Issue - meetings

The Committee received a report from the Democratic Services Manager.  Jane Phillips, a member of the Independent Remuneration Panel was present to answer Committee questions.

The report detailed the review of the Allowance Scheme by the Independent Remuneration Panel. Regulations require a review after four years if an Allowance Scheme uses an index for annual increases. The index applying to the current scheme, the National Living Wage, has been in place since May 2016.

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

      i.         Thanked the Panel members for the work they had done.

    ii.         Recognised that a review had had to be done but wondered what type of next review would be undertaken in the autumn.

   iii.         Reflected on the difficult job councillors were undertaking in the current pandemic.

  iv.         Would encourage continued focus on the importance of a scheme that can support a Council which reflects equality and diversity of the area it represents- acknowledging that a Scheme alone cannot achieve this.

Jane Phillips responded that the planned review in the autumn 2021 would encourage contributions from the wider Membership of the Council and review the variety of partnership working, so a more fundamental piece of work similar to that undertaken in the last full review.

Resolved to:

      i.         Agree the 2020/21 allowance scheme and that it is not index linked for 2021/22 (ie. kept at the rate for 2020/21).