Issue - meetings

Report of the Legal Director

The Council considered the report of the Legal Director which incorporated a copy of the report by the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) with regard to the Member Allowances Scheme.  The Standards Committee had considered the report at its meeting held earlier that day and had resolved to advise the Council that it had accepted the recommendations of the Panel with the exception of the implementation date for proposed revisions to the Special Responsibility Allowance payable to Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chairs.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)       the IRP recommendations be noted and, while supportive of the principles, this Council believes that the overall Councillors Allowances Budget should be capped at the present level; and

(2)            accordingly, this matter be referred back to the IRP to consider how the IRP principles can be achieved whilst staying within the overall Councillors Allowances budget and the IRP be asked to examine the overall Councillors Allowances budget in the light of the current financial climate with a view to possible reductions in the budget.

Joint report of the Legal Director and Finance and Information Services Director

Further to Minute No. 3 of the meeting of the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) of 3 December 2008, and Minute No. 25 of the meeting of this Committee held on 22 January 2009, the Committee considered the report of the Legal Director which incorporated a copy of the report of the IRP in relation to the review of the Members' Allowance Scheme.  The views of the Committee were sought on the recommendations of the Panel prior to the submission of the report to Council for consideration.

The report indicated that the IRP's views had been sought on the following issues:

(a)       the appropriate figure for the Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) for Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chairs;

(b)       the appropriate figure and level of SRA for the Audit and Governance Committee Chair; and

(c)        if it was appropriate to pay travelling expenses to those Members who undertook statutory visits to Children's Homes.

The IRP, at its meeting held on 3 December 2008, had resolved in respect of the views referred to above that:

(1)       in recognition of:

            (a)       the evolving workload and responsibilities placed upon Overview and Scrutiny Committees, and in particular on the Chairs of such Committees;

            (b)       the evidence identified within national research commissioned by the Local Government Association and the Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government which clearly demonstrates that the average allowance to Overview and Scrutiny Chairs is comparable, or higher than, the Chairs of Licensing and sometimes Planning Committees; and;

            (c)        the need to raise the profile and the value that the Council places upon the function of Overview and Scrutiny;

            the Special Responsibility Allowance for Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chairs be increased from the 2009/10 Municipal Year, to a multiplier of 100% of the Basic Allowance;

(2)       the current link that the Special Responsibility Allowance payable to the Chair of the Audit and Governance Committee is the same as that to Chairs of Overview and Scrutiny Committees be severed; and that the SRA for the Chair of the Audit and Governance Committee remain as a multiplier of 50% of the Basic Allowance;

(3)            although the Panel is concerned that Sefton is not fulfilling the required number of statutory Regulation 33 visits to Children's Homes; and that one political party's Members have not undertaken any such visits in 2006/07, 2007/08 and to date in 2008/09, the Panel does not consider that the payment of travelling expenses to undertake such visits is a suitable way to remedy such problems and accordingly, the request to pay travelling expenses to those Members who undertake statutory Regulation 33 visits to Children's Homes be declined, but that the situation be kept under review;

(4)       the issue of the payment of travelling expenses in relation to Regulation 33 visits be considered further following the review currently being undertaken by the Fostering Service Working Group of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children's Services); and

(5)       it be noted that in accordance with Minute No. 3(9) of 14 June 2007, a full review  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11

Report of the Legal Director

The Committee considered the report of the Legal Director which incorporated a copy of the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel in relation to the review of the Members Allowance Scheme.  The views of the Committee were sought on the recommendations of the Panel prior to the submission of the report to Council for consideration.

A Member of the Committee referred to the decision taken by the Cabinet at its meeting on 2 October 2008 (Minute No. 128 refers) with regard to Members Travel outside of the Borough being included within the scope of the Corporate Travel Policy and requested that the report be deferred for consideration at a future meeting to enable the Independent Remuneration Panel to review the Members Travel and Subsistence Scheme.

RESOLVED:

That the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel be deferred to enable the views of the three Political Groups to be sought on the Members Travel and Subsistence Scheme and a report thereon being submitted to the Independent Remuneration Panel for consideration.