Agenda and minutes

No apologies were received.

There were no declarations of interest.

Commissioners were updated on the dialogue between Officials and PCS Union representatives and work undertaken on the cost options relating to making an in-year cost of living payment to Commission staff in response to the PCS union’s request, as part of its national industrial dispute, for a payment of £1,500 to be made relating to the current financial year. The First Minister had written to indicate that seeking additional funding via a supplementary budget would not be supported.

He set out that the UK Government had clearly indicated that pay awards must be managed within existing settlements. As a result, Welsh Government had to make difficult budgetary choices to absorb this £1500 payment to its staff from within its existing budget, and he expected the Commission similarly to look to absorb the costs from the existing budget available to the Commission.

The Commission discussed the wider position and alternative approaches and decided in-principle, by majority with one Commissioner not being in agreement, to meet this PCS request subject to funding being found from savings in the Commission’s overall budget.

The Commission agreed that the Executive Board would take decisions in order to accrue the level of funds necessary to make such a payment, recognising that this would mean taking funds from the staffing budget and cutting most other currently uncommitted expenditure and that the consequence of such measures would have impacts on Senedd Members, directly and indirectly. 

They agreed that any offer would need to be on the basis of necessary funds having been secured by the Commission at the point of payment, which would likely mean staged payments.

Further monitoring and review would be necessary to provide additional information to the Commission.

The Commission also discussed the wider dialogue between officials and PCS Union representatives and agreed they would take final decisions on considerations of a cost of living payment and on the draft budget for 2024-25 in September.

Commissioners agreed that communications with Members about the situation and its implications would be important.