1.0 Independent remuneration panel for North Yorkshire Council
1.1 We are the Independent Remuneration Panel of four Members convened by legislation in 2003. It has been agreed and approved that, as from 1 April 2023, this panel will continue in office and then report to North Yorkshire Council.
1.2 The council seeks the advice of the panel before it makes any changes or amendments to its Members’ Allowance Scheme and should therefore consider its recommendations and its reasoning before setting a new or amended Members’ Allowance Scheme.
1.3 The current membership of the Independent Remuneration Panel is at Appendix A.
1.4 The terms of reference of the panel are currently as follows:
- to consider issues relating to members’ remuneration and expenses
- to consider representations
- to make recommendations and provide advice to the council
- to carry out a full review of special responsibility allowances for implementation every four years - the last being 2023-24
- to respond to requests to consider issues relating to the remuneration and expenses of independent and community members on relevant bodies - excluding this Independent Remuneration Panel
- to consider the remuneration of councillors serving on other bodies or organisations when requested
1.5 The panel currently consists of four members, recruited by open advert for a four-year term of office. It is open for any member of the public to apply. Members may be re-appointed for a further term of up to four years. Interviews for and appointments to the panel are made by the leaders of the political groups, the Chief Executive, the Monitoring Officer, and the Chair of the Panel, or another member of the panel.
1.6 The panel chooses its own chairman and duration.
1.7 The panel continues to act and perform all duties and recommendations as in previous years.
1.8 Regarding independence, although HMRC treats any allowance as taxable employment income, panel members are not employees and are therefore independent of the council. Panel members do not have a line manager in the council and therefore are under no direction or influence from the council in any way. Ongoing administrative support for the Independent Remuneration Panel however is provided by the council as and when required. Any panel allowance is taxable through the North Yorkshire Council payroll, but the appointment is not pensionable. Panel members can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs necessarily incurred on Independent Remuneration Panel business at rates set by North Yorkshire Council.
2.0 Contextual background
2.1 Although available throughout the year, the panel assembled between July and September 2023 to consider the most recent information, as part of its review and to formulate its recommendations. The evidence considered included national and local contextual information on benchmarking data, attendance data, financial context and input from group leaders, councillors and senior council officers.
2.2 The most recent information on councillor attendance at formal public committee meetings of the council is for the period 1 April 2023 to 31 July 2023. The average attendance was 86%, compared to 87% for the same period in 2022. Since 1 April 2023, there have been two quarterly meetings of the full council, and the average attendance rate was 94%, compared to 91% in 2022. We consider these attendance levels to be satisfactory. If a councillor’s attendance falls below 66% over a 12-month period, they should be requested to repay an appropriate sum of the allowances received during that period, subject to mitigating circumstances such as illness or parental leave.
2.3 The majority of committee meetings are held at County Hall, with the main exceptions being the Area Constituency Committees, Area Constituency Planning Committees, Licensing Committees and Licensing Sub-Committees which take place in the locality areas. There have been 111 meetings between 1 April – 31 July 2023, compared to 65 for the same period in 2022.
2.4 The council is once again experiencing a number of financial and demand-led pressures. There continues to be a demand for adult social care services, particularly pressures on local care markets - occupancy in care homes working with the authority is over 95%. There are also increasing demands upon children’s social care services and increasing costs across all other council services and contracts as prices rise. Latest forecasts suggest that by 2024, living costs should be increasing by less than household incomes as inflation rates fall. However, prices will remain high. Inflation measures the change in prices over a 12-month period, and falling inflation only means prices are rising less quickly, not that they are falling. Consequently, it may take some years for household incomes to recover to their previous level in real terms and this may continue to impact on demand across services.
2.5 There have been wage increases of 9.4% to North Yorkshire Council employees on pay points 2 to 43, and 3.88% on pay points 44 and above. There are also costs associated with the creation of a new unitary authority, albeit that these should be recouped as the new council drives out significant savings and efficiencies once established.
2.6 This table shows the latest position regarding lower inflation.
| Inflation rates for the preceding 12 months up to June 2021 | Inflation rates for the preceding 12 months up to June 2022 | Inflation rates for the preceding 12 months up to June 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Price Index | 3.9% | 11.8% | 10.7% |
| Consumer Price Index | 2.5% | 9.4% | 7.9% |
The source for this table is the Office of National Statistics.
2.7 The panel has been advised that North Yorkshire Council operates within its budget.
3.0 New unitary authority for North Yorkshire
3.1 On 21 July 2021, the UK Government announced that the eight local authorities in North Yorkshire would be replaced by a new, single council. This council has been in place since 1 April 2023.
3.2 As stated in last year’s Independent Remuneration Panel Report, the new council now has the responsibility to deliver all those services that were previously delivered by the district councils, borough councils and county council. Elections were held on 5 May 2022 for 90 county councillors representing 89 electoral divisions, as opposed to the 72 councillors representing 68 electoral divisions that were in place prior to the May 2022 elections. The 90 councillors were elected to the county council for 2022-23 and then to continue into the new unitary authority for the period 2023-2027. In total, for this initial period only, their term of office will be five years.
3.3 Also, as described in the panel’s report for 2023-24, the role of councillors in the new unitary council is different as it has taken on the responsibilities of all eight councils that previously provided services in the county. In particular, there is a strong emphasis upon locality working, community leadership and linking in with parish and town councils and other local representative bodies. The new unitary council also has more statutory and regulatory responsibilities than the previous county council, such as domestic and commercial planning, licensing, and environmental health as well as housing.
3.4 In this inaugural phase the panel continues to refer to data from other unitary authorities. However, at the same time, it has endeavoured to collect evidence from the councillors themselves regarding their new responsibilities and the impact that this might have had on their required workload.
3.5 To assist with the preparation of its report for 2024-25, in July 2023 the panel prepared and circulated a detailed questionnaire to all 90 councillors, the results of which are summarised below in Section 5.
3.6 One of the key questions in the questionnaire was to offer an invitation to councillors to attend a personal meeting and engage with members of the panel. This event took place in August 2023 and the discussions and significant points raised in those meetings are summarised here in Section 6.
4.0 Council meetings
4.1 The Local Government Act 1972 requires that committee members be physically present at a committee meeting to be counted as part of the quorum and to be able to participate fully and vote. The legislation that was previously in place during the pandemic, the Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020, expired on 6 May 2021. As such, all formal, public meetings of the committees must be held in person.
4.2 For North Yorkshire Councillors, the panel recognises that this will mean a significant amount of ‘lost’ time spent travelling to and from meetings. The panel would welcome government intervention in allowing councils the ability to locally choose whether they have virtual or hybrid meetings. This would benefit the council as being the largest rural county in England.
5.0 Independent Remuneration Panel questionnaire
5.1 The questionnaire was arranged in two parts, the first part to be answered by all councillors while the second part was to be answered by only those councillors holding a special responsibility allowance post.
5.2 The panel’s summary of the responses received is as follows:
- the response level was 62% - 55 responses out of 90 councillors
- 64% or 35 out of 55 councillors who responded believed that the current Basic Allowance of £15,500 was both too low for the new workload being undertaken and in particular to attract potential new members of the North Yorkshire public to serve their local community
- as to the current structure and value of the various special responsibility allowance posts, 67% or 22 out of 33 councillors who currently receive an special responsibility allowance concurred that the panel’s recommendations made in its report for 2023-24 still remained fair and valid and required no significant change in 2024-25
- question 13 offered an invitation to any councillor who might wish to attend an interview in person with the members of the panel - 13 councillors accepted this invitation, to which Section 6 refers
- a number of councillors recommended returning to holding meetings online to reduce travelling time in North Yorkshire and, whenever possible, also holding them in the evening - see section 4.2 for details
- 69% or 38 out of 55 councillors responding said that their council workload requires approximately 20 hours each week or more
5.3 The members of the panel wish to place on record their thanks to those councillors who responded and supported this exercise with such helpful comments.
6.0 Interviews with councillors
6.1 On 7 August 2023 the panel convened and all 13 councillors who had requested to meet with the panel to make representations regarding the Council’s Members’ Allowances Scheme were given the opportunity to do so. These councillors represented a good cross-section of the political groups, positions, and electoral divisions - urban and rural. Some had served on the county council and/or district or borough councils for a number of years. Others had been newly elected in 2022.
6.2 Some received only the basic allowance, the others held one or more roles attracting a special responsibility allowance. Different political parties and types of electoral divisions were represented.
6.3 The overarching concerns expressed were in respect of increased workload and the perceived need for the basic allowance to be sufficient to attract younger people and those who do not have independent financial means. Most councillors stated that the current basic allowance was too low to achieve this and/or did not fairly reflect the time commitment required to do the job properly. Conversely, there were no significant suggestions that special responsibility allowances were not sufficient and fair.
7.0 Recommendations for councillors' basic allowance
7.1 Each local authority must make provision in its scheme of allowances for an amount that is payable to all elected members. This is known as the basic allowance and is the same for every councillor and is taxable. The proposed basic allowance for 2024/25 is £17,000. Comparator information with other unitary councils is shown in Appendix B.
7.2 In formulating its proposal, the panel has considered the following factors:
councillors are not remunerated as employees; they are elected to fulfil important roles on behalf of the public - nevertheless, the proposed basic allowance reflects the considerable time commitment required for the proper and conscientious fulfilment of duties
the reconfiguration of local government in North Yorkshire and the effect that the overall reduction in councillors, from 319 to 90, has had on the workload of those elected to the new North Yorkshire Council
the need to attract and retain high-quality candidates from a variety of backgrounds - the panel considered that the basic allowance should not be a financial disincentive to those who might otherwise wish to serve as an elected member
the general economic climate, including recent increases in the cost of living
the level of the basic allowance paid by comparable local authorities
budgetary constraints on North Yorkshire Council
7.3 It is important to note that the panel views the basic allowance as some compensation for the time that elected members commit to the fulfilment of their duties, rather than a commercial reward for duties performed. The panel acknowledges that councillors carry out their duties in different ways and use methods that might vary.
7.4 The proposed £1,500 increase in the annual basic allowance from £15,500 to £17,000 for 2024-25 will result in an increase in the total annual amount paid of £135,000 - from £1,395,000 to £1,530,000.
8.0 Recommendations on special responsibility allowances
8.1 In addition to the basic allowance, each local authority may make provision for the payment of a special responsibility allowance also taxable for those councillors who have significant responsibilities over and above the normal work of a councillor. The inaugural allowances paid by North Yorkshire Council are shown in Appendix C. The panel’s role is to review the special responsibility allowance that is associated with each specific role only. The panel has no involvement in the appointment of individual councillors to these extended roles.
8.2 It is important to note that the special responsibility allowance is for performance of the responsibility, not how it is delivered. This is because every councillor will work in their own way.
8.3 In its report for 2023-24 the panel undertook to introduce the special responsibility allowance structure which was required for the new unitary authority and in doing so conducted a complete review and made recommendations for all existing and new special responsibility allowance roles which were subsequently approved by council.
8.4 In carrying out its review for 2023-24, the panel decided to detach all allowances from the unit methodology it had applied in previous years. For 2024-25, the panel has adopted a new methodology. For illustrative purposes Appendix C includes a column showing each special responsibility allowance relative to the leader’s special responsibility allowance.
8.5 As set out in sections 5 and 6 of this report, the panel has received considerable support for the current special responsibility allowance structure and values in place. Also, as highlighted in both sections, the panel received an overwhelming preference from councillors for a substantial increase to the basic allowance and which, under existing financial constraints, has influenced the panel’s recommendation for this year’s special responsibility allowance allowance. For 2024-25 the panel is recommending that all special responsibility allowances should be increased by 2%.
8.6 The panel does accept that, as the transitional period continues to unfold, then in 2024 and onwards it will be justified in carrying out an ad hoc review of any special responsibility allowance whenever requested and where the evidence suggests that this would be appropriate.
8.7 The panel has undertaken an ad hoc review of the special responsibility allowance for the Chair of the Statutory Licensing Sub-Committee and the Chair of the General Licensing and Registration Sub-Committee. The recommendation is that the current sessional special responsibility allowance payment of £250 per meeting is payable to a maximum amount of £750 per annum. If a statutory or general licensing and registration sub-committee is chaired by the Chair of the Statutory or General Licensing and Registration Committee, no sessional payment shall be made, on the grounds that they are already in receipt of a special responsibility allowance as chairs of the full committees.
9.0 Financial implications
9.1 In 2022/23, the total budget for basic allowances and special responsibility allowances for the 319 councillors that were in office across the county council and seven district and borough councils was £2,553,319.
9.2 In 2023/24 the total cost of the basic allowances and the special responsibility allowances for the 90 councillors in the new unitary North Yorkshire Council was £1,845,686 - £1,395,000 basic allowance and £450,686 special responsibility allowance. This resulted in a net budget saving of £707,633.
9.3 The proposed £1,500 increase in the annual basic allowance from £15,500 to £17,000 will result in an increase in the total annual amount paid of £135,000 - from £1,395,000 to £1,530,000.
9.4 The proposed 2% increase in the special responsibility allowances paid, with the exception of sessional payments to Chairs of the Licensing Sub-Committees, will result in an increase in the total annual amount paid of £10,514 - from £450,686 to £461,200.
9.5 In total, the proposed increases to allowances are £145,514 - from £1,845,686 to £1,991,200. This increase is in the context of savings of £714,621 made in 2023/24, and being 0.01% of the overall council budget of £1.4 billion.
10.0 Recommendations on other allowances
10.1 The panel considered the current arrangements for travel and subsistence allowances. The arrangements are linked to rates for council staff and will continue to be so. We note that in the North Yorkshire Council Members Allowance Scheme, mileage rates only recently changed to 45p a mile from 42p a mile. However, to maintain this link fairly, the panel takes the view, that North Yorkshire Council mileage rate should always be in line with the HMRC mileage rate.
11.0 Future work programme
11.1 During the transitional period from 2024-2027, the panel will undertake to carry out ad hoc reviews of the special responsibility allowances as requested to do so.
11.2 The proposal for the panel to review a broad package of entitlements for councillors, including a possible parental leave policy, has now, at the request of the executive, been deferred until the new unitary authority of North Yorkshire has been completely installed and is fully active in all respects.
Appendix A - membership of the Independent Remuneration Panel for North Yorkshire Council
The current membership of the Independent Remuneration Panel is as follows.
Mr Keith Trotter - panel chair. Mr Trotter was appointed in 2016 and reappointed November 2020. He is the retired managing director of a hardware company, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Member of the Institute of Consultants, a Certified Management Consultant and a member of the Volunteering Programme for Start Up Companies financed by the Business Enterprise Fund.
Dr Stuart Green - panel member. Dr Green was appointed in 2019 and reappointed July 2023. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, and Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. His current employment is as a lecturer at a leading UK university. He holds and has held a variety of non-executive and governance roles.
Ann Harding - panel member. Ms Harding was appointed in 2022 and is currently Chief Executive of the Settle Victoria Hall Ltd Charity, running all aspects of the 400 capacity music hall, 200-seater outdoor café and performance space, and shop. She is the founding director of Settle Hydro Ltd, the country’s first community benefit hydro power station and a trustee of The Principle Trust Children’s Charity.
Elizabeth Morrison - panel member. Ms Morrison was appointed in 2022. She is a retired judge and former solicitor. She was appointed by the Ministry of Justice as a part-time judge of the county court from 2005 to 2020, and of a property tribunal from 2011 to 2022.
Appendix B - basic allowance comparison information for 2023-24
This table shows the basic allowances for different local authorities in England in the period 2023 to 2024.
| Local authority | Basic allowance | Ratio of special responsibility allowances to councillors | Number of councillors | Rural or urban | Population | Population per councillor | Area in square miles | Average area in square miles covered by each councillor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | £18,876 | 25% | 101 | Urban | 1,144,900 | 11,336 | 103.40 | 1 |
| Leeds | £17,233.98 | 62% | 99 | Urban | 811,953 | 8,202 | 213.01 | 2.2 |
| Cornwall | £16,377.99 | 54% | 87 | Rural | 570,305 | 6,555 | 1,369.12 | 15.7 |
| North Yorkshire | £15,500 | 74% | 90 | Rural | 615,491 | 6,839 | 3,103.49 | 34.5 |
| Sheffield | £15,318.24 | 73% | 84 | Urban | 556,521 | 6,625 | 142.05 | 1.7 |
| Wiltshire | £15,004 | 64% | 98 | Rural | 510,330 | 5,207 | 1,256.76 | 12.8 |
| Dorset | £14,140.41 | 45% | 82 | Rural | 379,579 | 4,629 | 961.78 | 11.7 |
| North Northamptonshire | £14,000 | 31% | 78 | Rural | 359,522 | 4,609 | 531.66 | 6.8 |
| East Riding | £13,765 | 63% | 67 | Rural | 342,215 | 5,108 | 1,234.37 | 18.4 |
| Buckinghamshire | £13,525 | 37% | 147 | Rural | 553,078 | 3,762 | 604.25 | 4.1 |
| Bradford | £13,463 | 68% | 90 | Urban | 546,412 | 6,071 | 141.47 | 1.6 |
| Northumberland | £13,329 | 85% | 67 | Rural | 320,567 | 4,785 | 1,935.53 | 28.9 |
| Durham | £13,300 | 45% | 126 | Rural | 522,068 | 4,143 | 859.46 | 6.8 |
| Cheshire West and Chester | £13,223 | 49% | 70 | Rural | 357,150 | 5,102 | 353.94 | 5.1 |
| Cheshire East | £12,351 | 40% | 82 | Rural | 398,772 | 4,863 | 450.20 | 5.5 |
| Shropshire | £12,000 | 38% | 74 | Rural | 323,606 | 4,373 | 929.73 | 12.6 |
| Central Bedfordshire | £10,995.60 | 41% | 63 | Rural | 294,252 | 4,671 | 276.33 | 4.4 |
| Bedford | £10,425 | 78% | 40 | Urban | 185,225 | 4,631 | 183.94 | 4.6 |
| Average | £13,960.42 | 53% | 86 | 480,967 | 5,568 | 679.24 | 8.46 | |
| North Yorkshire Council percentage of average | 111% | 140% | 105% | 128% | 123% | 457% | 407% |
Appendix C - special responsibility allowances comparison information
This table shows the current North Yorkshire Council special responsibility allowances for 2023 to 2024.
| Role | Current allowance | Allowance relative to leader's special responsibility allowance | Number of allowances | Total cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chair of the Council | £12,142 | 31% | 1 | £12,142 |
| Vice Chair of the Council | £4,027 | 10% | 1 | £4,027 |
| Leader of the Council | £39,654 | 100% | 1 | £39,654 |
| Deputy Leader | £21,165 | 53% | 1 | £21,165 |
| Other executive members | £19,554 | 49% | 8 | £156,432 |
| Chair of Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee | £11,052 | 28% | 1 | £11,052 |
| Chair of Transition Overview and Scrutiny Committee | £5,526 | 14% | 1 | £5,526 |
| Chair of Other Overview and Scrutiny Committees | £5,526 | 14% | 4 | £22,104 |
| Vice Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committees | £1,842 | 5% | 6 | £11,052 |
| Chair of Area Constituency Committee | £5,526 | 14% | 6 | £33,156 |
| Chair of Strategic Planning Committee | £6,971 | 18% | 1 | £6,971 |
| Vice Chair of Strategic Planning Committee | £2,141 | 5% | 1 | £2,141 |
| Chair of Appeals Committee | £5,526 | 14% | 1 | £5,526 |
| Vice Chair of Appeals Committee | £921 | 2% | 1 | £921 |
| Chair of Pension Fund Committee | £5,526 | 14% | 1 | £5,526 |
| Chair of Audit Committee | £4,769 | 12% | 1 | £4,769 |
| Chair of Standards and Governance Committee | £4,421 | 11% | 1 | £4,421 |
| Chair of Area Constituency Planning Committee | £3,815 | 10% | 6 | £22,890 |
| Vice Chair of Area Constituency Planning Committee | £1,456 | 4% | 6 | £8,736 |
| Chair of Statutory Licensing Committee | £3,500 | 9% | 1 | £3,500 |
| Vice Chair of Statutory Licensing Committee | £1,842 | 5% | 1 | £1,842 |
| Chair of Statutory Licensing Sub-Committee | £250 per meeting | 1% per meeting | As required | As required |
| Chair of General Licensing and Registration Committee | £3,931 | 10% | 1 | £3,931 |
| Vice Chair of General Licensing and Registration Committee | £1,842 | 5% | 1 | £1,842 |
| Chair of General Licensing and Registration Sub-Committee | £250 per meeting | 1% per meeting | As required | As required |
| Champion for Young People | £1,842 | 5% | 1 | £1,842 |
| Champion for Older People | £1,842 | 5% | 1 | £1,842 |
| Champion for Climate Change | £1,842 | 5% | 1 | £1,842 |
| Leaders of political groups | ||||
| Second largest group membership | £6,821 | 17% | 1 | £6,821 |
| Third largest group membership | £3,527 | 9% | 1 | £3,527 |
| Secretaries of political groups | ||||
| Largest group membership | £2,763 | 7% | 1 | £2,763 |
| Second largest group membership | £1,842 | 5% | 1 | £1,842 |
| Third largest group membership | £921 | 2% | 1 | £921 |
| Chair of the Police, Fire and Crime Panel | £9,210 | 23% | 1 | £9,210 |
| Vice Chair of the Police, Fire and Crime Panel | £3,684 | 9% | 2 | £7,368 |
| Members of the Police, Fire and Crime Panel | £1,842 | 5% | 7 | £12,894 |
| Community members of the Police, Fire and Crime Panel | £1,842 | 5% | 3 | £5,526 |
| Other roles | ||||
| Independent persons | £921 | 2% | 2 | £1,842 |
| Chair of Pension Board | £3,120 | 8% | 1 | £3,120 |
This table shows the recommended North Yorkshire Council special responsibility allowances for 2024 to 2025 and the change between 2023-24 and 2024-25.
| Role | Recommended allowance | Allowance relative to leader's special responsibility allowance | Number of allowances | Total cost | Change between 2023-24 and 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chair of the Council | £12,385 | 31% | 1 | £12,385 | 2% |
| Vice Chair of the Council | £4,108 | 10% | 1 | £4,108 | 2% |
| Leader of the Council | £40,447 | 100% | 1 | £40,447 | 2% |
| Deputy Leader | £21,588 | 53% | 1 | £21,588 | 2% |
| Other executive members | £19,945 | 49% | 8 | £159,561 | 2% |
| Chair of Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee | £11,273 | 28% | 1 | £11,273 | 2% |
| Chair of Transition Overview and Scrutiny Committee | £5,637 | 14% | 1 | £5,637 | 2% |
| Chair of Other Overview and Scrutiny Committees | £5,637 | 14% | 4 | £22,546 | 2% |
| Vice Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committees | £1,879 | 5% | 6 | £11,273 | 2% |
| Chair of Area Constituency Committee | £5,637 | 14% | 6 | £33,819 | 2% |
| Chair of Strategic Planning Committee | £7,110 | 18% | 1 | £7,110 | 2% |
| Vice Chair of Strategic Planning Committee | £2,184 | 5% | 1 | £2,184 | 2% |
| Chair of Appeals Committee | £5,637 | 14% | 1 | £5,637 | 2% |
| Vice Chair of Appeals Committee | £939 | 2% | 1 | £939 | 2% |
| Chair of Pension Fund Committee | £5,637 | 14% | 1 | £5,637 | 2% |
| Chair of Audit Committee | £4,864 | 12% | 1 | £4,864 | 2% |
| Chair of Standards and Governance Committee | £4,509 | 11% | 1 | £4,509 | 2% |
| Chair of Area Constituency Planning Committee | £3,891 | 10% | 6 | £23,348 | 2% |
| Vice Chair of Area Constituency Planning Committee | £1,485 | 4% | 6 | £8,911 | 2% |
| Chair of Statutory Licensing Committee | £3,570 | 9% | 1 | £3,570 | 2% |
| Vice Chair of Statutory Licensing Committee | £1,879 | 5% | 1 | £1,879 | 2% |
| Chair of Statutory Licensing Sub-Committee | £250 per meeting to a maximum of £750 per annum | 1% per meeting | 3 | £750 | 0% |
| Chair of General Licensing and Registration Committee | £4,010 | 10% | 1 | £4,010 | 2% |
| Vice Chair of General Licensing and Registration Committee | £1,879 | 5% | 1 | £1,879 | 2% |
| Chair of General Licensing and Registration Sub-Committee | £250 per meeting to a maximum of £750 per annum | 1% per meeting | 3 | £750 | 0% |
| Champion for Young People | £1,879 | 5% | 1 | £1,879 | 2% |
| Champion for Older People | £1,879 | 5% | 1 | £1,879 | 2% |
| Champion for Climate Change | £1,879 | 5% | 1 | £1,879 | 2% |
| Leaders of political groups | |||||
| Second largest group membership | £6,957 | 17% | 1 | £6,957 | 2% |
| Third largest group membership | £3,598 | 9% | 1 | £3,598 | 2% |
| Secretaries of political groups | |||||
| Largest group membership | £2,818 | 7% | 1 | £2,818 | 2% |
| Second largest group membership | £1,879 | 5% | 1 | £1,879 | 2% |
| Third largest group membership | £939 | 2% | 1 | £939 | 2% |
| Chair of the Police, Fire and Crime Panel | £9,394 | 23% | 1 | £9,394 | 2% |
| Vice Chair of the Police, Fire and Crime Panel | £3,758 | 9% | 2 | £7,515 | 2% |
| Members of the Police, Fire and Crime Panel | £1,879 | 5% | 7 | £13,152 | 2% |
| Community members of the Police, Fire and Crime Panel | £1,879 | 5% | 3 | £5,637 | 2% |
| Other roles | |||||
| Independent persons | £939 | 2% | 2 | £1,879 | 2% |
| Chair of Pension Board | £3,182 | 8% | 1 | £3,182 | 2% |
Leaders of political groups
When there is only one second largest group, and no other eligible groups, the leader of the second largest group receives a special responsibility allowance of £6,821, or £6,957 under the proposed new rate for 2024 to 2025. In all other cases the total special responsibility allowance allocation is then shared between the eligible group leaders on the basis that the leaders of the second largest groups receive a special responsibility allowance twice the amount as the leaders of the other eligible groups. The basis of the calculation is to ensure there is not an increase to the cost of the total special responsibility allowance allocation.
Secretaries of political groups
When there is only one second largest group, and no other eligible groups, the secretary of the second largest group receives a special responsibility allowance of £1,842, or £1,842 under the proposed new rate for 2024 to 2025. In all other cases the total special responsibility allowance allocation is then shared between the eligible group secretaries on the basis that the secretaries of the second largest groups receive a special responsibility allowance twice the amount as the secretaries of the other eligible groups. The basis of the calculation is to ensure there is not an increase to the cost of the total special responsibility allowance allocation.
Chair of the Statutory or General Licensing and Registration Sub-Committees
The special responsibility allowance sessional payment to the Chair of the Statutory or General Licensing and Registration Sub-Committees is £250 per meeting to a maximum of £750 per annum.
If a Statutory or General Licensing and Registration Sub-Committee is chaired by the Chair of the Statutory or General Licensing and Registration Committee, no sessional payment shall be made, on the grounds that they are already in receipt of a special responsibility allowance as chairs of the full committees.
Total allowances and costs
This table shows the total number of allowances and total cost for 2023 to 2024.
| Number of allowances 2023-24 | Total cost 2023-24 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total special responsibility allowances | 61 | £410,726 |
| Independent persons | 2 | £1,842 |
| Total North Yorkshire County Council or North Yorkshire Council funded | 63 | £412,568 |
| Police, Fire and Crime Panel | 13 | £34,998 |
| Pension board | 1 | £3,120 |
| Total | 77 | £450,686 |
This table shows the recommended total number of allowances and total cost for 2024 to 2025 and the change between 2023-24 and 2024-25.
| Number of allowances 2024-25 | Total cost 2024-25 | Change between 2023-24 and 2024-25 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total special responsibility allowances | 67 | £420,441 | 2% |
| Independent persons | 2 | £1,879 | 2% |
| Total North Yorkshire County Council or North Yorkshire Council funded | 69 | £422,320 | 2% |
| Police, Fire and Crime Panel | 13 | £35,698 | 2% |
| Pension board | 1 | £3,182 | 2% |
| Total | 83 | £461,200 | 2% |