West Midlands Police Authority

MEMBERS’ ALLOWANCE SCHEME

In operation from 28 June 2007 – rates revised w.e.f. 1 September 2007

1.ANNUAL ALLOWANCE

Member£10,761

Member with special responsibilities*£13,750

Chairman of the Police Authority£25,113

All allowances shall be paid monthly in equal instalments, directly into the bank account of each member.

If a member falls into more than one of the above categories (e.g. if the Chairman of the Authority is also Chairman of a committee), only the higher of the two rates of payment will apply.

* For the purposes of this Scheme, special responsibilities are: vice-chairmanship of the Authority; chairmanship of an Authority committee; or being an Authority representative on the Plenary of the Association of Police Authorities.

2.ATTENDANCE

If a member fails, without good cause, to attend a minimum of seventy five per cent of all police authority meetings to which they are invited, that member shall be required to repay the proportionate amount of the attendance allowance. Such repayment may be deducted from future monthly payments.

For the purposes of this Scheme, police authority meetings include:

●formal meetings of the full Police Authority;

●Group meetings of the full Authority;

●Committee meetings where a member is part of that Committee’s quorum;

●Working Parties, Panels or other groups constituted by the Authority where a member is part of that group’s quorum; and

●seminars, training and consultation events to which all members are invited.

The Chief Executive shall maintain a record of members’ attendance rates.

If a member is absent due to attendance at other approved police authority business this will be recorded and will not be treated as absence (for the purposes of the Allowance Scheme).

3. INABILITY TO CARRY OUT DUTIES

In the event of a member being unable to carry out his or her duties fully due to sickness, ill-health or the arrival of a new child (including an adopted child) or some other reasonable cause the following provisions shall apply:

●The member shall receive their full allowances for a period of three months;

●Where the member is unlikely to be able to contribute to the Authority’s work for longer than three months the Chairman of the Authority, together with the member and the Chief Executive, shall consider whether of not he or she should continue to serve on the Authority;

●Taking account of the general principles above, each case shall be considered on its individual merits and the Chairman shall report any outcomes to the Authority.

4. PERIODS OF SUSPENSION

In the event of a member being suspended because he or she has been found to have breached the Authority’s Code of Conduct (including any suspension determined by the Adjudication Panel for England as a result of an interim report issued by an Ethical Standards Officer) the following provisions shall apply:

●The member shall not receive any allowance whilst they are suspended from the Authority;

●If a member who was the subject of an investigation is subsequently exonerated he or she shall be retrospectively remunerated for the period of the suspension;

●The Authority’s Standards Committee shall report to the Authority on any such cases.

5. CHOOSING NOT TO CLAIM

Any member may choose not to claim their attendance allowance entitlement. Such a decision should be notified to the Chief Executive to the Police Authority in writing.

6. CARER’S ALLOWANCE

Any member who is required to pay a carer in order to attend Police Authority business, may claim a carer’s allowance. This allowance shall be paid upon the production of a valid receipt, and shall be for a maximum of £7.42 per hour.

Members may claim carer’s allowance for hours when police authority meetings are taking place. The allowance shall not be payable for care provided by a member of the claimant’s family or household.

7. POLICE AUTHORITY TRIBUNAL MEMBERS

Authority members who sit on Police Appeals Tribunals shall be paid at the Home Office approved rate.

8. PAYMENT TO INDEPENDENT MEMBERS OF STANDARDS COMMITTEE AND EXTERNAL MEMBERS OF INDEPENDENT MEMBER SELECTION PANELS

Persons falling into the above categories shall be paid at the same rate as members of Police Appeals Tribunals.

9. ANNUAL INCREASES

Other than allowances which are linked to externally fixed rates (i.e. membership of Police Appeals Tribunals, independent members of the Standards Committee and external members of Independent Member Selection Panels), the allowances referred to in this Scheme shall be automatically revised each year, at the same time, and at the same percentage rate as the revisions to the salaries for police staff.