, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
Yes, if you could.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
It's on capital and technical, so I'm going to ask Lisa just to give us an overview.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
Manon, did you want to comment? We have a licence with Microsoft and, I think, because of the governance-first aspect, we need to be very careful what we put into, maybe, a different entity, just to make sure that we're fully in control of where that data…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
I'm quite interested in how AI happens in different Seneddau and different Parliaments around the world as well. We're currently exploring and piloting AI through Microsoft Copilot, Teams and Teams Premium, and individual cases have clear successes, but…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
As you'll be aware, the Business Committee make those decisions as to how the business runs, and that's something that we as Commissioners and officials then have to bear in mind. Obviously, we, the same as you, will have seen some of the papers that have…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
I'll bring Ed in on the structure and what works are going to be carried out during that refurb to make it fit for purpose for the future. Ed, did you want to comment a bit further on that?
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
I'll take that to start, and then I'll bring Ed or Manon in afterwards. I think the extent of the works that are going to be carried out in our preferred bid is significant. In effect, it will probably look like a new building on the same site without…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
I think the main point is no decisions have been made as to how we purchase the Tŷ Hywel property over time. The decision to do that will be taken in due course, after a very clear cost-benefit analysis. Obviously, we'll have use of it for that 50 years…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
I think the locality is one of the—. The Senedd building isn't moving and, therefore, being able to have offices that are close enough for us to be able to carry out our work as parliamentarians, and being able to access this building that we're in now, from…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
I think staging is part—as in, the stages at which these things happen—. We had to make decisions, or the Commission had to make decisions, before the 2026 election as to what accommodation was needed when we all came back into the building. So, we had to do…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
Sorry, Ed, did you—?
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
We're fully engaging with the Welsh Government at an official level, and I know that the chief executive is speaking to senior officials within the Welsh Government to make sure that they're fully apprised of what's going on. With any decant strategy, that…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
I'm going to look to Lisa.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
Rent is being paid, but the rent reviews haven't.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
Just to mention, on the savings, because we're potentially moving out of the building, it means we save on rates, we save on rent. Plus there's also been, for the project to date, at least two rent reviews that have been frozen, so we haven't seen those…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
Ed, do you want to talk through some of the specifics on the costs?
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
I'll ask Ed to provide those details, but just to address why we need to decant to get the work done, the initial strategy was to remain in the building and to move people from one side to the other and back, but given the details of the structure of the…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
As we've said already, the project is a major one, and there's a lot of movement in it. The decisions, in terms of proceeding with the project will be made before the end of the year, and the process—. I'll ask Ed to expand on the process so far and what is…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
Before brining Manon in, I think that is an important issue. Getting the balance of what we put in a report, and what we don't put in a report, in terms of accessibility and the ability to read it and understand the document—. I do take your point clearly on…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
It's something that I know the Llywydd has spoken about in the Commission, looking at the shop provision. And, obviously, as somebody who visits other Seneddau around the world, it varies very much, even if you go to Westminster. But it's certainly something…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
Regular.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
But it doesn't include the staffing costs. So, we make £15,000—
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
I think the point is that we're not a commercial entity, so we shouldn't be using the estate to make profit. I think that's the point.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
I think—
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
Lisa, do you have the figure to hand?
