Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales meeting: 23 April 2024
Summary of the minutes of the meeting held on 23 April 2024.
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In this page
Attendees
Frances Duffy, Chair
Saz Willey, Vice Chair
Bev Smith, member
Dianne Bevan, member
Kate Watkins, member
Sara Rees, secretariat
Shan Whitby, secretariat
External stakeholders attending the meeting:
Roger Ashton-Winter, Project Manager, Local Democracy and Boundary Commission
Introduction
The Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales (“Panel”) met on Tuesday 23 April 2024.
The aim of the meeting was to:
- discuss 2024 to 2025 objectives
- discuss communications and engagement, stakeholder engagement plan for 2024 to 25
- review and agree March 2024 meeting notes (full and summary), note actions and secretariat updates
- discuss research and evidence paper, highlighting areas to be discussed during 2024 to 25
- review new risk register template
- update 2024 to 2025 workplan and budget
- discuss any other business
Communications and engagement
The panel discussed the importance of ensuring information on its current website is safeguarded whilst preparing for Panel’s functions transitioning to Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru’s website.
The chair commented the panel would consider attending the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) conference on 26 and 27 June 2024.
The panel agreed to undertake a series of meetings and webinars with stakeholders before publishing its draft annual report 2025 to 2026 in October 2024.
FD reported a meeting had been organised with Scottish Government policy officials, Convenor to the Scottish local authority Remuneration Committee and the Convention of Scottish local authorities (COSLA) to discuss the Scottish local authorities Remuneration Committee (SLARC) report on remuneration of councillors in Scotland, and to see if there are any possible issues and or similarities with remunerating Welsh councillors.
Research and evidence
The Panel agreed to undertake research in following areas, during 2024 to 2025:
- remuneration of Corporate Joint Committees
- senior roles
- green agenda
- remuneration and workload of members of fire and rescue authorities
- determinations to be enforced during 2025 to 2026
- Community and Town Council compliance
- annual uprating of allowances
Actions and secretariat update
The Panel agreed the full minutes from its meeting in March 2024.
The Panel confirmed to review its budget at the Panel meeting in May.
The Panel discussed and agreed replies to 6 queries that had been received from Principal Councils and Community and Town Councils through the secretariat. These queries asked the Panel for advice and clarification relating to payment for use of broadband and mobile phone, remuneration of members on Corporate Joint Committees (CJCs), allowances for members of Community and Town Councils, explanation of ‘relevant officer’ term, request for good examples on remunerating co-opted members of Principal Councils and taxation of Community and Town Council member allowances and advice regarding change to CEO pay of a Principal Council.
Risk register
The Panel agreed to review the risk register template it the June meeting.
Work programme 2024 to 2025
The Panel discussed priorities and timings in order to undertake and deliver research topics, along with its draft and full annual report 2025 to 2026.
The Panel agreed to publish a legacy report by March 2025, outlining key considerations ahead of the Panel’s functions transitioning over the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru.
Next meeting
The next meeting of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales will take place on 14 May 2024.
Should you have any matters you wish to raise with the Panel, please do not hesitate to get in touch via the secretariat by emailing IRPMailbox@gov.wales.