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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Glasgow city councillor pay scheme to end | Glasgow city councillor pay scheme to end |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Councillors at Scotland's biggest local authority are being banned from getting extra pay for sitting on the boards of council-owned organisations. | Councillors at Scotland's biggest local authority are being banned from getting extra pay for sitting on the boards of council-owned organisations. |
| Finance Secretary John Swinney raised concern that 40 Glasgow City Council members were sharing an extra £260,000 for their work with arms-length bodies. | Finance Secretary John Swinney raised concern that 40 Glasgow City Council members were sharing an extra £260,000 for their work with arms-length bodies. |
| He now plans to end the arrangement from 1 July by bringing new regulations before parliament. | He now plans to end the arrangement from 1 July by bringing new regulations before parliament. |
| Mr Swinney said some members were effectively being paid twice. | Mr Swinney said some members were effectively being paid twice. |
| The Scottish government href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2011/264/pdfs/ssi_20110264_en.pdf" >published details of the legislative change it intends to put before MSPs. | |
| In an initial statement, a Glasgow City Council spokesman said: "We haven't seen the detail of this proposal." | |
| The spokesman later clarified that the local authority had yet to look at the detail of the Scottish government's plan. | |
| Several Scottish councils have set up arms-length external organisations to provide services normally delivered by the local authority itself, like leisure facilities. | Several Scottish councils have set up arms-length external organisations to provide services normally delivered by the local authority itself, like leisure facilities. |
| But a recent review by the Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee (SLARC) found only Labour-controlled Glasgow City Council had a policy on making extra payments to elected members who sit on their boards. | But a recent review by the Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee (SLARC) found only Labour-controlled Glasgow City Council had a policy on making extra payments to elected members who sit on their boards. |
| Mr Swinney said: "It can't be right that a limited number of councillors can receive additional payments to help deliver broadly the same services as delivered by their own councils - in effect, some councillors are being paid twice. | Mr Swinney said: "It can't be right that a limited number of councillors can receive additional payments to help deliver broadly the same services as delivered by their own councils - in effect, some councillors are being paid twice. |
| "The Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee report highlighted that only Glasgow City Council had a policy to pay additional monies and confirmed that 40 councillors were sharing £260,000 in additional payments for serving with boards of arms-length bodies. | "The Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee report highlighted that only Glasgow City Council had a policy to pay additional monies and confirmed that 40 councillors were sharing £260,000 in additional payments for serving with boards of arms-length bodies. |
| "I agree with SLARC that this completely undermines the principles of the existing councillor remuneration scheme, and that's why I have today laid regulations to stop the practice." | "I agree with SLARC that this completely undermines the principles of the existing councillor remuneration scheme, and that's why I have today laid regulations to stop the practice." |
| The regulations brought forward by Mr Swinney, which require parliamentary approval, mean any councillors in Scotland sitting on arms-length bodies are limited to claiming expenses. | The regulations brought forward by Mr Swinney, which require parliamentary approval, mean any councillors in Scotland sitting on arms-length bodies are limited to claiming expenses. |
| The finance secretary had previously criticised Glasgow City Council for not ending the payments voluntarily. | The finance secretary had previously criticised Glasgow City Council for not ending the payments voluntarily. |