Agenda item

The following Notices of Motion have been received:-

Councillor C.S. Carver

“In the interests of openness and transparency, this Motion calls for the Council to publish a separate supplementary report to coincide with and accompany the presentation to Council of the Annual Statement of Accounts.

This supplementary report to contain, in the same style and presentation as the existing Senior Employee Emoluments – Salary over £150,000 per year and Salary over £60,000 per year, the same financial information for ALL Council Employees, Consultants and ‘Non-permanent Posts’ with a Salary over £60,000 per year who are NOT listed within the existing framework of the Annual Statement of Accounts.

In instances where those employees are in post for less than the financial year, then both their actual Salary and equivalent annualised Salary are to be shown.”

Councillors: C.J. Dolphin, R. Dolphin, N.M. Matthews, R.J.T. Guest, H.J. McGuill, N. Phillips and A. Bragg

“Council notes:

1.      The relentless increase in domestic energy costs and the consequent similar increase in instances of fuel poverty in Flintshire.

2.      the Switching Energy Scheme operated by South Lakeland District Council for the benefit of residents of that Council – A summary of the scheme is attached for Members information.

Accordingly, Council requests the Director of Environment to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of introducing a similar scheme in Flintshire and to bring a report to the Environment Overview & Scrutiny Committee as soon as practical.”

That the Council publish a separate supplementary report to coincide with and accompany the presentation to Council of the Annual Statement of Accounts.  This supplementary report to contain in the same style and presentation as the existing Senior Employee Emoluments – Salary over £150,000 per year and Salary over £60,000 per year, the same financial information for all the non schools individuals listed in the table which shows remuneration of £60,000 or more per year, all the non school employees, consultants and non-permanent posts with a salary over £60,000 per year who are not listed within the existing framework of the Annual Statement of Accounts.  In instances where those employees are in post for less than the financial year then both their actual salary and equivalent annualised salary are to be shown.    

That the Council requests the Director of Environment to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of introducing a similar scheme to the Switching Energy Scheme operated by South Lakeland District Council and to bring a report to the Environment Overview & Scrutiny Committee as soon as practical.

The following Notices of Motion has been received from Councillors: A. Bragg, C.S. Carver, C.J. Dolphin, R. Dolphin, R.J.T. Guest, N.M. Matthews, H.J. McGuill and N. Phillips:-

(i)         Statement of Accounts – Councillor C.S. Carver

            The following Notice of Motion had been submitted by Councillor C.S. Carver:-

“In the interests of openness and transparency, this Motion calls for the Council to publish a separate supplementary report to coincide with and accompany the presentation to Council of Annual Statement of Accounts.

This supplementary report to contain in the same style and presentation as the existing Senior Employee Emoluments – Salary over £150,000 per year and Salary over £60,000 per year, the same financial information for all the non schools individuals listed in the table which shows remuneration of £60,000 or more per year, all the non school employees, consultants and non-permanent posts with a salary over £60,000 per year who are not listed within the existing framework of the Annual Statement of Accounts.  In instances where those employees are in post for less than the financial year then both their actual salary and equivalent annualised salary are to be shown”.

            Councillor Carver formally proposed the motion and this was duly seconded.

            In speaking to his motion, Councillor Carver commented on the Statement of Accounts 2011/12 which was presented to the County Council on the 25 September 2012 and detailed officers’ remuneration.  He reported that following the County Council meetings he had received information on officer posts where their salary had been between £60,000 and £150,000 and that this figure had been 21.  This information had not been shown in the Statement of Accounts as 14 of the posts did not fall into the category of Senior Officer and the remaining 7 post were non-permanent.  He explained that the notice of motion was seeking the creation of a supplementary report in future to coincide with and accompany the presentation to Council of the Annual Statement of Accounts.

            Councillor A.P. Shotton, Leader of the Council thanked Councillor Carver for the notice of motion and explained that the Statement of Accounts for 2011/12 had been presented in line with the guidelines of the Wales Audit Office.  He said that the information requested was available to Members and supported providing this information as a supplementary report in future.

            In response to a question from Councillor Shotton, the Head of Finance confirmed that the Statement of Accounts for 2011/12 presented to the County Council meeting held on the 25 September, 2012 had included more information than was expected of the Council to report.  The information requested by Councillor Carver could be provided in future years.

            The Head of Legal and Democratic Services advised Councillor Carver not to identify those officers whose salaries had not been included within the Statement of Accounts 2011/12.  They would be advised that this information would be provided alongside future reports.

            In summing up, Councillor Carver asked the Council to support his notice of motion and said that he was happy to provide details salaries of officers not contained within the Statement of Accounts 2011/12 to Members following the meeting.  

RESOLVED:

That the Council publish a separate supplementary report to coincide with and accompany the presentation to Council of the Annual Statement of Accounts.  This supplementary report to contain in the same style and presentation as the existing Senior Employee Emoluments – Salary over £150,000 per year and Salary over £60,000 per year, the same financial information for all the non schools individuals listed in the table which shows remuneration of £60,000 or more per year, all the non school employees, consultants and non-permanent posts with a salary over £60,000 per year who are not listed within the existing framework of the Annual Statement of Accounts.  In instances where those employees are in post for less than the financial year then both their actual salary and equivalent annualised salary are to be shown.     

(ii)        Switching Energy Scheme – Councillors: A. Bragg, C.J. Dolphin, R. Dolphin, R.J.T. Guest, N.M. Matthews, H.J. McGuill and N. Phillips

The following Notice of Motion has been submitted by Councillors: A. Bragg, C.J. Dolphin, R. Dolphin, R.J.T. Guest, N.M. Matthews, H.J. McGuill and N. Phillips:-

“Council notes:

1.      The relentless increase in domestic energy costs and the consequence similar increase in instances of foul poverty in Flintshire.

2.      The Switching Energy Scheme operated by South Lakeland District Council for the benefit of residents of that Council.

Accordingly, Council requests the Director of Environment to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of introducing a similar scheme in Flintshire and to bring a report to the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee as soon as practical”.

            Councillor C.J. Dolphin formally proposed the motion and this was duly seconded.

            In speaking to his motion, Councillor Dolphin said that the motion provided an opportunity for the Council to work together and assist residents of Flintshire in targeting increasing domestic energy costs.  He highlighted the Switching Energy Scheme operated by South Lakeland District Council which had assisted more than 1600 residents financially through a grant from National Government.  The motion was seeking the Director of Environment to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of introducing a similar scheme which could be introduced in collaboration with neighbouring North Wales Authorities.  Councillor Dolphin urged the Council to support the motion.

            Councillor J.B. Attridge, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment thanked the signatories for the notice of motion and reported that he had asked the Director of Environment to submit a report, as soon as practically possible, to the Environment Overview & Scrutiny Committee, detailing the advantages and disadvantages of introducing a similar scheme.

            Councillor M.G. Wright, Chairman of the Environment Overview & Scrutiny Committee spoke in support of the notice of motion and welcomed a report being submitted to the Committee in due course.

            Councillor H.T. Isherwood asked if a similar scheme was introduced by the Council could the VAT on domestic energy costs be re-claimed.  The Head of Finance confirmed that she would provide a response on this matter following the meeting. 

            In seconding the motion, Councillor R.J.T. Guest reported that more than five million households were currently benefiting from the introduction of such schemes across England and Wales with more than 25 Local Authorities introducing or in the process of introducing a variety of schemes since June, 2012.

            Councillor R.B. Jones spoke in support of the motion and suggested that similar schemes should be offered to Council tenants where a financial benefit may improve the impact of the Welfare Reform.

            The Head of Legal and Democratic Services reported that a report on the Switching Energy Scheme had been included on the Environment Overview & Scrutiny Forward Work Programme and was due to be submitted to the Committee on the 6 March, 2013.                

RESOLVED:

That the Council requests the Director of Environment to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of introducing a similar scheme to the Switching Energy Scheme operated by South Lakeland District Council and to bring a report to the Environment Overview & Scrutiny Committee as soon as practical.