Commentary on Sections and Schedules Presiding Officer and administration Section 27: Assembly Commission
120.This section provides for the establishment, membership and functions of the National Assembly for Wales Commission (“the Assembly Commission”) which provides the Assembly (or arranges for the Assembly to be provided) with the staff, property and services required for the Assembly’s purposes, and which, by virtue of section 41(1) represents the Assembly in legal proceedings.
121.The Assembly Commission follows the pattern of arrangements in place at Westminster and in Scotland. The Assembly itself is not a body corporate and the establishment of the Assembly Commission, which is, enables administrative and legal arrangements to be made for employing staff, holding property, purchasing services, and generally entering into contracts for the benefit of the Assembly. It will be required to comply with any directions given by the Assembly.
122.The Commission will consist of the Presiding Officer and four other members, who must all be Assembly members. Standing orders must make provision about the appointment of the four other members and these provisions must, so far as it is reasonably practicable to do so, secure that none of those members belong to the same political group. Detailed arrangements for the Assembly Commission are set out in Schedule 2.
123.The Assembly will have power to pass Assembly Measures under Part 3 of the Act conferring further functions on the Assembly Commission in order to facilitate the exercise of the Assembly’s own functions.
124.Part 5 of the Act deals with how the Assembly Commission is to be financed.