Part of 3. Questions to the Senedd Commission – in the Senedd at 3:07 pm on 4 May 2022.
I take your point, and actually, I agree with it, to a point. I have to say, when I had a north-facing office during last term, with the new mechanisms that came in to save energy, we were having problems with our office lights, and we had to move around a lot to get the office lights to come on. I'm now in a south-facing office, where we get lots of sun, and I've got to be honest, I don't have an issue, they seem to work quite well automatically. But as we do move towards summer, we will also be encouraging building users to play their part by opening windows where possible for natural ventilation and temperature control before switching on air conditioning. Throughout the pandemic, small numbers of staff distributed throughout the building has meant that energy use hasn't been as well minimised as it could've been, and these are all issues that I have raised with the director.
Let me reassure you that energy use across the Senedd estate has reduced over the pandemic. But we need to be very keen. On the points you make about the plan, I think you'll be quite reassured when you actually do scrutinise that plan. It's something that I have done, and all I would say is that it's something that we're constantly—. I was in the building the other week and the corridors, I felt, were overwarm. These are all issues that I raise, but it's important that each and every one of us as Members—and I'm glad you've highlighted this today—. It falls on us all as Members, not just as Commissioners, to play our part in ensuring that we're not wasting energy in any sense of the word. Thanks.