Agenda item 7: date of the next SPC meeting

1. The paper asks SPC members whether they would see value in meeting in the Spring (w/b 23 February) ahead of the Senedd election. 

2. The Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act (“the Act”) requires the SPC to meet a minimum of three times in a 12 month period. The SPC agreed to meet four times per year (Paper 04-04 refers). Currently there are no scheduled meetings for 2026. 
    
3.  As a high-profile event that must be chaired by the First Minister or one of the Welsh Ministers, the SPC cannot meet during the pre-election period. 
    
4. There are a number of extant pieces of work which the SPC may wish to consider before the end of this Senedd term:

• The work/future of the Fair Work in Business Grants working group:
  The group will have met six times by February, at this point the SPC should be able to consider its progress to date. It can also assess whether the group is ready to report its findings or will need to hold further meetings and report its findings at a future meeting.   
   
• Feedback from the AI Delivery Group:
  To date, the Delivery Group has only met once so a Spring meeting would give it a chance to decide its work plan and present this to SPC.
   
• Analysis of Public Bodies’ Social Partnership reports:
  A Spring meeting would allow time for more reports to be published and analysed so that the fullest picture can be presented to the SPC. It also presents the last chance for members to consider the social partnership reports and advise Ministers before the start of the next reporting year. 
   
• Update on the procurement duties:
  The procurement team could provide an update on progress on implementing the remaining socially responsible procurement duties within the SPPP Act.  

5. It is suggested that the week beginning 23 February would be the best time for a Spring meeting to be held as it allows maximum time for progress on the pieces of work listed above to be made whilst leaving enough time for a Ministerial letter to be issued to public bodies about the social partnership reports before the new reporting year begins. 
    
6. Alternatively, the items above could be handled through correspondence instead of having a meeting, if members wish. This could for example be explored if too few reports have been published before the meeting for members to be provided with a full analysis for discussion.

7. If members agree then the SPC Secretariat will make the necessary arrangements. 

8. Members are asked whether they would like a Spring meeting in the week beginning 23 February. 

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)

The content of this paper does not raise any significant EDI issues.