Assembly Committee backs move to strengthen arm of Assembly Standards’ Commissioner
A cross-party committee of AMs has backed a series of amendments aimed at strengthen legislation governing the role of the National Assembly’s Commissioner for Standards.
Presiding Officer, Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, proposed the amendments to members of Legislation Committee No. 1 this morning.
They were Scrutinising the proposed National Assembly for Wales Commissioner for Standards Measure.
During the meeting, the Presiding Officer told committee members: “These amendments will put a duty on the Standards’ Commissioner to promote and encourage best practice amongst Assembly Members.
“It is essential, with the current storm engulfing another place, that we ensure the public in Wales will be able to see that an independent commissioner is acting on their behalf.
“These amendments are firmly based on the principle that prevention of misconduct is better than cure.”
Other amendments will put a duty on the Chief Executive of the National Assembly to refer any complaints of alleged wrong doing to the Standards’ Commissioner.
There’s also a duty on the Standards’ Commissioner to refer back to the Chief Executive any suspected wrong doing discovered during the course of an investigation into a separate allegation of wrong doing.
The chief executive would then decide whether the Commissioner needed to investigate further.
The presiding Officer went on to tell members that this would allow for a “whistleblowing” system to emerge whereby members of Assembly Staff would feel more comfortable in referring issues to the chief executive.
During the meeting the Presiding Officer was backed by the chair of the Committee on Standards, Jeff Cuthbert AM, who introduced the proposed measure.
“The Standards Committee felt it was important that the Commissioner for Standards has strong legal powers to investigate any complaint of wrong doing, and to encourage high standards in public life for Assembly Members,” he said.
“As a committee we are fully agreed that the Assembly’s Standards Commissioner needs to be independent and have the full confidence of the public.”
All amendments were backed by the committee and the measure will now go before plenary to be debated in the autumn.