Meetings

Commissioners received two letters which had been sent by the Remuneration Board for the Commission’s attention.

The first highlighted the Board’s current consultation on proposed changes to the Determination on Members’ Pay and Allowances for 2023/24. The Commission agreed to respond to the Consultation to highlight the implications for Commission budgeting. Commissioners agreed to finalise their response out of meeting.

The second letter identified a request from the Board to engage in a dialogue with the Commission about how future support for Members to deliver their duties will be provided through Commission services and the Board’s Determination.

Commissioners discussed the significance of protecting the integrity of the two bodies and emphasised the importance of not creating confusion about the respective roles of the two bodies and safeguarding the separation between the two.

Commissioners agreed the principle that a mechanism for a dialogue would be useful to enable a shared understanding of the direction of travel and agreed that Commission officials would work with those supporting the Remuneration Board to pursue this.

Commissioners were also informed that PAPAC had written to Ken Skates about Remuneration Board accountability.   

Commissioners noted the letter and consultation from the Remuneration Board.

Appointments to the Remuneration Board are made by the Commission. Commissioners confirmed two new appointments and two re-appointments to the independent Remuneration Board,  on the basis set out in the National Assembly for Wales (Remuneration) Measure 2010. In doing so they confirmed they were satisfied that none of those being proposed for appointment were disqualified from being members of the Board. The new appointments will start on 21 September 2020.

Commissioners appointed Elizabeth Haywood for Chair, and Hugh Widdis for member of the Board to fill upcoming vacancies for a five year term and re-appointed Mike Redhouse and Dame Jane Roberts as members of the Board for a second five year term.

Commissioners considered letters from the Remuneration Board about the Board’s Consultation on the draft Determination for the Sixth Senedd, and regarding the Board’s further consideration of the issues in relation to costs incurred by Members for the running of their offices, other than those provided for by the Determination, in which they made two recommendations.

Commissioners agreed to write back to the Board with their conclusions in relation the recommendations, agreeing, by majority, to bring forward the publication of usage data to the beginning of the next financial year, and to provide information to support the Board’s work towards encompassing these provisions in the Determination. Having considered the Board’s views regarding the introduction of a ‘cap’ they agreed to maintain the status quo for the upcoming financial year.

They also agreed to highlight two matters arising from the consultation on the Determination - clarity around the two funding elements identified to support engagement with constituents, and the status of property funded by the Commission.

Commissioners noted a letter from the Remuneration Board updating them following the Board’s November meeting. The letter requested further information and attendance of officials at a future Board meeting; this related to office costs provided by the Assembly Commission, and Employment Liability Practices Insurance.

Commissioners agreed to invite the Remuneration Board to consider the matter of appropriate provision of Employment Practices Liability Insurance for Assembly Members.

Commissioners considered two issues which had been highlighted for their attention by the Chair of the Remuneration Board in relation to the Board’s consultation arising from its Review of the Determination for the Sixth Assembly.

Commissioners noted the letter from the Remuneration Board and agreed that the Llywydd should respond confirming they would consider Outplacement services as part of the planning for the 2021 election; and supporting in principle the Remuneration Board’s proposed approach to clarifying support for Members with disabilities within the Determination. In doing this, Commissioners wished to highlight the full scope of the Commission’s Equalities and Access Fund.

In returning to the matter of Members' Office related costs funded centrally by Commission, Commissioners noted feedback from groups and agreed to take forward the proposals considered at their September meeting:

•          that the Remuneration Board be consulted about encompassing the Lyreco stationery provision/costs within the Determination in future;

•          that the provision of pre-paid stationery, postage & bulk mailing and printing be retained by the Assembly Commission; that monitoring continue and routine publication of costs identifiable to individual Members be published from May 2021, to improve transparency; and

•          pursuing alternative approaches to some services, to reduce cost and provide value for money.

An update would be provided to the Remuneration Board.

The Commission met formally for the first time with members of the Remuneration Board following an exchange of letters about the work of the Board. Sandy Blair, Chair of the Board, Laura McAllister and Stuart Castledine joined Commissioners to discuss the Commission’s thinking on the strategic issues around the challenge, magnitude and complexity of responsibilities that fall to Assembly Members. The Commission’s priority is the long term needs of the Assembly as an effective democratic institution, and making sure that Assembly Members can discharge their responsibilities effectively.

Commissioners felt it was important to highlight these issues to the Board because the work they are doing will play an important part in the capacity of Assembly Members to meet these challenges in the future.

The Board said that they are looking to supporting the capacity of Members, particularly whilst they are under additional pressure due to the small size of the Assembly. Commissioners stressed the importance of both flexibility and clarity in the allowances that may be available, and recognised the challenge of striking the right balance. They also placed emphasis on changes being effectively communicated to Members.

Commissioners and the Board members discussed an engagement fund and the considerations that would need to be undertaken if a ‘pilot’ were to be established and run.

Members of the two bodies discussed the relationship between responsibility allowances and training/professional development for office holders, using committee chairing as an example. They hoped that together they could create an environment where on-going CPD is regarded as normal and relevant to everyone. Linked to the proposal around the expansion of the Commission’s apprenticeship scheme, Commissioners also raised the possibility of some funding for intern roles with Assembly Members.

Commissioners and members of the Board agreed that the discussion had been useful, and agreed to meet again.

The Remuneration Board made its first Determination in March 2011, but was unable at that time to make final decisions in respect of the additional salaries payable to some office holders at the Assembly.  The Determination had now been updated to reflect decisions on additional salaries payable to Commissioners, party leaders, committee chairs and business managers, and was formally received at the Commission meeting.  Commissioners expressed the view that the additional salary arrangements for party business managers did not sufficiently reflect differences in the number of seats held by each party.

Issues had been raised with the Presiding Officer and other Commissioners about the monthly cap on rented accommodation and on the distance criteria for eligibility for accommodation support based on the constituency or region the Member represented.  The Commission agreed that the Presiding Officer would write to the Chair of the Remuneration Board.

Action: Secretariat to arrange laying of Determination and report, and communication of documents to Assembly Members and their staff.

Presiding Officer to write to Chair of Remuneration Board setting out Members’ concerns about the restrictions on eligibility for accommodation support.