Agenda item

The Executive Councillor for Resources and Policy, Councillor K J Churchill presented a report by the Head of Democratic and Central Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) summarising the outcome of the sixth review of the Members' Allowances Scheme by the Independent Remuneration Panel.  A copy of the report of the Panel had been circulated separately to Members.

Members were reminded that the Panel had been convened specifically to respond to the statutory requirement for a review of the index for annual adjustment of allowances which under the Regulations  had to be undertaken at least every four years.  The Panel had also taken the opportunity to review the scheme and to address a number of other matters which had arisen in the preceding four year period.

Having commented on the areas of the review and the conclusions drawn, Councillor Churchill indicated that he had misgivings in relation to recommendation (h) which would provide for the retention of a Special Responsibility Allowance for the Leader of the Minor Opposition Group.  Also as there had also been few expressions of interest by Members in recent years to join the Local Government Pension Scheme, Councillor Churchill moved the recommendations contained in the report subject to the following amendments -

  "that recommendation (h) be deleted; and

  that recommendation (j) be amended to read 'that Members be not permitted to join the Local Government Pension Scheme at the present time' ".

Councillor P J Downes moved the following amendment to the recommendations which were duly seconded -

  "that the words in recommendation (d) be deleted; and the following words inserted -

  '(d)  the adoption of mileage rates limited to 40p for cars with vehicle emissions in Band A, 35p in Bands B and C, 30p in Bands D and E, 25p in Bands F and G;'

  and that the words in recommendation (f) be deleted and the following be inserted -

  '(f)  maintain Members' Allowances at the rates recommended by the Independent Remuneration Panel until April 2015 unless the local government salary scale spinal column point 33 is reduced by the National Joint Council for Government Staff Services, in which case the Members' Allowances be reduced by the same percentage'' ".

Following debate and on being put to the vote, the amendment was declared to be LOST.

On the Motion being put to the vote, it was

RESOLVED

  (a)  that the Chief Executive be authorised to prepare a new scheme of Members' Allowances to come into effect on 18th May 2011 to include the following changes -

¨  the level of basic allowance for all District Councillors as outlined in the Appendix to the report now submitted;

¨  the levels of special responsibility allowances outlined in the Appendix to the report now submitted;

¨  the abolition of entitlement to subsistence allowances whilst undertaking approved duties within Huntingdonshire but the retention of subsistence allowances in line with National Joint Council subsistence rates for local government employees for approved duties outside the District boundaries;

¨  the adoption of the mileage rates published by HM Revenue and Customs for reimbursement of mileage incurred in undertaking approved duties;

¨  the payment of a co-optee's allowance of £927 per annum to the Independent Vice-Chairman of the Standards Committee which is the sum equivalent to that which would payable were that position to be filled by an elected Member;

¨  the use of the percentage change at spinal column point 33 approved by the National Joint Council for Local Government Staff Services negotiated as the pay award for local government employees as the automatic index mechanism to enable the Members' Allowances Scheme to be adjusted until 30th April 2015;

¨  the continuation of the arrangements for the payment of dependant carer's allowances using as the basis for the allowance, the rates recommended by the Panel;

¨  the inclusion of the Members' IT and telephone support guidelines as an Appendix to the main scheme;

¨  that Members be not permitted to join the Local Government Pension Scheme at the present time; and

  (b)  that, upon the coming into effect of the revised Members' Allowances Scheme with effect from 18th May 2011, the existing Scheme be revoked.