Welsh Revenue Authority Board minutes: 22 February 2023

Members

• Ruth Glazzard, Chair      
• Dyfed Edwards, Deputy Chair      
• Mary Champion, Non-Executive Member            
• Jocelyn Davies, Non-Executive Member    
• Jim Scopes , Non-Executive Member  
• Rheon Tomos, Non-Executive Member    
• Rebecca Godfrey, Chief Operating Officer
• Karen Athanatos, Staff-Elected Member

1. Apologies and conflicts of interest

1. Dyfed Alsop (CEO) and Rob Jones (CFO) had sent their apologies. Anna Adams had sent her apologies, and Rob Hay was attending on her behalf.
2. No new conflicts of interests were reported.  

2. Minutes of the last meeting

1. The draft Minutes of the Board meeting of 30 November, 2022 were agreed.
2. Actions Report. The Board Actions and Decisions Log had been circulated in advance. The Board secretary gave an oral update on the live actions. The log would be updated to reflect the oral update.
3. The Board discussed proposals brought forward by the Board secretary regarding Board papers. Minutes would continue to be recorded, circulated and agreed as was currently done. For Board Conversations, rather than full Minutes, a record of actions and decisions would be made, and circulated to the Board for agreement.
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6. No report was provided from the Remuneration Committee on this occasion as the committee had not met since the Board Meeting on 30 November, 2022. 

3. Chief Executive and Accounting Officer  

1. The Chief of Staff presented the Report on behalf of the CE/AO.
2. The Report focussed on Tîm Arwain (TA) priorities. TA had removed the ‘Core principles’ priority, however work in this area was still underway.
3. Relationships and Engagement - the joint WRA/Welsh Treasury workshop had been positive and productive. Agreement was reached for further collaboration on policy development.
4. People and Culture - following a review of timelines and our change agenda, a decision had been made to delay the recruitment of a Services Director. Becca Godfrey would continue to cover the roles of Implementation Director and COO in the interim.
5. Budget plans would be brought forward for discussion at the Board in March. A dedicated Board session would be arranged.
6. Welsh Government decisions were awaited on the timing of WRA inclusion in Future Generations (FG) Legislation. It was felt that many of the WRA’s approaches aligned well with the Wellbeing goals. WRA would consider alignment with the wider WG. The Board would be kept updated on any developments.
7. The Chair reported on engagement with the Director of Welsh Treasury. In terms of partnership working, there was a mutual undertaking to work together wherever possible, to maximise effectiveness. The Chair intended regular meetings with the Director of WT. WT engagement would be advantageous when establishing and strengthening relationships across wider WG.
8. The Board was keen to understand more about the new WRA and NRW Memorandum of Understanding and joint strategy. 

A23-01-02. The Board would meet in March to discuss budget matters. 

A23-01-03. The CE/AO would update the Board on the WRA/NRW relationship.

4. Chief Operating Officer Service Delivery Report 

1. Becca Godfrey, Chief Operating Officer, presented the Report.
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4. Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) - Capital funding is secured and SDLG will agree how to take this forward in 23/24 at their next meeting.
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6. The SDLG role was now clear and the Terms of Reference for the group were being finalised to provide certainty and clarity to all.  

5. Performance Report 

1. The Head of Data Analysis presented the Report.
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6. Finance and Assurance Reports

1. Jocelyn Davies, chair of the Board’s ARAC, reported on the committee’s activity.
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3. As in 2022, in 2023 WRA Annual Report timetables would be affected by Audit Wales availability. The Board would be informed in due course.

A23-01-05. Risk Workshops would be arranged for ARAC and The Board. 

7. Welsh Treasury Report

Redacted

8. WRA Charter Review

1. The Head of Customer Insight and Strategy gave the Board an update on the WRA Charter Review, including the next steps.
2. ‘Our Charter’ was published in March 2018. TCMA stipulated the Charter had to be reviewed within 5 years after its publication. The Charter sets out 8 core values, and some aspects of mutual expectations between WRA, customers and key stakeholders.
3. Redacted

9. The WRA’s Legal Context 

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10. Reflections on the Corporate Risk Register in the Q3 Reporting context

1. The Chair would like the Board to reflect on the risk register on a quarterly basis, with the need to ensure the Board’s appropriate involvement given the higher level of risk going forward.
2. Redacted
3. ARAC will review the process of reporting risk from departmental to corporate, once new functions and registers are in place. This will likely take place in the summer, and will subsequently report back to the Board to provide assurance.
4. There was a concern in splitting strategic and operational risks, and losing sight of operational risk areas; rooting risks in service delivery matters help to understand the implications of risks. It was agreed that the Board will undertake an annual risk workshop (possibly as part of their strategy away days), to review risk scoring, target levels, mitigations, and tipping points.

1. The Board thanked the board secretary- this was his last Board meeting before leaving the WRA.
2. The Board thanked all who had been involved in preparing the meeting and reporting to the Board. Feedback would be sought by email after the meeting.

Redacted information

There are certain circumstances where it is not appropriate to share all of the information contained within the Board minutes, for example, where it contains personal or commercial data or relates to the formulation of government policy or the effective conduct of public affairs. In such circumstances, the information has been redacted and the text is marked clearly that this has been the case.