Agenda and minutes
Venue: Presiding Officer’s office, 4th floor - Tŷ Hywel
Contact: Sulafa Thomas, x8669
No. | Item |
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Introduction |
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Introduction and apologies Minutes: Angela Burns AM and David Melding AM had sent their apologies. |
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Declarations of interest Minutes: There were no declarations of interest. |
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Minutes of the previous meeting Supporting documents: Minutes: The minutes of the 9 February meeting were agreed. |
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Security Update Minutes: Dave
Tosh provided a brief update on security and gave an indication of the scope of
the more substantial briefing in April. |
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Future ICT changes - Siambr refresh and Telephony Minutes: The
Commission discussed plans to update the technology in the Chamber. They
considered a paper which set out risks that have arisen in relation to delivery
of the Siambr Refresh project. It provided the Commission with details of
concerns about the performance of the hardware suppliers and set out a proposed
way forward. Commissioners
agreed to brief party groups next week. Commissioners
discussed the risks that had been identified and the need to ensure the
Commission has good relationships with the suppliers who support our critical
systems. The Commission agreed to postpone implementation of the project until
2016. Dave
Tosh gave a brief update on the telephony project. He confirmed that:
Commissioners
welcomed the update and emphasised the importance of regular reminders about
the change. |
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Transition to the Fifth Assembly Minutes: Commissioners
received a paper which provided information on the planning for dissolution of
the Fourth Assembly and transition to the Fifth Assembly. Commissioners
confirmed that their approach to the arrangements for the dissolution of the Assembly
will be to ensure that Members and their staff have full and early information
to enable them to plan for dissolution and that those Members who are stepping
down are given support to enable them to wind up their Assembly work.
Commissioners felt that it would be helpful to work through Groups to
communicate with Members and suggested holding sessions with Groups in due
course. When
the Assembly is dissolved Members immediately revert to being members of the
general public and lose all the privileges associated with being an Assembly
Member. This, by necessity, will involve restrictions upon former Members’ use
of Assembly resources during the dissolution period. Commissioners
felt that the issue of the number of Members needed to constitute a Group
should be considered during the Fourth Assembly. The
Commission will take specific decisions later in 2015, and the Remuneration
Board’s final package of decisions in respect of remuneration and financial
support of Members in the Fifth Assembly will be confirmed by May 2015. |
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Audit and Risk Assurance Committee update and Minutes - 9 February 2015 Minutes: Claire
Clancy provided a summary of the Assembly Commission Audit and Risk Assurance
Committee meeting on 9 February, which was the last meeting of that Committee
before the financial year end. The
Chair of the Committee had been able to confirm that all outstanding audit
action points had been completed before the end of the financial year, and the
Committee looked ahead to the coming year’s activity. Commissioners
welcomed the work that had been done and formally noted the minutes of the
meeting. |
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Any other business Minutes: The
Presiding Officer thanked Commissioners and Commission staff for the work that
was done in the run up to the Secretary of State’s statement announcing the St
David’s Day agreement on the future of Welsh Devolution. She indicated that the
detailed submissions put forward to the Secretary of State, and the
Commission’s report on capacity, made a real difference. The
Presiding Officer also informed Commissioners that, as Angela Burns was facing
an extended absence David Melding would be taking over her Commissioner
responsibilities while she is away. Claire
Clancy drew attention to the Remuneration Board’s consultation, which would be
published the next day, and informed Commissioners that the Finance Committee
had reported on the supplementary budget. The
Commission next meets on Thursday 23 April 2015, when Commissioners will
consider the Budget Strategy for 2016-17 and receive a full security briefing. |