Agenda item

1.

Title of Item/Report

The Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel.

2.

Record of the Decision

Consideration was given to a report on the Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel.

There was no specific appointments process prescribed in the Regulations or Guidance, save that the Council should appoint the Panel and consider the issues detailed at paragraphs 8 – 11 of the report.

The Regulations required a Panel of at least three members, however, the Council’s Constitution stipulated that its Panel should comprise four members, with a quorum of 3. None of the Panel members must be serving elected Members of the authority in respect of which it makes recommendations, nor a member of a committee or sub-committee of such authority. Panel Members must also not be disqualified from being or becoming a member of an authority.

Guidance associated with the Regulations required appointing authorities to be satisfied that proposed Panel members would result in the Panel

Membership being sufficiently independent and well qualified to discharge the Panel’s functions, and representative of the diversity of communities in the Council’s area.

The terms of office of Stockton’s previous Independent Remuneration Panel expired on 31 May 2024. The Panel comprised the following non-elected members:

Tony Campbell

Kate Hoskin

Mark White

Terry Laing

Further details of the above non-elected members were attached to the report.

It was proposed that the previous members of the Panel, described above and attached to the report be reappointed.

The functions of the Panel were attached to the report. These were the

functions prescribed by regulation and detailed in the Council’s Constitution.

It was recommended that Council appoints a Chair. Tony Campbell was the Panel’s previous Chair and had lots of experience in this role. It was

recommended that he is appointed as the Chair of the Remuneration Panel.

It was recommended that the terms of office of the Panel Members be up to 31 May 2028, unless they were removed, resign or otherwise leave office before then. This would enable preparations for a new Panel to be established (or for the incumbent panel to be re-appointed) during the first year of the new Council, after the 2027 elections.

Council had previously reserved the right to remove any one, or more, of the Panel Members at any time. This power should be retained.

It was proposed that the payments previously agreed for the Panel Members’ work be retained. These were:-

Chair - £350 per day, subject to a maximum for each review of £1,750

Other Panel Members - £75 per day, subject to a maximum of £375 for each review; and All Panel Members – reasonable travel and subsistence expenses.

RECOMMENDED to Council that:-

1. The previous members of the Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel, as detailed in paragraph 4, and in Appendix 1 of the report, be reappointed, with their terms of office expiring on 31 May 2028.

2. The right be reserved to remove anyone, or more, of the Panel members at any time, as indicated in paragraph 10 of the report.

3. Tony Campbell be appointed as the Chair of the Panel.

4. The Panel’s functions, as detailed in the Council’s Constitution and Appendix 2 of the report, be noted.

5. The allowances for the Panel’s work be as specified at paragraph 11 of the report be approved.

3.

Reasons for the Decision

The Council is required by the Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003 (as amended) (“the Regulations”) to establish and maintain an Independent Remuneration Panel so that the Panel can provide recommendations to Council on its Members’ Allowances Scheme. An Authority is not able to introduce new or

revised allowances schemes, without first having had regard to its Independent Panel’s recommendations, in that respect. A Panel should therefore be in place and ready to act, even if an authority proposes not to change its existing allowance scheme. Cabinet has a role in making recommendations, to Council, about the composition of the Panel and other related matters

4.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None

5.

Declared (Cabinet Member) Conflicts of Interest

None

6.

Details of any Dispensations

None

7.

Date and Time by which Call In must be executed

N/A

Consideration was given to a report on the Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel.

There was no specific appointments process prescribed in the Regulations or Guidance, save that the Council should appoint the Panel and consider the issues detailed at paragraphs 8 – 11 of the report.

The Regulations required a Panel of at least three members, however, the Council’s Constitution stipulated that its Panel should comprise four members, with a quorum of 3. None of the Panel members must be serving elected Members of the authority in respect of which it makes recommendations, nor a member of a committee or sub-committee of such authority. Panel Members must also not be disqualified from being or becoming a member of an authority.

Guidance associated with the Regulations required appointing authorities to be satisfied that proposed Panel members would result in the Panel

Membership being sufficiently independent and well qualified to discharge the Panel’s functions, and representative of the diversity of communities in the Council’s area.

The terms of office of Stockton’s previous Independent Remuneration Panel expired on 31 May 2024. The Panel comprised the following non-elected members:

Tony Campbell

Kate Hoskin

Mark White

Terry Laing

Further details of the above non-elected members were attached to the report.

It was proposed that the previous members of the Panel, described above and attached to the report be reappointed.

The functions of the Panel were attached to the report. These were the

functions prescribed by regulation and detailed in the Council’s Constitution.

It was recommended that Council appoints a Chair. Tony Campbell was the Panel’s previous Chair and had lots of experience in this role. It was

recommended that he is appointed as the Chair of the Remuneration Panel.

It was recommended that the terms of office of the Panel Members be up to 31 May 2028, unless they were removed, resign or otherwise leave office before then. This would enable preparations for a new Panel to be established (or for the incumbent panel to be re-appointed) during the first year of the new Council, after the 2027 elections.

Council had previously reserved the right to remove any one, or more, of the Panel Members at any time. This power should be retained.

It was proposed that the payments previously agreed for the Panel Members’ work be retained. These were:-

Chair - £350 per day, subject to a maximum for each review of £1,750

Other Panel Members - £75 per day, subject to a maximum of £375 for each review; and All Panel Members – reasonable travel and subsistence expenses.

RECOMMENDED to Council that:-

1. The previous members of the Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel, as detailed in paragraph 4, and in Appendix 1 of the report, be reappointed, with their terms of office expiring on 31 May 2028.

2. The right be reserved to remove anyone, or more, of the Panel members at any time, as indicated in paragraph 10 of the report.

3. Tony Campbell be appointed as the Chair of the Panel.

4. The Panel’s functions, as detailed in the Council’s Constitution and Appendix 2 of the report, be noted.

5. The allowances for the Panel’s work be as specified at paragraph 11 of the report be approved.