Part 6 - Members’ Allowances Scheme
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Ashford Borough Council Members' Allowances Scheme
The Ashford Borough Council, in exercise of the powers conferred
by the Local Authorities (Members Allowances) (England) Regulations
2003 has made the following Scheme after consideration of the
advice and recommendations from the Independent Members’ Allowances
Remuneration Panel. The Panel first met on 9th and
10th August 2001 and has since reviewed the scheme in
April 2002 on 3rd September 2003, 20th
November 2008 and 18th January 2010.
In September 2001, on considering the
recommendations of the Panel the Council agreed that the amounts
would be phased in to allow for sufficient budgetary provision to
be made. The phasing was at 50% from the 1st
August 2001, 67% from the 1st June 2002 and 100% from
May 2003. Subsequently at the Council meeting held on
20th February 2003 it was agreed that instead of going
to 100% in May 2003, the basic allowance would be increased by £500
to £3,200 and the Special Responsibility Allowance by 3%.
The whole scheme, in particular Travel and
Subsistence, was reviewed by the Panel on the 3rd
September 2003 in the light of the new Members’ Allowances
regulations and again on the 20th November
2008.
In January 2010 the Panel reviewed the list of
approved duties for claiming allowances and again considered the
levels paid to Members.
The Scheme may be cited as the Ashford Borough
Council Members’ Allowances Scheme. The original Scheme came
into effect on the 1st August 2001. The revised
scheme, as detailed in this document, took effect from
1st January 2004.
In this Scheme:-
“Councillor” means a Member of the Ashford
Borough Council who is a Councillor;
“Year” means the 12 months ending with the
31st March;
“Panel” means the Independent Members’
Allowances Remuneration Panel.
1. Basic Allowance
Subject to paragraph 6, in each year a Basic
Allowance is to be paid to each Councillor as set out in Schedule 1
to the Scheme. This is intended to cover a notional £240 per
year for telephone calls related to Council activity on the part of
Members, and other incidental expenses such as stationery and
computer peripherals such as print cartridges. Basic
Allowance will be paid in the month it is due.
2. Special Responsibility Allowances (SRA)
Subject to paragraph 8, in each year, an SRA
shall be paid to those Councillors who hold special
responsibilities in relation to the authority that are set out in
Schedule 1 to this Scheme. SRA will be paid one month in
arrears.
3. Approved Duties
Members are able to claim Travel and
Subsistence and Dependant and Child Care Allowances in respect of
their travel to and from:-
(a) meetings covered by the list of
approved duties referred to in Schedule 2.
(b) meetings of outside bodies/organisations to which they
have been appointed by the Council, as set out in Schedule 2.
(c) meetings with Officers in respect of matters relevant to
their Committees etc. or external organisations/bodies subject to
such meetings having been pre-arranged and not relating
specifically to a Member’s Ward business or work.
(d) Meetings of a Full Parish/Town
Council or Community Forum within the Member’s Ward or meetings of
its Planning (Sub) Committee only, but only if the Member has a
round trip of ten miles or more in order to attend.
Details of the rates for Travel and Subsistence Allowances are
set out in Schedule 3 to this Scheme.
4. Dependent and Child Care Allowances
This Allowance is divided into two parts;
namely child care and elderly/disabled care. In respect of child
care, this Allowance is available to Members who are eligible at a
rate of £5.50 per hour or other rate if supported by a receipt for
up to a maximum of 15 hours per week that can include up to 5 hours
per week for non-approved duties. To claim this a Member will
need to:
- register that they have a dependent child
living with them under the age of 14.
- sign a statement which declares that the
childcare has been provided by a babysitter and not paid to a
member of the immediate family or household. This statement will be
lodged with the Standards Committee.
With regard to the elderly and/or disabled
care element of the Allowance, this is to be paid at a similar rate
chargeable by the Kent County Council Social Services Department
(at an agreed maximum set by the Council and/or its Officers) for
provision of a Home Care Assistant.
To claim this, a Member will need to:-
- register that they have an elderly/disabled
person living with them.
- sign a statement which declares that the care
has been provided by a carer and not paid to a member of the
immediate family or household. This statement will be lodged
with the Standards Committee.
NB: In respect
of these Allowances, a Member cannot claim for the employment of
multiple carers for multiple dependants.
5. Co-Optees Allowance
Independent Members of the Standards Committee
may claim a co-optees allowance of £25 per meeting, plus an
additional payment of £25 each municipal year to cover travelling
costs for training events. Should an Independent Member be
elected as Chairman of the Standards Committee, then that person
will also be entitled to a Co-optees Allowance equivalent to that
of the agreed SRA payable to the Chairman of the Standards
Committee.
6. Provision of ICT – Members ICT Scheme
The following scheme is available to Members
to support their use of Information Technology:-
- For newly elected Members – a standard
PC/laptop and printer will be provided by the ICT Section.
- For re-elected Members whose equipment was
supplied by the Borough Council and is beyond economical repair, or
was sourced by themselves and they find beyond economical repair,
will have the choice to either:-
(i) Claim a figure up to that of the cost of the
standard PC/laptop configuration and printer issued to
new
Members (currently set at £670), and which would be reimbursed on
justification and submission of receipts
by the Members.
(ii) Choose to have the standard PC/laptop and printer as
issued to newly elected Members by the ICT
Section.
To receive this Allowance or ICT equipment,
Members must meet the following requirements:-
- Members must have an e-mail address (either
an ashford.gov.uk address or one supplied by their own ISP to be
issued with equipment).
- Those Members who wish to take up the option
of remote access to the Council’s Extranet will be given an
ashford.gov.uk email address.
- The Members’ Basic Allowance is intended to
fund the purchase of consumables etc, and for renewing anti-virus
annual subscriptions.
- Equipment supplied (or part funded) by
Ashford Borough Council is intended to be used in whole or in part
for Council business, and as such will be subject to an “acceptable
use” Agreement.
Members should be mindful of the Council’s
information security and data protection policies which aim to
protect both individuals and the Council from the misuse of
information.
How to Obtain Equipment or Claim
Reimbursement
To proceed, Members should in the first
instance, put their request in writing to Mr Robin Jones, ICT
Technical Support Manager, and indicate whether a standard PC or
laptop is required. For re-elected Members to claim an amount
up to £670 copies of receipts should be attached where
appropriate.
The ICT service will then send out copies of
the Agreement, the information security policy and the data
protection policy for signature.
Upon receipt of a signed Agreement,
arrangements will be made to provide the equipment or reimburse by
cheque an amount up to £670, subject to the submission of
appropriate receipts and justification. In order to obtain
the best price, orders may be “batched” together and so on occasion
there may be a slight delay in procurement.
If you have any queries concerning the Member
ICT Scheme, please contact:
Mr Rob Neil, Head of Corporate ICT Services. 01233
330850 rob.neil@ashford.gov.uk
Mr Robin Jones, ICT Technical Support Manager. 01233
330577 robin.jones@ashford.gov.uk
7. Renunciation
A Councillor or an independent member of the
Standards Committee may, by notice in writing given to the Proper
Officer, elect to forego any part of his entitlement to an
Allowance under this Scheme.
8. Part-Year Entitlements
The provisions of this paragraph shall have
effect to regulate the entitlements of a Councillor to Basic and
Special Responsibility Allowances where, in the course of a year,
this Scheme is amended or the Councillor becomes, or ceases to be,
a Councillor, or accepts or relinquishes a special responsibility
in respect of which a Special Responsibility Allowance is
payable.
If an amendment to this Scheme changes the
amount to which a Councillor is entitled by way of a Basic
Allowance or a Special Responsibility Allowance, then in relation
to each of the periods;
(a) beginning with the year and ending
with the day before that on which the first amendment in that year
takes effect, or
(b) beginning with the day on which an
amendment takes effect and ending with the day before that on which
the next amendment takes effect, or (if none) with the end of the
year,
The entitlement to such an Allowance shall be
to the payment of such part of the amount of the Allowance under
this Scheme as it has effect during the relevant period as bears to
the whole the same proportion as the number of the days in the
period bears to the number of days in the year.
If an amendment to this Scheme changes the duties
specified in Schedule 2 to this Scheme the
payment of the amount of the Allowance under the Scheme shall be
paid when the duty has been carried out.
Where the term of office of a Councillor
begins or ends otherwise than at the beginning or end of a year,
the entitlement of that Councillor to a Basic Allowance shall be to
the payment of such part of the Basic Allowance as bears to the
whole the same proportion as the number of days during which the
term of office subsists bears to the number of days in that
year.
Where this Scheme is amended as mentioned in
the second paragraph of this Section and the term of office of a
Councillor does not subsist throughout the period mentioned in
sub-paragraph (a), the entitlement of any such Councillor to a
Basic Allowance shall be to the payment of such part of the Basic
Allowance referable to each such period (ascertained in accordance
with that sub-paragraph) as bears to the whole the same proportion
as the number of days during which his/her term of office as a
Councillor subsists bears to the number of days in that period.
Where a Councillor has during part of, but not
throughout, a year such special responsibilities as entitle him/her
to a Special Responsibility Allowance, that Councillor's
entitlement shall be to payment of such part of that Allowance as
bears to the whole the same proportion as the number of days during
which s/he has such special responsibilities bears to the number of
days in that year.
Where this Scheme is amended as mentioned in
the second paragraph of this section, and a Councillor has during
part, but does not have throughout the whole, of any period
mentioned in sub-paragraph (a) of that paragraph any such special
responsibilities as entitle him/her to a Special Responsibility
Allowance, that Councillor's entitlement shall be to payment of
such part of the Allowance referable to each such period
(ascertained in accordance with that sub-paragraph) as bears to the
whole the same proportion as the number of days in that period
during which s/he has such special responsibilities bears to the
number of days in that period.
9. Claims and Payments
Claims for Allowances under this Scheme shall
be made in writing on the claim forms distributed each
month.
Claim forms do not have to be returned each
month, but can be sent in a 'batch' if the Member wishes. For
example, a Member may only have very small travel allowance to
claim, so these amounts could be added together. The only
requirement is, that claims must be made within one month of the
end of the financial year to which the claims relate.
Claims for Allowances shall include, or be
accompanied by, a statement signed by the Councillor that the
claims are in respect of the performance of approved duties and are
in accordance with the Members’ Allowances Scheme.
10. Payments Shall be Made
(a) in respect of Basic and Special Responsibility
Allowances, subject to the following paragraph, in instalments of
one-twelfth of the amount specified in this Scheme on the
20th day of each month;
(b) in respect of Travel, Subsistence,
Dependent and Child Care Allowances, on the 20th day of
each month in respect of claims received up to the 7th
day of that month.
Where a payment of one-twelfth of the amount
specified in this Scheme in respect of a Basic Allowance or a
Special Responsibility Allowance would result in the Councillor
receiving more than the amount to which, by virtue of paragraph 5,
he or she is entitled, the payment shall be restricted to such
amount as will ensure that no more is paid than the amount to which
he or she is entitled.
11. Councillors Tax Free Allowance
The Council has negotiated a tax-free
allowance to set against tax to be deducted from Members
Allowances. This is for expenditure incurred for which a
Member does receive an allowance from the Council, and you should
keep a record of these expenses. Currently this amount is set
at £500.
If Members have any queries concerning their
tax liability, they should contact Mr Carter at the Inland
Revenue on (01227) 864965, quoting reference
579/B/EC/577/A488/DISP/TC, or write to him at the Inland Revenue
Canterbury, Charter House, St George's Place, Canterbury, Kent
CT1 1UG.
12. The Local Government Pension Scheme
(LGPS)
The Panel did not consider this to be a
priority at the present time and, as such, Members are not eligible
to join the pension scheme. This may, however, be of greater
importance in the future and will be kept under review.
13. Annual Adjustment
In accordance with the regulations, the scheme allows for an
annual adjustment for a four year period from the date of the
last review. With the following exceptions, the
allowances will be linked to the annual cost of living rise as
applied to staff at the Council:-
Travel rates for cars – these will be
increased in-line with the Inland Revenue threshold.
Travel rates for motorbikes and Subsistence
rates for breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner – these will be kept at
the NJC rates (which also apply to Council Officers) which are
updated at various intervals.
NB.
The annual adjustment does not apply to the ICT Allowance.
Schedule 1
Set out below are details of the amounts of Basic and Special
Responsibility Allowances payable from the 1st April
2011
| Allowance |
Amount From 1st April 2011
(£)
|
| Basic |
4,292.28 |
| Leader |
14,040.52 |
| Deputy Leader |
9,350.99 |
| Other Cabinet Members |
7,020.26 |
| Chairmen of Overview and Scrutiny |
5,616.21 |
| Vice-Chairmen of Overview and Scrutiny |
1,872.07 |
| Chairman of Audit Committee |
4,680.17 |
|
Vice-Chairman of Audit Committee
|
1,560.06 |
| Chairman of Planning |
5,616.21
|
| Vice-Chairman of Planning |
1,872.07 |
| Chairman of Policy Advisory Groups/Community Partnership
Group |
2,808.10 |
| Vice-Chairman of Policy Advisory Groups/Community
Partnership Group |
936.03 |
| Chairman of Licensing and Health and Safety |
1,404.05 |
| Chairman of Standards |
1,404.05
|
|
Chairman/Vice-Chairman of Joint Transportation Board (whichever
is held by the Ashford Borough Council Member)
|
1,404.05 |
| Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny and Policy Advisory
Group Task Groups |
50.00
per Task Group
|
| Group Leaders |
220.12
per Member
|
NOTE: The pre-requisite for paying a Special
Responsibility Allowance to a Group Leader is that the Group
concerned must have a minimum of 2 members.
Schedule 2
Approved Duties
1.1 Attendance at all meetings of the
Council, and the Executive.
1.2 Attendance at meetings of Committees,
Sub-Committees, Forums, Policy Advisory Groups, Groups and
Boards subject to one of the following criteria being met
(a) to
which the Member has been appointed to.
(b) at the
invitation of the meeting or its Chairman when matters particularly
affecting the Member’s Ward are to be
considered or when a Member’s
personal knowledge or experience is likely to be of benefit.
(c) a
newly elected Member, in his/her first year of office, for
induction/training purposes.
N.B. Ward Members attending to give their views at
Planning Committee Meetings will not be
entitled to claim
travel
1.3 Attendance:-
(a) in
pursuance of any Rules of Procedure requiring a Member or Members
to be present at which tender
documents are opened.
(b) in
connection with the discharge of any function of the authority
conferred by or under any enactment and
empowering or requiring the
authority to inspect or authorise the inspection of premises.
(c) in
connection with arrangements made by the authority for the
attendance of pupils at a school approved for
the purposes of Section 188 (Special
Schools) of the Education Act 1993.
1.4 Attendance at any meetings with any
other authorities concerned with the discharge of the Council's
functions whether such meetings are organised on an ad-hoc basis or
are part of a permanent liaison arrangement, provided in the case
of ad-hoc meetings that such attendance has first been authorised
by the authority.
1.5 Attendance at meetings pursuant to
any Joint Arrangements with another or other local authorities
whether appointed or established under the Local Government Act
2000 or any other enactment.
1.6 Attendance at any meeting with any
Government department or any other meeting authorised by the
Council, the Executive, any Committee or Sub-Committee to which
representatives of more than one political group have been
invited.
1.7 Attendance at meetings of other
bodies prescribed from time to time by the Secretary of State for
the purposes of Section 177(2)(c) of the Local Government Act 1972,
and on which bodies the Council is represented, such as
universities and university courts.
1.8 Attendance at meetings of the Local
Government Association or of its Committees and Sub-Committees at
National and/or County Branch level.
1.9 Attendance by Members at the Local
Government Association’s Annual Conference.
1.10 Attendance at training events and
Best Value Review Meetings.
1.11 In the case of ad-hoc meetings, the
Head of Legal and Democratic Services has delegated
authority to decide whether or not it is an approved duty (i.e.
whether allowances can be claimed). Members are asked to seek
advice prior to attending such meetings.
1.12 Attendance by a Councillor at
meetings of the following organisations / bodies to which they have
been appointed:-
1. Action With Communities in
Rural Kent
2. Alzheimer’s Society –
Ashford & Shepway Branch
3. Ashford Almshouses
Charities
4. Ashford Choral Society
5. Ashford Community Arts
Trust
6. Ashford Crime and Disorder
Reduction Partnership
7. Ashford Federation of the
Arts
8. Ashford’s Future Delivery
Board
9. Ashford’s Future SPV
Board
10. Ashford Home Improvement Agency
Support Group
11. Ashford Leisure Trust
12. Ashford Mediation Service –
Management Committee
13. Ashford (Kent) Old People’s Welfare
Committee
14. Ashford Parochial Charities
15. Ashford Partnership
16. Ashford Sure Start (Fifth Wave)
Partnership
17. Ashford Town Centre
Partnership: Environment
Working Group
Management Board
Marketing and Promotions Working Group
Transport Working Group
18. Ashford Winkle Club
19. Ashford Youth Centres Trust
20. Ashford Youth Forum
21. Bockhanger Community Trust
22. Citizens’ Advice Bureau Ashford
Branch Management Committee
23. Citizens’ Advice Bureau Tenterden
Branch Management Committee
24. Citizens Rights for Older People
25. Dungeness Power Station Site
Stakeholder Group
26. East Kent Hospitals University NHS
Foundation Trust
27. Elwick Club
28. Headcorn Aerodrome Consultative
Committee
29. High Weald (ANOB) Joint Advisory
Group
30. Home Start, Ashford Management
Committee
31. Kennington Parochial Charities
32. Kent County Forum for Sport
33. Kent County Playing Fields
Association
34. Kent Downs Area of Outstanding
Natural Beauty – Joint Advisory Committee
35. Kent Education Local Member
Briefings
36. Leaders/Chief Executives Forum
(formerly KALA)
37. Local Government Association:-
General Assembly, Urban Commission and Rural Commission
38. Mid Kent Downs (AONB) Advisory
Group
39. National Council on Inland Transport
– Executive Committee
40. Parochial Church Council of St Mary
the Virgin Ashford Arts and Arts Development Sub-Committee
41. Patrol Adjudication Service - Joint
Committee
42. Relate East Kent (Marriage Guidance
Council)
43. River Stour Internal Drainage
Board
44. Romney Marshes Area Internal Drainage
Board
45. Rural Development Area – Strategic
Panel
46. Sandyacres Trust
47. Singleton Environmental Centre
Management Advisory Board
48. South Ashford Youth Club – Management
Committee
49. Soth East Employers
50. South East England Councils
51. Supporting People Commissioning
Body
52. Swan Centre Site Management
Committee
53. Tenterden Folk Day Trust
54. Tenterden Leisure Centre Trust
55. Tourism South East Council
56. Volunteering Ashford
57. Willesborough Charities
58. Willesborough Windmill Trust
Limited
59. Wye Rural Museum Trust
Travel and Subsistence Allowances can be paid
to Members attending a full Parish/ Town Council or Community Forum
meeting within the Ward which he or she represents or meetings of
its Planning (Sub) Committee, but only if the Member has a round
trip of ten miles or more in order to attend.
Schedule 3
Travel And Subsistence Allowances
1. Travel Allowance
(a) Private Vehicle Allowance
| Motor
Vehicles Allowance |
Amount Payable Per Mile |
| 451-999cc |
36.4p |
| 1000cc and above |
40.p
(To be increased in-line with the Inland Revenue threshold)
|
| Motorbike |
24p |
(b) Passengers
|
If passengers otherwise entitled to Travel Allowance are
carried, the vehicle’s owner may be paid for each such passenger up
to four
|
27.3p |
(c) Bicycle Allowance – 20 pence per mile
(d) Train or Bus - actual fare, but not first class rail travel
(Minute No 93/7/10)
(e) Taxi - actual fare plus gratuity subject
to the following:-
The Council's policy is that taxis should only
be used in the case of urgency or where no other transport is
reasonably available.
2. Subsistence Allowances
In the case of an absence from normal residence, other than an
overnight absence from home, Subsistence Allowance is payable as
follows:-
|
Subsistence Allowance |
| For more than 4 hours before 11.00am |
£6.00 (Breakfast Allowance)
(£8.00 if in a hotel and not included on room price)
|
|
For more than 4 hours including lunch-time
between noon and 2.00pm
|
£8.35 (Lunch Allowance)
(£12.00 in London)
|
| For more than 4 hours ending after
7.00pm |
£10.50 (Evening meal Allowance)
(£12.50 (£15 in London) if in a hotel and not included on room
price)
|
| In the case of an overnight absence* |
£70.00 per night |
| For an overnight absence in Central London
or at LGA conference* |
£100.00 per night |
*NB. this allowance should be available where the need for
accommodation is not foreseen. Where the need for
accommodation is known beforehand, this should be booked through
Member Services. The value of free meals must be deducted from the
Allowance,
Next - Part 7 - Management Structure
This webpage was updated on
6/20/2011