Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Adam Price AM.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Minutes of 22 January were agreed.

Commissioners noted an update about the ongoing discussions on meeting future accommodation needs of the Assembly and Commission.

Commissioners gave consideration to the costs, other than those provided by the Determination, incurred by Members for the running of their offices.

They agreed to proposals to review the way that office related budgets are managed over the short and long term with a view to achieving more transparency and accountability for this additional Members’ Office expenditure.

Commissioners also agreed to consult with Members about the introduction of an interim move towards this approach.

Commissioners considered recommendations made by the Standards of Conduct Committee in relation to its inquiry into the arrangements for transparency around lobbying.

Commissioners agreed responses to the four recommendations, in order to reply to the Standards Committee.

The Commission was updated on the Public Accounts Committee Scrutiny of Accounts 2016-17, in particular the two recommendations in their final report relating to the Commission.

Commissioners agreed their response to the Public Accounts Committee’s report.

Having already provided information to the Finance Committee, Commissioners considered the remaining recommendations made by the Committee in their report on the 2018-19 Draft Commission Budget, concerning accommodation and the Capacity Review.

Commissioners agreed their response to the Finance Committee’s report.

Commissioners agreed to delegate the identified operational responsibility to the Chief Executive.

Commissioners were asked to provide their view as to whether the latest 2016 Office for National Statistics population projections should be adopted for use in the Members’ Pension Scheme valuation, and agreed that it should.

Commissioners were consulted by the Chief Executive and Clerk, in accordance with the Delegation, on the contract award for the Facilities Management contract.

The value of the services element of the contract is just under £2.5M for the four year term of the contract. However, as this contract also provides the vehicle through which estate maintenance and improvement projects are delivered the total contract value has the potential to rise above the level at which this consultation is required.

Commissioners noted the outcome of the tender evaluation process and approved the award of the contract.

Commissioners noted the minutes of the 5 February 2018 ACARAC meeting.  

Commissioners noted the February update from the Investment and Resources Board.

Capacity Review – Commissioners agreed a foreword to their report.

Dippy proposal – The Commission agreed to formalise the transfer of the Dippy exhibition to the National Museum’s Cathays Park site, following discussions with the Natural History Museum and the Director General at the National Museum of Wales.

The following issues were considered, and agreed, by correspondence in the period prior to this meeting:

•              Capacity review final report

•              Indicative agreement, of the direction of travel, of the Dignity and Respect policy