Plain Text Version - Annual Report of the Assembly Commission: 2007-08
Back to multimedia version>> The Government of Wales Act 2006 provided the National Assembly for Wales with significant new powers.It also created the National Assembly for Wales Commission, responsible for the provision of property, staff and services to support the Assembly. This is the Commission's first Annual Report, covering the activities from the Assembly elections in May 2007 to 31 March 2008. The report is divided into six sections:
Section 1: Introduction
Foreword from the Presiding Officer and an introduction by Claire Clancy, Chief Executive and Clerk to the Assembly
Section 2: New Powers: New Assembly
This section summarises the Assembly’s business during the year, including Assembly Legislation and Committee activities.
Section 3: Engagement with others
During the year the Assembly held a number of high-profile events including the official opening of the Third Assembly, and continued its programme of Educational visits and European and International activities.
Section 4: Our Estate
Our estate includes the Senedd, Ty Hywel and the Pierhead Building in Cardiff Bay and a North Wales Office in Colwyn Bay. This section explains how we aim to make our estate as sustainable as possible.
Section 5: How we comply with our duties
A series of Boards were established during the year to assist the Chief Executive and Clerk in managing and organising Assembly staff, services and resources. The role of these boards and the Assembly’s duties in regards to equality and the Welsh Language are described in this section.
Section 6: Statement of Accounts
The Assembly Commission’s Resource Accounts for 2007-08 can be viewed in this section.
The Annual Report is also available in plain text and audio versions by following the links at the top of the page. If you would like a copy of the report in an alternative format, please contact us.
Section 1. Introduction
Foreword by the Presiding Officer, Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas AM
This, our first annual report as the National Assembly for Wales Commission, sets out how we have undertaken our duties from 9 May 2007 - the day the Government of Wales Act was invoked and provided us with our new powers – to 31 March 2008.
From 1999 to 2007, we were part of a larger corporate body which included the Welsh Assembly Government. This annual report will tell you about our activities and developments as a self standing parliamentary body and describe some of our highlights as well as our day to day work.
It has been an exciting and important year for us and we have built the foundations for the four years to 2011 so that will can fulfil our ambition of making the Assembly an accessible and effective parliamentary body that inspires the confidence of the people of Wales. Our Strategy was launched at the end of last summer and our five strategic goals lie at the heart of everything we do. The other sections of this report describe what we have been doing to achieve these. I think it is key that we have been able to embrace our new powers and work with pace and with passion to develop our legislative programme.
As a young institution, I have been enthused by our progress during the year. The positive engagement by Assembly Members and staff has seen: the introduction of seven proposed Legislative Competence Orders and two proposed Assembly Measures; the production of 3,500 pieces of written work for Assembly Members by our Members’ Research Service; 244 formal committee or legislation meetings as well as 61 full meetings of the Assembly in Plenary; our educational programme reached a total of 16,692 pupils from all parts of Wales and we welcomed our 500,000th visitor to the Senedd during the year.
Here and abroad, other parliamentary institutions and international delegations continue to be interested in our work and we hosted visits by 81 delegations during the year. Not only do they learn from us but such engagement promotes us as an institution and helps ensure that we can take our place on the international stage.
However, it is you, the people of Wales, who are the focus of our endeavours as an Assembly. In all we do in the development of our powers, we hope you will engage with us so that together we can create a better Wales. The journey has started and your involvement is essential to ensure that the momentum is maintained.
Introduction by the Chief Executive and Clerk, Claire Clancy
The Government of Wales Act 2006 provided the National Assembly for Wales with significant new powers to legislate and strengthened its scrutiny role. It also created the National Assembly for Wales Commission, responsible for the provision of property, staff and services to support the Assembly. Our main activity during the year has been to support the work of the Assembly following the May 2007 elections and to implement procedures for its new functions.
Our new organisation has a strong service ethos, seeking pace, quality, best practice and improvement in all that we do. To meet these challenges, we have restructured to ensure that we have the right services in the right place and we expect to be able to build on these new, strong foundations in the future.
Staff within our three new Directorates; Operations, Assembly Business and Legal together with a Corporate Unit have embraced the challenges and cultural changes brought about by the enhanced powers and procedures and those introduced by Assembly Commission Strategy which is described in more detail in Section 2 of this report. We have recruited and developed skilled staff in key positions and are introducing a leadership programme so that we can deliver the best service to Assembly Members and to you. I would like to thank everyone who works here for their co-operation, dedication and hard work during our first year.
You will read in this report how our management and governance arrangements have been built to support the achievement of our goals and ambitions. During the year, we developed risk management and service planning frameworks, a table of key performance indicators and appointed four independent advisers to advise and challenge us in our work. As Wales’ principal democratic institution, we have been determined to make best use of public funds, managing a budget of £41million and net assets of £67million.
In the coming year, our focus will be to build on our achievements so far to ensure that we are providing the best service. We will be seeking further opportunities to ensure you know about the Assembly’s work and to encourage debate about our powers and how we use them. We look forward to the challenges ahead and the prospects they bring with them.
Section 2: New Powers: New Assembly
The Assembly Commission, Commissioners and the Strategy.
In May 2007, the Assembly Commission was established, as a body corporate, under the Government of Wales Act 2006. The Commission is responsible for ensuring that the Assembly is provided with the property, staff and services required for the Assembly’s purposes.
Membership
The Government of Wales Act provides that members of the Assembly Commission are the Presiding Officer, and four other Assembly Members nominated by the main political parties:
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Presiding Officer, Chair of the Assembly Commission
Lorraine Barrett (Labour)
Peter Black (Liberal Democrats)
William Graham (Conservatives)
Elin Jones (Plaid Cymru) –
until July 2007
Chris Franks (Plaid Cymru)
from September 2007
Broadly, the role of the Commission is to set strategic aims and objectives and consider performance, agree standards and values, oversee change, encourage innovation and enterprise to enhance our capacity to deliver and to take part in the process of risk and performance management. The five Commissioners are accountable to the National Assembly for the Commission’s functions.
To help with the delivery of these functions the Commissioners agreed cross cutting portfolios across the spectrum of the National Assembly for Wales’ work. This enabled a great deal of work to take place outside of formal Commission meetings and positive working relationships to be developed with our staff. The portfolios of each commissioner are detailed below:
Chair of the Commission and has special responsibility for promoting democratic engagement, excellent leadership, developing the Assembly’s future legislative powers and external relations. The Presiding Officer has taken strategic leadership in the development of our legislative powers and relations with the media.
Lorraine Barrett (Labour)
Commissioner for the Sustainable Assembly - This portfolio includes responsibility for equality; language; environment and carbon neutrality; sustainable procurement and estate management. Lorraine has become the Commission’s representative on the Pierhead project which is looking at its future as a conference, visitor and exhibition centre and taken an active interest in estate management and our environmental impact.
Peter Black (Welsh Liberal Democrats)
Commissioner for the Assembly and the Citizen -This portfolio includes looking at the quality of scrutiny and the legislative process; external communication; ICT; citizenship education; lawfulness. In Peter’s role as Commissioner he has addressed a number of items including looking at the development of E-petitions and addressing some ICT issues.
Chris Franks (Plaid Cymru)
Commissioner for the Improving Assembly - This portfolio includes looking at improving services to Members and citizens; involving stakeholders; strategic planning; and considering value for money. Chris Franks has played an active part in the development of our Member Satisfaction Survey which will be taken forward during the next year.
William Graham (Welsh Conservative Party)
Commissioner for Assembly Resources - This portfolio includes considering the management of Assembly assets; Assembly people (including employees, contractors, services provided to support AMSS); budget; Members’ salaries and allowances; efficiency and good governance. William Graham was the representative for the Commission on the first review panel looking at Members’ pay and support, as well as being the Commission’s member on the Corporate Governance Committee.
The Assembly Commission remains accountable to the Assembly through correspondence and through oral and written questions tabled by Assembly Members for answer in the full meeting of the Assembly. Each Commissioner responded to oral questions in full meetings of the Assembly on a rotational basis during the year. The Commission is also held to account through scrutiny by the Assembly Committees such as Finance, Audit and Equality of Opportunity. Meeting papers are published on our website and can be found here.
Strategy for the Third Assembly (2007-2011)
The Commission’s ambition is for the National Assembly for Wales to become an accessible and effective parliamentary body that inspires the confidence of the people of Wales. In order to achieve this aim and prepare for the challenges and opportunities before us, the Assembly Commission developed a strategy document setting out our vision and goals for the third Assembly:
We will promote and widen engagement in devolution
We will show unity, leadership, and a bold response to constitutional change
In all our work, we will demonstrate respect, probity and good governance
We will work sustainably
We will ensure that the Assembly has the best service, provided in the most effective way
You will see that the strategy sets out our values which will demonstrate our shared commitment to succeed by building strong relationships and leading by example. We will always act in the best interest of the Assembly with high standard delivery while being professional, innovative and respectful of others. To ensure our goals are delivered, there is a direct link between the strategy and our service planning framework.
The Siambr
The Siambr is at the heart of Assembly business, and is the home of the Assembly’s Plenary meetings. It hosts important debates on a wide range of issues, including policy proposals and legislation.
Chamber Services provide secretariat support for the Business Committee and Plenary business and supports the Presiding Officer and Deputy while they are chairing the full meetings of the Assembly by providing procedural advice and operation of the Chamber technology. Table Office provides guidance and support to Assembly Members and the Welsh Assembly Government to ensure that Plenary business is submitted, where required, in accordance with Standing Orders.
Business Committee
The Business Committee advises on the management of the Assembly’s business and on general practice and procedure of the Assembly. The Presiding Officer chairs the meetings, which are attended by the Leader of the House and a Business Manager from each of the parties represented in the Assembly.
The Committee meets in private every Tuesday when the Assembly is in session, to comment on proposals for the organisation of Government business and to determine the organisation of non-government and Assembly business in Plenary. 29 meetings were held between May 2007 and April 2008. The Business Committee also held a joint meeting with the Assembly Commission to consider issues relating resources and the organisation of Assembly Business.
The Business Committee is responsible for establishing and publishing timetables for the consideration of Proposed Measures (except for any stage taken in Plenary) and timetables for Legislative Committee’s consideration of Proposed Legislative Competence Orders.
Chamber Business
The first meeting of the Third Assembly was held on 9th May 2007, following the Assembly Elections. In this meeting, the Presiding Officer and Deputy Presiding Officer were elected.
61 Plenary meetings were held between May 2007 and April 2008.
Business in the Assembly is divided into three categries
Government Business;
Non-Government Business; and
Assembly Business.
Examples of Non-Government Business considered between May 2007 and April 2008 include –
Debates proposed by Opposition Parties;
Debates on Reports by Assembly Committees; and
Debates on Legislation proposed by Members.
Examples of Assembly Business considered between May 2007 and April 2008 include –
Questions to representatives of the Assembly Commission
Consideration of the Assembly Commission’s Budget; and
A debate on the Queen’s Speech (attended by the Secretary of State for Wales).
Assembly Questions
Assembly Questions are one of the key mechanisms for Assembly Members to obtain information or press for action. There are two types of Assembly Questions, oral and written.
Members can ask Oral Questions directly to the First Minister and other Welsh Ministers. First Minister’s question time is taken each Tuesday, with other Ministerial and Commission Questions taken on Wednesday.
For each question time, fifteen questions are randomly selected in an automated ‘shuffle’ conducted on behalf of the Presiding Officer. Members then have opportunity to ask supplementary questions for which no notice is given.
During the period of the Report a total of 3515 Oral Questions were tabled – a breakdown of where those questions were directed is below:
First Minister: 834 Oral Questions Tabled
Minister for Health and Social Services: 416 Oral Questions Tabled
Minister for Economy and Transport: 415 Oral Questions Tabled
Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills: 321 Oral Questions Tabled
Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing: 310 Oral Questions Tabled
Minister for Heritage: 296 Oral Questions Tabled
Minister for Social Justice and Local Government: 290 Oral Questions Tabled
Minister for Rural Affairs: 265 Oral Questions Tabled
Minister for Finance and Public Service Delivery: 258 Oral Questions Tabled
Counsel General: 97 Oral Questions Tabled
Assembly Commission: 13 Oral Questions Tabled
After Oral Questions, the Presiding Officer may allow any Urgent Assembly Questions, which are without notice and are of urgent public importance. During the period of this Report 9 Urgent Questions have been asked.
Written questions may be tabled at any time, and receive a written answer.
Any Oral Question that is not reached by the end of the allocated time also receives a written answer, which appears in the Record. The number of Written Assembly Questions tabled during this period was 1541.
Assembly Legislation
The Legislation Office is responsible for supporting the passage of legislation through the Assembly. The Assembly sets up an ad hoc committee to consider each piece of legislation and staff provide clerking services for committees scrutinising Legislative Competence Orders and proposed Assembly Measures as well as supporting the Subordinate Legislation Committee. They also provide support for the subsequent plenary stages of proposed Assembly Measures and the development of legislative proposals by Members and to the Subordinate Legislation Committee which held 19 meetings and considered 128 statutory instruments during the year.
Our new legislative powers allow us to pass legislation in areas where we have legislative competence. Below is a short explanation of the Assembly’s Legislative powers:
Legislative Competence Orders (LCO)
The Government of Wales Act 2006 requires the National Assembly and both Houses of Parliament to approve draft LCOs (statutory instruments transferring specific legislative competence within devolved areas from Parliament tothe Assembly) before they are recommended to be made by Her Majesty in Council. Once this process is complete and the Assembly has the competence, it can make Assembly Measures.
Assembly Measures
Under the Government of Wales Act 2006 the Assembly is empowered to make its own quasi primary legislation known as Assembly Measures, provided that Parliament has conferred competence on the Assembly allowing it to do so in relation to the relevant matter. Legislative competence in relation to particular matters can be conferred on the Assembly via Acts of Parliament or by Orders in Council (known as Legislative Competence Orders).
More details about our legislative procedures can be found here. Seven proposed Legislative Competence Orders (five Government, two Member proposed) and two proposed Assembly Measures (one Government, one Member proposed) were introduced during the year. Legislative committees established to consider each proposed LCO and Assembly Measure held 49 meetings between May 2007 and 31 March 2008 and produced five reports.
Legislation introduced between May 2007 and 31 March 2008
Legislative Competence Orders
Additional Learning Needs The National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Education and Training) Order 2008
Government Proposed Legislation
Date Introduced - 11 June 2007
Current Position - Received Royal Approval 9 April 2008
Environmental protection and waste management The National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (No.2) Order 2007)
Government Proposed Legislation
Date Introduced - 19 June 2007
Current Position - Assembly Committee reported 29 November 2007. Proposed LCO not yet laid in Parliament for scrutiny
Vulnerable Children The National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Social Welfare and Other Fields) Order 2008
Government Proposed Legislation
Date Introduced - 4 July 2007
Current Postion - Assembly Committee reported 25 January 2008. Welsh Affairs Committee currently considering a revised LCO.
Domiciliary Care The National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (No. 4) Order 2008
Government Proposed Legislation
Date Introduced -26 November 2007
Current Position - Assembly Committee reported 14 March 2008. Welsh Affairs Committee reported 5 March 2008. Awaiting the introduction of the draft Order.
Affordable Housing The National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (No. 5) Order 2008
Government Proposed Legislation
Date Introduced-3 December 2007
Current Position - Assembly Committee reported 18 April 2008. Proposed LCO not yet laid in Parliament for scrutiny.
Provision of Mental Health Services The National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (No. 6) Order 2008
Member Proposed Legislation
Date Introduced - 18 February 2008
Current Position - Assembly Committee considering the proposed LCO. Proposed LCO not yet laid in Parliament for scrutiny.
Domestic Fire Safety The National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (No. 7) Order 2008
Member Proposed Legislation
Date Introduced - 26 February 2008
Current Position - Assembly Committee considering the proposed LCO. Proposed LCO not yet laid in Parliament for scrutiny.
Proposed Assembly Measures
NHS Redress (Wales) Measure 2008
Government Proposed Legislation
Date Introduced - 2 July 2007
Current Position - Measure passed by the Assembly on 6 May – awaiting Royal approval
Healthy Eating in Schools (Wales) Measure 2008
Member Proposed Legislation
Date Introduced -14 March 2008
Current Position - Awaiting scrutiny by an Assembly Committee
Ballots for Member proposed legislation
From time to time the Presiding Officer holds ballots to determine the name of an Assembly Member who may submit proposals for legislation, either through a Legislative Competence Order or an Assembly Measure.
Since May 2007 the Presiding Officer has held eight ballots - four for proposals for LCOs and four for proposals for Assembly Measures. Seven of the eight Members were granted permission by the Assembly to introduce legislation to give effect to their ballot proposals and two of those are currently being considered by Assembly Committees.
Ballot proposals for LCOs
Domestic Fire Safety - Ann Jones AM
Current position - Member granted permission to introduce a proposed LCO on 10 October 2007. Proposed LCO introduced on 26 February 2008 and currently subject to scrutiny by an Assembly Committee.
Provision of mental health services - Jonathan Morgan AM
Current position - Member granted permission to introduce a proposed LCO on 17 October 2007. Proposed LCO introduced on 18 February 2008 and currently subject to scrutiny by an Assembly Committee.
Provision for carers - Helen Mary Jones AM
Current position - Member granted permission to introduce a proposed LCO on 20 February 2008.
Provision of bus and coach services - Huw Lewis AM
Current position - Selected in ballot 20 February 2008.
Ballot proposals for Assembly Measures
Healthy Eating in Schools - Jenny Randerson AM
Current position - Member granted permission to introduce a proposed Assembly Measure on 19 September 2007. Proposed Measure introduced on 14 March 2008.
School closures (consultation and categories) Mike German AM
Current position - Assembly refused permission to introduce a proposed Assembly Measure on 7 November 2007.
Proposed impact assessments for the selling off of playing fields - Dai Lloyd AM
Current position - Member granted permission to introduce a proposed Assembly Measure on 6 February 2008.
Recycling - Nerys Evans AM
Current position - Selected in ballot 20 February 2008.
Members’ Research Service
The Members’ Research Service established several new information, research and current awareness services available to the public. These included a service tracking the progress of Legislative Competence Orders (LCOs) and Measures, and also the progress of Scrutiny Committee inquiries; Assembly powers tracking notes, which provide an updated log of amendments, both proposed and enacted, to each of the 20 Fields contained within Schedule 5 to the Government of Wales Act 2006 and in tandem with these tracking notes, an updated online version of Schedule 5 to reflect the Assembly’s increasing legislative competence.
During 2007-08, the Research Service responded to the enhanced legislative and scrutiny functions of the Third Assembly and produced 3,500 pieces of written work for Assembly Members, including almost 3,000 replies to individual enquiries (400 more than last year); a wide range of publicly available information including 120 Research Papers, Quick Guides and Topic Briefs on matters of topical interest to Members and approximately 300 pieces of briefing for the Assembly’s scrutiny and legislative committees, as well as providing a wide range of support to Private Members' legislative proposals.The Research Service also provides confidential and impartial research support and advice to the Assembly's scrutiny and legislation committees and to all 60 individual Assembly Members and their staff and consists of:
three research teams providing specialist advice on specific areas of policy;
a dedicated research team providing specialist finance and statistical information;
the Members’ Library, which provides a reference and information service to Members and their staff;
a Brussels office which provides advice, information and assistance on EU issues.
The Service has continued to provide briefing and support to Assembly Members on a variety of EU-related matters, led by our EU Policy Analyst based in Brussels, working closely with MRS and clerking colleagues in Cardiff. In particular, support has been provided the European and External Affairs Committee on its first inquiry of the Third Assembly on the European Investment Bank. A monthly "Europe Matters" electronic newsletter was produced and a research paper on the European Commission’s 2008 Annual Work Programme
, with a focus on matters of particular relevance to Wales. Meetings with senior European Commission officials for a delegation of Assembly Members and staff visiting Brussels were arranged as well as briefing material for visits to the Assembly by high ranking European officials, including Commission Vice President, Margot Wallstrom and Slovenian Ambassador to the UK, His Excellency Iztok Mirošiè.
Committee Service
Committee Services is the secretariat to the National Assembly’s scrutiny committees.There are nine main scrutiny committees and one sub-committee whose membership reflects the proportion of political representation of the main political parties represented in the National Assembly. Committees exist to examine relevant and current issues appropriate to their remit, and where appropriate to scrutinise the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) and Assembly Government Sponsored Bodies (AGSBs). The table below shows the breakdown of committee responsibilities, their memberships and number of meetings held in the first year of the third Assembly.
Sustainability Committee
Membership: Mick Bates AM (Chair); Alun Davies AM; Lorraine Barrett AM; Lesley Griffiths AM; Alun Ffred Jones AM; Elin Jones AM (until 20 September 2007); Darren Millar AM; Karen Sinclair AM; Brynle Williams AM; Leanne Wood AM ( from 20 September 2007)
Clerking Team: Virginia Hawkins; Joanne Clinton ; Annette Stafford
The Sustainability Committee’s remit covers climate change, energy, rural affairs and agriculture, environment and planning. At its first meeting, the Committee established a separate sub-committee to focus specifically on rural development. Details of the sub-committee’s work have been provided as a separate entry in this report.
As its first priority, the Sustainability Committee agreed to examine Wales’ performance in reducing its carbon emissions within the context of national and international targets. To ensure detailed and focused scrutiny of such an extensive topic, the inquiry was split into six discrete parts - residential; transport; industry and public bodies; energy production; land use management, and planning.To date, the Committee has published reports on residential carbon reduction and carbon reduction by transport, based on written and oral evidence gathered from a wide range of organisations. As part of this inquiry, the Committee visited Freiburg ‘solar city’ in Germany, and Linz in Upper Austria to see first-hand good practice from city and regional exemplars in achieving low to zero levels of carbon emissions.
The Committee also held evidence sessions on petitions, legislation and current issues, and scrutinised the Assembly Government’s draft budget. Petitions calling for larger buffer zones between opencast coal mines and dwellings, and for a ban on plastic bags, were considered.
The Committee examined the impact on Wales of UK Bills covering matters within its remit, for example the UK Climate Change Bill and the UK Planning Bill.
The Committee met on 18 occasions during the reporting period.
Rural Development Sub-Committee
Membership: Alun Davies AM (Chair); Mick Bates AM; Alun Ffred Jones AM; Brynle Williams AM
Clerking Team: Claire Morris; Joanne Clinton; Annette Stafford
The Rural Development Sub-Committee was established as a sub-committee of the Sustainability Committee on 5 July 2007. Its remit is to scrutinise the Welsh Assembly Government on the Government’s areas of responsibility that the sub-committee considers impact on rural development.
As its first priority, the Committee agreed to conduct an inquiry into bovine TB in Wales, following the publication of the final report of the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle. It began by taking evidence at the Royal Welsh Show – a first for an Assembly Committee – and Committee Members visited Belfast, where they met with Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly Agriculture and Rural Development Committee and officials of the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development. The Committee’s final report was published in January and debated in Plenary on 27 February.
In November, the Committee scrutinised the Minister for Rural Affairs on the Rural Development aspects of the Welsh Assembly Government’s draft budget.
The Committee also scrutinised the Minister for Rural Affairs on the Welsh Assembly Government’s handling of the foot and mouth outbreak. A report of the Committee’s findings was published in January and debated in Plenary on 20 February, in a joint debate with the Finance Committee, which had simultaneously carried out an inquiry into the financial impact of the outbreak on Wales.
The Committee began taking evidence on its third inquiry ‘Poverty and Deprivation in Rural Wales in January.
The Committee met on 11 occasions during the reporting period.
Enterprise and Learning Committee
Membership: Gareth Jones (Chair); Alun Cairns; Janet Ryder; Jeff Cuthbert; Huw Lewis; Sandy Mewies;David Melding; Christine Chapman; Kirsty Williams
Clerking Team: Kathryn Jenkins; Dan Collier; Mike Lewis
The Committee’s remit covers economic development and regeneration; social enterprise; transport; and lifelong learning.
The Committee met on 22 occasions between July 2007 and March 2008 including a meeting on 4 September during the summer recess at Carno Community centre to take evidence on a petition to reopen the local railway station. The local community presented the petition and the Committee also scrutinised key stakeholders. The Committee laid its report on 27 September. During the autumn term, the Committee undertook a pre-legislative scrutiny inquiry on the Learner Travel (Wales) Measure, and reported on planning for future rail provision. Both reports were laid on 27 November with a Plenary debate on the latter on 23 January. In order to address concerns regarding the implementation of recommendations made by the former School Funding Committee, the Committee undertook a follow-up inquiry; its report is expected in May. From November 2007 onwards, the Committee scoped and took evidence on a major inquiry into the economic impact of higher education, the report of which will be published in summer 2008.
As part of the Committee’s commitment to more innovative ways of working, it elected a rapporteur group to consider the treatment and support available for those coping with dyslexia. The group began its work in the summer recess and has undertaken several visits in the UK and the US. In addition it has received a series of presentations from dyslexia organisations; held a video conference session withparents and children in north Wales and a coffee morning event with families living in south Wales. The group laid its interim report on 12 December. Its final report is expected in late spring.
Communities and Culture Committee
Membership Janice Gregory (Chair); Peter Black; Paul Davies; Nerys Evans; Lesley Griffiths; Lynne Neagle;Joyce Watson; Mark Isherwood; Dai Lloyd;
Clerking Team: Chris Reading; Sarah Bartlett; Annette Millett
The Committee’s remit covers:
Housing
Community Safety
Community Inclusion including Communities First and the Spatial Plan
Welsh Language, Sport and Culture
Before the summer recess in 2007, the Committee considered various options for a scrutiny inquiry; and chose to examine the funding of the voluntary sector in Wales. In October 2007, the Committee began hearing evidence from a wide variety of organisations including Welsh Ministers, umbrella bodies and agencies, local government; and organisations representing women, children and young people, older people, ethnic groups, various religious groups, gay, lesbian and bisexual people. It also considered more than 50 written submissions and completed its inquiry in April 2008.
The Committee also scrutinised relevant Ministers and Deputy Ministers on their portfolios; in particular, their spending plans set out in the draft Assembly budget. Some Members also visited Brynawel House, an alcohol rehabilitation centre at Llanharan, near Bridgend.
The Committee met on 13 occasions during the reporting period.
Finance Committee
Membership: Alun Cairns (Chair); Alun Davies; Lynne Neagle;Joyce Watson; Alun Ffred Jones; Ann Jones; Mohammad Asghar; Jenny Randerson; Angela Burns
Clerking Team: John Grimes; Abigail Phillips; Karl Gomila
The Committee’s remit allows it to scrutinise expenditure from the Welsh Consolidated Fund by the Welsh Assembly Government, the Assembly Commission and the Public Services Ombudsman. The Committee also undertakes scrutiny of the financial resolutions of proposed Assembly Measures, a role it undertook for the first time in 2008 when it considered the financial implications of the NHS Redress (Wales) Measure 2007.
In November 2007, the Committee undertook scrutiny of the Welsh Assembly draft budget proposals for the first time. Two scheduled Committee meetings and three additional Committee meetings were held during the four week scrutiny period to allow full and frank discussions of the budget proposals and several of the Committee’s recommendations were accepted by the Welsh Assembly Government.
In October 2007, the Finance Committee issued a call for evidence to inform its Inquiry into Public Private Partnerships. The wide range of written responses to the call and further evidence from Committee witnesses have added to the lively debate surrounding this Inquiry. The Finance Committee will conclude the Inquiry with the publication of its report in Summer 2008.
The Finance Committee also considered and reported on two supplementary budgets, identifying previously unreported financial assets available to the Welsh Assembly Government.
The Committee met on 14 occasions during the reporting period.
Audit Committee
Membership: David Melding (Chair); Helen Mary Jones (until March 2008)
; Lorraine Barrett; Irene James; Eleanor Burnham; Chris Franks; Janice Gregory; Bethan Jenkins (from March 2008)
; Huw Lewis; Lesley Griffiths; Darren Millar
Clerking Team: John Grimes; Abigail Phillips; Karl Gomila
The Audit Committee was established to ensure that the implementation of Welsh Assembly Government’s policies in an economic, efficient and effective way and works closely with the Auditor General for Wales in doing so. Standing Orders require that the Audit Committee consists of 10 Members, making it on of the largest Committee of the Third Assembly.
In November 2007, the Committee published its report ‘Protecting Public Money on the LG Projects, Newport’. The report made five recommendations to the Welsh Assembly Government, all of which were accepted in full.
In January 2008 the Audit Committee published its report ‘Review of the GMS Contract in Wales’. The Committee made eight recommendations, of which six were fully accepted by the Welsh Assembly Government and two partially accepted. The Committee welcomed the commitment from the Auditor General for Wales to continue to monitor the progress made by the NHS in Wales in managing the new GMS contract and implementing the recommendations.
The Committee has also taken evidence and published reports on Tackling Delayed Transfers of Care Across the Whole System
; Report on the 2006-07 Consolidated Resource Accounts of the National Assembly for Wales
; Healthcare Associated Infection
and The Arts Council for Wales – Supporting Major Capital Projects.
The Committee met on six occasions during the reporting period.
Health, Wellbeing and Local Government Committee
Membership: Jonathan Morgan (Chair);Ann Jones; Helen Mary Jones; Nick Ramsay; Lorraine Barrett; Val Lloyd; Irene James; Jenny Randerson; Dai Lloyd
Clerking Team: Steve George; Catherine Lewis; Joel Steed ;Carla Brookes
The Committee’s role is to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Assembly Government and associated public bodies within the fields of Health, Local Government and Public Service Delivery.
The Committee’s first Inquiry looked at workforce planning in health and social care. Ten oral evidence sessions were held between September 2007 and January 2008, taking evidence from 48 individuals representing 19 organisations. The Committee also received 17 written submissions and reported to the Assembly on 13 March in a wide ranging report that made 28 recommendations.
The Committee’s second Inquiry, into presumed consent for organ donation, started in January 2008. As part of its evidence gathering for the Inquiry, the Committee has been holding a Senedd Consultation where visitors to the Senedd are given background information and asked to complete a short questionnaire for their views on the subject. The Assembly’s public information service also used the Committee’s Inquiry as a focus for some of its work with schools. This involved discussions with school groups and the completion of a questionnaire, the results of which will also form part of the evidence base for the Inquiry. An online poll and discussion forum on the subject was launched and a number of public meetings are planned.
The Committee also took oral evidence from the Ministers for Social Justice and Local Government and Health and Social Services on the Assembly Government’s budget proposals and from the Minister for Health and Social Services as part of the Inquiry on workforce planning.
The Committee held extended general scrutiny sessions with the Minister for Health and Social Services, the Minister for Social Justice and Local Government and the Minister for Finance and Public Service Delivery and met on 17 occasions during the reporting period.
Children & Young People Committee
Membership: Helen Mary Jones (Chair); Christine Chapman; Lynne Neagle; Eleanor Burnham; Angela Burns
Clerking Team: Tom Jackson; Claire Griffiths; Linda Heard
The remit of the Children and Young People Committee is to consider and report on issues affecting children and young people in Wales; examine the associated expenditure, administration and policy of the Welsh Assembly Government and its sponsored public bodies and consider reports of the Children's Commissioner for Wales.
The Children and Young People Committee was founded on 16 October 2007 and immediately set about developing links with the office of the Children’s Commissioner for Wales whose annual report was scrutinised in February 2008.
On 6 March, the Committee launched its report on the Commissioning of Advocacy Services for Children and Young People. In conducting this inquiry, the Committee took evidence directly from young people, both in Committee, and through Members conducting rapporteur visits to meet with groups of young people. A number of these young people attended the launch of the report. An ‘easy-read’ version of the report has been produced, for Children and Young People.
The Committee met on seven occasions during the reporting period.
Equality of Opportunity Committee
Membership: Ann Jones (Chair); Helen Mary Jones (until 13 March);
Bethan Jenkins; Chris Franks (from 13 March);
Joyce Watson; Christine Chapman; Lynne Neagle (until 13 March);
Huw Lewis (from 13 March);
Eleanor Burnham; Angela Burns; Mark Isherwood
Clerking Team: Tom Jackson;Claire Griffiths; Linda Heard
The Equality of Opportunity Committee has a remit to consider and report on the equality of treatment of Welsh and English languages, equality of opportunity for all people and the Assembly Commission’s responsibilities for these areas.
In December 2007, the Committee published its report on the Accessibility of Polling Stations, and the majority of its recommendations were accepted by the Welsh Assembly Government.
In January 2008, the Committee took evidence from a group of disabled young people, who had previously worked with the Committee on an inquiry into Service Provision for Disabled Young People. The Committee heard from the young people what they thought had, and hadn’t, changed for them since the report was produced. The young people’s comments were then set out for the Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills’ consideration.
In conducting its inquiry into Migrant Workers, the Committee visited an Advocacy and Information centre in Wrexham, and taken evidence from a wide range of witnesses, including Minister-Counsellor Mr Krzysztof Trepczynski, from the Economic Section of the PolishEmbassy in London.
The Committee met on 11 occasions during the reporting period.
European and External Affairs Committee
Membership: Sandy Mewies (Chair); Gareth Jones; Nicholas Bourne; Christine Chapman; Jeff Cuthbert; Val Lloyd; Nerys Evans; Mike German; William Graham;
Clerking Team: Chris Reading; Sarah Bartlett; Annette Millett
The Committee’s remit is to consider and report on any matters relevant to the exercise by the First Minister, Welsh Ministers, the Counsel General or the Assembly of any of their functions relating to the European Union or external affairs.
Before the summer recess in 2007, the Committee considered various options for a scrutiny inquiry; and chose to examine the role of the European Investment Bank in Wales. The Committee received evidence from European Investment Bank, the Welsh European Funding Office, a private housing association that had received funding from the EIB, and the Deputy First Minister, in his role as Minister for Finance and Economic Development.
In addition to undertaking the inquiry, the Committee received regular briefings from the First Minister, in his role as Minister for Europe and External Affairs.
The Committee discussed Slovenia’s priorities for the EU Presidency with the Slovenian Ambassador to the UK; received regular briefings from the Head of the Representation in Wales of the European Commission; considered the European Commission’s Annual Work Programme and received a report from Wales Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
The Committee met on six occasions during the reporting period.
Petitions Committee
Membership: Val Lloyd (Chair); Bethan Jenkins; Mike German; Andrew R.T. Davies
Clerking Team: Stefan Sanchez; Alun Davidson; Tom Williams
The Committee’s remit is to consider petitions from the public and corporate bodies submitted to the National Assembly for Wales (including scrutiny of relevant Welsh Assembly Government and its sponsored bodies’ policies and administration) and was a newly established Committee of the third Assembly.
Petitions are received on a wide range of topics from all over Wales, and the process allows the general public in particular easy access to the political and legislative process. Many petitions that have been submitted have resulted in petitioners presenting evidence to the Committee, which reinforces the Assembly Commission goal to promote and widen engagement in devolution.
Particular highlights include:
The petition to re-open Carno Railway station – the Committee referred this to the Enterprise & Learning Committee who visited the site, took evidence from key stakeholders and laid a report before the Assembly, making recommendations to the Welsh Assembly Government which responded positively with suggestions of how to ensure the station would meet technical criteria for inclusion in their forthcoming regional transport plan.
The Committee considered the petition against discharge of sewage into the Nant Cylla river and took evidence from the petitioners and the Environment Agency which was responsible for granting a license and concluded that the guidance on sewage discharge was insufficient. A recommendation was made to the Minister who responded positively confirming the guidance would be updated and the application to discharge sewage was withdrawn.
As of 30th March, the Committee have received 61 petitions in the third Assembly.
The Committee met on 11 occasions during the reporting period
Section3: Engagement with Others
Opening of the Third Assembly
A programme of events to mark the opening of the Third Assembly took place on Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 June which began with a service of celebration at St David’s Metropolitan Cathedral in Cardiff’s city centre.
The opening of the Third Assembly was celebrated formally on Tuesday 5 June at the Senedd in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen, Their Royal Highnesses The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. The arrival of the Royal Party was preceded by a procession of Assembly Members, the First Minister and his Cabinet and representatives of the judiciary.
Invited guests attending the ceremony included representatives from local government in Wales; speakers of linked UK, Commonwealth and European regional parliaments; diplomats; and an all Wales element of senior citizens and youth representatives from each Unitary Authority. Military ceremonial support was provided to mark the arrival of the Royal Party outside the Senedd by the Band of the Royal Marines and HMS Exeter followed by a short ceremony in the Siambr in which Her Majesty The Queen delivered an address and signed a commemorative parchment to mark her visit. The National Youth Symphony of Wales and the Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Schools’ Choir performed ‘Mae Hen Wlad fy Nhadau’ as the Royal Party departed. Assembly Members and invited guests joined the Royal Party afterwards for a luncheon held in the Main Hall of the National Museum.
European and International
The National Assembly has continued its active programme of external relations to ensure that we learn from or influence other institutions or legislatures, develop relationships and enhance Wales’ position beyond our borders. As our constitution develops, we recognise the importance of these links and we have continued to participate in inter-parliamentary activities in Europe and the Commonwealth.
During the year, we were delighted to welcome and provide programmes at the Assembly for parliamentary delegations from the Brussels Capital Region Parliament, the Kwa Zulu Natal Provincial Assembly, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the St Helena Legislative Council, the Parliament of South Africa, the Parliament of Sri Lanka and Western Australia Parliament. Inter-Parliamentary Union delegations were received from the sovereign parliaments of Algeria, Brazil and Cuba.
As part of a three day visit to Wales at the end of January, Margaret Wallström European Commissioner for Communications and Inter-Institutional Relations addressed a special Committee of the Whole Assembly in the Senedd Siambr before engaging in a debate with Assembly Members. This was the first time that a committee of the whole Assembly had been convened.
In October 2007 the Deputy Presiding Officer, Rosemary Butler AM, represented the National Assembly at the 10th Conference of Presidents of European Regional Legislative Assemblies (CALRE) in Berlin. We continued to participate in meetings of the British Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body (BIIBP) which brings together Members of Parliaments from the islands of Britain to discuss and report on matter of common interest. The Deputy Presiding Officer led delegations attending the Body’s 35th Plenary Conference in Chipping Norton from 25-27 November.
Full Members:
Rosemary Butler AM, Deputy Presiding Officer
Alun Cairns AM
Michael German AM
Dai Lloyd AM
Joyce Watson AM
Associate Members:
Alun Davies AM
Bethan Jenkins AM
Darren Millar AM
Jenny Randerson AM
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA)
The Wales Branch of the CPA links the National Assembly in a Commonwealth-wide association of legislatures committed to the promotion of democracy world-wide. All Assembly Members are members of the Wales Branch of the CPA but the Branch Executive Committee comprised:
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas AM, Presiding Officer - President
Rosemary Butler AM, Deputy Presiding Officer - Vice President
Alun Cairns AM - Branch Chair (until 4 December 2007)
Janet Ryder AM (from 24 October 2007)
and Branch Chair (from 4 December 2007)
John Griffiths AM (until 24 October)
Jeff Cuthbert AM (from 24 October 2007)
Elin Jones AM (until 24 October)
Michael German AM
Branch Secretary: Claire Clancy
Branch Secretariat: Peter Kellam
During the year, delegations from the Branch attended the 38th British Islands and Mediterranean Region conference in Northern Ireland and the 53rd Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in New Delhi, India. Individual Members also attended the CPA seminars on parliamentary procedure in Edinburgh and climate change in Westminster.
The Branch continued its sustained programme of strengthening parliamentary support to the Parliament of the Kingdom of Lesotho. In October 2007 a delegation visited Lesotho to deliver a two day training programme for the chairs and clerks of the National Assembly’s recently established portfolio committees. In March 2008 further support was provided to the operation of parliamentary scrutiny committees in Lesotho when the Branch provided a week’s programme in Wales for two Members and the Clerk of the Senate’s Committee on HIV/AIDS.
Commonwealth Day was celebrated at the Senedd on Tuesday 10 March with an event for schools from across Wales on the theme ‘The Environment, Our Future’. The day’s programme included a Members’ plenary debate on Wales’ links with the Commonwealth.
Engaging with you
The Education Service provided both an in-bound and outreach programme of structured visits during the year. The visits aim to enhance young people’s understanding of the National Assembly for Wales and promote engagement and participation in the democratic process by young people of all ages. Our outreach team delivered presentations and activities in schools and colleges across Wales and our education team and ICT specialists were preparing the final stages and testing the ICT and voting systems for our exciting new education suite “Siambr Hywel”, a state of the art, interactive learning centre, to include Europe’s first dedicated youth debating chamber in readiness for its launch in April 2008. Based in the former debating chamber, it is a flagship example of how the Assembly can proactively engage with young people using the latest technology.
During the year the education service delivered presentations and workshops to 597 schools and colleges, around one third of all such institutions in Wales reaching an audience of 16,692 pupils. We received 350 pre-booked educational visits to the Senedd while 247 schools and colleges from the North Wales and Mid & West Wales Regions received presentations through our outreach programme.
The Marketing and Events team focused on increasing awareness and understanding of the National Assembly, our new powers and promoting the opportunity for participation in the democratic process. Our attendance at national events:
- The Urdd Eisteddfod, Carmarthen;
- Llangollen International Eisteddfod;
- The Royal Welsh Show and
- The National Eisteddfod, Flintshire.
generated much interest as we promoted the changes introduced by the Government of Wales Act 2006. We held numerous activities to promote the theme and people’s understanding of it which included musical workshops, translation workshops, access to our new website and “Hawl i Holi” – a question time panel which encouraged visitors to question Assembly Members about topical issues.
The Visitor Relations team played a large part in achieving the Assembly’s goal of promoting and widening engagement in devolution by communicating the powers and procedures of the National Assembly for Wales to our visitors. Assembly Members were supported by providing informative tours of the Assembly for their constituents and encouraging greater understanding and participation in Welsh democracy and its relevance to our citizens. During the period of the report we welcomed a total of 183,003 people to the Senedd. This total included 544 pre-booked group tours which consisted of 10,181 people with a further 8,533 visitors receiving an ad hoc tour or presentation. We welcomed 55,453 visitors to the Pierhead and provided visitor passes for 31,810 people to our offices in Ty Hywel.
ICT & Broadcasting
A brand new website www.assemblywales.org was launched in May 2007 to coincide with the start of the Third Assembly. Designed to encourage engagement between the people of Wales, stakeholders and the National Assembly by enhancing democratic engagement and communication between voters and their elected representatives, it also presents the work of the National Assembly for Wales in the most accessible, timely and efficient way. Some of the fully bilingual features include:
An advanced search for Assembly Members, including an interactive map, full and partial post code search, and options such as name, role, constituency, region and political party;
A dynamic calendar, detailing all Assembly activities including Plenary and Committee Meetings. The Calendar automatically compiles a list of papers for each meeting as they are published.
A subscription facility which registered users can use to subscribe to certain pages of the website in which they are interested. By selecting the briefcase icon at the bottom of web pages, subscribers receive a daily e-mail notifying them of any new published items;
Online discussion forums, allowing registered users to post comments and express their opinions on topics such as presumed consent for organ donation;
An online poll facility allowing users to vote on questions and statements relating to certain issues, which in turn encourages debates on the forums;
A range of electronic forms, which allow the public to email an Assembly Member, request visits to the Senedd to view Plenary and Committee meetings, and to contact the Assembly with a general query;
The ability to post video content on the site, including biographies of Assembly Members.
Also developed during the year was a new e-petitions section, which allows people to submit petitions and sign open petitions. We were delighted when our website won a medal at the 2007 British Computer Society (BCS) Awards.
Webcasting
A new webcasting service, www.senedd.tv, was designed and developed during the year, and launched as a test site for internal and external users. Looking forward, it will offer users the choice of three streaming levels depending on their internet connection and, for the first time, an audio only feed of proceedings available for all live and archive meetings. Archived meetings will have links which guide viewers directly to the start of each agenda item within each meeting, and there is also a slide bar and timer to guide viewers to an exact point within a meeting. Users can search Plenary and Committee meetings by keyword, date of meeting, Assembly Member and item discussed.
Section 4: Our Estate
Our estate includes the Senedd, Ty Hywel and the Pierhead Building in Cardiff Bay and a North Wales Office in Colwyn Bay.Within Cardiff Bay, the landmark Senedd building is located on the waterfront in Cardiff Bay and provides the key facilities to carry out assembly business in the debating chamber, committee rooms and public galleries. The Senedd was designed to reflect the Assembly’s core values of openness and transparency and is open to the public seven days a week. More information on the Senedd is available here.
The Senedd also includes a large public reception and gallery area where a wide variety of events and exhibitions were also held throughout the year. The open atmosphere lends itself to such events and enables members of the public and our stakeholders to engage with Assembly Members. Some key milestones which were worthy of celebration included the welcoming of our 500,000th visitor to the Senedd and an event to celebrate 10 years since the devolution which invited visitors to comment on camera about changes in Wales since devolution. We worked in partnership with Cardiff Council to bring the St David’s Day parade to the Senedd and Cardiff Bay for the first time ever with over 3,000 people taking part in the parade. Nearly 2,000 of these visited the Senedd and Pierhead and took part in our very own National Assembly for Wales St David’s Day celebrations which included music and dance performances as well as activities for children and their families
Ty Hywel is the office headquarters of the Assembly, located adjacent to the Senedd. The building provides office accommodation for Assembly Members and their staff and staff of the Assembly Commission.. The building also provides additional meeting and conference space to support Assembly business. During the year, the temporary debating chamber in Ty Hywel that was used until the Senedd was opened, was adapted to provide a school and youth debating chamber and classroom facility that is used by the Education team as part of the Assembly’s education service.
The Pierhead Building is a Grade 1 Listed Victorian building in a prominent location within the Cardiff Bay waterfront. The Pierhead has been used by theAssembly as its exhibition and education centre. The use of the building was reviewed during the year following the relocation of the education facility to Ty Hywel. Proposals were presented to the Assembly Commission to adapt the Pierhead Building to maintain its public accessibility whilst celebrating it’s heritage status with an appropriate interpretation scheme and to provide more flexible exhibition, events and conference facilities to support the requirements of the Assembly. These proposals were accepted and the project will be implemented during 2008/09.
The North Wales office in Prince’s Park, Colwyn Bay provides a visitor centre, exhibition and shop, conference room and office accommodation for External Communications staff based in North Wales. The visitor centre is a flexible space that has been previously adapted for committee meetings and educational events. Staff based at the North Wales office operate the switchboard for the National Assembly for Wales and the Assembly’s information and booking line. In all 37,738 request for information were made during the year. There is hot desking accommodation for the outreach and education team. It has been agreed to review and reconfigure the facilities available at the North Wales office which will be implemented during 2008/9.
Sustainability of our estate
The National Assembly for Wales Commission is committed to embedding sustainability into the way we do business. The Assembly aspires to be an exemplary organisation in terms of sustainability and environmental stewardship. Support at the very highest level is critical to achieving this objective and the Commission’s Environmental Statement gives the unequivocal endorsement of the Chief Executive and the Commissioner with responsibility for Sustainability.
The Environmental Statement sits at the apex of a suite of business plans that aim to convert our strategic objectives into a programme of practical action designed to achieve the desired environmental outcomes at an operational level.
These business plans include the Sustainable Development Action Plan, The Green Dragon Level 5 Action Plan, The Sustainable Procurement Action Plan and individual Service Plans. Individual employees are also encouraged to incorporate sustainability objectives into their Personal Development Plans
In addition to these formal structures, the “Green Team” acts as the Assembly’s “Green Conscience”, providing as a source of environmental innovation, a critical friend challenging the status quo and a pool of volunteers who undertake projects linked to sustainability.
In order to improve the energy efficiency of our estate, we were very pleased to work with the original environmental systems designers of the Senedd, BDSP to complete their revised energy prediction for the Senedd. This report provided us with the necessary information to monitor our current energy usage and to implement targets for reducing our energy usage. As a result of the report we have revised the lighting settings and controls to reduce our electricity usage. We will be considering the feasibility of implementing the other energy reduction strategies in relation to computer room equipment during 2008/09.
In December 2007 we commissioned the Carbon Trust to carry out a review of the energy performance of estate in Cardiff bay and to produce detailed recommendations to reduce our energy usage. The Carbon Trust presented their findings and recommendations in March 2007 and their recommendations will be implemented in 2008/09.
We have continued to reduce the amount of waste we send to landfill and increase the amount of waste we collect for recycling as follows:
Type of Waste disposed between April 2007 to March 2008, in Kilograms
General Waste (to landfill), 52936 Kilograms
Paper, 54250 Kilograms
Aluminium cans, 155 Kilograms
Plastic, 565 Kilograms
Plastic cups, 10280 Kilograms
Cardboard, 7100 Kilograms
Confidential Waste, 10905 Kilograms
Glass (as from October 2007), 1256 Kilograms
Percentage of total waste recycled - 61.49%
Toner Cartridges, 470 recycled
Fluorescent tubes, 1000 recycled
Section 5. How we comply with our duties
Our Boards
The Chief Executive and Clerk who is also the Accounting Officer, is accountable to the Assembly Commission (described in more detail in section 2 of this report) and to the Assembly for the management and organisation of the Assembly staff, services, resources and assets. A series of Boards were established during the year to assist her in this role.
The Executive Board
The Executive Board’s role during the year included the provision of corporate leadership, advising Commissioners on the allocation of resources to achieve objectives, managing resources and performance against objectives, ensuring an effective and transparent system of controls and to assess and manage risk. The Executive Board comprised of the Chief Executive and Clerk, Claire Clancy; the Chief Operating Officer, Dianne Bevan; the Director of Assembly Business, Adrian Crompton and the Chief Legal Adviser and Director of Legal Services, Keith Bush. The Executive Board met formally on 10 occasions during the year and considered issues such as key performance and corporate performance measures, a service planning and risk management framework which was focused on embedding the goals in the Assembly Commission Strategy, a leadership development programme, the Commission’s budget, the future proposals for the Pierhead building and a range of corporate policies including equalities, freedom of information, records management and data protection.
Independent Advisers
We appointed four Independent Advisers to ensure that the Assembly Commissioners and the Assembly’s senior management were supported and constructively challenged in their roles. We wanted people with a breadth of experience in business, industry and other sectors. Their responsibilities include performance monitoring and maintaining a critical overview of the Assembly’s financial controls and risk management procedures.The advisers are:
Mair Barnes CBE
Mair holds a number of non-executive directorships and was Chair of Vantios plc and Managing Director of Woolworths plc and held non-executive directorships at DTI and the Cabinet Office.
Richard Calvert
Richard's current position is Director of Strategy and Resources at the Food Standards Agency. He previously held a range of positions in central and local government, most recently as Finance Director at the Department for International Development. He is a qualified management accountant, and is a non-executive member of the Audit Committee at the Child Support Agency. He has also been a member of the Treasury's advisory panel on best practice in financial management.
Tim Knighton
Tim is an Associate of the Chartered Building Societies Institute and a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants.His current position is Business Solutions Delivery Director in Companies House. He has extensive private sector experience at a senior level gained with a number of blue chipcompanies including Tesco and Goldman Sachs.
Professor Robert Pickard
Robert provides scientific advice for the broadcasting media and an extensive range of companies, charities and public bodies. He is Emeritus Professor of Neurobiology at the University of Cardiff; Chairman of the Consumers' Association, Which?
; Chairman of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management at DEFRA and Chairman of the national NGO Forum for the Royal Society of Health.
Corporate Governance Committee
Our Corporate Governance Committee, which met for the first time in December 2007, consists of our Commissioner for Assembly Resources, William Graham AM and three of our Independent Advisers - Richard Calvert (Chair), Professor Pickard, Tim Knighton. It is an advisory committee performing a role similar to that of an audit committee in other public and major private sector organisations and meets five times a year. It advises the Commission on matters relating to risk, audit, good governance and financial practice and provides assurance to the Accounting Officer, Claire Clancy, who attends the meeting along with relevant colleagues. Representative from the Wales Audit Office and our internal auditors, RSM Bentley Jennison, also attend.
Parliamentary Services Board
The Board was established to provide direction, and to act as a sounding board, for the improvement of the parliamentary services provided to Members and their staff, and to those wishing to engage with the Assembly. Chaired by the Director of Assembly Business, Adrian Crompton and attended by the Chief Executive, Directors and directorate service heads, it provided a forum to enable a step back from day to day operations in order to take an overview of the services being delivered; to drive closer and more systematic integration across services and for supportive peer and external challenge. We were delighted that Laura McAllister, Professor of Governance, University of Liverpool, was able join the Board to provide an external reference and challenge. It met on five occasions during the year.
Operations Board
The Operations Board was established to consider issues relevant to the Operations Directorate. Chaired by the Chief Operating Officer, Dianne Bevan and attended by the Chief Executive, service heads and their colleagues, it existed to secure and support customer-focussed service improvement, empower and engage a wide leadership team and to foster corporate working across Assembly services to improve strategic decision-making and planning. It enabled participants to share operational decisions where there was a significant impact on other services, encourage clear and timely communication and identify risks. The Operations Board met on seven occasions during the year.
Welsh Language Scheme
The Welsh Language Act 1993 prescribes that Crown Bodies must prepare and implement a Welsh Language Scheme and on 11 July 2007, we published our first Scheme which will run until 2011. The Scheme is available here. Since its launch, a team of Welsh Language Co-ordinators representing each of our 11 service areas has met regularly and has developed an action plan to ensure delivery of the Scheme’s requirements; a language skills audit has taken place; a bilingual skills strategy is being developed and a compliance report has been completed to ensure that we deliver our objectives. The compliance return has shown excellent performance across the organisation in terms of the delivery of bilingual services to Assembly Members, our stakeholders and the public. We hope to build on the success of our first year to ensure that we reach our ambition of becoming a truly bilingual organisation. To do this, in the coming year we will be concentrating on raising staff awareness, mainstreaming the Scheme’s requirements, launching our Bilingual Skills Strategy and marketing our bilingual services to encourage greater take-up by our customers.
Equalities
The Commission is committed to promoting equality of opportunity and eliminating unfair discrimination in its employment practices. It has taken steps to ensure that all job applicants and staff are be treated fairly, with respect and without bias and that no one will be disadvantaged because of their gender; sexual orientation; marital or family status; racial group; religious belief, or a similar philosophical belief (or lack of any of these); disability; age; part-time or fixed term contract status; and trade union membership status/activities.
Operation Black Vote/Assembly Member Shadowing Scheme
Between October 2007 and April 2008, the National Assembly for Wales hosted the Scheme to help address the deficit in BME democratic participation in Wales. The Scheme won a Hansard Political Society/Channel 4 Democracy Award in January and there have been some positive outcomes: some of the Scheme’s participants were selected as candidates for the May local elections in Wales and also one was selected for a parliamentary seat.
Development of a Single Equalities Scheme and Action Plan
Much work was undertaken during the year to develop our Single Equalities Scheme which will set out our approach to promoting equalities as an employer and as an organisation that serves Assembly Members and interacts with the public. The equalities team has been working to develop a consultation document for the Scheme which will go beyond the requirements of the public sector equality duties and will cover the following equalities strands: age, disability, gender/gender identity, race/ethnicity, religion/belief and sexual orientation. We aim to consult publicly throughout the summer in readiness for publication in October 2008, making contact with community groups and representative organisations to involve under represented groups in the development of the Single Equalities Scheme’s priorities for action.
Staff Equalities Survey
In February, we carried out an online staff equalities survey to profile our workforce from an equalities perspective and collect statistical data on age, grade, disability, gender/gender identity, race/ethnicity, religion/belief and sexual orientation. The survey also provided an opportunity to identify any equalities related issues that might affect staff. The data will be used to inform the evidence base for the Single Equalities Scheme and Action Plan.
External Review of our Recruitment Practices and the Impact of these on Increasing BME Representation in our Workforce
The review consisted of analysing existing policies and practices within the Assembly Commission, examining other good practice in relation to recruitment of BME staff, and making recommendations on additional activities which the Commission might be engaged in, which would lead to both to measurable and meaningful outcomes and increase BME representation in our workforce. Consideration of these recommendations will be undertaken in 2008/9.
Staff Equality Networks
An LGBT staff network was developed in December 2007. The network will provide informal support to LGBT employees and will be able to participate in the equality impact assessment process. We also entered Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index for the first time – and we were delighted to be ranked as the 208th gay-friendly employer in thewhole of the United Kingdom. This is an excellent achievement for the Assembly Commission aswe have only been an employer inour own right since May 2007. A staff network for people with disabilities is currently being planned.
Health and Safety
The Commission is committed to promoting health and safety as a priority issue. Its aim is to take appropriate and reasonable steps to ensure that it conducts its business in such a way that employees and other people who may be affected by its work are not exposed to risks to their health and safety. To deliver this Policy the Commission has published a statement of intent setting out its commitment to health and safety, strengthened the health and safety function by recruiting an appropriately qualified Health Safety Officer and merged the function with occupational health to form a more holistic team within the Human Resources Service.
Internal Communications
Effective communication is the key to the success of an organisation and in addition to day to day communications that take place between our staff, their managers and colleagues in other service areas, various stands of communication were set up or further developed in 2007/08. These were:
Our Newspage, which is used for daily messages for staff A similar Newspage is produced for Assembly Members and their support staff. A Weekly Bulletin pulls together, in one place, various items of information that staff would otherwise have to search our intranet or Emails for, including what has happened in Plenary and Committees, a forward look of the following week's business together with staff messages of a corporate nature and all the visits, events and exhibitions that are taking place in our buildings.
Enabling the views of staff to be fed through to senior management on particular topics, Cyfnewid (Exchange) ensures that their observations are shared with their service heads and provided to the Executive Board. A discussion forum takes place and the Executive Board then publishes a reply noting action to be taken in response to the feedback. Llechen/Slate is a staff magazine and much more socially focused. Published on a monthly basis, it concentrates on issues that may be of interest to staff about their colleagues; social occasions, special interest features, competitions and book and film reviews.
