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At its next meeting on 20 November Hampshire County Council will make a decision on if, and how, it will change its Councillors' Allowances scheme. All 78 Councillors are being asked to make a decision on recommendations made by an Independent Remuneration Panel about changes to the current members allowances scheme. In making their decision Councillors will not only consider the IRP recommendations but also comments from the Council's Governance Committee, which considered the results of the IRP review at its last meeting, and the results of a questionnaire that was sent to all members asking for their vote on each recommendation. Issues for debate include: • The level of Basic allowance - ie the allowance available to all 78 members of the council • Allowances paid to councillors holding positions of special responsibility including those for the Leader and Cabinet • Mileage rates, childcare and carer allowances Leader of Hampshire County Council, Councillor Ken Thornber, said: "We will be considering the recommendations of the IRP in relation to our allowances scheme, but these are not binding. I hope that our past record will go some way to reassuring residents that Hampshire County Council has a responsible attitude towards its councillors' allowances. "Over the last four years, when the IRP has made recommendations for a cost of living increase to allowances, councillors have voted to reduce the increases recommended and on one occasion to freeze allowances completely. Such increases have averaged between 2% and 2.5% and been pegged to the same level as the nationally negotiated cost of living rises for our staff. All members presently draw £1,000 less than previous IRP recommendations - a saving of £78,000 each year. "Compared to other large councils we pay fewer Special Responsibility Allowances than the average and the allowances for Hampshire's Cabinet are particularly low and the basic allowance is in exactly the relative position (third) that would be expected for a council of Hampshire's size." The IRP review of allowances is based on research with residents, to which a self selected sample of 85 individual responses were received, research with councillors, information taken from the council's website and from officers at the council, and a survey of the 10 largest county councils of which Hampshire is third largest. For more information visit Hampshire County Council |
