Meetings

Commission budget

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: 26/09/2013 - Senedd Commission (Item 2)

Draft Budget 2014-15

Paper 2 & Annexes

Minutes:

The Commission’s budget for 2014-15 had to be laid for consideration by the Assembly no later than 1 October. At previous meetings Commissioners had agreed that the budget should be based on the £50.598m sum, as set out in the previous two years’ approved budget documents, which were scrutinised by the Assembly’s Finance Committee in October 2011 and 2012.

2014-15 would be the final year of the Commission’s three-year investment plan for the budget. The budget proposal for 2014-15 was precisely in line with that set out in the previous two years’ approved budgets.

Work had been undertaken over the summer to revise the document, taking on board Commissioners’ suggestions.

Angela Burns had written to the Minister for Finance seeking agreement that, in view of the UK Spending Review timetable, the Commission would only provide an indicative budget for 2015-16 in this Draft Budget. In addition, the Commissioners felt that it would be appropriate to continue focusing on an shorter timeframe for the subsequent year (2016-17) as this would enable the Fifth Assembly Commission to make their own, multiple period plans.

Angela Burns, Claire Clancy and Nicola Callow would be giving evidence to the Assembly’s Finance Committee on 3 October.

The draft budget was agreed and would be laid that afternoon. The Commission would consider any recommendations made by the Finance Committee before laying the document for the Assembly’s consideration in November.

Commissioners commended Nicola Callow for her exemplar work on the budget and thanked her and Angela Burns for their efforts in finalising the draft.


Meeting: 05/11/2012 - Senedd Commission (Item 2)

Finance Committee report of draft Commission budget 2013-14

Paper 2

Minutes:

The Commission’s budget for 2013-14 sets out the financial resources required to deliver the Assembly Services’ priority work as well as the budget required to fund the Remuneration Board’s Determination for Assembly Members. 

Since the last meeting the Commission’s draft budget for 2013-14 had been laid. Angela Burns AM, Claire Clancy and Steve O’Donoghue appeared before the Finance Committee on 3 October and the Committee’s report recommended:

·        Publishing annual performance indicators;

·        There be no increase to commission budgets at the end of the current three-year investment programme;

·        That more detail be provided with regards to savings and investments.

Commissioners agreed to the recommendations of the Committee and agreed that the Budget be laid on 7 November.  The plenary debate on the budget is scheduled for 14 November.

It was agreed that the paper would not be published.

Action: Officials to lay the budget 2013-14 document before the Assembly on 7 November.


Meeting: 11/10/2012 - Finance Committee - Fourth Assembly (Item 4)

Consideration of draft report on the Assembly Commission draft budget 2013-14

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

4.1 The Committee commented on its draft report on the Assembly Commission draft budget 2013-14.

 

4.2 The Committee agreed to format the amended report as a letter to the Minister for Finance, which would be published shortly.


Meeting: 03/10/2012 - Finance Committee - Fourth Assembly (Item 2)

2 Scrutiny of Assembly Commission Draft Budget 2013-2014

FIN(4) 14-12 (p1) – Assembly Commission draft budget 2013-14

 

Angela Burns AM, Commissioner

Claire Clancy, Chief Executive and Clerk to the Assembly

Steve O’Donoghue, Head of Assembly Resources  

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

2.1 The Committee welcomed Angela Burns, Assembly Member; Claire Clancy, Chief Executive and Clerk of the Assembly; and Steve O’Donoghue, Head of Assembly Resources.

2.2 The Committee questioned the witnesses.

 

Action points:

The Assembly Commission agreed to:

·         Provide a note on whether contractors are upholding equality, living wage, and trade union membership standards.

·         Respond to concerns raised by Mike Hedges AM on ICT investment;


Meeting: 28/06/2012 - Senedd Commission (Item 4)

Draft budget 2013-14

Paper 4

Minutes:

Commissioners confirmed they would continue with their commitment to working within the 2013-14 indicative funding set out in the previous year’s budget document. The indicative budget for 2013-14 is £49.5 million, of which £33.5 million relates to operating costs, £13.7 million for the Members’ budget and the balance available for investments.

Commissioners discussed priorities for the 2013-14 budget. Angela Burns AM agreed to meet individual Members to discuss the Commission budget prior to it being finalised.

The Budget is due to be agreed at the Commission meeting on 27 September and laid on 28 September. Further consideration of the budget will take place at the Commission meeting on 12 July.

Action: Officials to bring a draft budget document to the next meeting.


Meeting: 14/05/2012 - Senedd Commission (Item 2)

Budget 2013-14 - strategic priorities/implications

Supporting documents:

  • Restricted enclosure 18

Minutes:

Commissioners agreed at the 8 March meeting that they would continue to work within the 2013-14 indicative funding set out in the budget document and discussed the budgetary priorities for 2013-14 in this context.

 

The indicative budget is £49.5 million, of which £34.1 million is for operational costs and £13.7 million relates to Assembly Members. The balance is available for investment in line with the Commission’s strategic priorities.  Additional resources are expected to be released for investment priorities in 2013-14 with contributions arising from the value for money programme, efficiency targets and contingency funds.

 

A number of investment priorities were discussed. Whilst the ICT priority was recognised as the highest priority, further discussion on the implications of adopting this priority approach needs to be continued at subsequent meetings.

 

The Commission budget will be laid in September. Consultation with Members is likely to follow the format adopted last year, with Angela Burns AM as the Commissioner with the relevant portfolio attending group meetings and holding briefings with Members.

Action: Officials to develop the budget document in line with the agreed approach.


Meeting: 08/03/2012 - Senedd Commission (Item 4)

4 Commission budget strategy 2013-16

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The proposed approach to the Commission’s 2013-14 budget and indicative figures for the remaining years of the Fourth Assembly term (2014-15 and 2015-16) were discussed. The proposed budget for 2013-14 will be £49.450 million, with £13.700 million for Assembly Members’ salaries and costs, and £35.750 for Assembly Services. This represents an increase of 5.3% on the budget for 2012-13.

The proposed approach reflects the agreement by the Commission to phase the increase in the budget as recommended by the Finance Committee. The Commission agreed that the budget for 2013-14 be prepared in line with the indicative figures.

There will be further discussions at the Commission’s meetings in the summer term. It is intended that the final budget document will be approved at the Commission’s meeting in September, and formally laid by 28 September.

Commissioners agreed to give consideration to:

 

  • longer term funding requirements for the Fourth Assembly;
  • consultation with Members and their support staff regarding these requirements.

Actions: Officials to proceed, in line with the agreed approach.


Meeting: 24/11/2011 - Senedd Commission (Item 5)

5 Supplementary Budget 2011-12

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

In its budget for 2011-12, the Commission included separate funds relating to election costs, but made it clear that any excess would be returned to the Welsh block through a supplementary budget.

 

The Assembly Members’ budget included £3.460m, based on an estimated turnover of 30 Members at an average cost of £115k per Member, and the Assembly Services budget included £0.655m.  These budget allocations were ringfenced for costs relating to the election.  It was noted that actual turnover of 23 Members had resulted in an underspend of £1.8m against the Assembly Members’ budget, and of £0.2m against the Assembly Services budget.

 

The Commission agreed that £2.0m would be returned to the Welsh block through a supplementary budget motion.


Meeting: 16/11/2011 - Plenary - Fourth Assembly (Item 4.)

Motion to approve the Assembly Commission's Budget 2012/13

NDM4851 Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire)

 

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

 

Agrees the budget of the Assembly Commission for 2012-13, as specified in Table 5 of the “National Assembly for Wales Assembly Commission Budget Proposals 2012-13”, laid before the Assembly on 9 November 2011 and that it be incorporated in the Annual Budget Motion under Standing Order 20.26 (ii).

 

Supporting documents:

National Assembly for Wales Assembly Commission Budget Proposals 2012-13

Report of the Finance Committee

 

Decision:

The Motion was agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.


Meeting: 12/10/2011 - Finance Committee - Fourth Assembly (Item 6)

Draft report on Assembly Commission Draft Budget 2012-2013

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

6.1 Peter Black AM did not attend this section of the meeting, as he is an Assembly Commissioner.

 

6.2 Members commented on and agreed the draft Committee report on the scrutiny of the Assembly Commission Draft Budget 2012-2013.


Meeting: 06/10/2011 - Finance Committee - Fourth Assembly (Item 4)

Members' consideration of evidence taken during the meeting

Minutes:

4.1 Members discussed the evidence received in the meeting.


Meeting: 06/10/2011 - Finance Committee - Fourth Assembly (Item 2)

2 Scrutiny of Assembly Commission Draft Budget 2012-2013

Assembly Commission
FIN(4)-04-11 (Paper1)

Angela Burns, Assembly Member
Claire Clancy, Chief Executive and Clerk of the Assembly
Steve O’Donoghue, Head of Assembly Resources

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Assembly Commission

 

2.1 The Committee welcomed Angela Burns, Assembly Member; Claire Clancy, Chief Executive and Clerk of the Assembly; and Steve O’Donoghue, Head of Assembly Resources.

 

2.2 The Committee questioned the witnesses.

 

Action point:

 

The Assembly Commission agreed to provide:

 

·         Further information on how the Commission monitors the education service, in particular its external activities.

·         Further information on the roles of the staff who accepted voluntary severance during the last voluntary exit scheme and the nature of their employment.

·         The latest Management Board financial report.


Meeting: 22/09/2011 - Senedd Commission (Item 2)

2 Draft budget 2012-13

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The principles underlying the Commission’s budget strategy, as agreed in July 2011, were that:

 

i. the budget should include sufficient resources to allow the Commission to provide the services required by the Assembly as a legislature with full law-making powers;

 

ii. the Assembly, as a growing institution, required a high standard of appropriately resourced support services to enable Members to undertake their roles; and

 

iii. delivering efficient and value for money would continue to be vital.

 

The draft budget proposals to fund these priorities were discussed.  The proposals had been arrived at through a mix of savings, reallocation of existing resources and budget growth phased over the next two years.  Commissioners requested that savings, particularly those deriving from the Determination of the Remuneration Board, were highlighted more clearly, that evidence supporting proposed investment areas was strengthened, and that some redrafting was undertaken to improve the clarity of the language used in the document.

 

The proposed budget of £47.7 million for 2012-13 was discussed.  This was a 6.6 per cent increase compared to 2011-12; following discussion of the detailed proposals, the Commission approved a 6.4 per cent increase.  Of this, 5.1 per cent would be required to cover unavoidable additional costs.  This budget, representing 0.3 per cent of the Welsh Block, was agreed to be a reasonable and appropriate price for proper support for the legislative process, scrutiny of Government and democratic representation.  The Commission emphasised that they wanted to ensure that value for money services were delivered efficiently and effectively.

 

The draft budget, updated to reflect Commissioners’ feedback, would be laid on 29 September.  Angela Burns, accompanied by officials, would present the budget to the Finance Committee on 6 October.

A post-Plenary session would be arranged to present the budget and Commission strategy to all Assembly Members.

 

Action: Officials, in discussion with Angela Burns, to update the draft budget document in line with feedback from the Commission.

Action: A session to be arranged to present the budget and Commission strategy to all Assembly Members.


Meeting: 14/07/2011 - Senedd Commission (Item 3)

3 Commission draft budget strategy

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Commissioners discussed the services required by the Assembly as a legislature with full law-making powers following the referendum.  It was agreed that the Assembly, as a growing institution, required a high standard of appropriately resourced support services to enable Members to undertake their roles.  Feedback was provided on the impact on Members of the reductions in the Research Service.

 

Commissioners’ priorities for core service delivery were discussed, including dedicated expert support for Assembly committees, a strong Research Service, legal services, and specialist ICT resource for the development of the ICT strategy.  A steer was provided on the overall approach to the budget strategy for 2011-16, and on the preferred level of balance between improvements/growth and cost.  Commissioners felt it was important to present the combined total of the Assembly Services and Members’ Budget ambits together.

 

Detailed budget proposals, highlighting where savings could be made, and the level of resources required for each service, and draft communications strategies, would be brought to the next meeting.

 

Action: Officials to carry out detailed work over the summer, working with portfolio holders, for consideration by the Commission in September.