, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Senedd Commission Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23
I think we'll have to agree to differ on whether that's an efficient way of doing it. You could have an audit system that went in to check that it had been dealt with effectively. But I'm just talking about paying a public body or a semi-public body, and you…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Senedd Commission Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23
Well, I think it's inefficient—you probably don't. Why do you need somebody to get my water rates, which come from Welsh Water, and I then send it to MBS, who then send it on? Exactly the same item will get to payments as would have got there if I'd sent it…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Senedd Commission Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23
Okay. Just a very simple thing. I get the water rates for the office I'm in. I then send them to Members' business support, who send them on to finance to pay them. Why can't I just send them straight to finance to pay it? Why does there have to be an…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Senedd Commission Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23
I won't repeat some of the things I said last time, you'll be pleased to hear, at the Finance Committee, but is there an opportunity to cut out some stages in the processing? A bit of paper goes from A to B to C to D. If the paper only went from A to D, you'd…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Senedd Commission Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23
Diolch, Cadeirydd. I think the first thing to say is I would like to continue talking about ways of working. I want to talk about the governance structure for the ways of working strategy and programme. How effective has it been to date?
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Papers to note
I certainly will.
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Papers to note
I'm content to note. It's just that, for the record, on page 13, 'Other issues', the '£7 higher than the median gross weekly earnings in all industries in Wales' is really not a very big difference. And the term, 'really good, high-paid jobs' in the area…
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
Because I missed the beginning of the meeting I didn't declare that I'm a member of the pension board. I think the remuneration committee know that I'm a member of the pension board, members of this committee know that I'm a member of the pension board, and I…
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
Again, that was the answer I was hoping for and expecting and, yes, I'm happy.
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
At the moment, you undergo a full review of the determination every five years, which makes a lot of sense as we have five-year terms. Will you be moving to four years if we move to four-year terms?
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
Okay. Thank you. Really it was a question for you to pass on to the actuary rather than for you to answer directly.
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
Diolch, Cadeirydd. I've got a question on pensions first. My expectation, and I'm not sure whether you would agree, is that we'll have 36 new Members—that's a fact—we'll probably have 10 to 15 new Members because of retirements, and that means that over half…
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
No, I've got nothing to ask.
, Plenary
Group 5: Operation of regulations under section 10A(1) (Amendments 14, 16, 19, 23, 25)
I want to speak to amendments 14 and 23. I support us paying all working people the real living wage, and I think that's something we should be campaigning for in everything we're doing. Paying people less than it's possible to live on I think is…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: Ending homelessness in Wales
I very much welcome the statement by the Minister. Homelessness is an affront to any civilised society. I welcome the actions of the Government and the acceptance that homelessness is not just rough-sleeping; it is people sofa surfing, sleeping on floors, who…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
I raised the success of the SA1 development in Swansea with the First Minister at a recent First Minister's questions, highlighting the success of companies such as Cyden and Veeqo, which the First Minister and I recently visited. I would also like to…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2024-25: Evidence session
Thank you.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2024-25: Evidence session
I'm glad I can say this will be my final question. I've got no problem with any of that, but, as Peter will say, when he speaks just after me, local authorities have spent a lot of time trying to drive down fixed costs. Although the cost of something has to…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2024-25: Evidence session
Thank you, Cadeirydd. This could well be my last question, but I'm loath to say that, because I might want a supplementary after it. But the budget planning: how is it going to be different under the medium-term resource framework, and are you looking for…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2024-25: Evidence session
Okay, thank you.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2024-25: Evidence session
And what you're saying is that you're making these in your savings, but they're not recurrent?
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2024-25: Evidence session
Okay. Thank you very much, Ken. You used the original 2023-24 budget as a baseline when making year-on-year comparisons, rather than the reduced figure included in your supplementary budget. Why?
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2024-25: Evidence session
I don't care who is my provider. In fact, I can't remember who it is; it was the cheapest at the time I did it. I don't do annual checks, never mind any more regular checks, on it. Can I just suggest that the Commission asks Members who would want to have it…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2024-25: Evidence session
Diolch, Cadeirydd. A lot of what I was going to ask has already been answered under your questions. Can I carry on with talking about utility costs? Every Member pays utility costs and they go through a whole process to get reimbursement or to get direct…
, Finance Committee
Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest
I've made it before, but I ought to make it when we discuss staff. I chair the Public and Commercial Services Union cross-party group in the Senedd, for which I get no remuneration, but I think it needs to be repeated each time we have these meetings.
