Members Scheme of Allowances

SCHEME OF MEMBERS' ALLOWANCES - 2013/14

With effect from 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014

Basic allowance £6,187

Special Responsibility Allowance For those members with significant responsibilities

Elected Mayor £53,151
Deputy Mayor £17,968
Portfolio Holder £14,885
Select Commission Chairman £7,450
Planning Committee Chairman £10,321
Licensing Committee Chairman £10,321
Chairman of Standards Committee £1,580
Chairman of Audit Committee £2,055
Independent Member of Audit Committee £287
Independent Member of Standards Committee £514
Leader of main opposition group not on Cabinet £1,064
Leaders of groups receive an allowance based upon the number of members in the group £344
Civic Allowance for Chairman of Council £2,784
Civic Allowance for Vice-Chairman of Council £1,147

* No member shall be entitled to claim more than one Special Responsibility Allowance

Flat Rate Travel Allowance to cover the cost of travel, subsistence and other incidentals within the District

Area 1	Area 2	Area 3
Abbott	Berry Hill	Market Warsop
Brick Kiln	Eakring	Meden
Broomhill	Holly	Netherfield
Carr Bank	Hornby	Warsop Carrs
Grange Farm	Kings Walk
Ladybrook	Kingsway
Newgate	Lindhurst
Oakham	Ling Forest
Penniment	Manor
Pleasley Hill/Bull Farm	Maun Valley
Portland	Newlands
Sandhurst	Oak Tree
Sherwood	Park Hall
Woodlands	Peafields
Yeoman Hill	Racecourse
	Ransom Wood
	Woodhouse
£161.80	£225.34	£439.12

Elected Mayor £577.78
Chairman of the Council £775.72
Vice Chairman of the Council £55.14

Dependants' Carer's Allowance

For Child Care, the Dependants' Carer's Allowance, set at an hourly rate of £5.50, can be claimed when members are engaged in approved duties, supported by a receipt. Care by members of the immediate family (i.e. members of the same household, grandparents, uncles, aunts) is not eligible for payment.

Care for Other Dependants

Payment for the care of other dependants shall be at the appropriate rate of the Nottinghamshire County Council Social Services Department.

Information Technology

Internet Allowance
Payment of an internet allowance, on the production of a receipt based on the minimum subscription for Broadband access to the net.
Members' Information Technology Facilities
Members may claim up to £400 (which is subject to being taxed) on the production of a receipt for approved IT equipment and peripherals, not more than one claim to be made during their term of office (or four years, whichever is the greater).

Suspension of Allowances

Where a member is suspended or partially suspended from his/her duties as a member of the Council in accordance with part II of the Local Government Act 2000, or regulations made under that part, the part of the Basic Allowance payable to him/her in respect of the period for which he/she is suspended or partially suspended shall be withheld.

Indexation

The Members' Allowances Scheme (including the Dependants' Carer's Allowance for child care) will be updated annually from 1 April in accordance with the annual local government pay settlement, with the exception of travel allowances outside the District, which will be paid in accordance with the prevailing rate determined by HMRC; and the dependants' carer's allowance for care of dependants other than children.

Local Government Pension Scheme

All eligible members of the Council and the Executive Mayor are entitled to join the Local Government Pension Scheme which should apply to basic, special responsibility and the mayoral allowances. Elected Members should be able to join the Scheme with effect only from the date of the election or a date not more than six months before their indication of a wish to join the scheme, whichever is the later.

Expenses outside the District

Where no overnight stay is involved:
(i) Breakfast allowance (more than 4 hrs away from district of Mansfield before 11 a.m.) i.e. the journey must start before7.00 a.m. £6.32 (ii) Lunch allowance (more than 4 hrs away from district of Mansfield including the period between 12 noon and 2 p.m.) £8.71 Either Tea only or Evening meal allowance only as appropriate may be claimed: (iii) Tea allowance (more than 4 hrs away from district of Mansfield including the period 6.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.) £3.61 (iv) Evening meal allowance (more than 4 hrs away from the district of Mansfield ending after 8.30 p.m.) £10.80
For overnight stay absence: For each continuous period of 24 hours reckoned from departure time (Includes accommodation, meals and subsistence) £99.72. Absence in London or at annual conference of Local Government Association (Includes accommodation, meals and subsistence £113.71. For this purpose London means the City of London and the inner London Boroughs .In cases where subsistence is provided free of charge, no subsistence allowances should be claimed on the members' allowance claim form.

Meals on Trains

Where main meals (i.e. a full breakfast, lunch or dinner) are taken on trains during a period for which there is an entitlement to a day subsistence allowance, the reasonable cost of the meals (including V.A.T.) may be reimbursed in full, within the limits specified below. In such circumstances, reimbursement for the reasonable cost of a meal would replace the entitlement to the day subsistence allowance for the appropriate period (a supporting receipt must be provided). The limitations on reimbursements are:-
(i) For breakfast, an absence of more than 4 hours, before 11am. (ii) For lunch, an absence of more than 4 hours, including the period between 12 noon and 2pm. (iii) For dinner, an absence of more than 4 hours ending after 8.30pm.

Travelling by Rail

This is to be reduced to the actual cost of the journey, such claim not to exceed the ordinary standard class rail fare.

Miscellaneous Travel

The mileage rates for all bands of motor vehicle will be that prevailing for the HMRC which currently are:

Use of Motor Car 40p
Use of Motor Cycle 24p
Use of Bicycle 20p

Part -Year Entitlements

Where the term of office of a Councillor begins or ends otherwise than at the
beginning or end of a year, the entitlement of that Councillor to a basic or
other allowance shall be calculated by comparing the number of days the term
of office covers in that year with the number of days in that year.

Repayment of Allowances

Where payment of any allowance has already been made in respect of any
period during which the member concerned is -

(i) Suspended or partially suspended from their responsibilities or duties as a member of the authority in accordance with Part III of the Local Government Act 2000 or regulations made under that Part; (ii) Ceases to be a member of the authority; or (iii) Is in any other way not entitled to receive the allowance in respect of that period. The authority will require that such part of the allowance as relates to any such period be repaid to the authority.

Claims and Payments

A claim for expenses under this scheme shall be made within four months of the date of the meeting in respect of which the entitlement to the expenses arises. A member who is also a member of another authority to which the Regulations apply, shall not receive allowances from more than one authority in respect of the same duties.

Forgoing Allowances

Any member may, by notice in writing to the Proper Officer of the Authority(Managing Director), elect to forego his/her entitlement or any part of his /her allowances. Copies of the Scheme may be inspected at the Civic Centre, Chesterfield Road South, Mansfield, NG19 7BH during normal office hours of 8.30 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. on Monday - Thursday and 8.30 a.m. - 4.30 p.m. on Fridays. In accordance with Regulation 15(1) and 15(2), the records of payments made under the Scheme may be inspected by prior arrangement with the Head of Finance, Property and Revenue Services at the above - mentioned address. Members of the public may take copies of such documents on payment of such reasonable fee as the Council may determine.

Mrs A.J.Bradley
Head of Corporate Administration

Mansfield District Civic Centre
Chesterfield Road South
Mansfield
NG19 7BH

In making the Scheme, the Authority had regard to the recommendations of the eighth report of the Independent Panel into Members' Allowances. Copies of the report are available for inspection at the Civic Centre, Mansfield, at the address below.