The Monitoring Officer submitted a report, to advise Council of the Annual Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales in respect of the level and range of remuneration the Authority must make available to its elected members for the 2021/22 municipal year. 

This was the thirteenth Annual Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales (the Panel), and the tenth published under the requirements of the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 (attached as Appendix 1 to the report).  The Measure extended the responsibilities of the Panel and its powers under Section 142 to decide (prescribe) payments to members of relevant authorities.

The Monitoring Officer confirmed, that representatives of the Panel held consultation meetings on their proposals, which was attended by the Authority’s Head of Democratic Services.  The Panel had acknowledged each of the 39 responses to the consultation on the draft report and answered all the queries that were raised in respect of this.

The Panel’s Determinations for 2021/22, were shown at Annex 1 of the Annual Report (from page 51 onwards). 

She explained, that the Basic Salary in 2021/22 for elected members of principal councils shall be £14,368 with effect from 1st April 2021 (Determination 1). This salary shall be paid by each principal authority to each of its elected members unless any individual member opts personally and in writing to receive a lower amount. Adjustments in recent years have been in keeping with the Panel’s principle that its determinations should be affordable and acceptable.  This principle is maintained in the increase for 2021/22 in the basic salary elected members of £150. 

The senior salary levels in 2021-22 for members of principal councils shall be as set out in Table 3, page 14 of the Annual Report (Appendix 1 refers).  The Panel considered that the leadership and executive roles carry the greatest individual accountability and that size of population remains a major factor in influencing levels of responsibility and the use of the population groups has therefore been retained. 

The Salary for the Leader and Deputy Leader has been based on the population of the County Borough (100,000 to 200,000).  The Leader is entitled to receive £49,974 and the Deputy Leader £35,320. Cabinet Members will be entitled to receive a senior salary of £30,773.

Where Chairs of Committees are remunerated, they will be paid a salary of £23,161. The Panel had re-iterated that it is a matter for individual authorities to determine which Chairs are paid.  At its Annual Meeting in May 2020 Council determined that the Chairpersons be remunerated of the Committees, as shown in paragraph 4.2.4 of the report.

The Panel had determined that Council must make a senior salary of £23,161 available to the leader of the largest opposition group. 

In terms of Civic salaries, Councils have strongly expressed to the Panel that Elected Members do not wish to make any choices that require Councils themselves to choose and match the level of activity or duties of a specific member to a given range of salary levels for a role.  The Panel has determined (Determination 3) that (where paid) a Civic Head (Mayor) must be paid a salary of £23,161 and (where paid) a Deputy Civic Head (Deputy Mayor) must be paid a salary of £18,108 with effect from 1st April 2021. 

The remainder of the report gave information in respect of the following:-

• Co-opted members of Committee’s allowances;
• Contributions towards Costs of Care and Personal Assistance (CPA);
• Sickness Absence for Senior Salary Holders; and
• Compliance with Panel Requirements

RESOLVED:                                 That Council noted the Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales 2021 and approved:

·         the adoption of the relevant determinations of the Panel contained within its Annual Report (Appendix 1 to the report);

·         those posts (as shown in the revised Members’ Schedule of Remuneration at Schedule 1 of the report), who will receive a senior/civic salary;

·         the level of remuneration for the Senior and Civic Salaries (where appropriate);

·         the revised Members’ Schedule of Remuneration at Appendix 2, and for it to become effective from 1 April 2021;

·         that the Members’ Schedule of Remuneration be updated with any changes to Senior/Civic Salary positions subsequently made by Council during the 2021/22 municipal year;

·         the Democratic Services Committee reviewing the provisions on the contribution towards Costs of Care and Personal Assistance as set out in paragraph 4.5 of the report.