Agenda item

1.1        The Board agreed to postpone the discussion on support for Members’ security to the next meeting. It was agreed to consider the matters as part of a wider strategic discussion on the security support provided to Members in the Sixth Senedd.

1.2        The Board discussed proposals for consultation on the annual review of the Determination for the Sixth Senedd. The Board agreed to propose the following:

·         In light of the current economic circumstances, having frozen Members’ salaries in 2019/20, the Board proposes:

o   that for 2020/21 salaries, the Board’s decision to freeze salaries at the 2019/20 rate is maintained (i.e. not to the apply the 4.4 per cent increase in average earnings as received by other workers in Wales for the relevant year);

o   for 2021/22 salaries, to apply to those frozen base salaries the increase in average earnings of 2.4 per cent as received by other workers in Wales for the relevant year – this means that Members’ base salary for the start of the Sixth Senedd will be £69,273, rather than the £72,321 as published in June 2020;

o   introduce a maximum annual ASHE indexed increase of three per cent and rule out any decrease below zero per cent to Member and additional office holder salaries in the Sixth Senedd.

·         Not to make any changes to the Residential Accommodation Expenditure allowance for the Sixth Senedd.

·         Remove or substitute (as appropriate) all references to the European Union in the provisions in the Determination relating to Members’ travel.

·         Move stationery costs in a cost-neutral way from the Senedd Commission to the Office and Constituent Liaison Fund. To reflect this, the Office and Constituent Liaison Costs allowance will be increased by £1,800 to £20,060 (or £6,712 where the Member works exclusively from Tŷ Hywel) for the start of the Sixth Senedd.

·         Returning Members will be able to claim the costs arising from changing the institution’s name to Senedd, from the Office and Constituent Liaison Fund.

·         Enhance the support staff pension scheme by introducing a matching employer contribution, whereby the employer will match the contributions paid by the employee up to a maximum amount of three percent of the employee’s salary.

·         In relation to Members’ support staff pay in the Sixth Senedd, introduce a maximum annual ASHE indexed increase of three per cent and rule out any decrease below zero per cent.

·         Remove the need for additional Board guidance on the Policy, Research and Communications Fund (“PRCF”). As with all spend under the Determination, the Accounting Officer’s Rules and Guidance on the Use of Senedd Resources will apply. As a consequential amendment, the Board proposes to include in the Determination an equivalent time limit regarding policy and research under the Support for Political Parties allowance, from four months before a general election (this is currently included as a rule in the Members’ PRCF but only in guidance for the Support for Political Parties allowance).

·         Members may only fund the costs of printing and signage from the Office and Constituent Liaison Fund, and not the PRCF.

·         In response to cost inflation demonstrated by both ASHE and CPI, to increase the Political Party Support allowance by 1.94 per cent to £1,018,500 for the start of the Sixth Senedd.

·         Change the definition of ‘political parties’ in the ‘Interpretation’ section of the Determination to:

o   “Political party” means (i) a group of Members who belong to the same political party registered with the Electoral Commission or (ii) recognised as a group under Standing Order 1.3(ii), or (iii) an individual Member who has notified Members’ Business Support that they are a member of a registered Political Party.”

1.3        The Board agreed the timeline for the consultation.

1.4        The Board agreed to the consultation stakeholder list as discussed. Further, the Board noted its wish to engage further with the Welsh Youth Parliament in future. It was agreed to pick this up as part of its strategic discussions in future.

1.5        The Board agreed to insert a shortened version of the Privacy Notice in the consultation document with a link to the full privacy notice on its website.

1.6        The Board agreed to amendments to the draft consultation document.

1.7        The Chair agreed to review the final version of the press release of the consultation document following the meeting.

Actions:

• Secretariat to prepare a consultation document for publication.
• Secretariat to prepare consultation correspondence and media release for publication.