Issue - decisions

RECOMMENDED:

That the current scheme of allowances be continued subject to the following modifications from 1 April 2018:

(i)               that the Communications Technology Allowance be increased by £25 per annum to £415 per annum;

(ii)             that the Special Responsibility Allowance for the Chairman of the Planning Committee be reset to 35% of the Leader’s Special Responsibility Allowance;

(iii)           that a Co-optees’ Allowance of £55.36 be paid for meetings up to 4 hours in length and £110.72 for meetings over 4 hours in length, subject to any indexation increase that may be applicable;

(iv)           that the current maximum hourly rate claimable for the childcare element of Dependents’ Carers’ Allowance be fixed at the current living wage of £8.45, with the cap on the number of hours that a member may claim aggregated to 52 hours per month;

(v)             that the hourly rate for which elderly or dependent relative allowance is claimable be set at the Hampshire County Council rate for Home Care Help, currently £10.32 per hour;

(vi)           that Part 3 and Appendix 3 of the Members’ Allowances Scheme be clarified, as set out in the recommendation of the Independent Remuneration Panel;

(vii)          that the Basic Allowance (including ICT allowance), Special Responsibility Allowances and Co-optees’ Allowance be indexed to the annual percentage increase for local government staff at scale point 28, to be applied from the same year that applies to staff;

(viii)        that travel allowance mileage rates be indexed to the HMRC approved mileage rates for motor vehicles, motor cycles and bicycles;

(ix)           that the childcare element of Dependents’ Carers’ Allowance be indexed to the “living wage” hourly rate (outside of London) as defined by the Living Wage Foundation; and

(x)             that the elderly and other dependent relatives element of the Dependents’ Carers’ Allowance be indexed to the median hourly rate charged for Home Help by Hampshire County Council.