Agenda item

To adopt the recommendations of the West Berkshire Council Independent Remuneration Panel 2017.

The Council considered a report (Agenda Item 20) concerning the recommendations of the West Berkshire Council Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) following their meeting on 6^th November 2017.

MOTION: Proposed by Councillor Graham Jones and seconded by Councillor Emma Webster:

That the Council:

“consider and agree the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel”.

AMENDMENT: Proposed by Councillor Graham Jones and seconded by Councillor Rick Jones:

That the Council:

“approve and adopt the recommendation in paragraph 9.17 subject to the inclusion of the following amendment:

The Panel recommends that the Opposition Spokespersons should receive a Special Responsibility Allowance set at 30% of the Leader of the Opposition’s Special Responsibility Allowance which equates to £2,219 per annum and that this Special Responsibility Allowance should be paid to a maximum of four members of the opposition provided that the Opposition Spokespersons Special Responsibility Allowances are paid in proportion to those paid to the administration”.

Councillor Graham Jones commented that this was a process that the Council was obliged to undertake at least every four years. The Panel had suggested a number of minor amendments to the scheme which he supported. He was however of the opinion that the Opposition should only receive Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs) which were in line with the proportion paid to the Administration.

Councillor Lee Dillon commented that while it was important that the SRAs reflected the importance of the work undertaken by the Opposition he agreed that they should be paid in proportion to those of the Administration.

The Substantive Motion was put to the vote and declared CARRIED.

Councillor Dillon commented that the report showed an increase in the allowance paid to the Deputy Leader and an additional allowance for the Chairman of the Personnel Committee. He explained that when he had given his evidence to the Panel he had stated that he felt that it was right that these roles be recognised. He had also commented on the need to be mindful of the public opinion on allowances generally.

Councillor Emma Webster commented that this was never an easy topic to discuss and that was why the role of the IRP was crucial. She highlighted the way the Basic Allowance was calculated which factored in the number of hours required to be an effective councillor, the number of those hours that should be remunerated and the rate that they should be remunerated at. She noted that in West Berkshire the Public Service Discount (the voluntary time contribution by members) was set at 50%.

Councillor Webster noted that, as the current Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Commission, she was supportive of the reduction in the SRA paid to that role given the new scrutiny model that had been adopted. She was also supportive of paying a SRA to the Chairman of the Personnel Committee given the level of responsibility this role carried. She noted that the Panel was mindful that ‘in order to attract candidates from more diverse backgrounds, as well as young employed professionals, the Basic Allowance should be set at a level to mitigate some of the factors that may dissuade some people from standing for election’.

Councillor Graham Jones noted that it was always up to Members to decide whether or not they wished to accept their allowance.

The Substantive Motion was put to the meeting and duly RESOLVED.