Quorum: 3 Meets: 3-4 times per year Does not have executive powers
Composition: 5 Independent people who cannot be members of any local authority. Appointments to the Panel are made every four years by officers, following public advertisement in the press.
Substitution: There will be no substitution of members.
Terms of Reference:
(a) To make recommendations to the Council:
(i) as to the responsibilities or duties in respect of which the following should be available:
- special responsibility allowance;
- travelling and subsistence allowance; and
- co-optees' allowance;
(ii) as to the amount of such allowances and as to the amount of basic allowance;
(iii) as to whether dependants' carers' allowance should be payable to members of an authority, and as to the amount of such an allowance;
(iv) as to whether, in the event that the Scheme is amended at any time so as to affect an allowance payable for the year in which the amendment is made, payment of allowances may be backdated in accordance with the Regulations;
(v) as to whether adjustments to the level of allowances may be determined according to an index and if so which index and how long that index should apply, subject to a maximum of four years, before its application is reviewed;
(vi) as to which members of an authority are to be entitled to pensions in accordance with a scheme made under section 7 of the Superannuation Act 1972;
(vii) as to treating basic allowance or special responsibility allowance, or both, as amounts in respect of which such pensions are payable in accordance with a scheme made under section 7 of the Superannuation Act 1972 (terms of reference (i) to (vii) amended by Council 14.5.03);
(viii) as to expenses of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Council.
(b) To make recommendations to parish councils where the parish council has asked the Panel to advise on basic allowances and the Chairman's allowance.
For the District Council's current Scheme of Members' Allowances see Part 6.
