Agenda and minutes

Mr N J Rushton CC was nominated Chairman elect at the Annual Meeting of the County Council held on 15 May 2013.

That Mr N J Rushton CC be elected Chairman for the period ending with the date of the Annual Meeting of the County Council in 2014.

Mr N J Rushton CC – in the Chair

That Mr J B Rhodes CC be appointed Deputy Chairman for the period ending with the Annual Meeting of the County Council in 2014.

The minutes of the meeting held on 4 March 2013 were taken as read, confirmed and signed.

The Chief Executive reported that no questions had been received under Standing Order 35.

The Chief Executive reported that no questions had been received under Standing Order 7(3) and 7(5).

There were no urgent items for consideration.

The Chairman invited members who wished to do so to declare any interest in respect of items on the agenda for the meeting.

All members of the Committee declared a personal interest in the report on Members’ Allowances.

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Executive which sought approval to submit proposed changes in the structure of Overview and Scrutiny Bodies to the County Council for approval.  A copy of the report marked ‘Agenda Item 8’ is filed with these minutes.

RESOLVED:

(a)  That the County Council be recommended to approve the proposed scrutiny structure set out in Appendix A to this report;

(b)  That the County Council be recommended to approve the proposed changes to the Constitution as set out in Appendices B and C to this report.

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Executive which presented a special report of the Independent Remuneration Panel on Members’ Allowances and made recommendations to the County Council on proposals for a new scheme of allowances in the light of the contents of that report.  A copy of the report marked ‘Agenda Item 9’ is filed with these minutes.

It was clarified that Chairmen of Overview and Scrutiny Committees would not also be able to claim the allowance intended for Spokesmen of Overview and Scrutiny Committees.

RESOLVED:

That the County Council be recommended to approve the recommendations as set out in the Special Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel on Members’ Allowances.

The Committee considered a joint report of the Chief Executive and Director of Corporate Resources which drew attention to the publication by the Department of Communities and Local Government of a consultation paper entitled ‘Taxpayer-Funded Pensions for Councillors and other elected office holders’ and invited the Committee to consider the form of any County Council response.  A copy of the report marked ‘Agenda Item 10’ is filed with these minutes.

The Committee indicated that it supported the option to keep the pension scheme for Councillors in its current form (Option 3) and was of the view that to exclude elected members from the scheme was to undervalue their role.  The Committee also supported the proposal set out in the report that pension scheme arrangements for elected members should be absorbed with the new 2014 main Local Government Pension Scheme with the contribution bandings which apply to that Scheme.

The Committee was advised that the County Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel was also in support of Option 3.

RESOLVED:

That officers, in consultation with the three Group Leaders, be requested to draft a response to the consultation on Taxpayer-Funded Pensions for Councillors and other Elected Local Office Holders based on the report and comments now made.

The next meeting will take place on Tuesday 24 September at 2.00pm.

It was noted that the next meeting of the Committee would take place on 24 September at 2.00pm.