Agenda item

Report of the Director of Governance & Digital Services (DSFRA/20/8) attached.

(Councillor Randall Johnson resumed the Chair from this point and for the remainder of the meeting).

The Authority considered a report of the Director of Governance & Digital Services (DSFRA/20/8) to which was appended a review, conducted by an independent consultant, on the level of Members’ allowances to be payable from the 2020-21 financial year (including a mechanism for automatically uprating these allowances for the following three financial years up to and including 2024-25).  The review had examined, amongst other things, allowances payable by other combined fire and rescue authorities and allowances currently payable by Devon and Somerset County Councils, Plymouth City Council and Torbay Council (the constituent authorities which appointed to the Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Authority).

The Clerk advised that, when published, the new Scheme of Allowances would also refer to those allowances previously approved by the Authority for Independent Persons on the Standards Committee and the co-optee appointed as an independent Employers (Scheme Manager) representative on the Local Pensions Board (Minutes DSFRA/7(c) and DSFRA/9 of the Authority Ordinary Meeting held on 7 June 2019 refer). 

In debating the review and recommendations, Members commented:

·        on the significance of the role undertaken by Committee Chairs both in supporting the Authority Chair and managing the business of the Authority; and

·        the additional time commitments involved for those Members involved in Standards Committee hearings.

Councillor Redman MOVED, with Councillor Hannaford seconding:

·        that the recommendations as set out in the Independent Consultant’s report be approved;

·        specifically, that the recommendations at (iii)(b) (relating to the Authority Vice-Chair’s Special Responsibility Allowance) and (iv)(b) (relating to the Committee Chair’s allowance) be approved; and

·        that the Clerk be asked to review the position in relation to a special responsibility allowance for Members of the Standards Committee and report back on this to a future meeting.

Councillor Thomas proposed, with Councillor Trail seconding, that the Motion be AMENDED in respect of recommendations (iii)(b) and (iv)(b) by the deletion of all words after “…Allowance be…” and the insertion of the words “set at £6,915 (for (iii)(b)) and £4,100 (for (iv)(b)).

Councillors Redman and Hannaford indicated their acceptance of this and the altered motion was accepted in accordance with Standing Order 21(15). 

There being no further amendments proposed, it was RESOLVED:

(a).       that the Basic Allowance for the 2020-21 financial year be set at £2,786;

(b).       that the multiplier for the Authority Chair’s Special Responsibility Allowance remain at 5 x Basic Allowance, giving an Authority Chair’s Special Responsibility Allowance of £13,930 for the 2020-21 financial year;

(c).        that the Authority Vice-Chair Special Responsibility Allowance be set at £6,915 for the 2020-21 financial year;

(d).       that the Committee Chairs Special Responsibility Allowance be set at £4,100 for the 2020-21 financial year;

(e).       that non-executive directors appointed to the Board of Red One Ltd. by the Authority should continue to receive a Special Responsibility Allowance of £6,305 for the 2020-21 financial year, with the Authority to review this to inform the allowance payable from 2021-22;

(f).         that a Special Responsibility Allowance of 0.15 x Basic Allowance (£418 for the 2020-21 financial year) be introduced, payable to any Member appointed by the Authority to serve on its Local Pensions Board

(g).       that the Authority policy of allowing individual Members to receive only one Special Responsibility Allowance in addition to the Basic Allowance be continued and extended to discontinue the former practice of Authority- appointed non-executive directors on the Board of Red One Ltd. also being able to claim the Special Responsibility Allowance associated with that appointment in addition to any other Special Responsibility Allowance for which they may be eligible;

(h).       that both Basic and Special Responsibility Allowances should continue to be uprated automatically in line with pay increases agreed by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services, but that this uprating only be applied from 1 April 2021;

(i).         that the rates payable for reimbursement of travel expenses be linked to rates published by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and amended (as required) accordingly;

(j).         that the rates for the reimbursement of subsistence expenses be linked to the employees scheme and amended (as required) accordingly;

(k).        that the Authority continue to support Member development;

(l).         that the Clerk be authorised:

(i).         to amend the Authority Approved Scheme of Members’ Allowances to reflect the decisions taken at (a) to (j), inclusive, above;

(ii).        in accordance with the relevant Regulations, to arrange for publication, as soon as practicable, of the Scheme of Members’ Allowances to apply for the 2020-21 financial year; and

(iii).       to commission an independent review to inform the Scheme of Allowances to apply from the 2025-26 financial year;

(m).      that the Clerk review the position on payment of a Special Responsibility Allowance for Members of the Standards Committee and submit a report on this to a future meeting.