AT A MEETING of the HAMPSHIRE FIRE AND RESCUE AUTHORITY STANDARDS COMMITTEE held at The Castle, Winchester on 24 October, 2003

PRESENT:

Councillors: M.J. Woodhall (Chairman); P.A. Heath; J. Stocks.

Independent Member: Ms. S. Roberts.

15 APOLOGIES

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors P. Galton; P. Luffman and Mrs. W. Burton (Independent Member).

16 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

All Members declared an interest in the item concerning the Independent Remuneration Panel's proposed "Scheme of Allowances for the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority" (Minute 19 refers). The Clerk advised that Members need not treat this as a prejudicial interest and therefore could speak and vote during the course of the relevant debate in the normal way.

17 MINUTES

The Minutes of the meetings held on 21 January and 10 July, 2003 were confirmed as correct records and signed by the Chairman.

18 PROCEDURE FOR COMPLAINTS FORWARDED BY THE STANDARDS BOARD TO THE STANDARDS COMMITTEE FOR DETERMINATION

The Committee considered the report of the Clerk (Item 4 in the Minute Book) on a proposal to adopt a procedure recommended by the Standards Board for England on how complaints of misconduct made to the Standards Board are investigated by them and forwarded to the Standards Committee for hearing and determination. It was noted that the model hearing procedures had inadvertently been omitted from the report and therefore the Clerk agreed to circulate this to Members over the next few days.

RESOLVED:

That the Committee adopt the Model Hearing Procedure as produced by the Standards Board for England for those complaints which have been investigated and reported on by the Standards Board and remitted to the Standards Committee for hearing and determination.

19 MINUTES OF THE INDEPENDENT REMUNERATION PANEL OF 13 OCTOBER, 2003 ON A PROPOSED SCHEME OF ALLOWANCES FOR MEMBERS OF HAMPSHIRE FIRE AND RESCUE AUTHORITY

The Committee considered the outcome of the Independent Remuneration Panel's meeting held on 13 October, 2003, together with the covering report of the Clerk on the matter (Items 5(i) and 5(ii) in the Minute Book).

There followed a full and detailed discussion on the proposed basic, special responsibility and Independent Member allowances.

The Committee felt that the basic allowance proposed by the Independent Remuneration Panel was too little and did not adequately reflect the level of commitment required by Members or provide adequate compensation for loss of full-time income. They recognised that it would be important to attract new Members to the work of the Authority over the coming years. Therefore, the Committee recommended a basic allowance of £2,500.

Whilst endorsing the special responsibility allowance of £10,300 for the Chairman of the Authority and an allowance of £500 each to the two Vice-Chairmen of the Authority, Members felt that as the responsibilities of the various Chairmen of Committees were not the same they should not be paid an equal allowance. After careful consideration, they recommended an allowance of £6,200 for the Chairman of Finance and General Purposes, £5,500 for the Chairman of Personnel, £3,500 for the Chairman of Performance Review and £3,000 for the Chairman of Standards Committee. Also, they felt that, rather than each of the Vice-Chairman's Committees receiving £1,500 each, they should receive about a quarter (25% of the Chair's allowances). This was consistent with the relationship between the allowance of the Chairman of the County Council Policy Review Committees and their Vice-Chairmen. Therefore, they recommend an allowance of £1,500 for the Vice-Chairman of Finance and General Purposes, £1,400 for the Vice-Chairman of Personnel Committee, £900 for the Vice-Chairman of Performance Review and £750 for the Vice-Chairman of Standards Committee.

The Committee felt the proposed special responsibility allowance of £400 for the two Independent members serving on the Standards Committee was too little for their time and commitment and recommended that the amount be increased to £800 each per annum. After consideration of the proposed allowances for minority spokespersons they felt the £5,150 for the Liberal Democrat Party Spokesman and £2,580 to the Labour Party Spokesman should be as recommended by the Independent Remuneration Panel.

The Committee concluded by supporting each of the remaining recommended allowances and other provisions. However, they further recommended that as part of the full review of all allowances by the Independent Remuneration Panel in 2005, the Panel have before them a proper job description for each of those Members with special responsibilities to enable the respective allowances to be re-evaluated at that time.

RESOLVED:

That it be a RECOMMENDATION to the Authority:

(a) Basic Allowance

A basic allowance of £2,500 per annum.


(b) Special Responsibility Allowance

A special responsibility allowance shall be paid to those Members who hold the offices of special responsibility listed in Appendix 1 to these Minutes, provided that a Member will receive only 1 special responsibility allowance except where a Member is Vice-Chairman of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority and holds one other SRA post.


(c) Co-optees Allowance

An annual allowance of £800 be made to the two Independent Members serving on the Standards Committee.


(d) Method of Payment of Allowances

In respect of payments of Basic Allowance, Special Responsibility Allowance and Co-optees Allowance that the method of payment be monthly.


(e) Travelling and Subsistence Allowance

That all travel allowances including those for Independent Members should be at the same rate as for County Council staff travel allowances and that no subsistence allowances should be paid. The allowances are as shown in Appendix II to these Minutes.


(f) Full Review

That a full review of all allowances including special responsibility allowances be carried out by the Panel in 2005; the review to consider job descriptions for each of the roles for which a special responsibility allowance applies and to take account of any changes in the operation and working of the Authority.


(g) Suspension of Allowances

That the Scheme of Allowances should provide that, when a Member of the Authority was suspended from all duties, all allowances, including travel, dependants' carers' and childcare allowances, should be withheld for the period of the suspension. Where a Member was partially suspended, any special responsibility allowance relating to any duties from which the Member was wholly suspended should be withheld for that period.


(h) Dependants' Carers' Allowance

That Childcare and Dependents' Carers' Allowances should be made at the rate paid by Hampshire Social Services and that the maximum payable per annum per Member would be £1000 (Hampshire Social Services allowances currently £7 per hour for Dependants' Carers' and £7.62 for 2.5 hours for childcare).


(i) Annual Adjustment

That the Scheme of Allowances should provide for future automatic index-linked annual adjustments to remuneration by reference to the settlement for Fire and Rescue Service non-uniformed staff increases or equivalent, effective from the operative date of their award.


(j) Retrospectively

That the Basic Allowance, Special Responsibility Allowances and Co-optees Allowance should be backdated to 1 May 2003.


(k) Recovery of Allowances Paid

That the Scheme of Allowances should provide that any allowance that has been paid to a Member whilst on suspension, or any allowance after a Member had ceased to be a Member of the Authority should be recovered.


(l) Duplication

That the Scheme of Allowances should provide that, where a Member is a Member of two or more Authorities they should not receive more than one allowance for the same duties.


(m) Elections to Forgo Allowances

That the Scheme of Allowances should provide all Members to be enabled by notice to the Clerk to forgo entitlement of all or part of any allowances paid to them.


(n) Claims and Payments

That the Scheme of Allowances should provide that travelling, Dependants' Carers' and Child Care allowances for all Members and Independent Members must be claimed within six months from the date of the meeting concerned.

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Appendix I

HAMPSHIRE FIRE AND RESCUE AUTHORITY

MEMBERS ALLOWANCES SCHEME - BASIC ALLOWANCE

AND SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY ALLOWANCES

£

per annum

(i) Basic Allowance 2,500

(ii) Special Responsibility Allowances

Only one special responsibility allowance is
payable to any Member under the scheme.
The allowances in brackets will not be paid
whilst the current postholder receives a
higher special responsibility allowance in
respect of another post, except where a
Vice-Chairman of the Authority is also
Chairman of a Committee.

Chairman of the Authority 10,300
Vice-Chairman of the Authority (x 2) 500 each

Chairman of Committees (x 4)
Finance and General Purposes 6,200
Personnel 5,500
Performance Review 3,500
Standards 3,000

Vice-Chairman of Committees
Finance and General Purposes 1,500
Personnel 1,400
Performance Review 900
(not payable at present as no
Vice-Chairman appointed) Standards (750)

Independent Members (x2) serving on Standards Ctte 800 each
Minority Spokespersons on HFRA
Liberal Democrat Party 5,150
Labour Party 2,580

Appendix II

HAMPSHIRE FIRE AND RESCUE AUTHORITY

RATES OF TRAVELLING ALLOWANCES PAYABLE TO MEMBERS OF THE AUTHORITY AND TO INDEPENDENT MEMBERS

1. Cycle allowance

The rate for travel by a Member on a Member's own cycle/
electric cycle or one provided for his/her use 8.1p per mile

2. Motor cycle allowance

The rate for travel by a Member's own solo motor cycle or one
provided for his/her use: 25.2p per mile

3. Motor vehicle allowance

The rate for travel by a Member's own private motor

vehicle, or one belonging to a member of his family

or otherwise provided for his/her use, other than a solo

motor cycle: 45.7p per mile

The rates specified in paragraph 3 may be increased by not more than the amount of any expenditure incurred on tolls, ferries or parking fees, including overnight garaging.

4. Rates for travel by public transport or taxi

(a) the rate for travel by public transport shall not exceed the amount of the

ordinary fare or any available cheap fare, and where more than one class of fare is available, the rate shall be determined, in the case of travel by ship by reference to first class fares, and in any other case by reference to second class fares unless the body determines, either generally or specifically, that first class fares shall be substituted.

(b) The rate specified in the preceding sub-paragraph may be increased by

supplementary allowances not exceeding expenditure actually incurred:

(i) on Pullman car or similar supplements, reservation of seats and deposit or porterage of luggage; and

(ii) on sleeping accommodation engaged by the Member for an

overnight journey, subject, however, to reduction by one third of any subsistence allowance payable to him for that night;


(c) The rate for travel by taxi cab shall not exceed:

(i) in cases of urgency or where no public transport is reasonably

available, the amount of the actual fare and any other
reasonable gratuity paid; and

(ii) in any other case, the amount of the fare for travel by
appropriate public transport.

(d) The rate for travel by a hired motor vehicle other than a taxi cab shall
not exceed the rate which would have been applicable had the vehicle
belonged to the Member who hired it, provided that where the body
approves, the rate may be increased to an amount not exceeding the
actual cost of hiring.

(e) The rate for travel by air shall not exceed the rate applicable to travel
by appropriate alternative means of transport together with an
allowance equivalent to the amount of any saving in attendance
allowance or financial loss allowance, and subsistence allowance
consequent on travel by air.

Provided that where the body resolves, either generally or specifically,
that the saving in time is not substantial as to justify payment of the
fare for travel by air, there may be paid an amount not exceeding:

(i) the ordinary fare or any available cheap fare for travel by regular air service; or

(ii) where no such service is available or in case of urgency, the
fare actually paid by the Member.

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