Meetings
Election Transition to Sixth Senedd
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: 27/09/2021 - Senedd Commission (Item 5)
Official Opening Update
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 2
Minutes:
Commissioners
were provided with an outline of plans for the Official Opening which would
take place on the Senedd Estate in October.
They noted the programme set out and agreed an approach to aspects of risk mitigation, relating to the ongoing covid situation. In particular around the use of LFTs and face masks, other than for those directly required to speak as part of the opening.
Meeting: 15/03/2021 - Senedd Commission (Item 6)
Election Transition
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 5
Minutes:
A - Official Opening of the Sixth
Senedd
Commissioners were provided with an
overview of the approach to planning for the Official Opening of the sixth
Senedd, reflecting that it would take a different form to previous occasions.
The focus would be on a combination of virtual and physical events to mark the
occasion in a covid secure way.
B -
Arrangements for Commission business during election period
Commissioners
agreed that issues needing consideration during the period of recess,
dissolution and until the election of new Commissioners may be dealt with by
email correspondence, unless Commissioners or the Llywydd feel a meeting is
necessary.
C - Deferred
decision relating to office hire for personal use, from February Commission
meeting
Commissioners
noted a letter from the Remuneration Board in response to their request for an
understanding of the Board’s position about any personal use of local offices during
the pre-dissolution period.
The
Board had agreed to allow Members standing for re-election to hire their local
offices for personal use during the pre-dissolution period. They had set out
specific conditions including the removal/covering of signage, agreement must
be in advance to meet 100% of costs, and that if a Member decided to rent the
office for their personal use, this must not be regarded as preventing the
Member from also using the office for permitted activities, and may mean staff
focusing on casework being based in an office that had been hired by the Member
for campaigning purposes. They asked that, ahead of the election period, the Commission
publish a list of those who have entered into these agreements.
Commissioners
agreed to extend the period for which hire of constituency or regional offices
for personal use is an option to include the formal dissolution period. The
availability for hire would thus be for the whole election period, and taking
up this option would require the Member to meet 100% of costs, to make it clear
that it is the Member, and not the taxpayer, that is meeting the cost of the
office whilst it is being used for campaigning activity.
With regard to ICT equipment and services for personal/campaigning use during the election period, the Commission would advise Members that commercially available options be sought by individuals who wish to hire equipment.
Meeting: 08/02/2021 - Senedd Commission (Item 2)
Election transition - Welsh General Election (Coronavirus) Bill - Impact on Senedd Commission
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 8
Minutes:
·
Commissioners
were provided with an assessment of the impact of the Welsh Government’s Welsh
General Election (Coronavirus) Bill (“the Bill”) on the Senedd Commission.
These related particularly to the Bill’s provisions to shorten the dissolution
period, to extend the power to vary the date of the election and to extend the
period within which the Senedd must hold its first meeting after the poll.
·
Commissioners
considered key decisions as preparation for the Bill’s potential enactment.
These related predominantly to an election period which would be comprised 7
April – 28 April (‘pre-dissolution’) and 29 April – 5 May (the shortened
dissolution period). During this period, strict spending restrictions will
apply to all candidates under electoral law.
2.
Commissioners noted that there
should be a level playing field for all candidates during the election period,
as far as possible, to ensure a fair election and equality of opportunity for
all; and that as the Bill would create an unusual circumstance, additional
Rules and guidance would need to be issued relating to the election period.
3.
Commissioners agreed the principle
that, during the pre-dissolution period, Members
should only be provided with those resources necessary to carry out Senedd
business related to the purpose of shortening dissolution as expressed in the
Explanatory Memorandum to the Bill; that is:
·
to be able to fix a date for the poll for the
election if there is a need to postpone the election for a reason relating to
coronavirus; and
·
to enable the current Senedd to respond, if required
to do so, to the unfolding public health issues leading up to the election.
·
To implement the principle, Commissioners agreed
that:
a) for the election period (dissolution
and pre-dissolution combined), each Member may retain access to their existing
ICT profiles. These profiles would be restricted to remove access to social
media, webmail accounts and intranet (dissolution intranet will still be
available). In addition, each MS may nominate one of their staff to similarly
retain their current profile with restrictions to enable support to be
available in the event of a Senedd recall (this
could be comprised of part-time staff to make up to 1 FTE, but must include the
support staff’s full contracted hours which combined may not exceed 1 FTE). The
support staff nominated may not themselves be a candidate. These provisions
would be in addition to the current provision of up to 4 temporary ICT profiles
per Member nominated for individuals. Robust reminders were to be issued to
Members of their responsibilities to ensure their accounts are used in such a
way that protects them from risk of complaint or a complaint being upheld;
b)
access to the Senedd estate will be restricted from
7 April, but that Members and their staff would have their building passes
disabled rather than returning them. In the event of a recall, passes would be
reactivated;
c) Members and their staff should pack up their offices by the 6 April, within the requirements of Covid regulations, removing personal items ... view the full minutes text for item 2
Meeting: 07/12/2020 - Senedd Commission (Item 3)
Senedd assets
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 11
Minutes:
Commissioners
received a paper informing them of the intended approach to the use and return
of Senedd assets in the period from January 2021 through the election and
encompassing the winding-up arrangements for Members not re-elected.
Commissioners
agreed the approach to the treatment of Senedd assets as part of Members’
winding-up arrangements:
·
All
items that can provide value for money by being reused or re-purposed by the
Commission should be returned.
·
Other
items, where additional cost or resource pressures (eg storage needs) would be
disproportionate and not vfm, should be disposed of by the Member, the methods
to be agreed through their winding-up plan.
·
Disposal
should be sustainable (re-purpose/recycle) and not result in personal gain for
the Member or their staff.
The Commission noted the issues raised in relation to the public perception of the prudent use of resources in the period leading up to the election, and the need to demonstrate value for money principles in the final months of the Fifth Senedd and winding up period.
Meeting: 07/12/2020 - Senedd Commission (Item 3)
Members' ICT Allocation
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 14
Minutes:
Commissioners
were presented with options and recommendations for the allocation of
Information & Communications Technology (ICT) to Members and their support
staff in the Sixth Senedd. Commissioners raised a number of points for
clarification, and discussed the mechanisms for disposal of equipment being
replaced.
It was agreed that a shorter version of the paper would be discussed with Commissioners individually, in order that they could provide written feedback from their groups about the proposed Member ICT allocation for the Sixth Senedd, bearing in mind the need to be prudent in the use of public funds.
Meeting: 07/12/2020 - Senedd Commission (Item 3)
Election Transition
Minutes:
Commissioners
discussed the position with regard to the Government’s intention to introduce
legislation in the new year relating to the 2021 election. The legislation would
be likely to use the emergency procedure due to time available. The expectation
was that the legislation would increase the period by which the election could
be varied, and would likely propose reducing the length of Dissolution of the
Senedd, which would be de-coupled from the pre-election period.
Commissioners discussed anticipated timescales and implications for the Commission, including the implications for decisions already taken about access to resources during Dissolution.
Meeting: 07/12/2020 - Senedd Commission (Item 3)
Welcome, Induction and Learning programme
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 19
- Restricted enclosure 20
Minutes:
Commissioners
considered an overview of the proposed welcome and induction arrangements for Members
and their staff following the Senedd election in 2021; and recommendations for
the Member and support staff learning programme in the Sixth Senedd. They noted
information about the interpretation of Standing Orders to enable remote oath
taking and proposed changes to security passes for spouses/partners.
Commissioners
noted the proposed welcome and induction arrangements, recognising the strong
foundations for the provision, and the overall direction and outline approach
to Member Learning in the Sixth Senedd.
Commissioners discussed the importance of elements of the induction and training package which they agreed should be regarded as essential content, in particular the Code of Conduct, Dignity and Respect, Rules on Use of Resources, responsibilities as an employer and as a data controller, and cyber security.
Meeting: 15/06/2020 - Senedd Commission (Item 4)
Election Transition: Dissolution - Use of Resources
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 23
- Restricted enclosure 24
- Restricted enclosure 25
- Restricted enclosure 26
Minutes:
Commissioners considered a paper which
provided them with the necessary information to make the relevant major
decisions about the extent to which Members should be able to access and make
use of Senedd Resources during dissolution, where discretion may be applied.
Commissioners made decisions in seven areas
in order that information and detailed guidance will be provided to Members in
a timely way, enabling them to prepare appropriately for the Dissolution
period.
Commissioners agreed to enable limited
access to Senedd Resources for casework and routine administrative tasks only,
including the ability for constituency or regional offices to be used solely
for these purposes.
Members’ Offices could only be available
for personal use, such as for campaigning, where Members rent the office and
ICT resources, which will be charged in full at 100 percent of the cost,. The
arrangement would need to be set up in advance of Dissolution.
Mobile and Smart phones may be rented for
the duration of the Dissolution period, or handed back.
Access to the Senedd Estate during
Dissolution for Members and their staff be limited to the public areas, with
the exception of office holders who’s responsibilities continue, where access
will be given for the purposes of their office holder functions.
Commissioners agreed to provide
outplacement support to Members and their staff.
Commissioners indicated an expectation that Members standing down should aim to wind up their offices within six weeks of dissolution of the Fifth Senedd.
Meeting: 16/03/2020 - Senedd Commission (Item 6)
Election Transition - approach
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 29
- Restricted enclosure 30
- Restricted enclosure 31
Minutes:
Commissioners
noted information provided about planning for dissolution of the Fifth Assembly
and transition through the election period in 2021.
Commissioners agreed to consider specific matters for decision at meetings later in 2020.