Member - Local Democracy and Boundary Commission

**Vacancy details**

Name of body
Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales

Location
Cardiff or virtually via MS Teams

Remuneration
£198 per full day, £99 per half day.

Minimum days required
2

Minimum days per
month

**Function of body**

The Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales (“the Commission”) is an independent Welsh Government Sponsored Body whose statutory duties are set out in the Local Government (Democracy) (Wales) Act 2013.
These duties include:
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Ensuring principal area electoral arrangements are fit for purpose - developing and delivering a ten-year rolling programme of electoral reviews.
- Making Orders in relation to proposals from principal councils for changes to community areas following their reviews of community boundaries and electoral arrangements.
- As appropriate, ensuring the boundaries of principal council areas are fit for purpose.
- Maintaining a high level of Corporate Governance for the Commission.

In addition to its statutory duties the Commission may conduct reviews or provide advice and information at the request of local authorities or as directed by the Welsh Ministers.

In respect of principal area arrangements, the Commission makes recommendations to the Welsh Ministers, which it considers are in the interest of effective and convenient local government.

Over the next two years, the Commission will be undergoing a period of significant change, the details can be found in the Welsh Government’s Electoral administration and reform White Paper Electoral administration and reform White Paper | GOV.WALES

Commission meetings are held monthly. Typically the role involves one to two days a month but could be three to four days a month during the review programme. Meetings are held in person as well as via video conferencing.

The Welsh Ministers may appoint up to five members to the Commission, which comprises of a Chair, Deputy Chair and up to three other members. The quorum for meetings is three.

The secretariat to the Commission is provided by a chief executive and nine staff members. The staffing structure changes in line with the Commission's work programmes.

The Commission holds hybrid meetings and members can choose to attend in person at the Commission office at Hastings House, Cardiff, or virtually via MS
Teams. All Commissioners are provided with ICT equipment and support to enable them to attend meetings. Due to the nature of the work of the Commission, there may be occasions when in person meetings are required throughout Wales.

The post of members will be remunerated at £198 per full day, £99 per half day.

Travel and other reasonable expenses that might be incurred in carrying out work on behalf of the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission can be claimed at rates approved by the Welsh Government. Members may also be eligible to claim reimbursement for costs in relation to childcare/care of the elderly/assistant carer, whilst carrying out work on behalf of the Commission.

Every effort will be made to provide whatever reasonable support members who have a disability need to help them carry out their duties.

**Role description**

Review Programme
Members will:

- Develop the Policy and Practice and Council Size Methodology for the next Electoral Review Programme, reflecting learning from the previous programme and commissioning research on specific issues.
- Ensure there is wide ranging consultation with Welsh Government, county and county borough councils, community and town councils, and all other stakeholders as part of this.
- Assess a range of options for the numbers of councillors and the areas they represent, taking into account the complexities, and often contradictions, of the demography and infrastructure of the area under review and a wide range of opinions from consultation feedback.
- Act collectively in making draft and final decisions on individual electoral reviews.
- Work with principal councils to ensure community boundaries and electoral arrangements are regularly reviewed and coordinated with the programme of electoral reviews.
- Act collectively in making orders on individual community reviews.
- Be aware, at all times, of the risks, reputational and other, associated with the reviews and the potential consequences for the Commission, its members and Welsh Government.
- Provide governance and support to the Commission as it adopts new methodology in carrying out electoral reviews and expands its remit to carry out the work of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales.

Lead Commissioner
Each Member is assigned responsibility for overseeing a number of specific electoral reviews as Lead Commissioner. In carrying out this role a member will:

- Lead presentations and address engagement meetings with county and county borough councils including the leader, cabinet members, ward councillors, political group leaders, and senior council officers; community and town councillors and clerks; the public and oth