Issue - meetings
INDEPENDENT REMUNERATION PANEL FOR WALES ANNUAL REPORT 2020 / 2021
Meeting: 02/10/2020 - Democratic Services Committee (Item 7)
7 INDEPENDENT REMUNERATION PANEL FOR WALES ANNUAL REPORT 2020 / 2021 PDF 128 KB
To recieve the annual report for the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales’ (the ‘Panel’) 2020/21(copy enclosed).
Additional documents:
Decision:
Members requested a further recommendation be added to ask
the ‘new ways of working’ working group to look into the allocation of senior
salary allocation and presented back to the committee at a later date. Agreement
on the recommendations was by consensus. All committee members indicated they
were in favour of the recommendations, no one indicated they were against.
The committee: |
RESOLVED:-
I.
That the Democratic Service Committee notes
the determinations of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales for 2020/21
in respect of the payment of basic, senior and civic salaries and payments to
co-opted members.
II.
That the Democratic Service Committee notes
the level of support provided to members to carry out their duties, with regard to ‘Determinations’ 9 and 10 of the Annual
Report.
III.
That the Democratic Service Committee requests
the ‘New Ways of Working’ Group look into the allocation of senior salaries and
report back to the Democratic Services Committee at a later date.
Minutes:
The Democratic Services Manager (DSM) introduced a report
(previously circulated) in respect of the Independent Remuneration Panel for
Wales’ (IRPW) annual report for 2020 / 21.
The IRPW was required to produce an annual report setting
out the levels at which members were paid for various duties and
responsibilities for the municipal year. This report was published in February
2020. It was confirmed that the IRPW had decided to provide an increment of
£350 to each councillor with no additional increases beyond that to be paid to
senior salary holders in 2020.
Denbighshire County Council had a cap of 17 senior salaries
that could be paid. The IRPW had requested particular attention by the
Democratic Service committee be made to Determination 9 and 10 within the
annual report.
The following areas were discussed in greater depth by
members:
- The senior
salary provided to the leader of the largest opposition group was a salary
the authority has to make. Some members raised concerns that the other
group leaders were not getting the same financial recognition as the
Leader of the largest opposition group. Members asked for the DSM to
feedback to the IRPW their concerns on the legal requirement to offer a
salary to the Leader of the largest opposition group and not all group
leaders. Clarification and reasoning from the IRPW was sought.
- Denbighshire
County Council currently have 2 Senior Salaries available. Confirmation
that the decision of who received the senior salary roles was a Full
Council decision.
- Members
felt caution was needed when looking at the allocation of Senior Salaries
to members. The Head of HR, Legal and Democratic Services explained how
the current allocation of senior salaries was distributed.
- The
diversity aspect of the report was important. Confirmation that the Welsh Government
had an action plan for diversity within local authority representation was
provided.
- Members
felt that a good broadband connection was essential. With the introduction
of remote meetings, it would be crucial for a good internet connection to
enable members to access meetings.
The IRPW report had no additional funding available to support the
addition of technology, devices and broadband connection. These would be
issues to be resolved by individual local authorities.
- Members
asked if the allocation of the senior salary payments could be reviewed by
the new ways of working group. Any work that would be made by that working
group would be presented back to the Democratic Service Committee.
Councillor Timms felt that the decision to review the salaries of senior
members was a decision for the next Council not present members, he was
not in agreement that the working group needed to review the current
arrangements.
It was;
RESOLVED,
that
- the
Democratic Services Committee notes the determinations of the
Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales for 2020/21 in
respect of the payment of basic, senior and civic salaries and payments to
co-opted members.
- That the Democratic Services Committee
considered the level of support provided to members to carry out their
duties, with regard to ‘Determinations’ 9 and 10 of the Annual Report.
- That
a request would be made to the new ways of working group to look at the
allocation of senior salaries to report back to this committee.