Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies.

There were no declarations of interest.

Commissioners agreed the Minutes of the meeting on 2 June 2025.

Bob Evans, Chair of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee, was welcomed to the meeting and presented the committee’s Annual Report, outlining the work that it had undertaken in the year and summarising its findings and conclusions.

He praised the constructive input of Commissioner Hefin David as well as the work of Chief Finance Officer and her team in ensuring an unqualified set of accounts, and that the Commission could take assurance from the strength of the management team overall.

He outlined that the Committee would be exploring a number of areas in more detail during 2025-26:

• governance around the management of change;
• the alignment of corporate strategies;
• a review of risk management arrangements;
• the provision of internal audit services;
• dignity and respect; and
• maintaining focus on cyber security (particularly for Members) and use of AI.

The Commissioners noted that the Report would be published on the Committee’s pages of the Senedd website in due course.

The Commissioners noted the Remuneration Committee’s Report, which outlined the role of the Committee and its findings and conclusions from the work it had done during the year.

The Commission has adopted a set of governance principles and supporting provisions to guide the work of the Commission and its staff. To ensure that Commissioners and senior officials can draw upon a wide range of experience to assist them in the discharge of the Commission’s functions, the Commission has appointed Independent Advisers (Advisers) to act in an independent non-executive capacity.

Current contracts for three of the Commission’s five Independent Advisers were due to come to an end in November 2025. All three had expressed an interest in undertaking a second term as an Independent Adviser and Commissioners consider their reappointment.

Commissioners agreed to invite Mark Egan, Uzo Iwobi and Menai Owen-Jones to undertake a second term, of two years, taking each of their contracts to November 2027. The appointments to the Commission’s advisory committees would not change.  

Commissioners reviewed the draft Annual Report and Accounts covering 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.

ARAC had recommended the approval of the Report by the Commission at their meeting of 23 June.

Commissioners sought clarity on the internal audit report on Dignity and Respect.

Commissioners approved the final Report, subject to any minor corrections or edits. 

The Report would be signed and laid by the Auditor General for Wales and published online on specific Annual Report webpages, with a limited number of printed copies produced, before the end of the summer term.

Commissioners received the Report on the sustainability performance of the Senedd estate and operations over the past year, which highlights key environmental achievements, performance against targets including Carbon Neutral Strategy progress, use of utilities, and a summary of improvements planned for the forthcoming financial year.

The Commissioner with the portfolio for sustainable development supported the report and praised officials for promptly resolving estate-related issues for Members when they arise.

Commissioners noted the increase in international travel and agreed to receive a future paper on healthy and sustainable travel options.

Commissioners also agreed the importance of ensuring that the Tŷ Hywel building is as sustainable as possible, should it be chosen as future accommodation beyond 2032.

Commissioners agreed to publish the report subject to any minor corrections or edits and noted that it is provided to the Finance Committee regarding their recommendation relating to information about energy saving.

Commissioners reviewed the draft Official Languages Annual Report which details the work undertaken across the organisation during the year 2024-25, to enable the Commission to uphold its commitment to deliver exemplary bilingual services.

The Senedd Commission is required to “lay before the Assembly a report setting out how the Commission has, during the year in question, given effect to the Scheme”.

The Commissioner with the portfolio for Official Languages thanked the Translation and Reporting Service proposed some additional points to note, which were agreed by other Commissioners and would be captured in the final report.

Commissioners agreed the draft annual report (subject to the additions proposed) and noted that the final report will be published online and a motion will be tabled by the Llywydd to enable the required plenary debate to take place on 9 July.

Commissioners reviewed the Diversity and Inclusion suite of Annual Reports for 2024-25, which report on progress from teams across the Senedd Commission in delivering the objectives set out in the Commission’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (2022-26).

The Diversity and Inclusion Annual Report 2024-25 and the Workforce, Recruitment, Pay Gap Reporting and Equal Pay Audit Report 2024-25 are provided to meet the Commission’s obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duties (Equality Act 2010).

The Commissioner with the portfolio for Equalities highlighted some of the key aspects of the report and emphasised the need to continuously promote the positive achievements captured in the report.

Commissioners discussed the findings of internal surveys on mental health in particular.

Commissioners approved the report for publication, along with the accompanying suite of Diversity and Inclusion data reports.

Following agreement by Commissioners of the Senedd 26 communications and engagement campaign in their meeting on 17 February 2025, they discussed the budget to be allocated from the Senedd Commission’s election budget in 2026-27. This would support the delivery of a multi-channel communications and engagement campaign to raise public awareness of the changes to the Senedd and of the Senedd election.

Acknowledging the significance of this topic, it having been raised in plenary several times, Commissioners discussed the need to strike a balance between work to raise awareness of the changes to the electoral system and using resources prudently. They agreed a budget for raising awareness of the changes to the electoral system and new constituencies at the lower level (Option 2).

Commissioners noted the routine update about ARAC meetings provided to the Commission.

Commissioners noted the routine summary of recruitment decisions provided to each Commission meeting.

Commissioners requested an update on the project to erect a statue of former First Minister Rhodri Morgan, on the Senedd estate, led by an external campaign group. Officials will provide an update note for Commissioners.

Commissioners requested an update on the removal of the Heart of Wales artwork. Officials will keep Commissioners informed as and when necessary.

In the period since the last meeting Commissioners had

-          received an update on 24 June on the revised timeline for ITV’s proposal to produce a behind-the-scenes documentary at the Senedd; and

-          signed the Armed Forces Covenant pledge as part of an internal communications campaign by Commission officials to promote the signing.