Meetings
Assembly Commission Budget 2017-18
This page gives details of any meetings held which will, or did, discuss the matter, and includes links to the relevant Papers, Agendas and Minutes.
Note: Meeting Agenda can change at short notice. Particularly where future meeting dates are indicated more than a week in advance. Please check before planning to attend a Committee Meeting that the item you are interested in has not been moved.
Meeting: 01/04/2019 - Senedd Commission (Item 8)
Public Accounts Committee: Scrutiny of Accounts 2017-18
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 2
- Restricted enclosure 3
Minutes:
Commissioners
were notified of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Scrutiny
of Accounts 2017-18. The Committee has reported on its annual scrutiny of
the accounts and annual reports of various publicly funded organisations.
The final report contains 40 recommendations, nine of which relate to the Commission. Commissioners noted the report and agreed for the Commissioner with responsibility for Budget and Governance to draft a response to the Public Accounts Committee, which will be circulated to Commissioners before being sent to the Committee.
Meeting: 04/12/2017 - Senedd Commission (Item 5)
Supplementary budget
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 6
- Restricted enclosure 7
- Restricted enclosure 8
Minutes:
The
Commission’s ‘Annually Managed Expenditure’ (AME) budget for 2017-18 was set at
£1.2million in November 2016. This is predominantly the accounting adjustment
(non-cash) for the Members’ Pension Provision. The actual costs will not be
known until after the 2017-18 year-end when the actual calculation is done by
the Actuary.
This
means that for the purposes of budgeting, the costs must be estimated. A recent
estimate from the Actuary states that the estimated Pension Finance cost for
2017-18 (Members’ Pension Scheme) is likely to be around £1.744million,
substantially higher than the approved budget. This amount cannot be accommodated
by an underspend within the Commission’s operational budget.
Commissioners questioned the cause of the difference and requested additional narrative within the note to Finance Committee. Commissioners agreed to request the supplementary budget detailed, and that the necessary documentation be published in line with Standing Order requirements.
Meeting: 02/02/2017 - Management Board (Item 5)
2017-18 Expenditure
Oral update/paper to
follow
Minutes:
Claire
Clancy first noted, with appreciation, that the Finance Management Report for
January 2017 had been produced on 1 February. Nia Morgan then presented the
Board with expenditure details for the current financial year and for 2017-18.
Nia
outlined the current budgetary pressures and actions to mitigate the risks at
year end, and those pressures going forward.
In
relation to 2017-18 budget, the Investment and Resourcing Board would be
scrutinising several large and variable costs, with a view to prioritising and
ascertaining where cost efficiencies could be made and the impact of capacity
planning. IRB had agreed not to submit a supplementary budget this year, to
provide time to give more accuracy to figures that were estimated at present.
ACTIONS:
Service Heads were asked to
·
keep the budget team informed of any day to day
changes to their forecast spend for the current year to ensure that informed
decisions could be made regarding planned project expenditure.
·
provide Directors with information on items
earmarked for inclusion in the 2017-18 budget, in terms of timing, priority and
risk associated with not proceeding.
The
Commission would be considering the 2017-18 budget at a future meeting.
Meeting: 03/11/2016 - Senedd Commission (Item 5)
Assembly Commission Budget 2017-18 - response to the Finance Committee scrutiny and report
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 13
- Restricted enclosure 14
- Restricted enclosure 15
- Restricted enclosure 16
- Restricted enclosure 17
Minutes:
The Commission
received information about the progress of the Commission budget process,
including scrutiny by the Finance Committee. Commissioners welcomed the
constructive approach that had been taken by the Finance Committee and that the
Committee had recognised the uncertainties surrounding funding levels for
future years.
The Commission agreed its response to the recommendations raised by the Finance Committee and that the final budget document will be laid on 9 November 2016.
Meeting: 19/09/2016 - Senedd Commission (Item 2)
Commission Budget Strategy for the Fifth Assembly
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 20
- Restricted enclosure 21
Minutes:
Commissioners considered the draft budget strategy document
that had been prepared in line with the newly agreed Commission strategy and
based on decisions taken by them in the summer.
The document set out the intended expenditure plans for 2017-18 as well as indicative plans and financial requirements through to the end of the Fifth Assembly. Commissioners considered a number of aspects of the budget in detail. Looking forward, Commissioners believe a step change is needed in how Assembly business information is produced, managed and used in order for the Assembly to be regarded as a world class digital parliament that is open, inclusive and easy to engage with, leading to better laws and scrutiny. The Commission will be working to improve the way people engage with the Assembly and how services are delivered to Members.
A budget strategy that modestly increases the Commission’s overall resourcing levels will be needed if the Commission is to maintain the delivery of excellent services to Assembly Members. The longer term financial plans could be subject to change as a result of a need to respond to the challenges that emerge over the next four years but, based on current assessments, Commissioners consider the proposals to be set at levels that are fair and prudent.
The Commission agreed that the draft budget should be laid on 30 September. Finance Committee scrutiny is expected to take place on 5 October. The plenary Budget Motion debate is planned for 16 November.