An Independent Review Panel was established in August 2008 by the then National Assembly Commission to look at all aspects of financial support available to Assembly Members; including pay and allowances for travel, accommodation, constituency offices and support staff. Following the independent review the Panel reported to the Commission in 2009. The then Assembly Commission accepted all 108 of the Panel’s recommendations, one of which was the establishment of a statutory Independent Review Body, which is independent of the Assembly.
The subsequent Measure to establish a National Assembly for Wales Remuneration Board (the National Assembly for Wales (Remuneration) Measure 2010) received Royal Approval on 21 July 2010.
- to provide Assembly Members with a level of remuneration that reflects fairly the complexity and importance of the functions which they are expected to discharge and which does not deter, on financial grounds, persons with the necessary commitment and ability from seeking election as Assembly Members;
- to provide Assembly Members with adequate resources to enable them to exercise their functions as Assembly Members;
- to ensure that public money is spent with probity, accountability, value for money and transparency.
- experience of public life and a thorough understanding of the issues surrounding the public debate on standards in public life;
- a thorough understanding of the work of democratically elected bodies and the devolved context;
- an approach that is independent, fair minded, realistic and firm;
- exceptional judgement in dealing with sensitive and high profile matters;
- specific knowledge and experience of remuneration, pensions or related matters, particularly in relation to public sector pay and including experience of pay review bodies.
- Dame Dawn Primarolo (Chair)
- Ronnie Alexander (Board member)
- Trevor Reaney (Board member)
- Mike Redhouse (Board member)
- Jane Roberts (Board member)
The Board operates independently from the Assembly Commission and political parties. However, to ensure the Board’s work is grounded in the realities of supporting an Assembly Member to undertake their role it has established two Representative Groups, an Assembly Member Representative Group and an Assembly Member support staff Representative Group.
Each political group represented in the Assembly is asked to nominate its representative to sit on the groups. In addition to support staff who share the views of their respective parties the Assembly Member support staff Representative Group also has trade union representatives which must represent the views of all members of that trade union regardless of their party.
The Representative Group have an advisory role in forming the Board’s forward work programme. They act as a sounding board for the Board’s emerging findings, and will help the Board to ensure its work culminates in workable recommendations. However, the Representative Groups also provide an opportunity for the political groups to feedback their views on the practicalities of the Determination to the Board.
The Board meets regularly with both Representative Groups. These meetings are held in private.
Details outlining how much Assembly Members and office holders currently get paid are noted in the below table:
| Office holder salaries | 2018-19 Base Salary | 2018-19 Additional Salary | 2018-19 total salary |
| First Minister | £66,847 | £79,381 | £146,228 |
| Welsh Minister | £66,847 | £37,601 | £104,448 |
| Counsel General[1] | £66,847 | £37,601 | £104,448 |
| Deputy Minister | £66,847 | £21,934 | £88,781 |
| Presiding Officer | £66,847 | £42,824 | £109,671 |
| Deputy Presiding Officer | £66,847 | £21,934 | £88,781 |
| Assembly Commissioners | £66,847 | £13,578 | £80,425 |
| Committee chairs (higher) | £66,847 | £13,578 | £80,425 |
| Committee chairs (lower) | £66,847 | £9,045 | £75,892 |
| Business Committee Member | £66,847 | £9,045 | £75,892 |
| Leader of a Political Group not in Government[2] | £66,847 | £13,578 + £1,044 per member up to £37,601 | Range from
£83,557- £104,448 |
[1] Counsel General who is not an Assembly Member
[2] Political Group is defined in the Standing Orders of the Assembly
To receive these salaries Assembly Members must:
- have taken the oath of allegiance or has made the affirmation required by law;
- only be a Member of the National Assembly for Wales. Those who are also Members of Parliament or Members of the European Parliament will have their Assembly salary reduced, in accordance with section 21 of the Government of Wales Act 2006, by an amount equal to two thirds of the basic salary which that Member would otherwise be entitled to receive.
A Member who holds more than one of the offices specified in the above table is only entitled to receive an additional office-holder’s salary in respect of one of those offices, namely the highest paid of those offices.
Expenses claims will broadly fall under one of three main allowance types:
Office Costs Allowance (i.e. office expenses related to their duties as an Assembly Member)
Additional Costs Allowance (i.e. expenses incurred in staying overnight away from their main home for the purpose of performing their duties as an Assembly Member)
Travel Costs Allowance (i.e. travel expenses incurred by Assembly Members due to their Assembly duties)
Members also have access to a staffing expenditure allowance in order to pay the wages of their staff. The allowance currently totals £99,226 per Assembly Member and can only be used to cover the salary of three full-time equivalent staff.
The Determination sets out the financial support available to Assembly Members to allow them to undertake their role as Assembly Members. An overview of the Determination is available here.