Decisions 23 January 2006
Monday 23 January 2006 at 5pm in Speaker's House
Present:
The Speaker, in the Chair
Sir Stuart Bell
Mr Nick Harvey
Leader of the House
Mr David Maclean
Mrs Theresa May
1. PAY REMIT
The Commission agreed to reconsider at its next meeting the recommendations for negotiating pay settlements as set out in paragraph 11 of the paper from the Director of Finance and Administration, in the light of further information to be sought on recent Treasury guidance on the likely level of Civil Service pay settlements; and endorsed the principle of assimilation of the PWSD Craft Group as set out in that paper.
2. 2006/07 ADMINISTRATION ESTIMATE
The Commission confirmed its approval of the draft 2006/07 Administration Estimate, in the light of the report from the Finance & Services Committee on its examination of security-related expenditure, subject to ring-fencing in a Commission reserve of £2.2 million earmarked for the Access Control Project.
3. 2005/06 ADMINISTRATION ESTIMATE: SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATE
The Commission agreed to the presentation of a Supplementary Estimate with the net cash requirement reduced to £156.4 million and the net resource requirement increased to £329 million, subject to examination of the proposal by the Finance and Services Committee at its 9 February meeting.
4. ASSOCIATION OF FORMER MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
The Commission endorsed the further grant-in-aid for 2006/07 of £1500 to the Association and the continued provision of the package of facilities and services agreed in January 2005, and agreed to request a further report from the Association in December 2006.
5. WORKS OF ART: ACQUISITION POLICY
The Commission endorsed the draft Acquisition Policy drawn up by the Advisory Committee on Works of Art.
6. TERCENTENARY OF 1707 ACT OF UNION
The Commission decided not to endorse the funding of the proposed exhibition in Westminster Hall on the 1707 Act of Union, and commissioned further work in conjunction with the House of Lords and others on other suitable means of marking the tercentenary of the 1707 Act of Union.
7. ADMINISTRATION ESTIMATE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Commission appointed Rt Hon Theresa May MP as Chairman of the Administration Estimate Audit Committee in place of Chris Grayling MP: and renewed for a further 3-year period the appointment of Sir Thomas Legg.