Independent panel to carry out review of Assembly Members’ allowances

The Assembly Commission has announced the setting up of an independent panel to look at the support given to Members.

The Commission has also agreed in principle to publish details of claims made by AMs under the current system of allowances.

The Commission agreed that the scope for the review of Members’ support should be broad, and not limited by particular questions or the existing system here or elsewhere in the UK. They want the review panel to examine fundamentally the whole approach to pay and support for Assembly Members and will be giving the panel a wide brief, making it clear that they should consider all possibilities, including radical departures from current practice. As well as appointing high calibre independent members to the panel itself, there are others who have considerable relevant expertise, for example within local government and the WLGA, and the Commission will draw on a diverse range of expert input to the work of the review.

Presiding Officer Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas AM, who chairs the Commission, said: “We are committed to being open and transparent and that includes information about our own pay and support. We will publishing details of allowances claimed and work is well underway on collating that information. We are awaiting the outcome of the High Court hearing relating to information published by the House of Commons, as that will clarify precisely what level of information should be in the public domain.

“At the same time, we are determined that there should be a root and branch reform of all aspects of support provided to Members. We are committed to bringing in the highest-possible calibre of people to serve on the panel, which will be given a wide remit – nothing is off-limits – we want a system of support for Members which is right for the Assembly and right for Wales.”