, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
Exactly. Thanks, Chair.
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
[Inaudible.] I’m conscious there are so many unknowns about ways of working, but you’ll know that the RIA has been built, it seems, on two scenarios. Do you think, with hindsight, perhaps more scenarios should have been considered for you to reflect on?
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
Yes.
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
No, I can acknowledge that. You've already reflected on, perhaps, your concern or slight concern about using perhaps the 2022-23 determination to make some of those assumptions. Is there anything more you wanted to add on that?
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
Thank you. What's your view on the estimates? Do you think they are a reasonable assessment of the implications of the Bill or not? Have you got a view on that?
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
Thank you.
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
Okay. And that's a regular dialogue that you'll obviously be wanting to engage with all the way through this process.
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
I think you answered it right at the beginning, probably, in the first question. Have the Welsh Government engaged with you enough to help you do what you're wanting to do here?
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
Thank you, Manon. Thank you.
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
Thank you, Manon. What assurance could you give that the additional Commission staff estimated in the RIA will be sufficient to meet the expected increase in workload, particularly since the RIA notes you have kept any increases in head count to a minimum?
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
Thank you, Manon. The additional Senedd Commission staff needed were identified by grade, but the RIA doesn't describe how the related costs were calculated from the full-time equivalent data. Can you expand, perhaps, a bit on how you got there?
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
Okay. Thank you for that. The RIA outlines the service areas requiring increases in the number of Commission staff. I wondered what was the analysis conducted to ensure all additional work was captured and costed in the RIA.
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
You're content with the—
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
I'm reassured by that, and I know there'll be a lot of people wanting to know those sorts of things, so we can make that assessment as we move on. When we look at the—. We talked quite a lot—you already talked about scenarios and the two scenarios you've…
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
Well, I don't know if it's a third or not. There's a third more Members, so you could envisage a third more Member costs with regard to energy and things like that. So, a fair assumption. I just want to be sure that there is enough assessment of ongoing and…
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
You're going to have an awful lot more offices to light and heat, and everything else that might accrue as a result.
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
Thank you. Before I kick into my main question, just linked to what we were talking about before, obviously, we've got more work to do to identify savings and things. Can we be confident that enough forward thinking has been done to assess recurring costs…
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Mental health
Yesterday, we marked World Mental Health Day, a day when we celebrate how far society has advanced when it comes to talking about mental health. However, we know there is much more to be done. As James has already pointed out, one in four of us will…
, Plenary
Questions to the Senedd Commission
Thank you, Commissioner, and I appreciate that we've had these conversations in other forums as well. But, as we all know, the current predicted costs for the Senedd Commission, as you just pointed out, are considerable, to say the least. And it will cost, as…
, Plenary
Questions to the Senedd Commission
1. What are the anticipated costs of Senedd reform to the Senedd Commission? OQ60079
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2024-25: Evidence session
Okay. Okay. I think I'm covered, actually.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2024-25: Evidence session
Yes. I accept that. So, given a likely date of the next Senedd election is May 2026, how would capital spending on Members' offices and ICT kit for new staff be spread across the 2024-25, 2025–26 and 2026–27 financial years?
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2024-25: Evidence session
Thank you for that. Just on Senedd reform, then, briefly, how do budgeted costs for Senedd reform in this financial year compare to those in your latest supplementary budget and the regulatory impact assessment for the Senedd Cymru Bill?
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2024-25: Evidence session
Would the cost be the same irrespective of whether Senedd reform takes place as proposed?
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2024-25: Evidence session
Yes, thank you, Manon. I'll shoot on. Just looking at the estate, and, obviously, we're looking at your planning for the Cardiff Bay 2032 project. As that's being developed, how will we as Members be informed and engaged in that process, from outside of the…
