COUNCILLORS' ALLOWANCES

1. The County Council at its meeting in February 2002 agreed proposals from the Standards Committee to appoint an Independent Remuneration Panel to review Councillors' allowances. That Panel met in March and, following detailed discussion, they produced a report with recommendations on Councillors' basic and special responsibility allowances. They did so in the light of the views previously expressed by the Standards Committee; and representations made by various County Councillors. A copy of the Panel's report has been placed in the Members' Rooms.

2. The Standards Committee has given detailed consideration to the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel and has found much in them which they can support. However, there are several aspects with which they did not agree, for example the proposed link between the increase of allowances to reflect retail price index inflation of 5%. The Panel felt increases should be limited to 3% to reflect parity with the offer made in the course of negotiations for Local Government staff. The Committee therefore propose that the 3% increase in general members' allowances should take effect from April 2002, whilst the 3% increase for the special allowances portion of Members' allowances should be implemented from April 2003. The Committee also considered several other smaller amendments, namely the allowances for:

_ Cabinet Members without portfolio

_ Leaders of the opposition parties

_ Chairman of the Standards Committee

_ The opposition spokesmen on the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority

_ The Vice-Chairmen of the main line committees

These are all detailed in the recommendations set out below.


RECOMMENDATION:

That the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel be adopted as amended below:

(a). That we adopt in principle as policy for future years an uplift for inflation in line with the national pay award for local government staff and consider each year whether to apply this percentage increase from 1 April each year.

(b). For this year

1. That there should be no change in the basic allowance in the current review beyond an increase for inflation, such increase to be 3% based on our offer to the national pay award for local government staff negotiators for April 2002, to be implemented from 1 April 2002.

2. That there should be no change to the higher band and generally to the special responsibility allowances, beyond an increase for inflation, such increase to be 3% based on our offer to the national pay award for local government staff negotiators for April 2002, to be implemented from 1 April 2003.

3. That there should be a special responsibility allowance of £10,000 for the two posts of Cabinet Member without portfolio, and that this award be backdated to 1 September 2001 and increased for inflation in line with the other allowances as set out in (ii) above, to include any members who have served on the Cabinet during this period but have since been moved to other duties.

4. That the special responsibility allowances for the Leaders of the Opposition Parties be calculated on the basis of a standard allowance of £5,000, plus £275 for each County Councillor on the Group, the increase in allowance for the Leader of the Second Opposition Party to be backdated to 1 September 2001 both allowances to be increased for inflation on the basis set out in (ii) above.

5. That a special responsibility allowance of £5,000 be paid to the Chairman of the Standards Committee, backdated to 1 September 2001, and then increased for inflation as set out in (ii) above.

6. That no special responsibility allowance be paid to the political spokesmen on the Regulatory Committee.

7. That, in the light of proposals being considered by the Government for the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority to become a precepting Authority, consideration of members allowances for County Council members on the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority be deferred until Government precepting policy and procedures are announced.

8. That Vice-Chairmen of Policy Review Committees and other main line committees receive an amount equal to 25% of their respective Chairman's allowance with effect from 1 April 2002..

P.A. PIERCE

Chairman

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