Agenda and minutes

None received.

None.

Minutes of the meeting of 21 July 2016

The minutes of the meeting held on 21 July 2016 were confirmed as a true record.

The Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales (IRPW) is the body tasked with setting the remuneration levels for Councils in Wales. Each year, they publish a Draft Annual Report which is circulated for comment.

In accordance with the requirements of Section 147 of the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 (“the Measure”), the Panel’s draft  Annual Report, including proposals which would have effect for the municipal year 2017-2018 is available on its website.  The consultation will run until 28 November 2016 with the final IRPW report being published in February 2017.

The Democratic Services Committee gave consideration to the report which set out the determinations by the Panel.  There were some 51 determinations although 44 to 51 related to Community/Town Councils.  The main issues for the Committee were:

·                 Determination 1: Basic Salaries – a ‘very modest increase of 0.75% to the basic salary’ for councillors. This is the first increase for 3 years and ‘follows the slight easing of restraint in the pay of public sector employees’. It represents a £100 increase in the Basic salary for councillors (to £13,400)

·                 Determination 2: Senior Salaries – No increase is proposed for senior salaries

·                 Determination 3: Sickness Absence for Senior Salary Holders – this is proposed in response to feedback from members and authorities. The approach will operate in a similar way to the current ‘family absence’ provisions. This proposal was broadly welcomed by WLGA members.  The Committee had previously agreed that the current arrangements relating to dispensation for absence beyond 6 months worked adequately without such provision.

·                 Determination 43: Care Allowances – The IRP has been concerned for a number of years about the low take up of this allowance.  The IRP is proposing to rename ‘Care Allowances’ as ‘Reimbursement of costs of care’ to try to separate it from being perceived as part of an individual councillors’ salary or allowances.

The IRP also proposed changing the way such payments are published by allowing councils to either:

§      Publish the details of the amounts reimbursed to named members; or

§      The total amount reimbursed by the authority during the year but not attributed to any named member.

Regarding determinations 1 and 2 the Committee agreed that they needed to distance themselves from matters relating to salaries for members and it should be handed solely by the Independent Remuneration Panel.

The Committee had no comment to add to those previously made to the IRP on the determinations apart from the following which provoked discussion:

Determination 8: The Panel has determined to include a provision for specific or additional senior salaries that do not fall within the current Remuneration Framework. 

This appeared to imply that the Council could apply for extra senior salaries above the Authority’s cap of 18 but no more than 25, although these senior salary positions would not be part of the Executive which was capped at 10.  The determination inferred that any application would need IRP approval.  The Committee agreed that further clarification was needed on this.

Determination 43  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

16 February 2017 at 9.30am

16 February 2017 at 9.30am