Meetings

Commissioners considered their annual report and accounts covering 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023. They received assurance that the ARAC had recommended that the report be approved, and agreed the final version to be published, subject to any minor corrections or edits.

Commissioners considered information to be provided to PAPAC in two areas following the Scrutiny of the Accounts for 2021-22. These were a breakdown of the projects actioned as part of the project fund, and a summary of the results of the staff survey and pulse survey. Commissioners requested some clarifications and agreed content of the letter to PAPAC.

Commissioners agreed their response to 7 recommendations made by the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee in their Report on the Scrutiny of the 2021-22 Accounts on 7 December 2022.

Commissioners noted a letter which would provide further information to PAPAC following scrutiny of the Commission annual report and accounts 2021-22.

In particular Commissioners discussed the assistance programmes offered to Commission staff and agreed to keep a watchful eye on the position. They also reflected on other employment such as Members’ own support staff and Commission contractors.

Commissioners approved the final version of the annual report and accounts covering 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022, subject to any minor corrections or edits.

In doing so they discussed elements relating to the Official Languages, and agreed to more overtly reference them within the Commission priorities for the year ahead.

Commissioners welcomed the approach of publishing the report on a new suite of webpages that would showcase highlights from the report (and the other annual reports – Diversity & Inclusion, Official Languages Scheme and Sustainability), concluding that it made the content much more accessible and consumable.

The report will be signed and laid on behalf of the Auditor General for Wales and published online before the end of the summer term.

Commissioners considered two letters from the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee

Regarding the recommendations concerning the Commission in the Committee’s Report on the Scrutiny of Accounts 2020-21, Commissioners agreed their response.

Regarding the request that the Senedd Commission stops using the acronym B.A.M.E. Commissioners considered a paper which set out some of the wider debate surrounding the use of the acronym and recognised the difficulty of capturing the complex histories and cultures of people from ethnic minority backgrounds in a single phrase or acronym.

Commissioners agreed that the Commission would:

a.    observe context as a key driver for use of terminology and opt for specificity when using terminology wherever possible;

b.    Where specificity is not possible, to replace use of the acronym and collective term B.A.M.E. with the collective term(s) ‘ethnic minority’ and ‘ethnic minority community’; and

c.     regularly review use of terminology and monitor internal and external debate.

In addition they agreed that Commission officials should seek meetings with those Members of the Senedd who are from an ethnic minority background to discuss the matter further, and that the information Commissioners had considered should form the basis of a briefing for Members, initially committee chairs.

Commissioners agreed that the guidance contained in the paper would be published internally to support Commission officials in drafting documents.

Commissioners noted additional information provided to the PAPA Committee following the scrutiny session in October.

Commissioners approved the Senedd Commission’s annual report and accounts covering 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020.  

Commissioners had considered a draft of the Commission’s annual report and accounts covering 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020, in order to comment ahead of the report being finalised.

Commissioners welcomed the work to date and recognised that there would be additional updates to reflect recent events. They also suggested including a forward look section.

The report will be laid and published online following final approval in June.

Hard copy only

Commissioners agreed the Commission’s Annual Report and Accounts covering 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019.

They noted that one matter had arisen since their previous considerations, relating to a very recent judgement in the Supreme Court, which had impacted on the Assembly Members’ Pension Scheme liability included within the Commission accounts.

The report would be signed by the Auditor General for Wales and laid before the end of the summer term.

Draft as at 3 June (English only)

A draft of the National Assembly Commission’s annual report and accounts, 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019, was considered by Commissioners, who were content with the work presented.

The final version will be for approval in July and then be laid by the end of the summer term. It will be available online.

Commissioners approved the draft of their Annual Report and Accounts covering 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018, subject to any minor corrections or edits. They agreed the report would be laid before the end of the summer term and published online.

Commissioners were presented with the draft of the National Assembly Commission’s annual report and accounts for the period 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017.

Commissioners approved the report, subject to minor changes to take account of comments from the Assembly Commission Audit and Risk Assurance Committee and from Commissioners; and a final proofing process, formatting and branding.

The final version will be laid in Welsh and English before the end of the summer term, and made available online and through a limited number of printed copies.

The Board received the draft Annual Report and Accounts for 2016-17 and were thanked for their contributions.

A draft Report was to go to the Wales Audit Office and to the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee, with a final draft being presented to the Commission on 17 July and published thereafter.

ACTION: Management Board to advise of any further amendments by 26 May.

Oral item.

The Annual report and accounts were in a near final position and the Board were asked to advise of any comments by midday 13 May, ahead of the final draft going to Wales Audit Office for their review. The Board praised Nia Morgan and the Finance team, Chris Warner and others who have worked on the report.

ACARAC (30) Paper 9 – Preparing for and streamlining the Commission's Annual Report and Accounts for 2015-16

8.1        Nicola shared a draft version of the Annual Report and Accounts that had been prepared by the recently appointed Head of Finance to reflect HMT’s ‘Simplifying and Streamlining Accounts’ guidance.  The interim set of accounts will test this new layout and the Committee welcomed the changes drafted to date.  Officials were asked not to underestimate the work involved in preparing the interim set of accounts, considering the changes to the layout of the document.  

Action

-        Nicola to present interim audit work in February. 

PAC(4)-24-14 paper 1

Research Brief

Peter Black AM - Commissioner

Claire Clancy - Chief Executive and Clerk to the Assembly

Nicola Callow – Director of Finance

2.1 The Committee considered the Assembly Commission Annual Report and Accounts 2013 – 2014 questioning Peter Black AM, Commissioner, Claire Clancy, Chief Executive and Clerk to the Assembly and Nicola Callow, Director of Finance.

2.2 Claire Clancy agreed to:

·       Provide an outline of the action taken following the fraud incident

·       Provide further details of the HR Payroll project slippage

·       Agreed to send an extract depicting the gender balance by grade from the Annual Equality Report 2013-14

·       Provide an outline of the energy efficiency ratings of Ty Hywel and the Senedd

·       Provide detailed information on ICT costs for 2013-14 including normal running costs and expenditure incurred with the project to bring ICT provision in-house

4.1 Members discussed the evidence received and agreed to revisit the issue on receipt of the additional information from the Assembly Commission.

The Commission’s Annual Report and Accounts will be published online on 11 July. Copies will be sent to Members before the end of term and a limited number will be available, along with a summary at the Commission’s summer events. 

Commissioners agreed the draft report subject to a small number of amendments.

A proposed outline for the Annual Report was presented to the Commission for consideration. The framework was agreed.

Action: Officials to proceed with the work on the report.

Paper 3

The Assembly Commission Annual Report 2011-12 provides an overview of the strategic priorities of the Assembly Commission, with a strong emphasis on building an Assembly for the future.

The Annual Report will be published online on 12 July with the full document, including accounts, formally laid by the end of term.

Commissioners agreed the report.

The Assembly Commission Annual Report 2011-12 will provide an overview of the strategic priorities of the Assembly Commission, with a strong emphasis on building an Assembly for the future. 

The Annual Report will be aimed at the public, but will also address other audiences including Assembly Members, their support staff, the media and other stakeholders. It will cover a number of themes, including preparations for the election and dissolution; the election and new membership; the work of the new Assembly Commission and new arrangements for Assembly business.

The Commission agreed to the proposed content of the Annual Report. It was agreed that a separate report would be produced outlining the achievements of the Commission during the first year of the Fourth Assembly; this will be aimed at Assembly Members.

Action: Officials to proceed with the necessary preparations.

The Commission discussed the draft Annual Report for 2010-11.  It was noted that a separate process would be followed for the accounts for the same period.  The Assembly Commission Audit Committee of which, Angela Burns, the Commissioner with responsibility for the budget and governance was the Assembly Commission’s representative, would scrutinise the accounts.  The annual report and accounts would then be drawn together into a single publication which would be published on 14 July.

In addition to the Commission’s statutory responsibility to prepare and submit the annual report and accounts, Commissioners wanted to ensure that the publication reached as wide an audience as possible and this would be achieved by providing an on-line version which would take the form of an interactive timeline and would be fully accessible.  In addition, a summary document would also be prepared which would be available to the public.

The narrative provided a review of activity in 2010-11 which would be valued by those looking at the history of the Assembly.  Commissioners provided some specific comments which would be included in a revised version.  In addition, Iwan Williams would discuss some specific amendments suggested by Sandy Mewies.

Action:  Iwan Williams to discuss the amendments suggested by Sandy Mewies.  Claire Clancy to amend the narrative as suggested during the meeting.