Assembly Commission
Encyclopedia
The National Assembly for Wales Commission (usually referred to in Wales
as the Assembly Commission) is the corporate body for the National Assembly for Wales
. The Commission is responsible for ensuring the property, staff and services are provided for the Assembly. The Assembly Commission consists of the Presiding Officer
and four Members from different Political parties, who each have different portfolios of work. The Commission is supported by staff in the Commission and Assembly Support Service.
provides the National Assembly for Wales with significant new powers to legislate, and strengthens its scrutiny role. It also creates a legally separate Welsh Government and a Corporate Body, known as the National Assembly for Wales Commission (Assembly Commission) which has responsibility for the provision of property, staff and services to support the Assembly Members. The Commission consists of the Presiding Officer and four other Members nominated by the main political parties. The staff of the Commission are employees of the Commission and are headed by the Chief Executive and Clerk to the Assembly
.
The Commission's duty under the Government of Wales Act 2006
is to provide the “property, staff and services required for the Assembly's purposes”. In practice, this means that it is the Commission's responsibility to:
- acquire, hold or dispose of any property on behalf of the Assembly;
- make arrangements to pay Members and provide their pensions and allowances and to employ Assembly staff; and
- act in an appropriate and necessary way to provide the services required for the Assembly to do its work.
Schedule 2 of the Government of Wales Act 2006
allows the Commission to promote public awareness of the current or future electoral system for the Assembly. It also empowers the Commission to promote public awareness of the current or any pending system of devolved government in Wales. The Act allows this to take place via the use of education or information programmes and by making grants available to other bodies or persons to carry out such programmes.
After each financial year, the Assembly Commission must publish an annual report. This report must outline how the Commission has fulfilled its role and exercised its functions during the financial year, and must be laid before the Assembly. The Commission is also required to produce annual accounts for audit by the Auditor General for Wales.
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 for the National Assembly.
To help achieve these aims, the Commissioners have special responsibility for certain aspects of the Assembly’s work. This allows a great deal of work to take place outside of formal Commission meetings and positive working relationships to be developed with staff.
Their role is to ensure that the Assembly has enough resources (both in terms of staff and infrastructure) to work effectively. The Commissioners are also responsible for overseeing Assembly Members’ pay and allowances.
The Assembly Commission has further responsibilities to promote public awareness of the devolved government in Wales as well as the current and future electoral system.
The Commissioners for the Fourth Assembly are as follows:
The Presiding Officer, Rosemary Butler AM (Welsh Labour)
Sandy Mewies AM (Welsh Labour)
Angela Burns AM (Welsh Conservatives)
Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM (Plaid Cymru)
Peter Black AM (Welsh Liberal Democrats)
The Llywydd Dafydd Elis-Thomas
had special responsibility for encouraging the people of Wales to engage in the democratic process, encouraging effective leadership within the Assembly, developing the future legislative powers of the Assembly and promoting effective engagement with external stakeholders.
Chris Franks
AM (Commissioner for the Improving Assembly) had responsibility for the continuous improvement of services to Assembly Members and the people of Wales, as well as strategic planning and ensuring the Assembly delivers value for money. He also worked with National Assembly staff to involve stakeholders in the democratic process.
William Graham (Welsh politician)
AM (Commissioner for Assembly Resources) covered the management of National Assembly assets and staff (including employees, contractors and services provided to support Assembly Members’ support staff). He was also responsible for overseeing Assembly Members’ salaries and allowances as well as ensuring the Assembly conformed to the principles of efficiency and good governance.
Peter Black (Welsh politician)
AM (Commissioner for the Assembly and the Citizen) was responsible for ensuring the Assembly is effective when it undertakes its core roles of holding the Welsh government to account and making laws for Wales. In addition, he oversaw effective external communication initiatives, which included educating people about the Assembly’s role, the provision of effective information and communication technology for the Assembly and lawfulness.
Lorraine Barrett
AM (Commissioner for the Sustainable Assembly) had responsibility for ensuring the National Assembly conformed to and exceeded its policies on equality and accessibility. She also had special responsibility for ensuring the National Assembly and its buildings conform to principles of sustainability.
maintains that membership of the Assembly Commission will include the Presiding Officer and four other Assembly Members. Standing Order 3.3 sets out the arrangement for the appointment of the four other Assembly Members, and states that there will not be more than one member (other than the Presiding Officer) from the same political group.
The policies, which are currently under development, are:
Claire took up post as Chief Executive and Clerk of the National Assembly in February 2007. The post was created to reflect the growing powers of the Assembly following the Government of Wales Act 2006
. From May 2007, the Chief Executive and Clerk will lead an organisation independent of the Welsh Assembly Government. She is responsible for ensuring that the Assembly is provided with the property, staff and services that it requires and to help develop an Assembly that inspires confidence and has a reputation within Wales and beyond for accessible and efficient democracy.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
as the Assembly Commission) is the corporate body for the National Assembly for Wales
National Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
. The Commission is responsible for ensuring the property, staff and services are provided for the Assembly. The Assembly Commission consists of the Presiding Officer
Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales
The Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales is the Speaker of the National Assembly for Wales, elected by the Members of the National Assembly for Wales to chair their meetings ; to maintain order; and to protect the rights of Members.He or she also heads the Corporate Body of the...
and four Members from different Political parties, who each have different portfolios of work. The Commission is supported by staff in the Commission and Assembly Support Service.
Role of the Commission
The Government of Wales Act 2006Government of Wales Act 2006
The Government of Wales Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reforms the National Assembly for Wales and allows further powers to be granted to it more easily...
provides the National Assembly for Wales with significant new powers to legislate, and strengthens its scrutiny role. It also creates a legally separate Welsh Government and a Corporate Body, known as the National Assembly for Wales Commission (Assembly Commission) which has responsibility for the provision of property, staff and services to support the Assembly Members. The Commission consists of the Presiding Officer and four other Members nominated by the main political parties. The staff of the Commission are employees of the Commission and are headed by the Chief Executive and Clerk to the Assembly
Chief Executive and Clerk to the National Assembly for Wales
Chief Executive and Clerk to the National Assembly for Wales is a position that relates to the National Assembly for Wales and the Assembly Commission and was created in February 2007 to reflect the growing powers of the National Assembly following the Government of Wales Act 2006...
.
The Commission's duty under the Government of Wales Act 2006
Government of Wales Act 2006
The Government of Wales Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reforms the National Assembly for Wales and allows further powers to be granted to it more easily...
is to provide the “property, staff and services required for the Assembly's purposes”. In practice, this means that it is the Commission's responsibility to:
- acquire, hold or dispose of any property on behalf of the Assembly;
- make arrangements to pay Members and provide their pensions and allowances and to employ Assembly staff; and
- act in an appropriate and necessary way to provide the services required for the Assembly to do its work.
Schedule 2 of the Government of Wales Act 2006
Government of Wales Act 2006
The Government of Wales Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reforms the National Assembly for Wales and allows further powers to be granted to it more easily...
allows the Commission to promote public awareness of the current or future electoral system for the Assembly. It also empowers the Commission to promote public awareness of the current or any pending system of devolved government in Wales. The Act allows this to take place via the use of education or information programmes and by making grants available to other bodies or persons to carry out such programmes.
After each financial year, the Assembly Commission must publish an annual report. This report must outline how the Commission has fulfilled its role and exercised its functions during the financial year, and must be laid before the Assembly. The Commission is also required to produce annual accounts for audit by the Auditor General for Wales.
The Assembly Commission
The National Assembly Commission consists of the Llywydd, plus four other Assembly Members, one nominated by each of the four party groups represented by the Assembly. The Commissioners are Sandy Mewies AM, Angela Burns AM, Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM and Peter Black AM.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 for the National Assembly.
To help achieve these aims, the Commissioners have special responsibility for certain aspects of the Assembly’s work. This allows a great deal of work to take place outside of formal Commission meetings and positive working relationships to be developed with staff.
Their role is to ensure that the Assembly has enough resources (both in terms of staff and infrastructure) to work effectively. The Commissioners are also responsible for overseeing Assembly Members’ pay and allowances.
The Assembly Commission has further responsibilities to promote public awareness of the devolved government in Wales as well as the current and future electoral system.
The Commissioners for the Fourth Assembly are as follows:
The Presiding Officer, Rosemary Butler AM (Welsh Labour)
Sandy Mewies AM (Welsh Labour)
Angela Burns AM (Welsh Conservatives)
Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM (Plaid Cymru)
Peter Black AM (Welsh Liberal Democrats)
Commission for the Fourth Assembly
| Name | Picture | Entered office | Left office | Political party | Other | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosemary Butler Rosemary Butler Rosemary Butler began her career playing bass and singing in an all-girl band named the Ladybirds. The band appeared on several LA area television shows before opening for the Rolling Stones in 1964. She then joined all-female hard rock band Birtha who released two albums for Dunhill Records... AM |
May, 2011 | Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
Chair (as Presiding Officer of the Fourth Assembly) | ||||
| Sandy Mewies Sandy Mewies Sandra Mewies AM is a Welsh Labour politician. Born in Brymbo, Clwyd, Mewies has represented the constituency of Delyn at the National Assembly for Wales since her election in 2003.-Education:... AM |
May, 2011 | Labour | Fourth Assembly | ||||
| Angela Burns Angela Burns Angela Burns is a British businesswoman and politician who was elected as Conservative member for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire to the National Assembly for Wales in May 2007.-Background:... AM |
May, 2011 | Conservative Party Welsh Conservative Party The Welsh Conservatives & Unionists , informally the Welsh Conservatives or Welsh Tories, are the part of the Conservative Party which operates in Wales... |
Fourth Assembly | ||||
| Rhodri Glyn Thomas Rhodri Glyn Thomas Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM is a Welsh politician. He has been the Plaid Cymru National Assembly for Wales Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr since 1999.-Education:... AM |
May, 2011 | Plaid Cymru Plaid Cymru ' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966... |
Fourth Assembly | ||||
| Peter Black Peter Black (Welsh politician) Peter Black is a Welsh Liberal Democrat politician, and Member of the Welsh Assembly for the South Wales West Region.-Background:... AM |
June 9, 2007 | Liberal Democrats Welsh Liberal Democrats The Welsh Liberal Democrats are one of the three state parties of the federal Liberal Democrats and operate within Wales, the others being the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Liberal Democrats in England.... |
Fourth Assembly | ||||
Third Assembly Commission
The portfolios that each commissioner had from the Third Assembly are detailed below:The Llywydd Dafydd Elis-Thomas
Dafydd Elis-Thomas
Dafydd Elis Elis-Thomas, Baron Elis-Thomas, PC, AM, is a Welsh politician and was the Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales until 2011...
had special responsibility for encouraging the people of Wales to engage in the democratic process, encouraging effective leadership within the Assembly, developing the future legislative powers of the Assembly and promoting effective engagement with external stakeholders.
Chris Franks
Chris Franks
Christopher Paul Franks is a Welsh engineer and politician. A member of Plaid Cymru, he has led the party's group on the Vale of Glamorgan council. Between 2007 and 2011 he was a member of the National Assembly for Wales losing in 2011....
AM (Commissioner for the Improving Assembly) had responsibility for the continuous improvement of services to Assembly Members and the people of Wales, as well as strategic planning and ensuring the Assembly delivers value for money. He also worked with National Assembly staff to involve stakeholders in the democratic process.
William Graham (Welsh politician)
William Graham (Welsh politician)
William Graham JP is a Conservative politician, currently European Affairs spokesman for the Official Opposition in the National Assembly for Wales and Conservative group chairman and Chief Whip.-Background:...
AM (Commissioner for Assembly Resources) covered the management of National Assembly assets and staff (including employees, contractors and services provided to support Assembly Members’ support staff). He was also responsible for overseeing Assembly Members’ salaries and allowances as well as ensuring the Assembly conformed to the principles of efficiency and good governance.
Peter Black (Welsh politician)
Peter Black (Welsh politician)
Peter Black is a Welsh Liberal Democrat politician, and Member of the Welsh Assembly for the South Wales West Region.-Background:...
AM (Commissioner for the Assembly and the Citizen) was responsible for ensuring the Assembly is effective when it undertakes its core roles of holding the Welsh government to account and making laws for Wales. In addition, he oversaw effective external communication initiatives, which included educating people about the Assembly’s role, the provision of effective information and communication technology for the Assembly and lawfulness.
Lorraine Barrett
Lorraine Barrett
Lorraine Barrett is a former Welsh Labour & Co-operative Member of the National Assembly for Wales for Cardiff South and Penarth and an Assembly Commissioner since 2007...
AM (Commissioner for the Sustainable Assembly) had responsibility for ensuring the National Assembly conformed to and exceeded its policies on equality and accessibility. She also had special responsibility for ensuring the National Assembly and its buildings conform to principles of sustainability.
Membership
The Government of Wales Act 2006Government of Wales Act 2006
The Government of Wales Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reforms the National Assembly for Wales and allows further powers to be granted to it more easily...
maintains that membership of the Assembly Commission will include the Presiding Officer and four other Assembly Members. Standing Order 3.3 sets out the arrangement for the appointment of the four other Assembly Members, and states that there will not be more than one member (other than the Presiding Officer) from the same political group.
Third Assembly
| Name | Picture | Entered office | Left office | Political party | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dafydd Elis Thomas AM | July 9, 2007 | Plaid Cymru Plaid Cymru ' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966... |
Chair (as Presiding Officer of the Third Assembly) | |||
| William Graham William Graham (Welsh politician) William Graham JP is a Conservative politician, currently European Affairs spokesman for the Official Opposition in the National Assembly for Wales and Conservative group chairman and Chief Whip.-Background:... AM |
June 9, 2007 | Conservative Party Welsh Conservative Party The Welsh Conservatives & Unionists , informally the Welsh Conservatives or Welsh Tories, are the part of the Conservative Party which operates in Wales... |
Third Assembly | |||
| Lorraine Barrett Lorraine Barrett Lorraine Barrett is a former Welsh Labour & Co-operative Member of the National Assembly for Wales for Cardiff South and Penarth and an Assembly Commissioner since 2007... AM |
June 9, 2007 | Labour | Third Assembly | |||
| Peter Black Peter Black (Welsh politician) Peter Black is a Welsh Liberal Democrat politician, and Member of the Welsh Assembly for the South Wales West Region.-Background:... AM |
June 9, 2007 | Liberal Democrats Welsh Liberal Democrats The Welsh Liberal Democrats are one of the three state parties of the federal Liberal Democrats and operate within Wales, the others being the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Liberal Democrats in England.... |
Third Assembly | |||
| Elin Jones Elin Jones Elin Jones AM , is a Welsh politician, born in Lampeter, Wales, who has represented Ceredigion for Plaid Cymru as a Member of the National Assembly for Wales since 1999.-Background:... AM |
June 9, 2007 | September 18, 2007 | Plaid Cymru Plaid Cymru ' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966... |
Third Assembly (became a Government Minister) | ||
| Chris Franks Chris Franks Christopher Paul Franks is a Welsh engineer and politician. A member of Plaid Cymru, he has led the party's group on the Vale of Glamorgan council. Between 2007 and 2011 he was a member of the National Assembly for Wales losing in 2011.... AM |
September 18, 2007 | Plaid Cymru Plaid Cymru ' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966... |
Third Assembly | |||
Policies
A number of documents were approved by the Shadow Commission with the intention that they should be implemented as soon as is possible after the establishment of the Assembly Commission following the May 2007 elections.The policies, which are currently under development, are:
- Statement of Practices and Procedures for the Assembly Commission
- Equality of Opportunity
- Sustainable Development Policy
- Health and Safety Policy
- Welsh Language Scheme
- Corporate Governance Framework
- Financial Standards
- Staff Code of Conduct
- Public Interest Disclosure Policy
- Records Management policy
- Freedom of Information Publication Scheme
- Procurement Policy
- Risk Management Strategy
- IT Security Policy
- Business Continuity Plan
Chief Executive and Clerk to the Assembly
- Claire ClancyClaire ClancyClaire Clancy is Chief Executive and Clerk to the National Assembly for Wales, since February 2007.-Background:She went to Dartford Grammar School for Girls She has a degree in psychology from the Open University and owns a farm near Abergavenny.-Career:...
Claire took up post as Chief Executive and Clerk of the National Assembly in February 2007. The post was created to reflect the growing powers of the Assembly following the Government of Wales Act 2006
Government of Wales Act 2006
The Government of Wales Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reforms the National Assembly for Wales and allows further powers to be granted to it more easily...
. From May 2007, the Chief Executive and Clerk will lead an organisation independent of the Welsh Assembly Government. She is responsible for ensuring that the Assembly is provided with the property, staff and services that it requires and to help develop an Assembly that inspires confidence and has a reputation within Wales and beyond for accessible and efficient democracy.