Issue - meetings

The Independent Remuneration Panel will be attending the meeting to present its report on the eighth review undertaken of the Members’ Allowances Scheme. The Panel’s report will be circulated separately to the agenda.

The Chairman welcomed the Independent Remuneration Panel to the meeting and invited the Chairman of the Panel, John Thompson, to present the Panel’s Eighth Review of the Members’ Allowances Scheme. 

            Mr Thompson highlighted the main points of change and the background and rationale behind the review undertaken.  He explained that an erratum sheet had been distributed which drew Members’ attention to the fact that calculations for the Basic Allowance and the change in SRA payment to the Licensing Committee Chairman had been incorrectly recorded.

Mr Thompson explained that as a new Panel it had had to work to very tight timescales to conclude this review in time for this meeting.  Despite this, and the steep learning curve that the new members of the Panel had had to overcome, each member had brought energy, independence of mind and originality to the process.

            The Panel had undertaken interviews with a wide range of Members in addition to reviewing substantial data from the South East Employers and other Local Authorities.

            Mr Thompson highlighted the key points to the Committee, these have been summarised below:

§   The Basic Allowance – The most commonly expressed views werethat some Members did a lot more than others.  However, the only potential solution would be to introduce some form of allowance linked to attendance.  The legislation that was introduced in 2003 made it clear that the Basic Allowance could not be linked to attendance in this way. The Panel had therefore worked to the requirements of the law and the report explained the justification for their recommendation on the Basic Allowance.

§   Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs) – The Panel took the approach, when making its recommendations, that SRAs were not about ‘people’ they specifically related to the role itself. The Committee was reminded that any Member could renounce all or part of an allowance at any time.

§   The Leader of the Council’s SRA– The Panel had focused on the full extent of responsibilities and the hours that this role demanded. They considered it was important to adequately reward the Leader so as to attract strong candidates in the future to this high profile role.

            The Chairman proposed to take each recommendation in turn to allow full debate.  This approach was agreed by the Committee.

            The Committee supported the recommendations put forward by the Panel in terms of Recommendations 1 to 7:

§  Basic Allowance for all Members – recommendation (1)

§  Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs) – recommendation (2)

§  Leader of the Council’s SRA – recommendation (3)

§  Deputy Leader Remuneration– recommendation (4)

§  Cabinet Members Remuneration – recommendation (5)

§  Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Council’s SRA – recommendation (6)

§  Development Control Members SRA – recommendation (7)

            Concern was however expressed in relation to the following recommendations:

Licensing Committee Chairman and Vice-Chairman – Recommendation (8)

The proposal was for the SRA payable to the Chairman of the Licensing Committee to be decreased from £4,000 to £2,000 and for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 399