Communities and Local Government Committee House of Commons London SW1P 3JA Tel 020 7219 4972 Fax 020 7219 6101 Email [email protected] Website www.parliament.uk Memoranda received up to 6 November 2012: Councillors and the Community No Organisation CC 00 DCLG CC00a DCLG CC 01 Scott Nicholson CC 02 Robert Howard CC 03 Age UK CC 04 Robert Knowles CC 05 Professor Colin Copus, De Montfort University CC 05a Professor Colin Copus, De Montfort University and Dr Melvin Wingfield CC 06 Dame Jane Roberts CC 07 West Midland Councils CC 08 Buckinghamshire County Council CC 09 OPM CC 10 Sunderland City Council CC 11 LGA CC 12 Hertfordshire County Council CC 13 Liz Richardson, University of Manchester CC 14 CfPS CC 15 Staffordshire County Council CC 16 Dr Mark Ewbank CC 17 District Councils' Network CC 18 Wiltshire Council CC 19 Localis CC 20 Friends, Families and Travellers CC 21 Robin Potter CC 22 Community Council of Staffordshire CC 23 Jenny Lewrence CC 24 Centre for Women & Democracy CC 25 Paul Wheeler, Director of Political Skills Forum CC 25a Paul Wheeler, Director of Political Skills Forum CC 26 Alfred Murphy CC 27 The Elections Centre, Plymouth University CC 28 L E Horne CC 29 Bharti Boyle CC 30 Cllr Norman Plumpton Walsh CC 31 George McManus CC 32 Edward Houlton CC 33 Nigel Carter CC 34 Cllr Mike Jordan CC 35 Robina Iqbal CC 36 Cllr Richard Kemp CC 37 Leeds City Council/the Commission on the Future of Local Government CC 38 Timothy J.Oates CC 39 Desmond Jaddoo CC 40 Janet Atkinson CC 41 Simon Killane CC 42 Cllr Rowan J Draper CC 43 Workers’ Educational Association, York Participate Pilot CC 44 Alycia James CC 45 Netmums CC 46 Participants in seminar at the Local Government Association CC 47 Warren W Hateley CC 48 Councillor Iain Malcolm CC 49 Somerset County Council CC 50 Councillor Lynda Jones CC 50a Councillor Lynda Jones CC 51 Christopher Padley CC 52 David Hill CC 53 Suzanne Fletcher CC 54 ASDO CC 55 Rebecca Lane CC 56 Jack Hopkins CC 57 Ray Spalding CC 58 Cllr Marianne Overton CC 59 NAVCA Written evidence from the Department for Communities and Local Government (CC 00) Your Committee has called for evidence to support its enquiry into the role councillors play in their communities. Our country has a long and strong tradition of people serving their community as elected councillors. This ranges from parish councillors in our smallest villages to city councillors who are at the heart of the proud civic traditions of the country's great cities. In every case councillors being the democratic elected representatives of their communities, are uniquely placed to contribute to their communities' wellbeing. In short, being a councillor is an embodiment of community service and volunteering, which must be the backdrop to any consideration of councillors’ allowances. Councillors are fundamentally volunteers; they should not become de facto salaried staff. We do not agree with the proposals on allowances made by the Councillors Commission under the last Administration. As a former councillor myself, I've seen first hand the role councillors play in the community. It takes a particular sort of person to become a councillor. You don't go into it for the fame or the fortune but because you care about the area you live in and believe it is possible to make things better for the people you represent. Being a councillor isn't for the fainthearted. You have to put in the hours, do the hard graft for your community. But it also brings its own reward. Every councillor I know has a story to tell about, this person helped back onto their feet or, that community that is beginning to thrive. Councillors I know still subscribe to a notion – as relevant today as ever - that politics can make a difference. And because they have that belief, that passion, that “can do” attitude, they do make a difference. No-one knows their neighbourhoods better, no-one has a better grasp of the issues on the doorstep and no-one is in a better position to do something about it. Our reforms are designed to give the community spirited among us the best possible chance of improving their areas. With our commitment to localism, we are clear that it is communities themselves, particularly the many voluntary organisations within them, including political parties, who are necessarily at the forefront of encouraging and supporting people to put themselves forward as candidates for election. Equally, it is to their communities and councils that elected councillors rightly look for support. In addition, the local government sector, through for example the Local Government Association (LGA), has a part to play in helping elected members to develop their expertise and capacity to fulfil their role. It is through its decisions and the legislation that Parliament enacts, that Government creates opportunities for councillors and the communities they represent to become more empowered, enabling local people materially to shape their own day to day lives – localism in action. Particular measures which we are taking that create such opportunities and hence impact on the role of councillors include: • the introduction of neighbourhood planning, enabling communities to come together to shape the development and growth of their local area through the production of a neighbourhood development plan or neighbourhood development order; • the re-introduction of the committee system through the Localism Act which allows councils to return to this form of governance if they wish; a system which allows for greater engagement of all councillors in decision-making, rather than restricting major decision-making to ‘frontbench’ councillors. • the right to build, which gives local communities new powers to create the buildings they want without using the normal planning application process; • the community right to challenge – under which community groups, in which local councillors can play a part, will be able to bid to run local authority services; • the community right to bid, which will give communities a right to nominate a building or other land which is of importance to their community’s social well- being or social interests (which include cultural, sporting or recreational interests), for listing as an asset of community value; when a listed asset is to be sold, local community groups will have a fairer chance to make a bid to buy it on the open market; • the abolition of the Standards Board regime that potentially weakened the effectiveness of local councillors by giving rise to so many petty, vexatious allegations; • legislating on predetermination to allow councillors to speak out more freely for their communities on important issues such as planning proposals affecting the locality; and • issuing a Code of Recommended Practice for Local Authorities on Data Transparency that has led to councils throwing open its doors to the public, increasing the accountability, and hence effectiveness, of local councillors. Following the Open Public Services White Paper, we will be consulting on how to make it easier to set up town and parish councils and we are working with the LGA and the National Association of Local Councils on how such councils can become more involved in service delivery – all such steps increasing the roles of councillors at the most local level. Through our commitment to localism and the range of measures we are undertaking, the Government is significantly expanding the opportunities for local councillors to serve their communities and help local people take control their lives and localities. I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Councillors - of all political parties and none – who are taking on responsibility, making a difference, helping their local residents, every day of the week in Councils right across the country. May 2012 Supplementary written evidence from the Department for Communities and Local Government (CC 00a) Thank you for the opportunity you afforded me of appearing before your committee to discuss the importance of the role of councillors in the community. During our discussions, I undertook to consider and write to you on three points: • the possibility of councils appointing an independent body to make decisions (as opposed to giving advice) about councillors' allowances; • whether councillors in employment should have the option of receiving loss of earnings compensation; • the possibility of legislation to prevent employers discriminating against councillors. Decisions by independent body on allowances The essential elements of any arrangements for setting the remuneration, be it allowances, pay, or pensions, for elected representatives, are an element of objective independence and clear accountability for the decision taken. In this way, those whom through their taxes fund the elected representatives and are served by them can have confidence that their representatives' remuneration is fair and appropriate As we discussed, under the current arrangements for councillors, independence is provided by the independent remuneration panels to whose recommendations regard must be had. Accountability is ensured by all decisions on allowances being required to be taken in the open by the full council whose members must face their electorate through the ballot box. You asked me whether an authority should be able to put in place an independent body not only to advise on but to decide councillor allowances. As we discussed, I am clear that the allowances are and should be a local matter, and that authorities themselves are best placed to consider what is appropriate in their circumstances. I would see no benefit in having some new central body to make recommendations or to decide allowances across the whole of local government. If the proposal was that each authority should establish an independent panel, or use its existing panel, to decide allowances, then, having reflected on this, it remains my view that it is best for the councillors themselves, with their understanding of their local circumstances, to take the final view on what are appropriate allowances in all the circumstances of their council.