Issue - meetings

Report CSD24002

The regulations governing Members’ Allowances required that, before the beginning of each financial year, the Council should make a scheme of allowances for that year, and the report detailed the proposed allowances for 2024/25. The Scheme had to be agreed by full Council – this would be at the budget meeting on 26^th February 2024.

In common with some previous years, if Members were minded to increase the allowances a reasonable guide would be the increase recommended for Council staff, which, subject to Member confirmation, was expected to be 3%. The Mayoral and Deputy Mayoral Allowances were not part of the Members Allowances Scheme, but were usually considered in conjunction with it. An increase of 3% would see these allowances rise to £16,452 and £4,036 respectively.

The following amendment was moved by Councillor Simon Jeal on behalf of the Labour Group -

Amend recommendation 2.1 (i) to read:

The Committee recommends that allowances are retained at the current level from 1st April 2024 subject to the following changes:

1.  Removal of Special Responsibility Allowances for Executive Assistants

2.  Amend the Special Responsibility Allowances for Vice Chairs of Committees such that payment is only made when they preside over a or attend a meeting in the absence of the Chair.

3.  The Council's Monitoring Officer is asked to provide a report to GP&L before consideration of the members' allowance scheme for 2025/26, providing a summary of the approach taken by other London Boroughs to paying Dependents' Carers' Allowance.

On being put to the vote, this amendment was lost.

The Committee favoured following the 3% recommendation for officer pay. The Chairman reminded Members that they could decline to receive some or all of their allowances.

Members also discussed whether to change the payments for quasi-judicial meetings from monthly to quarterly or annual, but it was decided that this did not need to change at the present time.  

It was noted that the allowance for the leader of the largest minority group was incorrect in the report, and was currently £15,000.

RESOLVED that

(1)  The proposed Members Allowances Scheme 2024/25 (appendix 2) and the Mayoral and Deputy Mayoral Allowances (paragraph 3.6 in the report) be approved on the basis of a 3% increase in line with the proposed increase for officers.

(2) The Members’ Allowances Scheme 2024/25 and the Mayoral and Deputy Mayoral allowances for 2024/25 be submitted to Council for approval.