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The Senedd Service Index is a way to measure how well MSs are performing in their role.
All Members of the Senedd will be scored in three areas: Experience, Activity and Professionalism.
Their total score will be used to place them in the Senedd Points Table.
Exceptions & Limitations
Certain things have to be tweaked or are applied in different ways:
- The Llywydd (Presiding Officer) and Deputy Llywydd have unique counters in the activity area as they don’t take part in debates in the same way as other MSs. The Counsel General (Elfyn Llwyd) also isn’t included as he isn’t a Member of the Senedd.
- For questions, Ministers and Deputy Minister answers will be counted. Questions to/answers from Senedd Commissioners and the Counsel General (unless the Counsel General is a Member of the Senedd) aren’t counted at all.
- Certain agenda items won’t be counted as “activity”. These include procedural business (including questions to Senedd Commissioners), the Business Statement & Announcement, tributes & personal statements.
- Certain Senedd committees won’t be counted as a committee under the activity area because their meetings are often held in private. These include the Business Committee, Senedd Commission, Llywydd’s Committee, Standards Committee, Chair’s Forum and Independent Remuneration Board.
- Cross-Party Groups will be counted as part of an MSs’ experience (responsibility), but don’t count as activity.
It also doesn’t count work undertaken outside of the Senedd, including:
- Constituency work and referrals.
- Media appearances: political broadcasts, podcasts, Sharp End, Politics Show Wales, Pawb a’i Farn etc.
- Social media: unless it’s made a meaningful impact, such as a publicised argument.
- Party conferences.
The Points System
Each MS will be scored based on the following, with the number being the number of points awarded (or taken away) for each instance. Scores with a + symbol have additional top up points, listed in the accompanying notes section.
If any MS resigns, or dies in office, their score is immediately cleared and their profile removed.
Jump to Section
Experience
This is the baseline score that all MSs start with. This counts their residency (where they lived at the time of the most recent Senedd election), their political experience, their level of responsibility at the Senedd and/or Welsh Government and their qualifications/background.
Residency
Electoral address in constituency1
2
Electoral address in a constituency bordering the one in which they were elected
-1
Electoral address is more than one constituency away from their elected constituency
-5
Notes
- Electoral address meaning the constituency listed on the Statement of Persons Nominated issued by the Returning Officer for their constituency prior to the most recent Senedd election.
Qualifications
Doctorate1 or Professorship
10
Postgraduate/Master's degree, Chartered professionals and professional qualifications
6
Bachelor's degree (or equivalent), apprenticeship or vocational training 2
3
Notes
- Includes courtesy title doctors such as physicians and dentists.
- This is the default score for any MS for whom this information is unavailable.
Local Government Experience
County Councillor1
4+
Council Leader, Council Cabinet Member or Police & Crime Commissioner2
8+
Notes
Includes local government experience outside Wales.
- Additional 1 point for every year in office. Doesn’t include town & community councils.
- Additional 1 point for every year in office at this level.
Parliamentary Experience
MS, MP or MEP1
4+
Committee Chair or Senedd Commissioner during the Sixth Senedd (2021-2026)
5
Llywydd or Deputy Llywydd, Minister or Deputy Minister2
7+
First Minister3
8+
Notes
Only counts parliamentary experience gained before the most recent Senedd election.
- For each full year served, or 1 point for every 3 months.
- Additional 1 point for every year in office at this level. Only counts Welsh Government ministerial experience.
- Additional 3 points for every year as First Minister.
Responsibility
First Minister
12
Llywydd, Minister, Chief Whip, Leader of the House
9
Deputy Minister, Deputy Llywydd
7
Leader of the Opposition
6
Committee Chair, Senedd Commissioner, Opposition Group Leader, Party Whip/Business Committee Member
5
Committee Co-Chair1
3
Chair, Vice/Co-Chair or Secretary of a Cross-Party Group2
2
Backbencher (no additional responsibilities)
2
Notes
Unless stated, points are awarded at the end of every term/session (i.e. autumn, spring, summer). If members have multiple roles, they only receive points for their highest level of responsibility.
- Points awarded to each Co-chair.
- One-off points award, each instance is counted separately (i.e. Chair of 3 CPGs = 6 points).
Activity
This counts what an MS actually does at the Senedd, and how much influence they have. This includes asking/answering questions, committee work, speeches and their role in the law-making process.
Questions
Asks/answers a question during plenary1
1
Member submits written questions2
2
Minister answers written question within 8 days 3
1
Notes
“Questions” includes First Minister’s Questions, Ministerial Questions, Topical Questions and Emergency Questions.
- Doesn’t include questions not reached/answered in time. Supplementary questions count as an additional question.
- Capped at a score of 2 per week regardless of how many written questions are submitted. This is to prevent overcounting written questions that have been spammed (multiple very similar questions on a single topic), which some MSs have a habit of doing. Recesses are counted as a single week.
- Point awarded for each written question answered. Identical answers to separate questions only count as a single answer. Questions answered after 8 days get a 0 score.
Speeches
Takes part in a debate or delivers/responds to government-tabled business.
1
Notes
This includes Ministerial Statements, Government and Opposition Debates, Members’ Debates, Committee and Petition Debates, 90-second statements and Short Debates. It also counts contributions made during Stage 1, 3 and 4 proceedings during the law-making process.
Each contribution is counted separately, regardless of length. Though if a speech is broken (i.e. to take an intervention) it still only counts as a single speech.
Committee Work
Attends and takes part in a committee session1
1
Committee report published2
1+
Committee recommendation accepted in full3
1
Attending a committee meeting but making no contribution
-1
Committee recommendation rejected4
-1
Notes
Doesn’t include the Business Committee, Senedd Commission, Llywydd’s Committee, Chair’s Forum or Standards of Conduct Committee.
- Only counts meetings held in public; ministerial appearances are counted. “Taking part” means contributing meaningfully (i.e. asking a question) at least once during a session. This doesn’t include meetings which are short (i.e. noting papers) before going into private session.
- All Committee members receive 1 point. Committee Chairs get 2. This doesn’t count reports on secondary legislation published by the Legislation Committee.
- Points awarded to the Committee Chair and the responsible Minister only. Doesn’t include “accept in principle”.
- Points deducted from the Committee Chair and the responsible Minister only.
Influence
Minister apologies or accepts responsibility for a service failure
2
Minister publishes a white paper, green paper or draft Bill
1
Member secures a ministerial promise1
1+
Passing an amendment to a government-tabled motion2
1+
Passing a non-binding motion3
1+
Government-tabled motion or amendment approved4
1
Budget approved5
2
Agreeing a budget deal or confidence and supply agreement6
2
Minister refuses to apologise for a service failure
-2
Tabling an unsuccessful no-confidence vote7
-2(+)
Failed nomination for First Minister8
-2(+)
Failure to pass a budget9
-5
Being subject to a no-confidence vote
-5
Minister resigns following Ministerial Code breach
-5
Office holder refuses to resign within 24 hours of losing a no-confidence vote
-10
Notes
- Opposition party MSs receive 2 points.
- All members of an opposition party receive 2 points. If this is a government MS, only the sponsors of an amendment receive 1 point.
- For opposition debates, all members of the party that tabled the motion receive 2 points. 1 point for sponsors/co-submitters of a Members Debate or Members Legislative Proposal. 1 point for all Petitions Committee members for a Petitions Debate. Doesn’t include amendments to opposition motions.
- Points awarded to all government MSs.
- Points awarded to all government MSs. Includes supplementary/in-year budgets.
- Points awarded to MSs from the opposition party/parties that agreed the deal.
- All MSs who tabled or supported/sponsored receive -2; all who voted in favour receive -1.
- Nominee receives -2; all who voted for them receive -1.
- Welsh Government ministers and deputies only. Includes supplementary/in-year budgets.
Law-Making
Every stage of a Bill1
2+
Bill rejected or withdrawn2
-5(+)
Backbench amendment to a Bill approved3
1+
Law referred to the Supreme Court4
-3
Secondary legislation approved5
1
Secondary legislation rejected6
-3
Legislative Consent Motion passed despite advice that it would harm the devolution settlement for Wales7
-5
Notes
- Responsible minister (or all members of a Committee for a Committee Bill) receives 2 points at introduction and every stage the Bill passes. This doesn’t include a Report Stage/post-Stage 4. This increases to 4 points for Member Bills because they are much harder to get through the Senedd.
- For Members Bills this is reduced to -1 (and similarly for each member of a Committee for a Committee Bill).
- Extra point if the MS is from an opposition party. Includes amendments in Committee (Stage 2).
- Applies to the Member responsible, or the Chair of a Committee in the case of a Committee Bill.
- Points awarded to the responsible Minister. “Secondary legislation” includes regulations, Legislative Consent Motions (LCMs) and orders. It doesn’t include Legislative Consent Memorandums.
- Applies to the responsible Minister.
- Applies to the responsible Minister.
Professionalism
This monitors an MS’s behaviour, attitude, understanding of devolution and debating skills. In the interests of transparency, whenever an MS scores negative points in this area, it will be listed at Senedd VAR alongside the reason(s) why.
Members can be penalised multiple times from the same contribution. For example, different types of poor reasoning in the same speech followed by unprofessional conduct will all count separately. So it is possible that a really crap speech could be highly penalised.
Merit Points
Monthly Merit Points1
2
Notes
- Awarded monthly (except August). Members will receive 2 points if they didn’t score any negative professionalism points during a calendar month.
Debating Skills
Member takes interventions during a debate1
1
Member takes part in a debate without scoring any negative points
1
90-second statement actually lasts for 90 seconds or less
1
Member speaks for too long or is reminded to ask a question
-1
Member refuses to take interventions during a debate
-1
Poor Reasoning2
-2
Notes
A “debate” means Government and Opposition Debates, Members’ Debates, Committee and Petition Debates. It doesn’t include Short Debates.
- Only counts the first intervention in a specific debate. Interventions allow other MSs to add points or ask questions while another MS is speaking. This is usually good for debates as it means the person asking for an intervention is paying full attention.
- A full list is covered at “The Dirty Dozen“.
Devo-Confusion
Member asks a question related to local council responsibilities1
-1
Buck-passing: Minister refers a matter under direct Welsh Government policy control to a lower authority2
-2
Confusing the Welsh Government with the Senedd
-3
Using the Senedd as a platform to criticise or defend the UK Government and/or raise a non-devolved policy area3
-3
Notes
- Asking a question about council issues doesn’t fall foul of this in itself. It would fall foul if it relates directly to services that only councils are responsible for delivering (i.e. live planning applications, waste/recycling collections, school transport, leisure services).
- For example, “It’s a matter for the Local Health Board/Natural Resources Wales”.
- Except if it’s in relation to devolved powers or central government funding for services in Wales.
Unreliability
Absent from a Committee meeting without a substitute1
-1
Minister refuses to appear before a Committee without good reason
-2
Inconsistent voting2
-3
Failing to declare an interest
-3
Attendance falls below 90% in a given month3
-3
Committee meeting ruled inquorate4
-4
Crossing the Floor5
-5(+)
Unprofessional Conduct6
-5
Sitting MS runs for another elected office7
-10
Notes
- Only applies to MSs from parties with 3 or more members.
- It only counts if the inconsistent vote would cause embarrassment for a member or party. For example, a government MS voting against a government-tabled motion (“backbench rebellion”), or a member of an opposition party voting against (or out of line) with their own party’s motion. This doesn’t apply to Members Debates, or when an MS isn’t a member of a recognised party group.
- Will apply after autumn half term 2026. Penalty will apply for each month a member’s attendance rate remains below 90% – whether total/average, vote attendance or committee attendance. Counting is paused if a member is on parental, medical or compassionate leave, so their attendance isn’t affected.
- Happens when a committee doesn’t have enough members in attendance to hold a meeting. All committee members are penalised.
- When a member leaves one party/group to join another party or sit as an Independent. The score doubles each time and trebles if they join a party that won no seats at the most recent Senedd election.
- This has an open-ended definition but includes any behaviour that an average person would likely consider to be beneath a senior elected representative, or has been ruled out of order by the Llywydd. Examples include: attention-seeking, provocation (i.e. inflammatory language), flouncing/walk-outs, gimmicks and stunts, misuse of social media (including on their behalf by members of staff) or being “tired and emotional“.
- For example, running to be an MP, elected mayor or county councillor. This includes putting their name forward for consideration.
Standards of Conduct
Breach of Code of Conduct with no further action required
-1
Member suspended by their party/group
-5
Ministerial Code breach with no further action
-5
Withdrawal of privileges or proven misuse of Senedd resources1
-5(+)
Member suspended following Standards investigation2
-10(+)
Minister sacked following Ministerial Code breach
-10
Unprofessional conduct ruled to include bullying, discrimination, threats or harassment3
-10
Member charged by police
-15
Member fined by court
-20
Member convicted of a criminal offence that falls short of automatic disqualification and/or triggers a recall process4
-40
Notes
- An extra -1 point for every £1,000 misused, rounded up to the nearest thousand.
- An extra -1 for every day suspended.
- Counts on top of any points they received for unprofessional conduct in the “Unreliability” sub-category or any other points elsewhere.
- The recall process as set out in the Senedd Cymru (Members and Accountability) Act 2026.
