Agenda item

(1)       The Chairman welcomed Mrs Leathers, Chairman of the Independent Remuneration Panel to the meeting.

 

(2)       The Chairman moved, the Vice Chairman seconded, the recommendations on page 14 of the agenda, as follows:

 

a.            To formally adopt the Members’ Allowances Scheme for 2011/12, subject to the County Council’s determination of the remaining recommendations;

 

b.            To agree the quantum of the reduction in cost of the Members’ Allowances Scheme, as part of the County Council’s cost-saving exercise for 2011/12

 

c.            To agree to apply the increase in the Approved Mileage Allowance Payment (AMAP) from 40p to 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles of business travel in the tax year with immediate effect;

 

d.            To amend the Members’ Allowances Scheme to include the provision contained in Regulation 13 of the 2003 Regulations in relation to Members electing to forgo their entitlement (or any part of it) to allowances; and that the time limit for the submission of claims for dependent carers’, travelling and subsistence and co-optees’ allowances, in accordance with Regulation 14 of the 2003 Regulations, should be four months from the date of the relevant duty

 

(3)       In relation to recommendation (b) above, Mr Carter moved, Mr King seconded the following amendment:

 

•         A reduction in the cost of SRAs as a result of the reduction in the number of Deputy Cabinet Member positions from 12 to 10. In addition, two Deputy Cabinet Members will share one SRA. This delivers savings of £39.9k

•         A reduction in the number of Policy Overview and Scrutiny Committees by one, which will deliver a saving of £7.7k

•         A reduction in the basic allowance by 1.5%. This will affect all Members and deliver £16.4k

•         A reduction in the remaining SRAs by 2.66%. This will deliver £16k.

            TOTAL £80K

 

(4)       The Chairman put this amendment to the vote, whereupon the votes cast were as follows:

 

For (66)

 

Mrs A Allen, Mr M Angell, Mr A Bowles, Mr D Brazier, Mr R Brookbank, Mr R Bullock, Mr R Burgess, Mr C Capon, Miss S Carey, Mr P Carter, Mr N Chard, Mr A Chell, Mrs P Cole, Mr N Collor, Mr G Cooke, Mr B Cope, Mr H Craske, Mr A Crowther, Mr J Cubitt, Mrs V Dagger, Mr M Dance, Mr J Davies, Mr K Ferrin, Mr T Gates, Mr G Gibbens, Mr R Gough, Mr M Harrison, Mr W Hayton, Mr C Hibberd, Mr M Hill, Mr D Hirst, Ms A Hohler, Mrs S Hohler, Mr P Homewood, Mr M Jarvis, Mr A King, Mr R King, Mr J Kirby, Mr J Kite, Mr P Lake, Mrs J Law, Mr R Lees, Mr J London, Mr R Manning, Mr A Marsh, Mr M Northey, Mr J Ozog, Mr R Parry, Mr R Pascoe, Mr K Pugh, Mr L Ridings, Mr A Sandhu, Mr J Simmonds, Mr C Smith, Mr K Smith, Mr M Snelling, Mr B Sweetland, Mr R Tolputt, Mrs E Tweed, Mrs C Waters, Mr J Wedgbury, Mr C Wells, Mr M Whiting, Mrs J Whittle, Mr A Wickham, Mr A Willicombe

 

Against (6)

 

Mr I Chittenden, Mr G Cowan, Mr D Daley, Mr T Prater, Mr M Robertson, Mr M Vye

 

Carried

 

(5)       The Chairman stated that this had now become the substantive motion.

 

(6)       Mr Vye moved, Mr Prater seconded the following amendment:

 

•         In line with the Independent Remuneration Panel’s feeling that the “….  saving proposal agreed by the Selection and Member Services Committee emanates from a reduction in the cost of support officers rather than a reduction in the basic allowance and SRAs and feel that this emphasis would be reversed”. (Para 10 (iii), p. 13.), to set and agree the quantum reduction in cost of the Members’ Allowances Scheme, as part of the County Council’s cost-saving exercise from 2011/12

•         A reduction in the SRAs as a result of the reduction in the number of Deputy Cabinet Members positions from 12 to 10. In addition two Deputy Cabinet Members will share one SRA. This delivers savings of £39.9K

•         A reduction in the number of Policy Overview and Scrutiny Committees by one, which will deliver £ 7.7K

•         A reduction in the basic allowance by 8%. This will affect all Members and deliver £84K

•         A reduction in the remaining SRAs by 2.66%. This will deliver £16K

            Total £147.6K

 

(7)       The Chairman put this amendment to the vote, whereupon the votes cast were as follows:

 

For (7)

 

Mr I Chittenden, Mr L Christie, Mr G Cowan, Mr D Daley, Mr T Prater, Mr M Robertson, Mr M Vye

 

Against (66)

 

Mrs A Allen, Mr M Angell, Mr A Bowles, Mr D Brazier, Mr R Brookbank, Mr R Bullock, Mr R Burgess, Mr C Capon, Miss S Carey, Mr P Carter, Mr N Chard, Mr A Chell, Mrs P Cole, Mr N Collor, Mr G Cooke, Mr B Cope, Mr H Craske, Mr A Crowther, Mr J Cubitt, Mrs V Dagger, Mr M Dance, Mr J Davies, Mr K Ferrin, Mr T Gates, Mr G Gibbens, Mr R Gough, Mr M Harrison, Mr W Hayton, Mr C Hibberd, Mr M Hill, Mr D Hirst, Ms A Hohler, Mrs S Hohler, Mr P Homewood, Mr M Jarvis, Mr A King, Mr R King, Mr J Kirby, Mr J Kite, Mr P Lake, Mrs J Law, Mr R Lees, Mr J London, Mr R Manning, Mr A Marsh, Mr M Northey, Mr J Ozog, Mr R Parry, Mr R Pascoe, Mr K Pugh, Mr L Ridings, Mr A Sandhu, Mr J Simmonds, Mr C Smith, Mr K Smith, Mr M Snelling, Mr B Sweetland, Mr R Tolputt, Mrs E Tweed, Mrs C Waters, Mr J Wedgbury, Mr C Wells, Mr M Whiting, Mrs J Whittle, Mr A Wickham, Mr A Willicombe

 

Lost

 

(8)       Mr Christie moved, Mr Cowan seconded the following amendment:

 

•         County Council agrees with the sentiment expressed by the Panel in paragraph 10(iii) of the Report and agrees that in addition to the £80,000 savings envisaged in paragraph 8 of the Report the remaining £120,000 be saved by:-

•         Reducing the Member’s Basic Allowance to £12.000 – thus saving a further £67,600

•         Reducing the remaining Special Responsibility Allowances by a further 5% - thus saving a further £30,400

•         Reducing the Members’ Information Technology Budget by £20,000, and

•         Reducing the Chairman’s Budget by £2,000.

•         In doing this it will mean no further addition is necessary to the Administration’s planned 1500 job losses.

 

(9)       The Chairman put this amendment to the vote, whereupon the votes case were as follows:

 

For (7)

 

Mr I Chittenden, Mr L Christie, Mr G Cowan, Mr D Daley, Mr T Prater, Mr M Robertson, Mr M Vye

 

Against (66)

 

Mrs A Allen, Mr M Angell, Mr A Bowles, Mr D Brazier, Mr R Brookbank, Mr R Bullock, Mr R Burgess, Mr C Capon, Miss S Carey, Mr P Carter, Mr N Chard, Mr A Chell, Mrs P Cole, Mr N Collor, Mr G Cooke, Mr B Cope, Mr H Craske, Mr A Crowther, Mr J Cubitt, Mrs V Dagger, Mr M Dance, Mr J Davies, Mr K Ferrin, Mr T Gates, Mr G Gibbens, Mr R Gough, Mr M Harrison, Mr W Hayton, Mr C Hibberd, Mr M Hill, Mr D Hirst, Ms A Hohler, Mrs S Hohler, Mr P Homewood, Mr M Jarvis, Mr A King, Mr R King, Mr J Kirby, Mr J Kite, Mr P Lake, Mr J London, Mrs J Law, Mr R Lees, Mr R Manning, Mr A Marsh, Mr M Northey, Mr J Ozog, Mr R Parry, Mr R Pascoe, Mr K Pugh, Mr L Ridings, Mr A Sandhu, Mr J Simmonds, Mr C Smith, Mr K Smith, Mr M Snelling, Mr B Sweetland, Mr R Tolputt, Mrs E Tweed, Mrs C Waters, Mr J Wedgbury, Mr C Wells, Mr M Whiting, Mrs J Whittle, Mr A Wickham, Mr A Willicombe

 

Lost

 

(10)     There being no further amendments, the Chairman put the substantive motion to the vote, where the votes cast were as follows:

 

For (66)

 

Mrs A Allen, Mr M Angell, Mr A Bowles, Mr D Brazier, Mr R Brookbank, Mr R Bullock, Mr R Burgess, Mr C Capon, Miss S Carey, Mr P Carter, Mr N Chard, Mr A Chell, Mrs P Cole, Mr N Collor, Mr G Cooke, Mr B Cope, Mr H Craske, Mr A Crowther, Mr J Cubitt, Mrs V Dagger, Mr M Dance, Mr J Davies, Mr K Ferrin, Mr T Gates, Mr G Gibbens, Mr R Gough, Mr M Harrison, Mr W Hayton, Mr C Hibberd, Mr M Hill, Mr D Hirst, Ms A Hohler, Mrs S Hohler, Mr P Homewood, Mr M Jarvis, Mr A King, Mr R King, Mr J Kirby, Mr J Kite, Mr P Lake, Mr J London, Mrs J Law, Mr R Lees, Mr K Lynes, Mr R Manning, Mr A Marsh, Mr M Northey, Mr J Ozog, Mr R Parry, Mr R Pascoe, Mr K Pugh, Mr L Ridings, Mr A Sandhu, Mr J Simmonds, Mr C Smith, Mr K Smith, Mr B Sweetland, Mr R Tolputt, Mrs E Tweed, Mrs C Waters, Mr J Wedgbury, Mr C Wells, Mr M Whiting, Mrs J Whittle, Mr A Wickham, Mr A Willicombe

 

Against (7)

 

Mr I Chittenden, Mr L Christie, Mr G Cowan, Mr D Daley, Mr T Prater, Mr M Robertson, Mr M Vye

 

Carried

 

Resolved: that

 

(i)            the Members’ Allowances Scheme for 2011/12 be formally adopted, subject to the effect of the following decisions;

 

(ii)           The total cost of the Members’ Allowances Scheme in 2011/12 be reduced as follows:

 

•         A reduction in the cost of SRAs as a result of the reduction in the number of Deputy Cabinet Member positions from 12 to 10. In addition, two Deputy Cabinet Members will share one SRA. This delivers savings of £39.9k

•         A reduction in the number of Policy Overview and Scrutiny Committees by one, which will deliver a saving of £7.7k

•         A reduction in the basic allowance by 1.5%. This will affect all Members and deliver £16.4k

•         A reduction in the remaining SRAs by 2.66%. This will deliver £16k.

            TOTAL £80K

 

(iii)          the increase in the Approved Mileage Allowance Payment (AMAP) from 40p to 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles of business travel in the tax year be applied for Members with immediate effect, i.e. 1 May 2011; and

 

(iv)          the Members’ Allowances Scheme be amended to include the provision contained in Regulation 13 of the 2003 Regulations in relation to Members electing to forgo their entitlement (or any part of it) to allowances; and that the time limit for the submission of claims for dependent carers’, travelling and subsistence and co-optees’ allowances, in accordance with Regulation 14 of the 2003 Regulations, should be four months from the date of the relevant duty.