Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority Item 14

10 December 2008

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. Following a review of the allowances scheme by the HFRA Independent Remuneration Panel in November, 2006, and again in November, 2007, the Authority supported the Panel's recommendation for no changes to the scheme, except for an inflationary increase across the board. At their recent meeting this year, the Panel have proposed that allowances be frozen at existing rates pending the completion of a full appraisal of the scheme in Summer/Autumn 2009 and that the non-uniformed salary settlement for 2009/10 be applied retrospectively from 1 April, 2009 to the agreed outcome. The exception to this being however in relation to the SRA paid in relation to the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Standards Committee, the Childcare Allowance and the mileage rate.

2. Recommendations

That the HFRA Independent Remuneration Panel make the following RECOMMENDATION to the Authority:

(a) That allowances be frozen at the existing rates, subject to a full review of the HFRA Members' Allowances Scheme in Summer/Autumn 2009, with the exception that with effect from 1 April, 2009:-


· SRA for Chairman of Standards Committee be reduced from £3,441 to £1,944, in addition to a £648 Independent Member basic allowance.


· SRA for Vice-Chairman of Standards Committee be reduced from £858 to £486.


· Childcare Allowance be increased from £4.10 to £6.00 an hour with the ceiling for that and the dependent carers allowance being removed.


· Mileage rate be reduced from 53.5p to HM Revenue and Customs rate of 40p a mile for first 10,000 miles and 25p a mile thereafter.


(a) That for the year 2009/10, the pay award made to local government staff which also applies to non-uniformed staff be applied retrospectively to the 1 April, 2009 as the cost of living increase to whatever allowances are agreed by the Authority in December, 2009, following the Panel's full review of the Scheme.

3. HFRA - Independent Remuneration Panel

3.1. The HFRA Independent Remuneration Panel is a non-statutory Panel set up to assist the Authority in establishing its members allowances scheme. It met on 10 November, 2008 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 10 December 2008.

3.2. 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. The notes of the Panel meeting on 10 November, together with the Members' Allowances and Expenses Guidance Note for 2008/09 and a schedule showing other comparable fire authority allowances are shown as Annexures 1, 2 and 3 respectively to this report.

3.3. The Panel, in its deliberations also considered the existing members allowances scheme for Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council. In turn, the Authority in making a decision on its allowances scheme needs to have regard to the most recent Independent Remuneration Panel recommendations to the three authorities. These can be accessed at:-

http://www3.hants.gov.uk/yourcouncil/irpreport

http://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/yourcouncil/3233.html

http://www.southampton.gov.uk/thecouncil/thecouncil/meetings-agendas-reports/meetingpapers/sqlmeetingpapersagenda.asp?scheduledmeetingid=2404&PortfolioID=13&Title=Council+&Date=19/09/2007&Postponed=0&Cancelled=0&PD=True

3.4. The HFRA Independent Remuneration Panel was advised that there had been no written or personal representations received from Members of the Authority. Given the last significant review of the Members' Allowances Scheme was in 2005, the Panel considered it was appropriate to undertake a full appraisal of the Scheme in Summer/Autumn 2009. As a consequence, the Panel felt it was appropriate to recommend that allowances be frozen at existing rates pending the completion of the review and, that the non-uniformed staff salary settlement for 2009/10 be applied retrospectively from 1 April, 2009 to the agreed outcome. The exception to this being however, in relation to the SRA paid in relation to the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Standards Committee, the Childcare Allowance and the mileage rate.

3.5. The Panel noted the changed nature and scope of the Standards Committee and that the Chairman was now an independent appointment. The Panel took the view that in the case of the Chairman of the Standards Committee an appropriate SRA would be three times the basic allowance for Independent Members of the Standards Committee (ie £1944), in addition to the basic allowance of £648. The Panel noted that in previous years, the SRA for the Vice-Chairman of the Standards Committee was 25% of the Chairman's SRA and, on that basis, considered £486 (25% of £1944) should be the applicable SRA for the role.

3.6. With regard to the Childcare Allowance, the Panel wished to see this increased from £4.10 to £6.00 an hour with the ceiling for this and the dependent carers allowance removed after consideration of Hampshire Provider Survey data. The Panel was aware that the majority of district/borough councils in Hampshire and the Hampshire Police Authority paid the HM Revenue and Customs approved mileage rate of 40p for the first 10,000 miles and 25p thereafter. The Panel noted that Kent and Medway Fire Authority also paid 40p for the first 10,000 miles and that Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority should also adopt the Revenue and Customs rates.

4. Equality Impact Assessment

4.1. An impact assessment has been made on the proposals in the paper and shown that they are not discriminatory. They are considered compatible with the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights, the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.

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.

4gR751108