Agenda and minutes

Councillor Jon Collins.

Councillor Michael Payne.

With the exception of the Chief Fire Officer, the other Principal Officers present declared an interest in agenda item 5, Review of Indemnities for Members and Officers, and left the room during consideration of this item.

Last meeting held on 1 November 2013 (for confirmation)

The Committee confirmed the minutes of the meeting held on 1 November 2013 as a correct record and they were signed by the Chair.

Report of Chief Fire Officer

Frank Swann, the Chief Fire Officer presented his report recommending a review of the current arrangements regarding indemnities for Members and Officers. The current policy was drafted in 2005 and has only been applied once. Questions have now arisen in relation to the Policy and it is thought that further clarification would be beneficial to provide clarity.

RESOLVED to task the Service’s Risk Manager with undertaking a review of the current policy and bring a report to the next meeting of this Committee on 25 April 2014.

With the exception of the Chief Fire Officer, the Principal Officers left the meeting prior to consideration of the next item.

Report of Clerk and Treasurer

Peter Hurford, the Treasurer, presented the joint report of himself and the Clerk to the Fire and Rescue Authority setting out options regarding the methodology applied to the review of Principal Officer pay. The Treasurer also explained to Members that they had the option of being bound by the outcome or utilising it as guidance.

Following discussion, Members agreed that the fairest comparator was the Family Group, a relatively large group made up of 18 services sharing factors such as population size, deprivation, risk area and total fire calls. If the median average were to be applied this would be comparable with the current Chief Fire Officer salary in Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service from January 2014. On this basis, this could be considered as a fair comparator group as a guide for setting salary levels for Principal officers in the future.

RESOLVED

(1)     to give consideration to the median average of the Family Group when determining Principal Officer salary levels;

(2)   to retain the current  bi-annual timing of the review;

(3)   not to use external consultants to benchmark salary data.

TO CONSIDER EXCLUDING THE PUBLIC FROM THE MEETING DURING CONSIDERATION OF THE REMAINING ITEM(S) IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 100A(4) OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972 ON THE BASIS THAT, HAVING REGARD TO ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE PUBLIC INTEREST IN MAINTAINING THE EXEMPTION OUTWEIGHS THE PUBLIC INTEREST IN DISCLOSING THE INFORMATION

The Committee decided to exclude the public from the meeting during consideration of the remaining agenda items in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the basis that, having regard to all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information, as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

The Chair then adjourned the meeting pending the arrival of the Clerk to the Fire and Rescue Authority as his input was required in relation to the exempt items (10.55 am). The Clerk arrived and the Meeting reconvened at 11.12 am.

Last meeting held on 1 November 2013 (for confirmation)

The Committee confirmed the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 1 November 2013 as a correct record and they were signed by the Chair.

Report of Chief Fire Officer

The Chief Fire Officer presented his report on the loss of protected pension age and the effect of it in certain circumstances.

RESOLVED to approve the recommendations in the report subject to the amendments agreed by the Committee, as recorded in a separate exempt minute.