The Independent Remuneration Board is responsible for ensuring that Members of the Senedd have fair and appropriate resources to carry out their vital job of representing the interests of Wales and its people, make laws for Wales, agree Welsh taxes and hold the Welsh Government to account. The rules surrounding what they are entitled to claim for are contained within the Determination.

Annual review of the Determination 2020

The Board regularly considers if any changes to the Determination are needed in advance of the next financial year to ensure the remuneration package is sufficient.

Review of staffing support for Members

As part its review of staffing support for Members the Board has reviewed the evidence relating to the staffing allowances provided for Members, to ensure that the financial support available supports the strategic purpose of the Assembly and facilitates the work of its Members as well as ensuring that the system of financial support for Member is robust, clear, transparent, sustainable and represents value for the taxpayer. Following consultation the Board has agreed the following changes to the Determination.

Individual Members

• Budgeting the Staffing Allowance at actual pay points rather than total maximum cost (from April 2019);
• publishing the total expenditure each individual Member makes on their Staffing Allowance (from April 2019);
• removing the 111 hour cap on permanently employed support staff (from October 2018);
• allowing Members to vire up to 25 per cent from their Office Cost Allowance to their Staffing Allowance as well as their Policy Research and Communications Fund allowance (phased implementation from October 2018 to April 2019).

Political Parties

• budgeting Support for Political Parties Allowance at actual pay points rather than total maximum cost (from April 2019);
• publishing the total expenditure each Political Party makes on its Support for Political Parties Allowance (from April 2019);
• removing the provision within the Determination which allows for the virement of funds from the Member’s Staffing Allowance to the Support for Political Parties Allowance for the Sixth Assembly. Members who have already established such a virement can continue to do so until the end of the Fifth Assembly. However, no new virement arrangements between these allowances will be permitted.

Effectiveness of the Determination

In 2017 the Board issued a survey to all Assembly Members and Assembly Member support staff seeking their views on the effectiveness of the Determination. The results will be used by the Board to inform its future work on the Determination. A summary of the results has been published in the Board’s annual report 2017-18.