13 Rhagfyr 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Gweinidog
But you think—hopefully, I would expect you to think—that such significant changes should have widespread public support. But the fact of the matter is that, in terms of the responses we've received as a committee, in terms of the evidence we've received from…
13 Rhagfyr 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda’r Gweinidog
Thank you. Minister, good morning to you. Can you tell us what the Welsh Government's view is on how you're paying attention to public views on this Bill?
13 Rhagfyr 2023 , Cyfarfod Llawn
Cynnig o dan Reol Sefydlog 17.14 i ethol Aelod i bwyllgor
Rwy'n cynnig.
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Papurau i'w nodi
Okay.
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Papurau i'w nodi
Just in relation to the letter to the First Minister and the leader of Plaid Cymru, have we had a response to that? Because I noticed the dates were very soon, as it were, in terms of availability, that we'd invited them to attend.
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Papurau i'w nodi
Yes.
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Papurau i'w nodi
Chair, can I ask a question?
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
—we need to be a bit more realistic than that. Okay. And including office security—
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
But assumptions about there being simply another 36 are pretty unrealistic, right, in terms of office set-up costs et cetera, because, if you've got retiring MSs or people who aren't returned and people wanting to make arrangements for new offices, then—
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
Although that's within the office costs at the moment.
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
Because it's not capped in any way.
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
I guess travel is the only thing that isn't capped, really, isn't it? You know what people's allowances are going to be, pretty much, unless there is an extra committee here or there. You know what their upper limit of allowance is going to be on office…
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
And nor have they reflected the potential additional costs of Members having to roam across bigger constituencies either. Again, is that something you challenged them on when they came to you to say, 'Are you happy with these assumptions we've made'?
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
—given a bit of churn, plus an additional 36 coming in. I note that that hasn't been reflected in the figures for things like office set-up costs and things like that in the Senedd Commission's workings. Was that something they discussed in detail with you or…
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
It's just one brief question, if I may. I noticed that you referred to assumptions about a potential 50 or 60, I think, new Members—
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
Okay. Thank you.
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
Everybody else.
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
Okay. So, just to get this right, what additional costs have there been in the budget associated with Senedd reform to date and forecast to the end of the term?
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
Just to help us understand that, obviously we're not the Finance Committee, but what is the additional resource that's had to go in in order to cope with the Senedd reform?
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
Yes. But I think most people would expect you, if you've got to do the determination work over a programme cycle of five years, that if that's going to be four years, there will be some—. It may not be clerking resource, as it were, secretariat service, but…
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
Of course.
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
So, there won't be a requirement for more frequent meetings or anything like that.
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
Yes, because no allowances have been made for that, you see.
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
So, in terms of your work, though, you've got this stock piece of work to review the allowance and determination every Senedd term. Presumably, at the moment, you build up to that over a period of time, and there's a certain amount of cost that you anticipate…
30 Tachwedd 2023 , Reform Bill Committee
Bil Senedd Cymru (Aelodau ac Etholiadau): Sesiwn dystiolaeth gyda Bwrdd Taliadau Annibynnol y Senedd
But, of course, it is for you to determine what the pay and allowances of things like co-chairs are, isn't it? And you, again, will know the direction of travel, which we don't, in terms of the discussions that take place internally within the remuneration…
