The National Assembly for Wales has appointed four new Assembly Commissioners. The Commissioners will be responsible for setting the strategic goals and direction of the Assembly Commission over the next five years.
The Commission is made up of five Members – the Presiding Officer who chairs the meetings, and four Members, one each from the largest political groups.
The four Commissioners are Joyce Watson AM from Welsh Labour, Dai Lloyd AM from Plaid Cymru, Suzy Davies AM from Welsh Conservative Party and Caroline Jones AM from UKIP. The Presiding Officer, Elin Jones AM chairs the Assembly Commission.
The Assembly is required, by law, to appoint Assembly Commissioners who are responsible for providing the Assembly with the staff and resources they need to carry out their roles effectively for the people of Wales.
“Together we, as Commissioners, are charged with the governance of the organisation and are accountable to the Assembly” said Presiding Officer, Elin Jones AM.
“Our responsibilities as the “governing board” include setting the organisation’s strategic aims, providing the leadership to put them into effect, and overseeing the delivery of those strategic aims”
The Assembly Commission is responsible for the long-term success of the National Assembly, to help make it a strong, accessible and forward looking democratic institution and legislature that serves effectively the people of Wales.
Members of the Commission (other than the Presiding Officer) should, where possible, belong to different political groups. The Commission is legally separate from the Welsh Government; this means that the staff of the National Assembly are not civil servants, but employees of the Assembly Commission. This is similar to the set-up of the House of Commons and Scottish Parliament.
The Commissioners will meet later in the month to discuss their portfolio responsibilities.