Independent Board will set Assembly Members pay and allowances after AMs back new law
26 May 2010
Assembly Members have this afternoon (26 May) voted in favour of the National Assembly for Wales (Remuneration) Measure.
The Measure will now be submitted to the Queen for formal approval at a meeting of the Privy Council and is expected to become law in about 6 weeks time.
It means that an Independent Remuneration Board of five will in future determine the level of financial support for Assembly Members.
This is the first ever Measure to be proposed by the National Assembly Commission and means AMs will no longer have a say in how much they are paid or receive in expenses.
“This Measure is another indication to the Welsh public, and beyond, of our commitment to the principles of transparency and openness which I believe people now associate with the National Assembly,” said Presiding Officer Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas AM.
“The Measure will further enhance our justified reputation for pioneering work in applying those principles to our own pay and allowances
“So today we see the fruition of that drive to create an open and transparent system of financial support for Members, one which I thank Members for supporting and one which I hope will reignite that trust that voters give us when they elect us to office.”
The Assembly Commission set up an Independent Panel to look at the system of financial support for Assembly Members in August 2008.
An Independent Remuneration Board was one of the 108 recommendations from the panel when it reported in July 2009.
The Board will be made up of five members, including the chair, who will serve a term of five years, with reappointment permitted for a second term.
Assembly Members are barred from serving on the Board.
The Board will make one ruling on Assembly Members’ pay for each four year Assembly term but will be able to determine allowances more frequently if necessary.
Members must meet a minimum of once every year but can meet on more occasions if circumstances require.