Agenda item

3.1     The Board considered the responses to its consultation.

3.2     In relation to Proposal 1 the Board agreed to implement the proposal for the Sixth Assembly and the remainder of the Fifth Assembly so that there is no restriction  on the ability of Members to recruit on fixed term contracts longer than six months up to a period of 18 months in duration to be subject to a fair and open recruitment process.

3.3     Further to the implementation of Proposal 1, for the Sixth Assembly, the Board also agreed that in relation to fixed term contracts for maternity leave these should aligned with statutory provisions of maternity leave and up to a period of 12 months.

3.4     Considering Proposals 2 and 6 relating to allowing a Member or Party Leader to determine starting salary and decide incremental pay rises following probation, the Board agree to implement for the Sixth Assembly. The Board also agreed to recommend the next Board reviews the process 12 months after implementation.

3.5     The Board agreed with the responses calling for consultation on the guidance relating to the starting salary criteria and agreed for the secretariat to liaise with Representative Groups in developing the guidance.

3.6     The Board agreed to implement Proposals 3, 7 and 8 and agreed that as outlined in the Proposals the circumstances of support staff being made redundant would be unexpected and therefor a 100 per cent uplift should apply.

3.7     Considering the responses the Board also agreed that 100 per cent uplift to redundant staff should also apply as a result of ill health as this could also be an unexpected circumstance.

3.8     The Board did not however agree to apply 100 per cent uplift to redundant staff affected by the Boards’ previous decision in April 2019 concerning the employment of family members, as this circumstance would be expected.

3.9     The Board agreed to implement Proposals 4 and 9 relating to higher education placements for longer than four weeks to be paid a salary equivalent to the band three minimum. The Board also agreed to develop guidance for internships and believes that this approach would assist in meeting the objectives of equality, openness and fairness.

3.10   The Board agreed to implement Proposals 3 and 10 relating to introducing a procedure for volunteer placements in Members and Group offices.

3.11   In relation to Part two of the consultation focusing on proposals to amend the Assembly Members’ Pension Scheme Rules, the Board agreed to implement the changes. The Pension team will now instruct Eversheds on the Board behalf to make the necessary changes to the Pension Scheme’s Rules.

3.12   The Board also considered other matters raised in consultation responses to this part of the review.

3.13   The Board considered issues raised in a number of responses concerning the salary levels of support staff. The Board remains of the view that there is no additional evidence for the Board to consider at this time, following on from the Board’s recent Review of Staffing Support which was published in July 2019. The Board noted the latest ASHE figure of 4.4 per cent that would increase support staff pay levels for 2020-21.

3.14   The Board also noted the issue of the support staff pension scheme that was raised in a number of responses and agreed to consider a paper at a future meeting in order to better ascertain the details of the support staff pension scheme.

3.15   The Board also noted the issue raised in one response about special leave for reservists. The Board agreed to consider introducing a special leave policy for reservists and other roles that staff may undertake to contribute to civic society and will be consulting on proposals as part of the consultation process on the full Determination for the Sixth Assembly in January.

3.16   The Board noted the issues raised relating to Group Staff contracts raised in one response and remained of the view that this issue would need to be considered in the Sixth Assembly in the context of further reform of the Assembly. 

Action point:

-     The secretariat to issue the Board’s decision letter as soon as possible.