Agenda item

To consider a report relating to whether an allowance should be paid to permanent Panel Members.

           Consideration was given to a report to allow consideration as to whether an allowance should be paid to permanent Panel Members.

          Central Government made regular payments to the Panel’s host local authority in respect of the administration of Panel business.  However, a sum of money was also made available for Panel Members. This could not be paid by central Government unless claimed by the host authority. There had been a lack of clarity over how this sum (£11,960pa) may be administered. Some Panel host authorities used this sum to pay an annual allowance to Panel members. Others used it only to pay Panel Member expenses.

           In order to understand how the central Government funding might be used, contact had been made with the Crime, Policing and Fire Group Finance and Estates Directorate at the Home Office. It had been confirmed that the sum available may be used to pay an annual allowance to Panel members.  If the Panel was minded to follow this option, it was recommended that the payment of an annual allowance should remove the right from Panel Members to claim expenses from the host authority.

           If it was decided to pay an allowance, the Panel would need to consider the following issues, subject to continuation of funding from Central Government:-

·       Payment of an allowance only to permanent Panel Members (ie not substitute members).

·       The amount of such allowance: the sum available would equate to £920pa per permanent Panel Member.

·       Whether such allowance should be paid as a lump sum to Panel Members and, if so, when payment should be made.

·       Whether a proportion of the available monies should be retained by the host authority to pay Panel Member expenses, or whether they should either forego expenses, or claim from their own local authority, if they were permitted to do so.

It was proposed and seconded and :-

RESOLVED

1.     That an allowance be paid to permanent members of the Panel.

Discussion then took place regarding the sum of the allowance and how it should be paid.

It was proposed and seconded and :-

RESOLVED

2.     That a sum of £500 be set aside by the host authority to cover the payment of any Independent Panel Member expenses, where claims were submitted, and that the remaining sum be divided equally, in order to pay an allowance to the thirteen Panel members. The payment would be made on a monthly basis, with the first payment to be made in May each year. The amount to be paid to each Panel member for the current year would be paid during the remaining months of the year, it being noted that the administrative arrangements for doing so would need to be put in place and may take some time.

(Cllr A Dawson voted against the two above motions and asked for this to be recorded in the minutes).

3.     That the Head of Governance and Democratic Services be authorised to make any consequential changes to the Panel’s Rules of Procedure to reflect the decisions above.