Welsh Revenue Authority Board minutes: September 2019

Members

• Kathryn Bishop, Chair
• Dyfed Edwards, Deputy Chair
• Jocelyn Davies, Non-Executive
• Lakshmi Narain, Non-Executive
• Dyfed Alsop, Chief Executive Officer (attended only items 11 and 13)
• Sean Bradley, Chief Legal and Policy Officer 
• Sam Cairns, Chief Operating Officer
• Lucy Robinson, Customer Insight and Strategy

Ymgynghorwyr (advisors)

• Joanna Ryder, Chief of Staff 
• Andrew Jeffreys, Director, Welsh Treasury

Attendees

• Jim Scopes, Chief Strategy Officer (interim)
• Teresa Platt, Chief Finance Officer
• Anna Adams, Deputy Director, Welsh Treasury

Secretariat

• Matthew Deaves, Secretariat

1. Welcome and introductions, conflicts of interest and apologies, minutes of the last meeting, matters arising

1. The Chair opened the meeting.
2. Apologies were received from David Jones.
3. The Board ran through the log of member’s conflicts of interests and a number of changes were declared. The log will be sent to members after the meeting for them to update.
4. The minutes from the last meeting were agreed as a full and accurate record.
5. The outstanding actions were discussed and it was agreed that 5 would remain open.
6. There were no further matters arising.

4. Report from the Chair

Information redacted (Footnote 1).

5. Reports from Committee Chairs

Audit and Risk Assurance

1. The first annual reports and accounts were agreed in July, and it was noted that this first reports and accounts process went very well and was a success.
    
2. The September meeting of ARAC was cancelled for various reasons, and matters were dealt with virtually.  It was also noted that we have new internal auditors due to having new auditors and a change of secretariat since Richard Bettley has left for a new position in Welsh Government. The Chair of ARAC thanked Richard for all his hard work in setting up ARAC and his work on the annual report and accounts.  There was a discussion on how the future ARAC secretariat could work. The Committee’s next meeting is in November.
3. Initial briefing discussions with the new set of auditors are already underway.

People Committee

4. The Committee has not met since the last Board meeting and will meet again in October.

5. There has been one issue discussed out of committee:  dual site working for staff and its implications.

6. The Board was reminded that the small number of members of this Committee is because of the sensitive nature of the some of the issues discussed but that the Committee’s papers should be circulated and discussed as appropriate.

6. People Committee annual reports

1. The Board formally received the annual report from the People Committee.

7. Report from Director, Welsh Treasury

Information redacted (Footnote 1).

8. Framework document

1. The Board has previously had the opportunity to comment on this document and those comments have been considered; terminology has been streamlined although the document still refers to the 19-22 corporate plan and current remit letter.
    
2. There was a discussion about any further changes that the Board would like to see made. It was emphasised that the document is a framework and it should allow for a degree of flexibility and is not there to reflect every eventuality. The Board has 3 changes it would like to see made to this document:
   • 2.27 It was felt that this paragraph could imply that the Minister already had access to taxpayer’s data – which they do not – and it was recommended that this paragraph be deleted.
   • 3.7 That this paragraph be changed so that it makes clear that auditors do not sit on ARAC but do attend ARAC as observers.
   • 5.0 That this paragraph should also include general correspondence not just letters from Assembly Members.
      
3. The Board endorsed this framework subject to the above changes.

9. CRM project update

Information redacted (Footnote 1).

10. Digital change plans

Information redacted (Footnote 1).

11. Report from Chief Executive

Information redacted (Footnote 1).

12. Financial performance

Information redacted (Footnote 1).

13. Financial planning

1. The Board had a discussion about the organisation’s future budget requirements and its participation in the Welsh Government budget planning round. The Chief Executive will continue to work on this matter in the light of this discussion in preparation for a meeting with Welsh Treasury and the Minister.

14. Design objective update

Information redacted (Footnote 1).

15. Board away day and next steps

1. There was a discussion on the 2 proposals made to the Board by the Chair.
    
2. The first proposal by the Chair was that a number of Ymgynghorwyr return to Board meetings, namely some members of Tîm Arwain members and the Head of Communications.
    
3. The second proposal by the Chair was to continue with structure of individual objectives for non-executive members and for the Staff Elected Member of the Board, noting that this a way of ensuring Board oversight of some matters which might otherwise lack it, and as a way of generating constructive engagement between members of the executive and the non-executives and Staff Elected Member with specific expertise to offer in these areas.
    
4. The Board agreed to the 2 proposals.
    
5. It was noted that the First Minister is supports the introduction of Trade Union representatives sitting on boards in Wales.

16. Any other business (AOB)

1. There was no AOB.

17. Forward Look

1. Further work should be done on the Forward Look to harmonise the Forward Look between the Board, ARAC, and People Committee. The latest version of the Forward Look will be circulated after this meeting.

18. Meeting review

Information redacted (Footnote 1).

[1] 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 etc. 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.