It was moved by Councillor Parvin, seconded by Councillor Garland, that the recommendation of the Standards Committee relating to the Members’ Allowances Scheme be approved.

RESOLVED:  That the recommendations of the Joint Independent Remuneration Panel on Members’ Allowances for Maidstone Borough Council, as set out in the report attached as an Appendix to the report of the Standards Committee, be approved.

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Democratic Services setting out the report and recommendations of the Joint Independent Remuneration Panel on Members’ Allowances for Maidstone Borough Council which had met to carry out a comprehensive review of the existing scheme of Members’ Allowances.

It was noted that the recommendation of the Panel that the Special Responsibility Allowance for the Chairmen of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees be reduced to £4,665 per annum each would produce a saving in the Members’ Allowances budget of £3,498.  The recommendation of the Panel relating to car mileage allowances would not have a significant impact, and could be met within existing budgets.

In response to questions by Members and Co-opted Members, the representative of the Head of Democratic Services confirmed that:-

·  The table set out in the summary of Panel recommendations should have included reference to the allowances paid to the Chairman of the Licensing Act 2003 Committee and Co-opted Members of the Standards Committee, which it was proposed should remain the same.

·  Councillors and Co-opted Members would continue to be able to claim an additional 5p per mile if passengers travelled in their vehicles.

·  It was the Panel’s recommendation that allowances should continue to be index linked to the annual pay award to staff.

·  No change was proposed to Members’ Basic Allowance

·  The report of the Panel would be amended, prior to its submission to the Council, to take into account the clarification sought and issues raised by the Standards Committee.

·  A meeting of the Panel could be arranged to take place as and when required to consider any proposed changes to Special Responsibility Allowances arising from the introduction of new arrangements to comply with the provisions of the Localism Act relating to the ethical standards regime.

RESOLVED to RECOMMEND to the COUNCIL:  That the recommendations of the Joint Independent Remuneration Panel on Members’ Allowances for Maidstone Borough Council, as set out in the amended version of the Panel’s report, be approved.