Agenda and minutes
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Contact: Carys Evans, 029 2089 8598
No. | Item |
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Chair's introduction |
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Introduction and apologies Minutes: Apologies were received from Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM. |
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Declarations of interest Minutes: There were no declarations of interest. |
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Minutes of the previous meeting Supporting documents: Minutes: The minutes were formally agreed. |
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Bilingual services Supporting documents:
Minutes: The pre-legislative public
consultation period ended on 14 October and responses will be analysed and
reported to the Commission at its next meeting. Subject to the Commission’s
approval, it is expected that the Bill, incorporating any revisions, will be
introduced in early December, with the proposed Scheme being laid before the
Assembly at the same time. At its July meeting, the Commission
agreed in principle that the fully bilingual Record of Proceedings be
reinstated provided that the arrangement was sustainable in the long term and
could be provided at reasonable cost. Since July, translators have been testing
online software based translation systems provided by Google, and an assessment
of the cost of using such a system is currently being made. Commissioners welcomed the progress
that had been made on the public consultation and exploratory work conducted in
relation to providing a fully bilingual Record of Proceedings. A further paper on this issue (as
well as on the final form of the Bill and Scheme) will be discussed at the
Commission’s meeting on 24 November. Action: Officials to contact Google again to investigate whether it
is likely to charge for Toolkit and report on the outcome of discussions at the
meeting on 24 November. |
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UNO benefits and savings six monthly review Supporting documents:
Minutes: The Commission received an update on the
benefits and savings delivered by the UNO project. Achievements against the project’s
aims and the work to collect feedback on user satisfaction were discussed. It
was agreed that a significant amount has been achieved, but a number of
technical issues were still outstanding which were causing difficulties for
some users. A plan to resolve these issues is in place with Atos, who
are providing dedicated technical resources to investigate and progress
solutions at no further cost to the Assembly. The software update has been
trialled with 100 users, and it is anticipated that the changes will be rolled
out to all users during October. An ICT strategy group was created in March 2011 to consider
options for ICT provision after 2014. A detailed options paper will be brought
to the Commission meeting on 24 November.
The Commission noted the report and the measures put in
place to resolve the outstanding issues. It was agreed that there had been
significant dedication and commitment from ICT staff in delivering the project.
A further UNO evaluation paper will be brought to the
Commission in six months’ time. Action: Officials to prepare a paper on the financial benefits of
the UNO project as part of the next progress report in six months. |
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Support for Assembly Members: creation of an access fund Supporting documents:
Minutes: The creation of a central Access Fund was
discussed. The fund would enable all members to engage with constituents with
diverse needs. The fund would also mitigate against
the risk of action or inaction that may breach the Equality Act 2010. Commissioners noted that the fund would be
established and administered outside the remit of the Remuneration Board but
that there were some related provisions within the provisions of the
Determination on Members’ Pay and Allowances. They agreed that the Remuneration
Board should be made aware of the decision and how it will be implemented. Consideration was also given to the use of
the fund for providing access support to cross-party groups at the
Assembly. This would be limited to
particular requirements and Commissioners made it clear that it should not
extend to general support to cross party groups. The Commission agreed to the recommendations
in the paper. Action: Officials, in consultation with
Sandy Mewies, to develop guidance regarding the use of the fund. Action: Officials to update the
guidance on support for Cross-Party groups. |
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Management Board report to the Commission Supporting documents:
Minutes: The Chief Executive provided an update on
issues within each of the Commission’s strategic goals. The report was noted. |
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Portfolio holder updates Supporting documents: Minutes: Commissioners provided an update on
activities within their portfolios. As Commissioner with responsibility
for budgets and governance, Angela Burns updated the Commission on the Finance
Committee’s report on the Commission’s draft budget. The Commission agreed their response to the
Committee’s recommendations, including to phase the
planned budget increases over three years. Other Commissioners also gave an update on their portfolios. |
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Assembly Commission rolling programme Supporting documents: Minutes: The rolling programme was noted. |
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Paper to note - Finance and Corporate Governance Adviser In line with the Commission’s rules for conduct of business, this paper has been deemed not suitable for publication. Minutes: The Commission formally noted the out of committee decision to agree to extend this appointment to the end of December 2012. |
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Paper to note - Motion to elect Members' Pension Scheme Trustees Supporting documents:
Minutes: The Commission formally noted the out of committee decision to table a motion to elect Members’ Pension Scheme Trustees. |
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Any other business Minutes: The creation of an IT Director
role was discussed and agreed. Commissioners asked that the recruitment process
should start as soon as possible. |