to the Commission requesting further information and to invite the new Chief Executive to a Committee meeting.

Commissioners considered the approach they wished to take to the long term finances of the Commission through a new budget strategy, in light if their discussion on the Commission strategy.

The Commission budget is used to meet the running costs of the National Assembly for Wales and consists of: pay and allowances for Assembly Members and Office Holders (the Remuneration Board’s Determination); the salaries of the staff of the Assembly – committee clerking teams, researchers, staff supporting the legislative processes, parliamentary translation and reporting staff, legal advisers, visitor services and outreach staff and those in operational support services such as security, accommodation, HR, finance and ICT; and the cost of goods, services and facilities used in the day to day operation of the Assembly.

Commissioners agreed that the budget strategy for the next five years needs to be sufficient to enable the Commission to deliver its strategic goals and ambitions. At the same time, it must meet the challenge of increased responsibilities within the capacity constraints that are a feature of being the UK’s smallest legislature.

The budget for the first year of the Fifth Assembly (2016-17) was set to provide financial stability for the new Commission at the start of the Fifth Assembly. The budget for 2017-18 will be the first budget to reflect the priorities of the new Commissioners, and Commissioners agreed the draft should now be worked up in line with the agreed strategy, and in readiness for further consideration early in the Autumn.

Commissioners were conscious of the Commission’s budget being set within the broader public sector funding context and clear that budget issues would need to be revisited if there is any exceptional change in circumstances.

Paper 1 – Letter to Chair of Finance Committee from Deputy Presiding Officer

2.1 Peter Black AM absented himself for this item due to his role as a Member of the Assembly Commission.

2.2 The Committee noted the Commission’s response.

NDM5868 David Melding (South Wales Central)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales, in accordance with Standing Order 20.16:

Agrees the budget of the Assembly Commission for  2016-17, as specified in table 1 of the 'National Assembly for Wales Assembly Commission Budget 2016-17', laid before the Assembly on 4 November 2015 and that it be incorporated in the Annual Budget Motion under Standing Order 20.26 (ii).

Supporting documents:

Assembly Commission Budget document
Finance Committee’s Report

The item started at 15.31

Voting on the motion under this item was deferred until Voting Time.

NDM5868 David Melding (South Wales Central)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales, in accordance with Standing Order 20.16:

Agrees the budget of the Assembly Commission for  2016-17, as specified in table 1 of the 'National Assembly for Wales Assembly Commission Budget 2016-17', laid before the Assembly on 4 November 2015 and that it be incorporated in the Annual Budget Motion under Standing Order 20.26 (ii).

The result was as follows:

The motion was agreed.

Oral item.

The Commission received the Finance Committee’s report on the Commission’s draft budget, which had been published.

Commissioners discussed the key recommendations contained in the Committee’s report and agreed to accept each of them and respond positively to the Finance Committee.

Paper 1 – Draft report

1.1 The Committee agreed the draft Report with some changes.

11.1 Peter Black AM absented himself for this item due to his role as a Member of the Assembly Commission.

11.2 The Committee considered the evidence received.

David Melding AM, Acting Assembly Commissioner

Claire Clancy, Chief Executive and Clerk of the Assembly

Nicola Callow, Director of Finance

Paper 5 – Assembly Commission draft budget 2016-17

Research briefing

9.1 Peter Black AM absented himself for this item due to his role as a Member of the Assembly Commission.

9.2 Members scrutinised David Melding AM, Deputy Presiding Officer and Acting Assembly Commissioner, Claire Clancy, Chief Executive and Clerk to the Assembly, and Nicola Callow, Director of Finance on the draft Assembly Commission budget 2016-17.

9.3 Jocelyn Davies AM declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:

·         Member is standing down at the end of the Fourth Assembly.

Commissioners considered the final draft of the draft budget document for 2016-17. They felt that it reflected the strategy and approach they had agreed before summer recess.

Commissioners agreed the draft to be laid and thanked officials for the work that had been put into preparations.

Nicola Callow presented Commissioners with the first draft of the Commission budget for 2016-17.

Commissioners welcomed the approach, which they felt was a good reflection of the budget strategy they had agreed in April.

The focus of the 2016-17 budget document is:

•        Supporting the increasing demands being faced by the Assembly, including the growing programme of legislative work;

•        Providing an extended, refreshed programme of professional development for Members, including new and returning Assembly Members, based on an evaluation of CPD outcomes to date;

•        Supporting constitutional change, the scale of which is expected to be significant following the Wales Act 2014 and the St David’s Day 2015 announcements;

•        Continuing the Commission’s engagement and promotion work, with additional emphasis to reflect new constitutional developments; 

•        Value for money - the Commission has a strong track record in delivering value for money in hand with its strategic goals and priorities and we will want to build on this from the outset of the Fifth Assembly; and

•        Technological service development – continuing to change and improve Assembly Services and the ways we support Assembly Members in carrying out their roles.

Commissioners agreed that, in addition to updating the draft to reflect the outcome of the UK Spending Review and Budget it would be important that the next draft should be rich with diagrams and illustrations to ensure that the same level of clarity as was presented with the 2015-16 budget would be achieved again this year.

The Commission agreed to receive an updated document for consideration in September, before the draft budget is required to be laid.

Paper 2

Commissioners considered a paper which outlined the suggested approach and budget options for the Commission’s 2016-17 Budget.

They agreed to take a balanced approach in which: the Commission’s operating budget for Assembly services will reflect the changes in the Welsh Block; the financial impact of decisions made by the Remuneration Board will be fully funded; and significant exceptional costs will continue to be treated separately, so for 2016-17 there will be funds for election related expenditure and the costs of dissolution.

2016-17 will be the first year of the Fifth Assembly, and Commissioners felt that the approach to the budget strategy needed to provide sufficient flexibility to ensure the new Commissioners have the financial scope to pursue their own goals and priorities when they take office. 

The approach that Commissioners agreed included a focus for the Commission’s funds in 2016-17 on the following areas:

•        Programme of legislative work - the momentum behind the current legislative work load is not expected to diminish after the election. The volume of legislative activity is expected to remain high or even grow further as Assembly Member led legislation is introduced. This is a change compared to the early stages of the Fourth Assembly and will require support to be maintained.

•        Members’ professional development programme to meet the needs of new and changing membership.  This builds on the previous programme providing appropriate induction and access to continuous professional development training for Members.

•        The planning to support the anticipated scale of constitutional change, particularly stemming from the Wales Bill and the St David’s Day announcements.

•        Value for money – the Commission has a strong track record in delivering value for money in pursuit of its wider goals and priorities and we will want to build on this from the outset of the Fifth Assembly. 

Nicola Callow advised that a draft budget strategy was being considered by the Investment and Resourcing Board.

This budget would be the first year of the Fifth Assembly and would need to have sufficient financial flexibility to ensure the new Commissioners would be able to pursue their goals and priorities. The strategy set out a relatively prudent approach and highlighted the financial options available.

Following the Commission’s investment strategy, it had been agreed that the remaining budgets for this Commission would reflect the movement in the Welsh Block. However, without indicative budget figures from the Welsh Government, there was minimal information to model the Commission’s budget on. The proposal, therefore, was for the Commission’s 2016-17 operating budget to reflect a 1.1% cut in real terms compared to 2015-16 but for the financial decisions of the Remuneration Board to be fully funded.

Significant exceptional costs would continue to be treated as additional funding, including the ring-fenced budget for election related expenditure and costs of dissolution. Any surplus would be returned to the Welsh Consolidated Fund.

The Investment and Resourcing Board would be considering the draft budget strategy on 26 March, before being presented to the Commission on 23 April.