Elin Jones: Can I just cut across Ken Skates for one second? There's an intervention request for you from Rhun ap Iorwerth, would you accept that?
Elin Jones: Russell George.
Elin Jones: I have selected the amendment to the motion, and I call on Rhun ap Iorwerth to move amendment 1, tabled in the name of Siân Gwenllian.
Elin Jones: Let me start by thanking the Chair of the committee, members past and present, and the Commission staff who worked to produce the report and recommendations for today. I thank also the expert panel chaired by Laura McAllister, commissioned five years ago by the Senedd Commission to bring forward recommendations on Senedd reform. One of those recommendations has already been enacted in...
Elin Jones: I thank the Minister.
Elin Jones: We move now to the 90-second statements, and the first statement is from Jenny Rathbone.
Elin Jones: Peredur Owen—. Natatsha Asghar, first. Natatsha Asghar.
Elin Jones: I thank the Minister. The next topical question is to be answered by the Minister for health and to be asked by Jayne Bryant.
Elin Jones: Well, you can have the assurance from this Presiding Officer that I would be more than happy to see us as full members and having full speaking rights on many of these partnership organisations that we as a Senedd are involved in. Both Alun Davies and myself were agriculture Ministers within the European Union. Hilary Benn, in fact, was the Secretary of State for Agriculture when I was...
Elin Jones: As I mentioned in the original answer, the representatives of the Senedd have observer status at present, and that does have its restrictions, as the Member has mentioned. As a Commission, and Commission officials, we'll be very willing and ready to work with the Members who represent us, and the committees that I mentioned, promoting once again additional rights for our representatives as a...
Elin Jones: You're getting closer, aren't you? [Laughter.]
Elin Jones: During the last and current Senedd, the Commission has supported Members to press for a role for devolved legislatures in the Parliamentary Partnership Assembly. These discussions have primarily been taken forward by committee Chairs, supported by Commission staff. Following this, the Senedd was invited to send two observers to the inaugural meeting of the PPA in May, and we were well...
Elin Jones: Thank you for that very timely question. And this is a new aspect of the Commission's work, in preparing financial guidance, which will be a characteristic of the support that will be available from the Commission. And advance payments and additional occupational health support are already in place, to ensure that the support that's appropriate for this period that we are living through is...
Elin Jones: The Commission is committed to the health, safety and well-being of its workforce. Pastoral care is provided in line with the Commission’s health and well-being strategy. Examples range from occupational health support, awareness raising, to dedicated health and well-being pages on the staff intranet. The impact is reviewed regularly. I'm advised that over 90 per cent of Commission staff...
Elin Jones: Well, I can confirm that the sustainably sourced palm oil Senedd would be more than happy to meet with the sustainably sourced palm oil school in order to discuss this matter. I'm sure that we can, as a Commission, ensure that we are able to meet with representatives from the school, and thank you for all the work that they're doing as young people to lead the way on these matters.
Elin Jones: —I'd love for you to be answering questions on pensions rather than myself, and I think you would be far more informed, obviously, and expert on these matters than I am. I'm more than happy to look at that as a way forward that would lead, I suspect, to more meaningful answers on pensions than the ones you may have heard already this afternoon.
Elin Jones: The Commission catering contract specification contains sustainability and environmental objectives. The catering contractor holds ISO 14001 accreditation, relating to enhanced environmental performance. They also have bronze accreditation from the Soil Association's Food for Life catering mark. This is an independent endorsement of food that is healthy, freshly prepared and sustainably...
Elin Jones: If I've understood you correctly, you're volunteering yourself to answer questions on the pensions aspect for Members—
Elin Jones: Thank you for that question, which is asking about the transparency of the information for support staff members. I will ensure that we look again at the availability of that information in terms of where to look for support and advice on pensions for Members' staff. As I mentioned, there is a governance group on the pension scheme for Members' support staff, and there are specific members of...
Elin Jones: Thank you for that supplementary, and it's my understanding that the support staff scheme does have a governance group that has lead staff of the Commission available to advise, and, therefore, it's the most appropriate way for either constituency staff or staff based supporting Members here in the Senedd building to approach that governance group to raise any issues that they have on how...
