Report to:

 

Governance Committee

Date:

 

28 September 2023

By:

 

Assistant Chief Executive

 

Title of report:

 

Renumeration of the Independent Remuneration Panel

 

Purpose of report:

 

To consider the proposed rate of renumeration of Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) members and note the terms of office for the current panel members.

 

 

RECOMMENDATION:

The Governance Committee is recommended to note the outcome of the review of the rate of remuneration of Independent Remuneration Panel members and to agree the continuation of the  rate of renumeration (IRP) as set out in paragraph 2.3 of this report.  

 

 

 

3.            Supporting Information

 

1.1          The County Council has a duty under the Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) England Regulations 2003 to establish and maintain an Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) and to consider the recommendations of the Panel in relation to the Council’s Scheme of Members’ Allowances.

 

1.2       The Panel reviews the Members’ Allowance Scheme and considers representations made by councillors together with other relevant information such as the level of allowances paid at other authorities. At the conclusion of the review the Panel agree a report and make recommendations in relation to the level of allowances for consideration by the Governance Committee and the County Council. The Council is not bound to agree the recommendations of the Panel but must take the Panel’s recommendations into account when agreeing the Scheme of Allowances.

 

1.3       Panel Members are expected to attend meetings as required, read relevant papers and reports, give careful consideration to evidence and information provided and ask relevant questions prior to agreeing its report to the Council.

1.4       The three current members of the Panel were appointed in April 2019 for a five-year period and their terms of office will come to an end in April 2024. With this in mind, the remuneration of the panel has been considered ahead of the recruitment exercise which will be undertaken in the new year.

2.         Renumeration of the Panel

 

2.1       A benchmarking exercise has been undertaken and the rate of renumeration for IRP members rates of pay has been considered against local councils. The information collected demonstrated that there is a wide variation to rates paid to IRP members along with the basis on which Panel members are paid. Information received from local councils is set out in the table below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IRP – payment rates for other Local Authorities

County Council

Rates of Pay

Buckinghamshire Council

IRP Members paid £200 annually.

Cornwall Council

Travel and subsistence costs only paid for to the IRP members.

Essex County Council

Pay a flat fee for ordinary members of £500 each for the year irrespective of the amount of work.  

Kent County Council

Pay a per day of £100. Although this is pending a review. 

Norfolk County Council

£75 for each half day in attendance, in addition to travel expenses.

Surrey County Council

Pay a flat fee for each review £1,500 for the Chair and £1,000 for the other panel Members.  Review may take a number of days.

West Sussex County Council

IRP Members are only paid travel expenses – no other pay or allowances.

 

 

2.2       The Panel members current receive an allowance of £36.41 per hour with the addition of travel and parking expenses if appropriate. Having assessed the rates of pay awarded by local partners, the existing hourly allowance is not a significant outlier. Further, the current allowance of £36.41 is the same allowance awarded to the Independent Persons appointed in relation to standards issues. There is considerable parity between the role and requirements of the Independent Person and those of the IRP members.

 

2.3       Having considered the comparable rates of pay at other Local Authorities and the pay rate for comparable work undertaken on behalf of the Standards Committee, it is considered appropriate that the rate of renumeration for the Panel members remains at £36.41 per hour as set out in the Members’ allowance scheme.

 

3.         Conclusion

 

3.1       The Committee is recommended to agree to the continuation of the proposed rate of renumeration for the Independent Remuneration Panel as set out in paragraph 2.3 of this report.

 

 

PHILIP BAKER

Assistant Chief Executive

 

 

Contact Officer: Georgina Seligmann (01273 482355)

 

Local Member: All

 

Background Documents:

None