Agenda item

Please could you give me a year by year breakdown, since the 2011 Local Elections, of the Special Responsibility Allowances paid to Members of the Labour Group on the Council?

“Please could you give me a year by year breakdown, since the 2011 Local Elections, of the Special Responsibility Allowances paid to Members of the Labour Group on the Council?”

Councillor Jarrett stated that Councillor Juby would be aware that the Council was required by law to publish the total sum paid to each Councillor by way of each type of allowance under the Members’ Allowances Scheme on an annual basis.  This information was readily available on the Council’s website.

He stated that since 2011, Members of the Labour Group had received Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs) for the following positions:

• Opposition Group Leader

• Opposition Group Deputy Leader

• Opposition Group Whip

• Overview and Scrutiny Opposition Group Spokespersons X 4

• Opposition Group Spokesperson for the Planning Committee

• Licensing Hearing Panel Members from all political groups also receive an SRA for each attendance.

The following information was tabled at the meeting. Councillor Jarrett stated that this information was provided by financial year because this was how the Council held the information for each period.

Licensing Hearing Panel / Licensing 1982 Act Hearing Panel – these attract an SRA for each attendance of £32.85 for 2011/2012 and £31.78 for subsequent years.

He stated that the total SRAs paid to the Labour Group during the life of this administration was approximately £141,000. With reference to budgeting matters and value for money, he stated that the wider public could draw their own conclusions but he struggled to see where the value for money was for SRAs paid to Labour Group Members who, by an large, did nothing much apart from denigrate Medway.

Councillor Jarrett referred to the basic allowance which applied to all Councillors of £8,730.94 and stated that the Leader of the Labour Group received a total allowance of £20,636.86 which was the third highest payment under the Members’ Allowances scheme to any Member of the Council. This was only exceeded by himself as Deputy Leader, and the Leader of the Council. In addition, Councillor Murray received a little over £16,000, Councillor Griffiths and Price £14,225, Councillor Bowler £12,394 and Councillor Shaw slightly less. He stated that his point was to look at whether there was any hypocrisy in the way that the Labour Group referred to allowances and comparing them with the living wage.

He referred to the headcount for non-schools budgets and schools budgets and stated that the Council paid 3,215 people, by headcount, less than it paid Councillor Maple and stated that all of those people did some work for the Council and added some value. 1,469 people received less than Councillor Murray received for doing a day job, and, in terms of Councillor Griffiths and Bowler there were 1,211 people paid less than them.

Councillor Jarrett stated that those Members of the Labour Group in receipt of SRAs, needed to take a very hard look at themselves and if they did not like SRAs as much as they professed, they could follow the example of Councillor Chishti and Councillor Mrs Chambers and not draw all of their allowances. He stated that this option was available to the Labour Group in relation to the living wage.

Councillor Chishti asked that it be placed on record that since becoming an MP he had not claimed any Members’ Allowances.

Supplementary question

Councillor Juby asked whether Councillor Jarrett could provide a written answer stating how many people would be able to go from earning the minimum wage at Medway Council to the living wage if the Labour Councillors did not claim their SRAs.

Councillor Jarrett stated that he was happy to do this.