MINUTES OF SIXTH MEETING OF THE ALLOWANCES REVIEW PANEL ON 22 FEBRUARY 2008 AT 11.30AM IN ROOM Q1.03, THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT
Present:
Sir Alan Langlands (Chair)
Alastair MacNish
Isobel Sharp (by telephone, items 1 to 3.3)
Tom McCabe MSP
Lord Selkirk of Douglas
In attendance:
Ian Leitch
Huw Williams
Ailsa Heine
Annette McCann
Lori Gray (minutes)
1. Minutes
1.1. The Panel discussed the minutes of the meeting on 25th January and highlighted a couple of points which required to be amended.
2. Party Leaders Allowance
2.1. The Panel agreed to recommend that the SPCB should engage with party leaders to reach an agreement on an acceptable level of support for party leaders and should also review the ‘Short Money’ arrangements as a means of improving the current position.
3. Final Report
3.1. The Panel discussed the content of the Final Report and agreed a number of recommendations to be included.
3.2. Staffing recommendations:
a) Bonuses should be abolished, bringing Members staff into alignment with SPCB staff.
b) Constituency Members should have provision to employ 2 FTE staff, or exceptionally 2.5 FTE staff, with a financial limit of £62,000 per annum.
c) Regional Members should have provision to employ 1.5 FTE staff, or exceptionally 2 FTE staff, with a financial limit of £45,000 per annum. The panel recognised that this was an increase on its decision at the January meeting. The panel appreciated that in determining salary levels based on mid-points it would in effect be setting new salary scales which was not its objective. The panel therefore agreed to use the maximum levels as the basis for their calculation.
d) The SPCB should make arrangements for a register for Members to declare when they are employing close family members.
e) The SPCB should hold a modest central budget to cover the cost of training for Members staff which may be made available to Members on application.
3.3. James Selkirk recorded his dissent from the recommendation for regional members to have a staff provision of £45,000. His view was that the financial limit for regional Members should be 80% of the financial limit for constituency Members.
3.4. The Panel agreed that the Office Costs financial limit for regional Members should be based on a 20% abatement for each additional Member sharing an office.
3.5. The Panel agreed that staff should be reimbursed for any travel undertaken in support of a Member’s parliamentary duties up to a maximum of 74 single journeys.
4. Draft Letter to the Presiding Officer
4.1. The Chair will draft a letter to the Presiding Officer to introduce the Final Report. The letter will explain that the Panel intends that the report recommendations should be taken as a package.
5. Timetable for publication of report
5.1. The Panel discussed a proposed timeline for the launch of the report including presentation of the report to the SPCB and advance circulation to members.
5.2. The Panel have agreed that the Chair will attend an informal media briefing in Queensberry House with broadcast interviews to follow in the Garden Lobby.
5.3. The Panel agreed that the report might be published on 11 March, depending on Parliamentary business and the availability of the Chair.
6. Any Other Business
6.1. There being no other business the Chair thanked the Panel for their hard work and diligence during the Review process. The Chair also noted the input from the Secretariat and others who had provided support and guidance to the Review.
Secretariat
February 2008