CHRISTMAS

THE leader of Wales’ biggest council has described an inflation-busting hike to pay for the running of the National Assembly as a “joke” while frontline services face cuts.

Cardiff council’s Huw Thomas said that if councils spent money on themselves rather than public services there “would rightly be an outcry”.

He was speaking after AMs approved a £2.3m increase in the budget for the body which manages the Senedd, called the Assembly Commission.

The Commission, which is run by a cross-party group of senior AMs, will have a budget of £56.1m in 2018-19.

The hike has divided AMs themelves. Finance Committee chair Simon Thomas (Plaid) said any increase was “hard to justify” but Tory AM Suzy Davies said it was needed to ensure effective scrutiny.

The rise is equivalent to a 3.4% hike while councils in Wales are facing a 0.5% cut in the funding they get from the Welsh Government next year.

Cardiff, which has a rising population, is the only authority to get an increase.

Coun Thomas said: “I am concerned. It is not the time for the Assembly Commission to be voting itself an inflation busting pay increase or budget increase.

“This is not the Welsh Government that has voted for this, it’s the Assembly Commission. There are several Welsh Government departments also facing cuts.

“The Assembly is getting three times more cash to deliver the services in the Assembly than we need to deliver services we need in Cardiff.

“I struggle to see the logic. I noted the cross-party comments from Mike Hedges, Simon Thomas and Vikki Howells expressing concern at this and there have been other commentators too.

“I thought there would be a change after this was discussed in the media some months ago but it seems they’re getting all of it.

“If local authorities were spending this amount of money on themselves, on member services, there would rightly be an outcry. I simply think this money could be better spent across Wales.”

During the meeting on Wednesday, Suzy Davies AM, a member of the Assembly Commission, said they would continue to work “in a way that delivers value for money”.

She said that working had to be “as efficient as possible” while supporting members in their roles.

Labour AM Mr Hedges said: “I do not accept that the Commission of this Assembly can be immune to the austerity that the rest of the public services in Wales is facing”.

Ms Davies said efficiencies have been made and that “corsets are being tightened”.

She said this part of the budget was just 0.3% of the Welsh block grant and that AMs needed “excellent support” to carry out their work.

Plaid Cymru’s Simon Thomas spoke on behalf of the Assembly’s Finance Committee. He said: “The budget before us does ask for an increase that’s above inflation and above the expected increase in the Welsh block grant.

“Whilst we have stopped short of recommending changes to the requested increase for the next financial year, the committee firmly believes that in the remaining years of this Assembly, the commission budget should not be in excess of the Welsh block grant.

“Against a background of continued cuts to public services, we believe it’s hard to justify any increase in Assembly spending.

“As an Assembly we must recognise any increase given to the Commission in our name is taken from the Welsh Consolidated fund and this impacts on other public services in Wales”.

Mr Thomas said that the committee planned an inquiry into how other Parliaments budget for member services.

The motion was agreed with no objections.