Agenda item

This council notes the following.

1.    The community has a right to be represented by a diversity of councillors and residents should have a diversity of councillors for whom to vote.

2.    Analysis, by the Fawcett Society, of the 2019 Local Election results found that only 35% of councillors in England are women, up 1% since 2018. Of the seats up for election in 2018, 38% went to women, up just 3 percentage points on 2014 when these seats were last contested.

3.    Only 15% of councillors nationally are under 45 years of age.

4.    As of October 2020, 27 councils have passed the LGA Labour Group’s Parental Leave policy, and an additional 9 councils have their own parental leave policy.

5.     Cambridge does not have a formal parental leave policy for councillors.

6.    The role of a councillor should be open to all, regardless of  background, and  introducing a parental leave policy and other family friendly policies is a step towards encouraging a wider range of people to become councillors, and is also a step to encourage existing councillors who may wish to start a family to remain as councillors;

7.    Parental leave must apply to parents regardless of their gender, and should cover adoption leave to support those parents who choose to adopt.

8.    Parental leave is only part of the picture and other family friendly policies such as support for carers, remote/hybrid meetings, and becoming a breastfeeding-friendly council would further ensure a greater diversity of councillors.  And also that family friendly policies are in themselves only a small part of the wider need for policies which encourage truly diverse representation.

This Council resolves the following.

1.    To adapt to suit a Cambridge context the parental leave policy drafted by the LGA Labour Group’s Women’s Task Force and to bring the recommendations to Civic Affairs as part of the next round of discussions on councillor remuneration. Parental Leave Policy for Councils | Local Government Association

2.    To ensure that councillors with children and other caring commitments are supported as appropriate.

3.    To acknowledge this is only one part of the picture, and to commit to investigating other inclusive policies and bringing those recommendations forward in the future.

4.    To write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to urge him to introduce legislation to allow councils to adopt remote and hybrid meetings where they deem it appropriate to do so.

 

Local Government Association

Parental Leave Policy for Councils

This Policy sets out Members’ entitlement to maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption leave and relevant allowances.

Introduction

The objective of the policy is to ensure that insofar as possible Members are able to take appropriate leave at the time of birth or adoption, that both parents are able to take leave, and that reasonable and adequate arrangements are in place to provide cover for portfolio-holders and others in receipt of Special Responsibility Allowances (SRA) during any period of leave taken.

Improved provision for new parents will contribute towards increasing the diversity of experience, age and background of local authority councillors. It will also assist with retaining experienced councillors – particularly women – and making public office more accessible to individuals who might otherwise feel excluded from it.

There is at present no legal right to parental leave of any kind for people in elected public office. This applies to MPs as well as councillors, and has been the subject of lengthy debate. These policies can therefore only currently be implemented on a voluntary basis, although Labour Councils are encouraged to implement them as per the Labour Party Democracy Review which has called for Labour-controlled councils and Labour Groups to adopt a parental leave policy. Discussions are ongoing about changing the law to enable compulsory provision, but until then these policies constitute best practice which Labour Groups (and the councils they control) are strongly advised to adopt.

Legal advice has been taken on these policies, and they conform with current requirements.

1. Leave Periods

1.1 Members giving birth are entitled to up to 6 months maternity leave from the due date, with the option to extend up to 52 weeks by agreement if required.

1.2 In addition, where the birth is premature, the Member is entitled to take leave during the period between the date of the birth and the due date in addition to the 6 months’ period. In such cases any leave taken to cover prematurity of 28 days or less shall be deducted from any extension beyond the initial 6 months.

1.3 In exceptional circumstances, and only in cases of prematurity of 29 days or more, additional leave may be taken by agreement, and such exceptional leave shall not be deducted from the total 52 week entitlement.

1.4 Members shall be entitled to take a minimum of 2 weeks paternity leave if they are the biological father or nominated carer of their partner/spouse following the birth of their child(ren).

1.5 A Member who has made Shared Parental Leave arrangements through their employment is requested to advise the Council of these at the earliest possible opportunity. Every effort will be made to replicate such arrangements in terms of leave from Council.

1.6 Where both parents are Members leave may be shared up to a maximum of 24 weeks for the first six months and 26 weeks for any leave agreed thereafter, up to a maximum of 50 weeks. Special and exceptional arrangements may be made in cases of prematurity.

1.7 A Member who adopts a child through an approved adoption agency shall be entitled to take up to six months adoption leave from the date of placement, with the option to extend up to 52 weeks by agreement if required.

1.8 Any Member who takes maternity, shared parental or adoption leave retains their legal duty under the Local Government Act 1972 to attend a meeting of the Council within a six month period unless the Council Meeting agrees to an extended leave of absence prior to the expiration of that six month period.

1.9 Any Member intending to take maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption leave will be responsible for ensuring that they comply with the relevant notice requirements of the Council, both in terms of the point at which the leave starts and the point at which they return.

1.10 Any member taking leave should ensure that they respond to reasonable requests for information as promptly as possible, and that they keep officers and colleagues informed and updated in relation to intended dates of return and requests for extension of leave.

2. Basic Allowance

2.1 All Members shall continue to receive their Basic Allowance in full whilst on maternity, paternity or adoption leave.

3. Special Responsibility Allowances

3.1 Members entitled to a Special Responsibility Allowance shall continue to receive their allowance in full in the case of maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption leave.

3.2 Where a replacement is appointed to cover the period of absence that person shall receive an SRA on a pro rata basis for the period of the temporary appointment.

3.3 The payment of Special Responsibility Allowances, whether to the primary SRA holder or a replacement, during a period of maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption leave shall continue for a period of six months, or until the date of the next Annual Meeting of the Council, or until the date when the member taking leave is up for election (whichever is soonest). At such a point, the position will be reviewed, and will be subject to a possible extension for a further six month period.

3.4 Should a Member appointed to replace the member on maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption leave already hold a remunerated position, the ordinary rules relating to payment of more than one Special Responsibility Allowances shall apply.

3.5 Unless the Member taking leave is removed from their post at an Annual General Meeting of the Council whilst on leave, or unless the Party to which they belong loses control of the Council during their leave period, they shall return at the end of their leave period to the same post, or to an alternative post with equivalent status and remuneration which they held before the leave began.

4. Resigning from Office and Elections

4.1 If a Member decides not to return at the end of their maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption leave they must notify the Council at the earliest possible opportunity. All allowances will cease from the effective resignation date.

4.2 If an election is held during the Member’s maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption leave and they are not re-elected, or decide not to stand for re-election, their basic allowance and SRA if appropriate will cease from the Monday after the election date when they would technically leave office.

 

 

Councillor A.Smith proposed and Councillor Smart seconded the following motion: 

 

This council notes the following.

1.    The community has a right to be represented by a diversity of councillors and residents should have a diversity of councillors for whom to vote.

2.    Analysis, by the Fawcett Society, of the 2019 Local Election results found that only 35% of councillors in England are women, up 1% since 2018. Of the seats up for election in 2018, 38% went to women, up just 3 percentage points on 2014 when these seats were last contested.

3.    Only 15% of councillors nationally are under 45 years of age.

4.    As of October 2020, 27 councils have passed the LGA Labour Group’s Parental Leave policy, and an additional 9 councils have their own parental leave policy.

5.     Cambridge does not have a formal parental leave policy for councillors.

6.    The role of a councillor should be open to all, regardless of  background, and  introducing a parental leave policy and other family friendly policies is a step towards encouraging a wider range of people to become councillors, and is also a step to encourage existing councillors who may wish to start a family to remain as councillors;

7.    Parental leave must apply to parents regardless of their gender, and should cover adoption leave to support those parents who choose to adopt.

8.    Parental leave is only part of the picture and other family friendly policies such as support for carers, remote/hybrid meetings, and becoming a breastfeeding-friendly council would further ensure a greater diversity of councillors.  And also that family friendly policies are in themselves only a small part of the wider need for policies which encourage truly diverse representation.

This Council resolves the following.

1.    To adapt to suit a Cambridge context the parental leave policy drafted by the LGA Labour Group’s Women’s Task Force and to bring the recommendations to Civic Affairs as part of the next round of discussions on councillor remuneration. Parental Leave Policy for Councils | Local Government Association

2.    To ensure that councillors with children and other caring commitments are supported as appropriate.

3.    To acknowledge this is only one part of the picture, and to commit to investigating other inclusive policies and bringing those recommendations forward in the future.

4.    To write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to urge him to introduce legislation to allow councils to adopt remote and hybrid meetings where they deem it appropriate to do so.

 

Councillor Porrer proposed and Councillor Gehring seconded the following amendment to motion (additional text underlined).

This council notes the following.

1.    The community has a right to be represented by a diversity of councillors and residents should have a diversity of councillors for whom to vote.

2.    Analysis, by the Fawcett Society, of the 2019 Local Election results found that only 35% of councillors in England are women, up 1% since 2018. Of the seats up for election in 2018, 38% went to women, up just 3 percentage points on 2014 when these seats were last contested.

3.    Only 15% of councillors nationally are under 45 years of age.

4.    As of October 2020, 27 councils have passed the LGA Labour Group’s Parental Leave policy, and an additional 9 councils have their own parental leave policy.

5.    Cambridge does not have a formal parental leave policy for councillors.

6.    The role of a councillor should be open to all, regardless of  background, and  introducing a parental leave policy and other family friendly policies is a step towards encouraging a wider range of people to become councillors, and is also a step to encourage existing councillors who may wish to start a family to remain as councillors;

7.    Parental leave must apply to parents regardless of their gender, and should cover adoption leave to support those parents who choose to adopt.

8.    Parental leave is only part of the picture and other family friendly policies such as support for carers, remote/hybrid meetings, and becoming a breastfeeding-friendly council would further ensure a greater diversity of councillors.  And also that family friendly policies are in themselves only a small part of the wider need for policies which encourage truly diverse representation.

This Council resolves the following.

5.    To adapt to suit a Cambridge context the parental leave policy drafted by the LGA Labour Group’s Women’s Task Force and to bring the recommendations to Civic Affairs as part of the next round of discussions on councillor remuneration.

6.    To ensure that councillors with children and other caring commitments are supported as appropriate.

7.    To acknowledge this is only one part of the picture, and to commit to investigating other inclusive policies and bringing those recommendations forward in the future.

8.    To write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to urge him to introduce legislation to allow councils to adopt remote and hybrid meetings where they deem it appropriate to do so.

9.    Further to this council's resolution at Civic Affairs on 9th October 2019 (19/41/Civ), that this council shall continue to apply pressure via the Local Government Association and any other appropriate routes to allow for proxy voting for local government for those on parental leave, which is not currently permissible, despite already being available to MPs in parliament.

 

https://local.gov.uk/parental-leave-policy-councils

 

On a show of hands the amendment was carried unanimously.

 

Resolved (unanimously) that:

 

This council notes the following.

1.    The community has a right to be represented by a diversity of councillors and residents should have a diversity of councillors for whom to vote.

2.    Analysis, by the Fawcett Society, of the 2019 Local Election results found that only 35% of councillors in England are women, up 1% since 2018. Of the seats up for election in 2018, 38% went to women, up just 3 percentage points on 2014 when these seats were last contested.

3.    Only 15% of councillors nationally are under 45 years of age.

4.    As of October 2020, 27 councils have passed the LGA Labour Group’s Parental Leave policy, and an additional 9 councils have their own parental leave policy.

5.    Cambridge does not have a formal parental leave policy for councillors.

6.    The role of a councillor should be open to all, regardless of  background, and  introducing a parental leave policy and other family friendly policies is a step towards encouraging a wider range of people to become councillors, and is also a step to encourage existing councillors who may wish to start a family to remain as councillors;

7.    Parental leave must apply to parents regardless of their gender, and should cover adoption leave to support those parents who choose to adopt.

8.    Parental leave is only part of the picture and other family friendly policies such as support for carers, remote/hybrid meetings, and becoming a breastfeeding-friendly council would further ensure a greater diversity of councillors.  And also that family friendly policies are in themselves only a small part of the wider need for policies which encourage truly diverse representation.

This Council resolves the following.

 

1.    To adapt to suit a Cambridge context the parental leave policy drafted by the LGA Labour Group’s Women’s Task Force and to bring the recommendations to Civic Affairs as part of the next round of discussions on councillor remuneration.

2.    To ensure that councillors with children and other caring commitments are supported as appropriate.

3.    To acknowledge this is only one part of the picture, and to commit to investigating other inclusive policies and bringing those recommendations forward in the future.

4.    To write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to urge him to introduce legislation to allow councils to adopt remote and hybrid meetings where they deem it appropriate to do so.

5.    Further to this council's resolution at Civic Affairs on 9th October 2019 (19/41/Civ), that this council shall continue to apply pressure via the Local Government Association and any other appropriate routes to allow for proxy voting for local government for those on parental leave, which is not currently permissible, despite already being available to MPs in parliament.

 

https://local.gov.uk/parental-leave-policy-councils