Agenda item

This report asks the Council to consider the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel and to determine its Scheme for Members’ Allowances.

Council received and considered the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel regarding a Scheme for Members Allowances.

Upon the recommendations of the Panel being put, it was MOVED by Councillor Clive Smitheram and SECONDED by Councillor Hannah Dalton that:

the Council:

(1)          Did not accept the recommendation of the IPR in regard to the uplift in Basic Allowance and retains the current system of Basic Allowances and indexation;

(2)          Accept the recommendation of the IRP to award the majority Group Chairman/Leader a Special Responsibility Allowance of £2,703 for 2018/19 (under current formulae £4,113) subject to any indexation that may apply;

(3)          Did not accept the recommendation of the IRP in regard to the allowance for a Leader of a Minority Group and agrees to retain the current funding arrangements;

(4)          Accept the recommendation of the IRP to withdraw the Special Responsibility Allowance for the Chairman of the Nonsuch Park Joint Management Committee;

(5)          Accept the recommendation of the IRP to withdraw the Special Responsibility Allowance for the independent person for standards matters (currently £1,012.44 per annum) and replace it with a daily rate of £250 payable only when the post is required by the Council to perform the duties of an Independent Person;

(6)          Accept the recommendation of the IRP to implement one Special Responsibility Allowance per member;

(7)          Accept the recommendation of the  IRP to replace the reference to the National Living Minimum Wage for Dependent Carer’s Allowance with the appropriate rate of the National Living Wage;

(8)          Accept the recommendation of the IRP to continue to adopt HMRC rates for calculating reimbursement of Members mileage and that subsistence payments should be in accordance with those paid to Officers of the Council;

(9)          Approve an additional £150 (as originally recommended to Strategy and Resources Committee in March 2015) to be consolidated within the 2017/18 Basic Allowance, to reflect the previous provision and support arrangements for broadband, phone lines, printers and IT technical support which has ceased;

(10)       Adopt recommendation (1) to (8) above from 1 April 2018.

The amendment was CARRIED, there being 23 members in favour, 7 members against and 5 abstentions.

It was thereupon MOVED by Councillor Vince Romagnuolo and SECONDED by Councillor Kate Chinn that:

“Officers look to investigate a scheme based on expenses only and report back to Full Council”

Upon being put, the amendment was LOST, there being 6 members in favour and the majority against

RESOLVED that:

the Council:

(1)          Did not accept the recommendation of the IPR in regard to the uplift in Basic Allowance and retains the current system of Basic Allowances and indexation;

(2)          Accept the recommendation of the IRP to award the majority Group Chairman/Leader a Special Responsibility Allowance of £2,703 for 2018/19 (under current formulae £4,113) subject to any indexation that may apply;

(3)          Did not accept the recommendation of the IRP in regard to the allowance for a Leader of a Minority Group and agrees to retain the current funding arrangements;

(4)          Accept the recommendation of the IRP to withdraw the Special Responsibility Allowance for the Chairman of the Nonsuch Park Joint Management Committee;

(5)          Accept the recommendation of the IRP to withdraw the Special Responsibility Allowance for the independent person for standards matters (currently £1,012.44 per annum) and replace it with a daily rate of £250 payable only when the post is required by the Council to perform the duties of an Independent Person;

(6)          Accept the recommendation of the IRP to implement one Special Responsibility Allowance per member;

(7)          Accept the recommendation of the  IRP to replace the reference to the National Living Minimum Wage for Dependent Carer’s Allowance with the appropriate rate of the National Living Wage;

(8)          Accept the recommendation of the IRP to continue to adopt HMRC rates for calculating reimbursement of Members mileage and that subsistence payments should be in accordance with those paid to Officers of the Council;

(9)          Approve an additional £150 (as originally recommended to Strategy and Resources Committee in March 2015) to be consolidated within the 2017/18 Basic Allowance, to reflect the previous provision and support arrangements for broadband, phone lines, printers and IT technical support which has ceased;

(10)       Adopt recommendation (1) to (8) above from 1 April 2018.