Agenda item

Surjit Nagra, Organisational/ HR Business Partner, outlined a report providing the Pay Policy Statement for the year 2017/18.

The Committee was reminded that under the Localism Act 2011, Local Authorities were required to prepare an annual pay policy statement, which would cover a number of matters concerning the pay of the authority’s staff, principally Chief Officers.

The Statement would be recommended to Full Council in February, 2017, for approval.

Once approved the statement will be published on the Council’s website.

Members noted that the statement did not apply to schools’ staff as local authority schools’ employees were outside the scope of the legislation.

The statement covered a number of areas such as transparency, the remuneration of Chief Officers, reporting lines, expenses for travel and subsistence and the payment of honoraria.

The Officer advised that the annual salary for employees on the lowest grade, assuming that the posts are full-time, (excluding apprentices) was Level 1, £15,858.  The pay of the Chief Executive was currently £159,054, being 10.3 times the pay of the lowest paid employees.

In the ensuing debate, Members asked a number of questions including:

·  It was noted that the Interim Monitoring Officer was paid £650 per day for two days each week. How long would this continue?

The Interim Chief Executive advised that measures were being taken to appoint to the post permanently.

·  Did the role of Monitoring Officer include legal work?

Members were advised that the responsibilities of the role did not include general legal work- this was carried out by staff in the Legal Department. It was however preferable that the Officer. had experience in a legal background. It would also be necessary to appoint a Deputy Monitoring Officer.

Resolved-  That the Pay Policy Statement 2017/2018 be recommended to Council.