YOU report and then comment in Editor’s columns extensively on Hampshire County Council members’ decision on their remuneration. For the record, the increase for the current year was agreed some months ago and is 2.45per cent to basic and special responsibility allowances and which, of course, is half of the current rate of inflation. The increase for next year will be entirely dependent upon the negotiations carried out nationally and we will, as generally we do, follow the agreed increase for our staff. Many people, including myself, expect that such a settlement will again be less than the level of inflation unless this dips dramatically. What you did not include in your report is the fact that twice the members ‘in their wisdom’ have frozen any increase at all for one year and reduced the Panel’s recommendation in another year. The effect of this is that from the moment the Local Government Act inflicted a Cabinet system on us all, the Independent Remuneration Panel’s recommendations would have resulted, had we accepted them, in an increase of £78,000 per annum. Put another way, each and every member of the county council is costing the taxpayer of Hampshire £1,000 less per annum than the so-called independent panel has recommended. This has saved more than £0.25 million in our allowances over the last three to four years.

What you fail to report is that the Panel itself recommended increases for the Cabinet and for the leader and these are based on the fact that out of the ten largest councils in the land, of which we are third, my remuneration was eighth lowest out of ten, the Cabinet sixth lowest out of ten and Members’ basic allowances at a level of third out of ten which is where they should be.

The conclusions to our debate are that we will indeed continue to save, now, in excess of £100,000 per annum based on the Independent Remuneration Panels’ decisions over the past eight years, and that County Council members’ allowances have decreased in real terms by nine per cent.

Ken Thornber, leader, Hampshire County Council.