Agenda item

To consider a report and the recommendations of the Employment in Hampshire County Council Committee regarding amendments to the Members’ Allowances Scheme.

The Council considered the report of the Employment in Hampshire County Council (EHCC) Committee seeking approval of amendments to the Members’ Allowances Scheme for 2022/23 including a general adjustment to Basic Allowances and Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs), following the recent staff pay award.

The Chairman reminded Members of the dispensation from the Conduct Advisory Panel allowing all Members to speak and vote on this item.  It was taken as read that Members had declared an interest.

In presenting the report Councillor Gary Hughes, who chaired the EHCC Committee meeting on 8 November, summarised the proposals in the report including the revised formulas for calculations of SRAs for Minority Group Leaders and Minority Group Spokespersons, recognising the present political makeup of the Council, and at the same time future proofing calculation of the allowances for administrations in the future.  Councillor Hughes confirmed that the proposed amendments had been considered by the Independent Renumeration Panel in accordance with the requirements of the Members’ Allowances Regulations and, if approved, would be backdated to the Annual General Meeting in May this year.

For the record it was noted that Councillors Prad Bains and Louise Parker-Jones voted against the recommendations.

RESOLVED:

That the County Council, taking into account the recommendations of the IRP, approves:

a)     An SRA for the Deputy Leader equivalent to 70% of the Leader’s SRA be added to the Members’ Allowances Scheme, to be backdated to the 2022 County Council AGM (19 May 2022). That this be subject to review in 12 months’ time.

b)     That the SRA for Opposition Group Leaders should amount to 55% of the SRA for the Leader of the Council, divided proportionally between all Opposition Groups (consisting of two Members or more) according to the number of seats held by that Group on the County Council. That this be backdated to the 2022 County Council AGM (19 May 2022), but any detrimental impact should not result in any SRA already paid in 2022/23 by the time of the County council’s decision being subject to repayment. That the SRA for Opposition Group Leaders be subject to review in 12 months’ time.

c)     That the SRA for Opposition Group Spokespersons should be paid to Opposition Group Spokespersons on each of the County Council’s ordinary Select Committees and the Health and Adult Social Care Committee and the Regulatory Committee. This should be calculated using a three-stage method (current figures included by way of illustration):

a.    Number of Committees for which an Opposition Spokespersons role applies (currently 6) x 55% of an ordinary Select Committee Chairman SRA (currently £12,604) = Opposition Spokesperson Fund (currently £41,594)

b.    Sum of number of appointed Opposition Spokespersons for each Political Group x number of Members in that Group (currently: (6x17) + (5x3) + (4x3) = 129)

c.    For each Group: Fund (£41,594) divided by total from part b (129) x number of Members in Group (17, 3 or 3) = SRA per Opposition Spokesperson in that Group

o   £41,594 / 129 x 17 = £5,482 (Liberal Democrat

o   £41,594 / 129 x 3 = £968 (Labour)

o   £41,594 / 129 x 3 = £968 (Independent)

That this be backdated to the 2022 County Council AGM (19 May 2022), but any detrimental impact should not result in any SRA already paid in 2022/23 by the time of the County Council’s decision being subject to repayment. That the Opposition Group Spokespersons SRA be subject to review in 12 months.

d)     That the SRA for the roles of Assistant to the Executive – Adult Services and Public Health and Assistant to the Executive – Children’s Services and for the role of Chairman of the River Hamble Harbour Board continue at the previously agreed rates.

e)     That Members’ Basic Allowances and Special Responsibilities be increased by 3.56% for the year 2022/23, backdated to the beginning of the present financial year.