ARTICLE 22 – INDEPENDENT REMUNERATION PANEL

1. The Independent Remuneration Panel plays a critical role in the setting of Members’ Allowances. Allowances and expenses of politicians and public servants are subject to a great deal of public interest. All councils publish their Members’ Allowances Scheme (see Appendix 20 of the Constitution), setting out the allowances Members are entitled to receive and what expenses they are able to claim for. The total amount of allowances claimed by each councillor is published annually by the Council and reported in the press. The Independent Remuneration Panel is responsible for reviewing the Members’ Allowances Scheme and recommending change when necessary.

2. The Local Government Act 2000 and the Consolidated Members’ Allowances Regulations 2003, enable the Panel to consider the following allowances:

a) Basic allowance

b) Special responsibility allowances

c) Dependent carer’s allowance

d) Travel and subsistence allowances

e) Co-optees’ allowances

f) Provision for suspension for allowances in certain circumstances

g) Suitability of an index for allowances and what that index may be.

3. Full Council appoints independent members to the Panel. The Panel will be composed of at least three independent members. Panel members cannot be a Member of the Council or any of its committees, or an employee of the Council. They are appointed for a period of four years and no member may serve for more than two terms of office of four years.

4. The Panel’s recommendations are published and considered by all Councillors and must be voted on by Full Council.

5. The Panel is advised and supported by the Director of Governance and Monitoring Officer and the Chief Finance Officer of City of York Council. Government guidance requires that all necessary evidence, guidance and information is made available to the Panel.

6. The recruitment of members to the Independent Remuneration Panel will be overseen by the Chief Operating Officer in consultation with the Head of Human Resources and will be undertaken in accordance with the Council’s HR procedures.

City of York Council

Independent Remuneration Panel

Terms of Reference

The purpose of the Independent Remuneration Panel is as follows:

1. To make recommendations to the authority as to the amount of basic allowance that should be payable to its elected members

2. To make recommendations to the authority about the responsibilities or duties which should lead to the payment of a special responsibility allowance and as to the amount of such an allowance

3. To make recommendations to the authority about the duties for which a travelling and subsistence allowance can be paid and as to the amount of this allowance

4. To make recommendations as to the amount of co-optees' allowance

5. To make recommendations as to whether the authority's allowances scheme should include an allowance in respect of the expenses of arranging for the care of children and dependants and if it does make such a recommendation, the amount of this allowance and the means by which it is determined

6. To make recommendations on whether any allowance should be backdated to the beginning of a financial year in the event of the scheme being amended

7. To make recommendations as to whether annual adjustments of allowance levels may be made by reference to an index, and, if so, for how long such a measure should run The IRP will make its recommendations in the form of a report to Full Council.