Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority Item 14 Item

13 December 2006

Review Of The Existing HFRA Members Allowance's Scheme

Report of the Clerk

Contact: Mr. K. Ridout on 01962 847356.

1. Introduction

1.1. At its meeting on 7 December 2005 the Authority approved a revised scheme of allowances for Members of the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority to take effect from 1 April 2006. This followed a review of the allowances scheme by the HFRA Independent Remuneration Panel on 17 November 2005.

2. HFRA - Independent Remuneration Panel

2.1. The HFRA Independent Remuneration Panel (I.R.P.) met on 2 November 2006 to review the existing HFRA Members' Allowances Scheme and to give consideration as to whether the HFRA Allowances and, in particular, special responsibilities allowances, were set at the appropriate level prior to the matter going to the HFRA meeting on 13 December 2006.

2.2. HFRA Members were notified of the Independent Remuneration Panel meeting and invited, if they so wished, to make either any written or personal representations at that time. None were received. The notes of the Panel meeting on 2 November, together with the Members' Allowances and Expenses Guidance Note for 2006/07 and a schedule showing other comparable fire authority allowances are shown as Annexures 1, 2 and 3 respectively to this report.

2.3. Noting that there had been no written or personal representations received from Members of the Authority and the significant review of the Members' Allowance Scheme by the Panel in November 2005, Members of the I.R.P. were minded to recommend no changes to the scheme except an inflationary increase across the board. The Panel went on to discuss the most appropriate measure to which such an increase should be linked and settled on the non-uniformed officers' pay award for fire authorities as the most suitable. For the year 2006/07, the pay award was 2.95% and the Panel recommend that this be applied to the existing HFRA basic allowance and all special responsibility allowances from 1 April 2007. The table below shows the existing HFRA basic allowance and special responsibility allowances (A) and those now being recommended (B) to the Authority to take effect from 1 April 2007, taking into account the level of inflationary increases recommended by the Panel.

a) Basic Allowance £ £
(A) (B)
Existing HFRA Independent
Allowances Remuneration
per annum Panel is
recommending
per annum
(from 1.4.07)

2,715 2,796


b) 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 post holder receives a higher special responsibility allowance in respect of another post).

Chairman of Authority 13,350 13,743


Vice-Chairmen of the Authority (x2) - (1,632) (1,680)
1632 1680

Chairman of Committees
Finance and General Purposes - 6,741 6,939
Governance - 3,261 3,357

Human Resources - 6,741 6,939

Performance Review - 3,804 3,915
Standards - 3,261 3,357

Vice-Chairman of Committees
Finance and General Purposes - (1,632) (1,680)
Governance - (813) (837)
Human Resources - 1,632 1,680

Performance Review - 981 1,011

Standards - 813 837

Independent Members (x3) serving on
Standards Cttee 615 633
each each
Minority Spokespersons on HFRA
Liberal Democrat Party - 6,675 6,873
Labour Party - 3,337 3,435
Member for Communication Liaison - (981) (1011)

(*) Financial recognition for Members involved
in Disciplinary/Grievance Hearings (to equate
with daily rate paid by LGA in such cases - currently £125 per day)



(*) Note
It is suggested that this financial recognition be deleted as Members are no longer involved in these cases.


c) Other HFRA Members' Expenses

Travel and other Members' Expenses, as set out in the HFRA Members' Allowances and Expenses Guidance Note 2006/07, be increased in the normal way at the same level as for Local Government staff. The Childcare and Dependants' Carers' Allowances are increased in line with the inflationary increase set by the Fire Authority in relation to the basic and special responsibility allowances.

3. European Convention on Human Rights and Human Rights Act 1998

3.1. The proposals within this report are compatible with the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998, and considered in the light of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the revised scheme of allowances for Members of the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority be as recommended by the HFRA Independent Remuneration Panel meeting on
2 November, 2006 and shall take effect from 1 April 2007.

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:

Published works.

Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

4gR231106