The Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) Regulations 1991

Special responsibility allowances

9.—(1) A scheme made under this Part shall provide, in accordance with paragraph (2), for the payment for each year to which that scheme relates of an allowance (“special responsibility allowance”) to such members of the authority who are councillors as have such special responsibilities in relation to the authority as are specified in the scheme and are within one or more of the following categories–

(a) acting as leader or deputy leader of a political group within the authority;

(b) presiding at meetings of a committee or a sub-committee of the authority, or a joint committee of the authority and one or more other authorities, or a subcommittee of such a joint committee;

(c) representing the authority at meetings of, or arranged by, any other body;

(d) membership of a committee or a sub-committee of the authority which meets with exceptional frequency or for exceptionally long periods;

(e) acting as the spokesman of a political group on a committee or sub-committee of the authority;

(f) such other activities in relation to the discharge of the authority’s functions as require of the member an amount of time and effort equal to or greater than would be required of him by any one of the activities mentioned in sub-paragraphs (a) to (e) (whether or not that activity is specified in the scheme).

(2) The scheme shall–

(a) specify the amount of each special responsibility allowance, which need not be the same; and

(b) provide that, where–

(i) members of an authority are divided into at least two groups constituted in accordance with regulation 8 of the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990(1), and

(ii) either a majority of members of the authority, or half of such members and the chairman of the authority, belong to the same political group (“the controlling group”),

a special responsibility allowance shall be paid to at least one person who is not a member of the controlling group and has special responsibilities described in paragraph (1)(a) or (e); and

(c) provide that, where a member does not have throughout a year any such special responsibilities as entitle him to a special responsibility allowance, his entitlement shall be to payment of such part of that allowance as bears to the whole the same proportion as the number of days during which he has such special responsibilities bears to the number of days in that year; and

(d) provide that, where a scheme is amended as mentioned in paragraph (2) of regulation 7 and a member does not have throughout the whole of any period mentioned in sub-paragraph (a) of that paragraph any such special responsibilities as entitle him to a special responsibility allowance, his entitlement shall be to payment of such part of the allowance referable to each such period (ascertained in accordance with that sub-paragraph) as bears to the whole the same proportion as the number of days in that period during which he has such special responsibilities bears to the number of days in the period.

(1)

1990/1553.