Agenda item
Members Allowance Scheme - Annual Review
The report outlines the annual review of the Members Allowance Scheme and seeks approval on the allowances Members will be entitled to receive for carrying out their responsibilities during 2020/21.
Decision:
AGREED
(1) To approve and make a Members’ Allowance Scheme in the terms set out in the report for the financial year 2020/21.
(2) To approve the change in level of Special Responsibility Allowance payable in respect of the following roles, to be payable with immediate effect:
(a) Chair of Audit & Standards Committee (Vice-Chair of Audit & Standards Advisory Committee) – increase from £1,500 to £5,000; and
(b) Leader of Principal Opposition Group – increase from £6,000 to £8,000
(3) To authorise the Director of Legal, HR Audit and Investigations to comply with the statutory requirements to publicise the Council’s Members’ Allowance Scheme.
Minutes:
Councillor Muhammed Butt (as Leader of the Council) introduced the report from the Assistant Chief Executive seeking approval to the making of a Members’ Allowance Scheme, in the proposed terms set out in the report, for the 2020/21 Financial Year.
In introducing the report Councillor Butt highlighted the annual review had continued to be informed by the principles and guidelines within the most recent review of Members Allowances undertaken by the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) in 2018 on behalf of London Councils. As part of the annual review process the Scheme included provision for an annual uplift in line with the inflationary pay award agreed under the Local Government Pay Settlement. The review had also resulted in the recommendation of a proposed increase in the Special Responsibility Allowance payable to the Leader of the Opposition and Chair of the Audit & Standards Committee in order to bring these in line with the average provided for the same role across other London Boroughs.
The Mayor then opened the debate inviting other Members to speak on the report.
Councillor Abdirazak, whilst understanding the review had been informed by the guidelines within the review undertaken by the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP), expressed concern at the proposed uplift being recommended in allowances given the decisions that had just needed to be taken on the budget and in relation to the increase in Council Tax. As such, he advised he would not be supporting the proposals.
Similar concerns were also highlighted by Councillor Georgiou in his response on the report.
Whilst recognising the concerns raised, Councillor S.Choudhury felt there was a need to properly recognise the time involved in undertaking the role of ward councillor. He also highlighted the additional responsibilities and commitment involved in serving as Chair of a Committee, such as the Pension Fund, which he also felt needed to be properly recognised in terms of the level of SRA payable.
The need to recognise the time commitment required to fulfil the role of local councillors was supported by Councillors Kelcher and Miller who also highlighted the difficulty in councillors being required to consider and set their own allowance schemes rather than for this to be undertaken independently. It was also pointed out that any uplift in general allowances had been designed to mirror that provided for staff with members also not benefiting from access to the Local Government Pension Scheme. In addition, both advocated the need for allowances to be set at a level that would enable people to undertake the role of councillor, whilst not acting as a purely financial incentive to do so, and to remove any barriers to ensure that those standing could be as representative of their local communities as possible.
Councillor Johnson, supported by Councillor Daly and Kennelly also highlighted the element of personal choice with members, they pointed out, not having to accept any uplift or able to donate their allowance to other causes.
Councillor Kansagra also supported the need to recognise the workload involved in fulfilling the role of local councillor and committee member. Given the time commitment involved, he also supported the view that the position of local councillor was not one undertaken in order to gain any form of financial incentive and was keen to ensure that any future review also included more detailed consideration of the role and allowances payable to members of the Opposition Group.
As an issue not already covered, Councillor Nerva, felt it important to recognise the changes made following the last major review of the scheme in 2018 to reduce the number and level of many SRAs payable in Brent. Whilst also supportive of allowances being set independently or on a London wide basis, he also highlighted the fact that under the changes to be introduced following the Local Government Boundary Review in Brent there would also be six less councillors representing constituents across the borough after the next local election.
Councillor Shahzad was also keen to stress the importance in ensuring councillors were suitably and fairly recompensed for their time, as a means of ensuring it was possible to avoid excluding and in being able to attract the right quality of candidates. He pointed out that despite the recommended uplift Brent was still placed towards the lower/middle end of the scale in terms of the level of allowances paid when compared to other London Boroughs.
As a final contribution towards the debate Councillor Maurice advised that he was also supportive of the comments made in relation to the important representational role undertaken by councillors and the need to ensure this workload was properly reflected in terms of the allowance available to support members in their different roles.
As no other members indicated they wanted to speak on the report, Councillor Butt in exercising his right of reply, thanked all members for their contribution. He also felt it was important to recognise the need to ensure the Council was governed by as representative a group of councillors as possible, which the payment of a basic allowance within the guidelines set by the Independent Remuneration Panel had been designed to support.
The Mayor then put the recommendations to the vote by a show of hands and they were declared CARRIED.
It was therefore RESOLVED
(1) To approve and make a Members’ Allowance Scheme in the terms set out in the report for the financial year 2020/21.
(2) To approve the change in level of Special Responsibility Allowance payable in respect of the following roles, to be payable with immediate effect:
(a) Chair of Audit & Standards Committee (Vice-Chair of Audit & Standards Advisory Committee) – increase from £1,500 to £5,000; and
(b) Leader of Principal Opposition Group – increase from £6,000 to £8,000
(3) To authorise the Director of Legal, HR Audit and Investigations to comply with the statutory requirements to publicise the Council’s Members’ Allowance Scheme.
Supporting documents: