Issue - meetings

To consider a report from the Monitoring Officer, which summarises discussions and proposals of the Member Allowances Working Group with regard to the agreement of a new Scheme from April 2022.

The Authority considered a report of the Monitoring Officer (item 11 in the minute book), which summarised discussions and proposals of the Member Allowances Working Group with regard to the agreement of a new Scheme from April 2022.

It was confirmed that a one year scheme had been set in 2021 ahead of a new scheme being considered and proposed by a Member Allowances Working Group, which had met in December 2021.

Members were happy with the proposals.

RESOLVED

The HIWFRA:

a) Noted the outcomes of the review of the Members’ Allowances Scheme carried out by the Working Group and agree to implement a new Members’ Allowances Scheme for the years 2022/23 – 2025/26 as attached at Appendix 1.

b) Agreed that the Monitoring Officer be given delegated authority to incorporate the new scheme at Appendix 1 into the HIWFRA Constitution.

c) Agreed that any local government pay award made in this period be applied as an index for the adjustment of Member allowances. In doing so retaining the ratio between basic allowance and SRA as set out above. For clarity, the applicable pay award shall be that received by the majority of staff and exclude any additional pay award given to officers on low pay grades.   

d) Agreed that any further expenses in relation to being a Member of the Fire Authority (e.g travel or subsistence) continue to be reclaimed from respective appointing Members’ local authorities in accordance with their Members’ Allowances Schemes. 

e) Noted that the appointed Independent Persons receive an annual allowance of £100 which is awarded under separate legislation and therefore not formally part of the Members’ Allowances Scheme.