Dear Sir
Q1 - The Council does not hold this information in the format requested. All
Councils produce a return of attendance at meetings of their authority and this is
available on our website at http://www.cambridge.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/about-
the-council/councillors
Q2. - There are 42 Councillors on the Council. 18 additional persons who have
since stepped down/not been re-elected were in receipt of allowances during at
least one of the three financial years. The only additional allowance to Basic and
Special Responsibility Allowance is for child or dependent care. Councillors don’t
receive expenses but are reimbursed for the cost of travel and subsistence
based on the Council officer rates. The three annual schemes for 2005-08 are at
the foot of this document. The Independent Remuneration Panel meets annually
to recommend an Allowances Scheme.
Q3 - The Council reports annually on complaints made to the Council. This
annual report is considered at two separate meetings:- by the relevant Executive
Councillor and Scrutiny Committee and by the Standards Committee. You can
access the reports by going to the website - and download the Standards
Committee agenda for June 2006, 2007, 2008 at:
http://www.cambridge.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/about-the-
council/meetings/meetings-minutes-and-agendas/
Q4 - The Council does not hold the information in this format. Any ‘wrong-doing’
by council staff would be dealt with by Council managers in accordance with the
Council’s Employee Disciplinary Procedures. Councillors are not involved in the
issues described in the question other than if there was a need for a Councillor
tribunal once the management disciplinary procedures had been completed.
Answer pending - I would further like to know how much money the Council has
paid to a complainant (i.e. victim of a Council's wrongdoing) through its own
complaints system (i.e. excluding any intervention by the Local Government
Ombudsman, Valuation Tribunal or similar body) in2005/2006, 2006/2007 and
2007/2008.
Q6. Local Settlements following LGO inquirys
05/06 £200
06/07 £200
07/08 £2875 + £250 & a parking permit; and another £250 & a parking permit.
There was another settlement of £5631 but this was actually a refund of overpaid
land search charge.
Maladministration query
05/06 none
06/07 none
07/08 1 case - £1000 compensation
Q 7 - We would estimate that 0.3 Full Time Equivalent of the Performance
Analyst post (salary range £19-25k) relates to administering these functions.
In addition to this Cambridge City Council also fund an Independent Complaints
Investigator. The cost of this was
2005-06 - £13,321
2006-07 - £21,055
2007-08 - £18,024
Number of employees:
Full Time equivalents
2005-06 - 1115
2006-07 - 1137
2007-08 - 1122
Headcount
2005-06 - 1201
2006-07 - 1235
2007-08 - 1229
Head of Paid Service
2008/09 salary within £125k-£130k
Percentage increase in last three years:
2005-06 - 4.64%
2006-07 - 5.28%
2007-08 - 6.51%
There were no performance related payments
The table in the accounts is Note 13 in 2006-07 and 2007-08 and Note 15 in
2005-06 - links as below.
Total Administrative cost
‘Total administrative cost' is not defined by the Best Value Accounting Code of
Practice used by local authorities. The Council's expenditure for 2005-06 to
2007-08
classified in accordance with the Code of Practice is disclosed on page 7 of the
Statement of Accounts which can be accessed from the following links to the
Council's website:
http://www.cambridge.gov.uk/ccm/content/finance/statement-of-accounts.en
http://www.cambridge.gov.uk/ccm/content/finance/financial-publications-
archive.en
N:\Strategy & Partnerships\allowance scheme June 2005.doc
1.
For May 2005-May 2006, a Basic Allowance for each Councillor (there
are 42) of £2;543;
2.
A Special Responsibility Allowance be payable to the following:
Council's adopted
scheme
£
Leader of the
Council
11,445
Deputy Leader
& Executive
Councillors
8,901
Scrutiny
C 1,017
Committees (5)
VC 254
MS1 1,526
MS2
423
Minor Scrutiny
C
254
Committee (1)
VC
64
MS1
254
Planning
C 2,543
Committee
VC 827
M 318
MS 2,543
Licensing
C 1,907
Committee
VC 636
MS 1,907
Standards &
C 1,017
Civic Affairs
VC
Committees
254
Minority
Spokespersons
on Civic Affairs
636
Environment &
VC/C
Transport Area
Joint
636
Leader of the
Opposition
Group – Lab
1,991
Leader of the
Minority Group
– Con
552
Chairs of Area
Committees
2,543
Vice-Chairs or
Area
N:\Strategy & Partnerships\allowance scheme June 2005.doc
Committees 636
Key: C = Chair, VC = Vice-Chair, M = Member, MS1 = Minority
Spokesperson, main opposition party, MS2 = Minority Spokesperson, second
opposition party
3.
A Childcare/Dependent Carer Allowance should be payable for actual
expenditure incurred whilst undertaking duties specified in the
Regulations. For childcare, a cap of £6 per hour and for adult care a
cap of £20 per hour. No cap should be put on the overall budget for
this Allowance, or on that which is paid to an individual member of the
Council in any given year.
4.
Travel allowance and subsistence rates should be as follows:
Motorbikes 15p per mile
Cars 32p per mile
Bicycles 10p per mile
The above rates may be increased by 1p per mile in respect of each
passenger, not exceeding four, to whom travelling allowance would
otherwise be payable.
Reimbursement of public transport fares can also be made when
attending approved council duties.
Subsistence rates should be unchanged from the existing scheme.
1.
For May 2006-May 2007, a Basic Allowance for each Councillor (there
are 42) of £2,730;
2.
A Special Responsibility Allowance be payable to the following:
Council's adopted
scheme
£
Leader of the
Council
10,238
Executive
Councillors
8,190
Scrutiny
C 1,092
Committees (5)
VC 273
MS 1,365
Minor Scrutiny
C
273
Committee (1)
VC
0
MS
137
Planning
C 2,730
Committee
VC 683
M 546
MS 2,048
Licensing
C 1,092
Committee
VC 546
MS 1,092
Standards &
C 1,092
Civic Affairs
VC 273
Committees
Minority
Spokesperson
on Civic Affairs;
546
Standards
Environment &
VC/C
Transport Area
Joint
546
Leader of the
Opposition
Group
2,730
Chairs of Area
Committees
2,184
Vice-Chairs or
Area
Committees
546
Key: C = Chair, VC = Vice-Chair, M = Member, MS = Minority Party
Spokesperson * The Vice Chair of Standards Committee (a member of the
public) does not claim the allowance.
3.
A Childcare/Dependent Carer Allowance should be payable for actual
expenditure incurred whilst undertaking duties specified in the
Regulations. For childcare, a cap of £7 per hour and for adult care a
cap of £20 per hour. No cap should be put on the overall budget for
this Allowance, or on that which is paid to an individual member of the
Council in any given year.
4.
Travel allowance and subsistence rates should be as follows:
Motorbikes varies on engine size range of 17-31p per mile
Cars 42p per mile
Bicycles 38p per mile
1.
For May 2007-May 2008, a Basic Allowance for each Councillor (there
are 42) of £2,730;
2.
A Special Responsibility Allowance be payable to the following:
Council's adopted
scheme
£
Leader of the
Council
10,238
Executive
Councillors
8,190
Scrutiny
C 1,092
Committees (5)
VC 273
MS 1,365
Minor Scrutiny
C
273
Committee (1)
VC
0
MS
137
Planning
C 2,730
Committee
VC 683
M 546
MS 2,048
Licensing
C 1,092
Committee
VC 546
MS 1,092
Mem
410
Standards &
C 1,092
Civic Affairs
VC 273
Committees
Minority
Spokesperson
on Civic Affairs;
546
Standards
Environment &
VC/C
Transport Area
Joint
546
Leader of the
Opposition
Group
2,730
Chairs of Area
Committees
2,184
Vice-Chairs or
Area
Committees
546
Member AC
410
Member EAC
137
Key: C = Chair, VC = Vice-Chair, M = Member, MS = Minority Party
Spokesperson * The Vice Chair of Standards Committee (a member of the
public) does not claim the allowance. EAC = Employment Appeals Committee
3.
A Childcare/Dependent Carer Allowance should be payable for actual
expenditure incurred whilst undertaking duties specified in the
Regulations. For childcare, a cap of £7 per hour and for adult care a
cap of £20 per hour. No cap should be put on the overall budget for
this Allowance, or on that which is paid to an individual member of the
Council in any given year.
4.
Travel allowance and subsistence rates should be as follows:
Motorbikes varies on engine size range of 17-31p per mile
Cars 42p per mile
Bicycles 38p per mile
Document Outline
- Council complaints allowances etc.doc
- allowance scheme June 2005.doc
- allowance scheme June 2006.doc
- allowance scheme approved may 07 in table.doc
