, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
I think the locality is one of the—. The Senedd building isn't moving and, therefore, being able to have offices that are close enough for us to be able to carry out our work as parliamentarians, and being able to access this building that we're in now, from…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
I think staging is part—as in, the stages at which these things happen—. We had to make decisions, or the Commission had to make decisions, before the 2026 election as to what accommodation was needed when we all came back into the building. So, we had to do…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
Sorry, Ed, did you—?
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
We're fully engaging with the Welsh Government at an official level, and I know that the chief executive is speaking to senior officials within the Welsh Government to make sure that they're fully apprised of what's going on. With any decant strategy, that…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
I'm going to look to Lisa.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
Rent is being paid, but the rent reviews haven't.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
Just to mention, on the savings, because we're potentially moving out of the building, it means we save on rates, we save on rent. Plus there's also been, for the project to date, at least two rent reviews that have been frozen, so we haven't seen those…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
Ed, do you want to talk through some of the specifics on the costs?
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
I'll ask Ed to provide those details, but just to address why we need to decant to get the work done, the initial strategy was to remain in the building and to move people from one side to the other and back, but given the details of the structure of the…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
As we've said already, the project is a major one, and there's a lot of movement in it. The decisions, in terms of proceeding with the project will be made before the end of the year, and the process—. I'll ask Ed to expand on the process so far and what is…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
Before brining Manon in, I think that is an important issue. Getting the balance of what we put in a report, and what we don't put in a report, in terms of accessibility and the ability to read it and understand the document—. I do take your point clearly on…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
It's something that I know the Llywydd has spoken about in the Commission, looking at the shop provision. And, obviously, as somebody who visits other Seneddau around the world, it varies very much, even if you go to Westminster. But it's certainly something…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
Regular.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
But it doesn't include the staffing costs. So, we make £15,000—
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
I think the point is that we're not a commercial entity, so we shouldn't be using the estate to make profit. I think that's the point.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
I think—
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
Lisa, do you have the figure to hand?
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
Well, we've tried to manage within—. It's a long-standing commitment that the Commission has to the Finance Committee and to the Senedd to make sure that we only ask for the resource that we need to be able to carry out our responsibilities, as a Commission…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
And, of course, to follow up on that, there's the good work that our colleague Hefin David did in the last Senedd to engage with this committee and also, of course, with groups, and being available to discuss and make sure that technical briefings were…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
As you'll be aware, we've got quite a few new Members, so it was an interesting time when we all came back or came for the first time. What the new Commission did in the engagement was—. The initial engagement was with groups. When I took the role on for…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
Of course, the decision on going ahead hasn't yet been taken. That's why it wouldn't have been reflected in this budget currently.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
Lisa, you've pulled the figures together for us, so—
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
It's in my own notes. Lisa, do you—?
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
So, the overall staffing costs for 2026-27, when you add everything together—well, when you add all the operational costs before the ring fence—comes to £59,987, and then the draft budget this year shows a figure of £59,541 when you add them together. That's…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2027-28: Evidence Session
I think the main point is that we try and keep the ring fences away from the operational budget so that at least we try and get a baseline that you can compare year on year. And when you look at the business-as-usual costs over from last year to this year…
