Agenda and minutes

Venue: Conference Room A - Tŷ Hywel. View directions

Contact: Clerk of the Remuneration Board 

Items
Expected timing No. Item

(09.00 - 10.10)

1.

Chair's introduction

Minutes:

1.1.    The Chair welcomed the Board members to the meeting.

1.2.    The Board agreed the minutes of the meetings on 11 and 12 July 2017.

1.3.    The Board noted its work programme for the remainder of 2017 and its meeting dates up to March 2019.

1.4.    The Board noted:

-         the progress made by the Wales Governance Centre regarding the data collection for the research into the barriers to and incentives for standing for election to the Assembly; and

-         the update on the cost cap valuation and annual allowance for the Members Pension Scheme.

1.5.    The Board considered and agreed, subject to minor alterations, the proposals for its own independent microsite. The Board agreed to review the microsite on a regular basis in line with its wider engagement strategy.

1.6.    The Board considered the effect of a Member leaving a political group and re-affirmed their decision from 24 May 2017 that Political Party Support Allowance will be allocated to independent Members.

1.7.    The Board agreed to write to all Members who are yet to implement the security measures identified following the review their office(s) to urge Members to ensure the relevant work is undertaken. Further to this, the Board agreed to write to all Members to ensure that all volunteers based in their offices undertake the relevant security checks.

1.8.    The Board considered the financial implications of Members having more than one office and agreed to consider this at a later date.

1.9.    The Board considered the provisions surrounding redundancy and agreed to consider redundancy during an office restructure at a later date.

1.10. The Board considered the implications of the proposed new funding arrangements for caseworker system for Members and agreed to revisit the issue during its review of the office cost allowance for 2018-19.

Action points:

The Board to write to:

-     Members who are yet to implement the measures identified following the security review of their office;

-     all Members to ensure that any volunteers in their offices undergo the relevant security checks; and

-     return to the issues noted above at relevant dates.

The secretariat to publish the minutes of the meeting of the 11 and 12 July meeting.

(10.10 - 10.20)

2.

Item for discussion: The National Assembly for Wales Members' Pension Scheme: Annual Allowance

Minutes:

2.1. The Board noted the implication of the tapered Annual Allowance on the level of remuneration received.

2.2. Donna Davies, Head of Pensions at the Assembly, informed the Board that Ieuan Wyn Jones (Former Plaid Cymru Assembly Member) had been nominated as the one of the Member representatives on the Pension Board in place of Gareth Jones (former Plaid Cymru Assembly Member). The Board approved the nomination.

(10.30 - 12.00)

3.

Item for decision: Agreeing the scoping paper for the review of the career structure and terms and conditions of Assembly Member Support Staff

Minutes:

2.1. The Board considered the scoping paper for the review.

2.2. To inform discussion Board members shared the key themes which arose from their discussions with Support Staff based in constituency and regional offices and the Assembly Member and Assembly Member Support Staff Representative Groups respectively.

2.3. The Board agreed:

-     the terms of reference of the review, subject to minor alterations;

-     to rename the review to the ‘Review of staffing support for Members’;

-     the structure, approach and anticipated timescale of the review; and

-     that some recommendations of the review may need to be revisited in preparation of the Determination for the Sixth Assembly to reflect any potential Assembly reform. 

Action point:

The secretariat to arrange the next phase of data collection to inform the review.

(12.45 - 14.00)

4.

Item for discussion: Meeting the Chair of the Expert Panel on Assembly Electoral Reform

Minutes:

4.1. The Chair welcomed Professor Laura McAllister, Chair of the Expert Panel on Assembly electoral Reform, and Helen Finlayson, Clerk to the Panel, to the meeting.

4.2. Professor McAllister provided an overview of the Panel’s work which may be of relevance to the Board’s Determination for the Sixth Assembly.

Action point:

The Board to consider the implication of the Panel’s report and any legislative proposals which may be introduced by the Commission on the Board’s forward work programme.

 

(14.00 - 14.20)

5.

Item for discussions: Process for Assembly Members' expenses and allowance: Claims process, appeals and business cases

Minutes:

5.1 The Board considered and agreed the processes for Assembly Members’ expenses and allowance.

(14.20 - 14.50)

6.

Item for decision: Survey on the effectiveness of the Determination: Report

Minutes:

6.1. The Board considered the report outlining the results of its recent survey on the effectiveness of the Determination and agreed to publish a summary of the results in its Annual Report for 2017 – 2018.

6.2.    The Board also agreed to publish relevant extract of the results as and when appropriate to evidence any recommendations it may wish to implement as part of its wider work programme.

Action point

The secretariat to prepare a summary of the results for the Board’s consideration in time for the publication of its Annual Report in July.

 

7.

Paper(s) to note

Minutes:

7.1. The Board noted the correspondence from Lord Bew, Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life.