Agenda and minutes

The minutes of the meeting held on 21 January 2025 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.

No declarations were made.

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Executive which presented a report of the Independent Remuneration Panel which had been convened to consider the payment of a Special Responsibility Allowance to the Chairmen of the Local Pension Committee and Board, and review the Travel and Subsistence Rates. A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 6’, is filed with these minutes.

Mr. J. Poland CC stated that in his role as Conservative Group Whip members often mentioned to him the amount of work there was for members of the Local Pension Committee and the Local Pension Board and therefore he was in support of the recommendation.

RESOLVED:

That:

(a)        The Chairman of the Local Pension Committee receive a Special Responsibility Allowance of £5,209.00 per annum.

(b)        The Chairman of the Local Pension Board receive a Special Responsibility Allowance of £2,318.00 per annum.

(c)         The new Special Responsibility Allowances for the Chairmen of the Local Pension Committee and Board be index linked on an annual basis in accordance with the level of indexation set out in the Members’ Allowance Scheme.

(d)        The current levels of Travel and Subsistence allowances remain unchanged.

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Executive which sought approval with regards to a Scale of Fees to be used at the County Council elections in May 2025. A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 7’, is filed with these minutes.

RESOLVED:

(a)        That the scale of expenses attached to the report be used at the County Council elections to be held on 1 May 2025 and for any subsequent by- elections held before 31st March 2026.

(b)        That the Chief Executive be authorised to fix a scale for the purpose of by-elections occurring between 1st April 2026 and the next County Council elections.

The public are likely to be excluded during the following item of business in accordance with section 100(a) of the Local Government Act 1972:-

-         Charitable Trusts Update and Grant Application

RESOLVED:

That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 and 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972:

·        Charitable Trusts Update and Grant Application.

The Committee (sitting as Trustee) considered an exempt report of the Director of Law and Governance which gave up update on progress in relation to the transfer of educational trusts in line with previous decisions of the Trustee, to consider a grant application from Kibworth Mead Academy and to note the review of the governance arrangements as recommended by the Charity Commission.  A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 10’, is filed with these minutes.

RESOLVED:

That:

(a)        The annual report of the Leicestershire Educational Trust Fund be noted.

(b)        The transfer of the Hinckley John Cleveland Prize and Hinckley John Cleveland Scholarship Fund to the Hinckley JCC Foundation, subject to charity commission approval and agreement by the Foundation to terms relating to the transfer, be agreed.

(c)         The ongoing discussions relating to the Mary Smith Scholarship Fund and the Piercy Scholarship Fund/Thompson Trust be noted.

(d)        The grant application submitted by the Mead Academy Trust be agreed, subject to The Mead Educational Trust signing a grant agreement letter indicating acceptance of the terms and conditions of the grant which are:

i)             compliance with any due diligence checks identified in the grants policy which may be relevant to the application;

ii)           agreement to proportionate monitoring of the use of the grant including verification that it is used for the purposes agreed in line with the grants policy;

iii)          profiling of the drawdown of the grant to be agreed with the Director of Corporate Resources.

(e)        The Charity Commission governance checklist be noted.