Issue - meetings

The Leader of the Council, in appointing a Cabinet of eight Members for 2007-2008 at the Annual Council Meeting, announced that no increase to the Members’ Allowances budget would arise from the increase in the size of the Cabinet from 7 Members.

In order for this provision to have effect it is necessary for Council to agree a proportional decrease in the Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) payable to Cabinet Members amounting to 11.6% of SRA.

The Basic Allowance remains unchanged and revised recommended SRAs are as follows:

The SRA payable to the Leader of the Major Opposition Group, previously agreed by Council at a level of 30% of the SRA paid to the Leader, would correspondingly reduce from £3,410 to £3,014 per annum, subject to Council approval of these revised figures. In the circumstances it is recommended that this SRA remain at £3,410 per annum, equivalent to 33.9% of the Leader’s SRA.

RECOMMENDATION

That the following revised Special Responsibility Allowances be approved, payable with immediate effect to 31 March 2008:

Council RESOLVED that the following revised Special Responsibility Allowances be approved, payable with immediate effect to 31 March 2008:

Council RESOLVED that the following revised Special Responsibility Allowances be approved, payable with immediate effect to 31 March 2008:

To consider the recommendation of the Independent Panel that basic and special responsibility allowances should increase by 2.5% on the 2006/07 rates. The Panel also recommended that the special responsibility allowance paid to the Chairman of the Licensing Committee be reduced to £2,100 per annum. The minutes of the Remuneration Panel meeting held on 20 December 2006 are attached for information.

The effect of accepting the Panel’s recommendations would be:

A 2.5% increase is in line with the allowance for inflation applied to the estimates generally and has been provided for in the proposed allowances budget for 2007/08 of £337,112.

RECOMMENDATION

That the recommendations of the Independent Panel be approved and the following allowances paid for 2007-2008:

Council RESOLVED that the recommendations of the Independent Panel be approved and the following allowances paid for 2007-2008:

Council considered the recommendations of the Independent Panel regarding basic and special responsibility allowance levels for 2007-2008. The Panel had recommended that allowance rates be increased by 2.5% on 2006-2007, with the exception of the allowance for the Chairman of the Licensing Committee, which was recommended to reduce to £2,100 per annum. Members sought clarification on issues raised in the notes of the Independent Panel which were attached to the Agenda for information.

Councillor NJ Scarr proposed and Councillor MP Howell seconded a Motion that the basic allowance be not increased on the basis of fewer Council meetings during 2007-2008. The Motion, on being put, was declared lost.

Council RESOLVED that the recommendations of the Independent Panel be approved and the following allowances paid for 2007-2008:

Councillors Mrs SJO Doggett, MP Howell and NJ Scarr requested to be recorded as voting against the recommendation.