Contact: Colin Hinxman - Ext: 7343 - email: [email protected]

1. At Item 6(b) are the Minutes of the meeting of the Independent Remuneration Panel held on 22 November 2005. The Minutes set out the recommendations put forward by the Panel, together with a Schedule setting out the Members' allowances and special responsibility allowances recommended for payment for 2006/07.

2. The Committee needs to consider those recommendations and put them forward with any amendments to the County Council on 22 February. For ease of reference, the relevant recommendations are set out below.

RECOMMENDATION:

1. That the basic allowance for Members of the County Council be continued at the current rate of £11,286.

2. That the formula linking the basic Members' allowance and special responsibility allowances be reinstated as follows:

Leader 2.5 x Basic Allowance
Executive Member 1.5 x Basic Allowance
Chairman of Policy Review Committees 1 x Basic Allowance
Chairman of Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee 1.25 x Basic allowance Vice Chairman of Policy Review Committees 0.25 x Basic Allowance
Vice Chairman of Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee 0.25 x Basic Allowance plus 25% of that.
Liberal Democrat Group Spokesman 0.5 x Basic Allowance
Labour Group Spokesman 0.25 x Basic Allowance
Regulatory Committee Chairman 1 x Basic Allowance
Regulatory Committee Vice Chairman 0.25 x Basic Allowance
Standards Committee Chairman 0.5 x Basic Allowance
Standards Committee Vice Chairman 0.125 x Basic Allowance
Governance Committee Chairman 0.5 x Basic Allowance
Governance Committee Vice Chairman 0.125 x Basic Allowance
E Champion 0.25 x Basic Allowance
Liberal Democrat Group Leader 0.5 x Basic Allowance + £302 per member
Labour Group Leader 0.25 x Basic Allowance + £302 per member

3. That the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Regulatory Committee should receive allowances equal to those of the allowances paid to the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of the Policy Review Committees.

4. That the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Governance Committee should receive an allowance equal to that of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Standards Committee.

5. That the basic allowance for Co-opted Members of the Children's Services Policy Review Committee be continued in the sum of £634.50.

6. That the basic allowance for Independent Members of the Standards Committee be continued in the sum of £634.50.

7. That the basic allowance for Independent Remuneration Panel Members be continued in the sum of £211.50.

8. That with effect from 1 April 2006 the annual increase in all allowances be tied to the September Retail Price Index and payable from 1 April the following year.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1 Published works.
Documents which disclosure exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

5mR1106