Agenda and minutes

The minutes of the meeting held on 15 June 2021 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.

It was noted that all members of the Committee would have personal interests in agenda item 6: Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel on Member Allowances as they were all eligible to receive allowances.

No other declarations were made.

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Executive which presented the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel on Members’ Allowances and invited the Committee to make 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 6’, is filed with these minutes.

The Committee noted that those 15 Members that had stepped down from the Council at the election in May 2021 were not required to publish an annual report for the 2020/21 year which was why the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel referred to thirty seven out of forty Members having produced annual reports rather than the 55 total members.

It was also noted that Mrs. C.M. Radford CC had not produced an annual report because she produced monthly reports all of which were published on the County Council’s website and Mrs. Radford had sought prior approval from the Chief Executive before following this course of action.

RESOLVED:

The Committee recommends to Council that:

(a)        The Basic and Special Responsibility Allowances be increased on an annual basis, from 1st April 2022, for a two year period, in line with the Local Government Employee Pay Award;

(b)        The Independent Remuneration Panel reconvenes in 2023 to review the indexation of Basic and Special Responsibility Allowances;

(c)        The current levels of Travel and Subsistence allowances remain unchanged;

(d)        Those Members who submitted an Annual Report be thanked for doing so;

(e)        Those Members who have not submitted an Annual report for the municipal year 2020/21 be requested to do so at the earliest opportunity.