Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales: determinations 2024 to 2025

Introduction

This is a list of all the determinations the Panel has made about salary and allowances which are in place for the year 2024 to 2025. The background information in respect of these Determinations can be found in the Panel’s Annual Reports of 2022, 2023 and 2024. 

Principal Councils

Basic salary for elected members of Principal Councils 

The basic salary is aligned with 3 fifths of the All Wales figure for average earnings as set out in ASHE, the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings published by the Office for National Statistics. The latest relevant publication was for 2023. This is £18,666. (Determination 1 of 2024)

Salaries payable to senior, civic and presiding members of Principal Councils

The Panel has determined the maximum number of salaries payable to this category of councillors in each principal council. This is set out in Annex 1, which sets out the latest numbers.

Salaries for senior members of Principal Councils

Salaries payable to basic, senior, civic and presiding members of principal councils are set out in Annex 2 (Determination 2 of 2024) ie the salary of a leader of the largest (Group A) council will be £69,998. All other payments have been decided in reference to this.

Restrictions on senior post Remuneration

Posts within the principal council (Determination 7 of 2022): 

• an elected member must not be remunerated for more than 1 senior post within their authority 
• an elected member must not be paid a senior salary and a civic salary 
• all senior and civic salaries are paid inclusive of basic salary 
• if a council chooses to have more than 1 remunerated deputy leader, the difference between the senior salary for the deputy leader and other executive members should be divided by the number of deputy leaders and added to the senior salary for other executive members in order to calculate the senior salary payable to each deputy leader

Restrictions on payment for posts outside the principal council 

Members in receipt of a Band 1 or Band 2 senior salary cannot receive a salary from any National Parks Authority (NPA) or Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA) to which they have been appointed. 

They remain eligible to claim travel and subsistence expenses and contribution towards costs of care and personal assistance from the NPA or FRA. (Determination 8 of 2022)

Members in receipt of a Band 1 or Band 2 salary cannot receive any payment from a community or town council of which they are a member. They remain eligible to claim travel and subsistence expenses and contribution towards costs of care and personal assistance from the community or town council. Where this situation applies, it is the responsibility of the individual member to comply. (Determination 9 of 2022)

Support to elected members of Principal Councils

Each authority, through its Democratic Services Committee, must ensure that all its elected members are given as much support as is necessary to enable them to fulfil their duties effectively. All elected members should be provided with adequate telephone, email and internet facilities giving electronic access to appropriate information. (Determination 10 of 2022)

Such support should be without cost to the individual member. Deductions must not be made from members’ salaries by the respective authority as a contribution towards the cost of support which the authority has decided necessary for the effectiveness and or efficiency of members. (Determination 11 of 2022)

Specific or additional senior salaries and assistants to the executive

Principal councils can apply for specific or additional senior salaries that do not fall within the current Framework. (Determination 12 of 2022)

The Panel will decide on a case by case basis the appropriate senior salary, if any, for assistants to the executive. (Determination 13 of 2022)

Guidance to local authorities on the application process was issued in April 2014.

Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committees (JOSC) 

The salary of a chair of a Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee will be £9,333 (Determination 3 of 2024).

The salary of vice chair will be £4,667 (Determination 3 of 2024).

Corporate Joint Committees (CJCs)

The Local Government and Elections Act 2021 established Corporate Joint Committees (CJCs) which comprise groups of principal councils. CJCs have specific functions which are set out in regulations. Paragraph 4 of The Corporate Joint Committee (General) (No.2) (Wales) is relevant to the Panel.

The Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 is amended to include CJCs as relevant authorities for the functions of the Panel. Therefore, any payments made to members of a CJC have to be determined by the Panel.

As CJCs are in the early stages of being set up, it is too soon for the Panel to consider whether members of a CJC should be remunerated and over time the role, responsibility will be evaluated including any consequential changes to the function and role of the Executive members of the principal council. However, the payment of contribution to costs of care and travel and subsistence to members of CJCs has been addressed.

Local Government Pension Scheme

The entitlement to join the Local Government Pension Scheme shall apply to all eligible elected members of principal councils. (Determination 16 of 2022)

Family absence provisions for elected members of Principal Councils

In this section, “family absence” refers to maternity, newborn, adoption and parental absences from official business.

An elected member is entitled to retain a basic salary when taking family absence under the original regulations or any amendment to the regulations irrespective of the attendance record immediately preceding the commencement of the family absence. (Determination 17 of 2022)

When a senior salary holder is eligible for family absence, they will continue to receive the salary for the duration of the absence. (Determination 18 of 2022)

It is a matter for the authority to decide whether to make a substitute appointment. The elected member substituting for a senior salary holder taking family absence will be eligible to be paid a senior salary if the authority so decides. (Determination 19 of 2022)

If the paid substitution results in the authority exceeding the maximum number of senior salaries which relates to it, as set out in the Panel’s Annual Report, an addition to the maximum will be allowed for the duration of the substitution. However, this will not apply to Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council if it would result in the number of senior salaries exceeding fifty percent of the Council membership.

Specific approval of Welsh Ministers is required in such circumstances. (Determination 20 of 2022)

Cyngor Sir Ynys Môn was included in Determination 20 of 2022, but subsequent changes to the number of councillors for Cyngor Sir Ynys Môn made its inclusion in this exception unnecessary.

When a Council agrees a paid substitution for family absence the Panel must be informed within 14 days of the date of the decision, of the details including the particular post and the duration of the substitution. (Determination 21 of 2022)

The Council’s schedule of remuneration must be amended to reflect the implication of the family absence. (Determination 22 of 2022)

Sickness absence payments for senior salary holders of Principal Councils

The Panel’s framework provides arrangements for long term sickness absence for senior salary holders. These arrangements are set out in Annex 4.

National Park Authorities (NPA) and Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRA)

The basic pay of members of National Park Authorities and Fire and Rescue Authorities was increased in line with ASHE in 2023. All payments are set out in the following table. (Determination 4 of 2024).

Members must not receive more than one NPA senior salary. (Determination 27 of 2022)

A NPA senior salary is paid inclusive of the NPA basic salary. (Determination 28 of 2022)

Members of a principal council in receipt of a Band 1 or Band 2 senior salary cannot receive a salary from any NPA to which they have been appointed. Where this situation applies, it is the responsibility of the individual member to comply. (Determination 29 of 2022)

Members must not receive more than one FRA senior salary. (Determination 34 of 2022)

An FRA senior salary is paid inclusive of the FRA basic salary and must reflect significant and sustained responsibility. (Determination 35 of 2022)

Members of a principal council in receipt of a Band 1 or Band 2 senior salary cannot receive a salary from any FRA to which they have been nominated. Where this situation applies, it is the responsibility of the individual member to comply. (Determination 36 of 2022)

Community and Town Councils

Members of Community and Town Councils will be paid £156 a year (equivalent to £3 a week) towards the extra household expenses (including heating, lighting, power and broadband) of working from home.

Councils must either pay their members £52 a year for the cost of office consumables required to carry out their role, or alternatively councils must enable members to claim full reimbursement for the cost of their office consumables. (Determination 46 of 2023)

The payment for members undertaking a senior role is set out in Annex 3 (Determination 4 of 2023)

Community and town councils can decide to make payments to each of their members in respect of travel and or subsistence costs for attending approved duties. Such payments must be the actual costs of travel by public transport or the HMRC mileage allowances as set out under Travel and Subsistence Costs above. (Determination 46 and 47 of 2022)

Community and town councils can pay financial loss compensation to each of their members, where such loss has occurred, for attending approved duties as follows: (Determination 47 of 2024)

• up to £59.81 for each period not exceeding 4 hours
• up to £119.62 for each period exceeding 4 hours but not exceeding 24 hours

Each council can decide to introduce an attendance allowance for members. The amount of each payment must not exceed £30. A member in receipt of financial loss will not be entitled to claim attendance allowance for the same event. (Determination 49 of 2022)

Community and town councils can provide a payment to the mayor or chair of the council up to a maximum of £1,500. This is in addition to the £156 contribution to the cost of working from home and the fixed sum of £52 for office consumables and the £500 senior salary if these are claimed. (Determination 50 of 2022 as uprated by the 2023 Report)

For clarification, Councils may pay either a mayor or chair’s payment of up to £1500 or a senior salary payment of £500, but not both.

Community and town councils can provide a payment to the deputy mayor or deputy chair of the council up to a maximum of £500. This is in addition to the £156 contribution to the cost of working from home and the fixed sum of £52 for office consumables and the £500 senior salary if these are claimed. (Determination 51 of 2022 as uprated by the 2023 Report)

For clarification, Councils may pay either a deputy mayor or deputy chair’s payment of up to £500 or a senior salary payment of £500, but not both.

The application of the Remuneration Framework by relevant Group are contained in Annex 3 (Determination 52 of 2022).

The Panel has determined that from September 2024, reporting returns due from all Community and Town Councils need only show the total amounts paid in respect of the mandatory payments mentioned above. That is the £156 contribution to the costs of working from home and the £52 set rate consumables allowance and the travel and subsistence expenses paid. This brings these in line with the reporting of the costs of care and personal assistance allowances (Determination 8 of 2024).

Members in receipt of a Band 1 or Band 2 senior salary from a principal council (that is leader, deputy leader or executive member) cannot receive any payment from any community or town council, other than travel and subsistence expenses and contribution towards costs of care and personal assistance. (Determination 53 of 2022)

This section applies to all members of Principal Councils, Community and Town Councils, Corporate Joint Committees, NPAs, FRAs and to co opted members of these authorities. 

The appropriate officer within the authority must set in advance whether a meeting is programmed for a full or half day. When the meeting is set for a full day, the fee will be paid on this basis even if the meeting finishes within 4 hours. (Determination 40, 2022).

Fees must be paid for meetings and other activities including other committees and working groups (including task and finish groups), pre meetings with officers, training and attendance at conferences or any other formal meeting to which co opted members are requested to attend. (Determination 41 of 2022)

Each authority, through its Democratic Services Committee or other appropriate committee, must ensure that all voting co opted members are given as much support as is necessary to enable them to fulfil their duties effectively. Such support should be without cost to the individual member. (Determination 42 of 2022).

The Panel has determined there should be local flexibility for the relevant officer to decide when it will be appropriate to apply a day or a half day rate or to use an hourly rate where it is sensible to aggregate a number of short meetings. The amounts are set out in the above table (Determination 5 of 2024).

Principal Councils, NPAs and FRAs must pay the following fees to co opted embers who have voting rights. (Determination 37 of 2022).

Travel and subsistence expenses

All authorities may only reimburse travel costs for their members undertaking official business within and or outside the authority’s boundaries at the current HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) rates.

Maximum rates for subsistence payments are set out below on the basis of receipted claims:  

• £28 per 24-hour period allowance for meals, including breakfast where not provided 
• £200 London overnight 
• £95 elsewhere overnight 
• £30 staying with friends and or family overnight

Reasonable time for pre meeting preparation is to be included in claims made by co opted members the extent of which can be determined by the appropriate officer in advance of the meeting. (Determination 5, 2023)

Travelling time to and from the place of the meeting is to be included in the claims for payments made by co opted members (up to the maximum of the daily rate). (Determination 39, 2022)

All relevant authorities must provide a payment towards necessary costs for the care of dependent children and adults (provided by informal or formal carers) and for personal assistance needs as follows:

• formal (registered with Care Inspectorate Wales) care costs to be paid as evidenced
• informal (unregistered) care costs to be paid up to a maximum rate equivalent to the Real Living Wage hourly rates as defined by the Living Wage Foundation at the time the costs are incurred

This must be for the additional costs incurred by members to enable them to carry out official business or approved duties. Each authority must ensure that any payments made are appropriately linked to official business or approved duty. Payment shall only be made on production of receipts from the care provider. (Determination 43 of 2022)

Group A Councils: population over 200,000
Group B Councils: population 100,000 to 200,000
Group C Councils: population up to 100,000 

Group A

• Cardiff
• Rhondda Cynon Taf
• Swansea

Group B

• Bridgend
• Caerphilly
• Carmarthenshire
• Conwy
• Flintshire
• Gwynedd
• Newport
• Neath Port Talbot
• Pembrokeshire
• Powys
• Vale of Glamorgan
• Wrexham

Group C

• Blaenau Gwent
• Ceredigion
• Denbighshire
• Merthyr Tydfil
• Monmouthshire
• Torfaen
• Isle of Anglesey

The Panel’s framework provides arrangements for long term sickness absence for senior salary holders as follows:

• Long term sickness is defined as certified absences in excess of 4 weeks.
• The maximum length of sickness absence within these proposals is 26 weeks or until the individual’s term of office ends, whichever is sooner (but if reappointed any remaining balance of the 26 weeks will be included).
• Within these parameters a senior salary holder on long term sickness can, if the authority decides, continue to receive remuneration for the post held.
• It is a decision of the authority whether to make a substitute appointment, but the substitute will be eligible to be paid the senior salary appropriate to the post.
• If the paid substitution results in the authority exceeding the maximum number of senior salaries payable for that authority, as set out in the Annual Report, an addition will be allowed for the duration of the substitution. (However, this would not apply to Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council if it would result in more than 50% of the membership receiving a senior salary. It would also not apply in respect of a council executive member if it would result in the cabinet exceeding 10 posts, the statutory maximum).
• When an authority agrees a paid substitution, the Panel must be informed within 14 days of the decision of the details including the specific post and the estimated length of the substitution. The authorities’ Schedule of Remuneration must be amended accordingly.
• It does not apply to elected members of principal councils who are not senior post holders as they continue to receive basic salary for at least 6 months irrespective of attendance and any extension beyond this timescale is a matter for the authority.

Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales
Third Floor East
Crown Buildings
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3NQ

Telephone: 03000 616095
E-mail:irpmailbox@gov.wales