Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel concerning the review of allowances and seeking approval for a Members’ Allowances Scheme for 2019-20.

To consider the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel concerning the review of allowances and seeking approval for a Members’ Allowances Scheme for 2019-20.

The Committee considered the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) relating to the Council’s Members’ Allowances Scheme and to seek a decision on an appropriate scheme for the payment of allowances in 2019-20.

The Chair welcomed Stewart Dove from the Independent Remuneration Panel and thanked him for attending the meeting.

Mr Dove explained that the Panel had met 5 times in the course of the review.  The main recommendations were:

·                No changes to the Basic Allowance

·                Minor amendments to Members currently in receipt of a Special Responsibility Allowance (the Chairs of Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the General Purposes Committee)

·                Changes to the Dependants’ Carers Allowance

·                That the Council adopt a Parental Leave Policy

Mr Dove passed on the Panel’s thanks to Members for their involvement in the review, which had received a response rate of 82%.

The Panel also expressed their thanks to the Policy and Governance Manager for her help throughout the process.

In response to a question from Councillor Coole relating to the procedure for adopting a parental leave policy, the Policy and Governance Manager advised that this was already an agreed Council motion.  She added that the LGA were currently working on this and the Council would investigate their proposed timetable.  The Policy would be presented to the General Purposes Committee for consideration.

Councillor Pullen referred to the hourly rate of £10.00 for childcare and enquired if this figure was in line with current rates. The Policy and Governance Manager advised this had been discussed with Members using the provision.  She added that no requests had been made for adult dependent care allowances and that the Panel would work with Members if a request was received.

The Chair of the Committee thanked Mr Dove and the Panel Members for their work.

General Purposes Committee RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND to Council that:

(1)       The recommendations of the Members’ Allowances Panel be noted and the proposed Members’ Allowances Scheme at Appendix 2 be approved for the payment of allowances in 2019-20. 

(2)       That the Council adopts a Parental Leave Policy for Councillors that takes into account any recommendations or policy approved by the Local Government Association.

(3)       The next four yearly detailed review of Members’ Allowances be scheduled to report in January 2023.