Council allowances body is suspended

Cardiff councillor Russell Goodway was set to get £58,000

Welsh Local Government Minister Edwina Hart has announced a working party set up to look at council members allowances is to be suspended.

The Assembly will now fund an independent consultant to look into the contentious issue.

The working party was established following a row over the high proposed levels for allowances.

Tory AM for Mid and West Wales Glyn Davies accused the coalition administration of "making a mockery" of the Assembly's decision-making process.

He said the lack of progress was "unacceptable".

Earlier this year, an independent report to the National Assembly recommended members should receive basic allowances below the average wage.

'Highest paid'

It proposed ordinary councillors would receive just over £5,000, committee chairs or cabinet members just under £12,000 a year and directly elected mayors would be paid £28,000.

The move followed an allowance increase to £58,000 a year for the Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Russell Goodway.

Coun Goodway and his colleagues later agreed to a cut while an investigation took place, which resulted in the review group.

The package would have made him one of the highest paid councillors in Britain.

Mrs Hart said terms of reference now had to be drawn up for a consultant.

There will then be a proper consultation on any proposals that arise and Mrs Hart could reconstitute the working group at that point.

"I am determined that the issue of members allowances will be finalised and settled once and for all."

Consultation

Her decision to fund a study by an independent consultant comes as a result of a proposal by the Welsh Local Government Association.

The association's leader, Sir Harry Jones, suggested the way forward in a letter to the local government committee's chair, Gwenda Thomas.

Mrs Hart said she shared Sir Harry's concerns about the lack of progress on the subject of members allowances.

She added that all parties in the Assembly would be given the opportunity to comment on the findings of the study.

Plaid Cymru AM Janet Ryder said that the conclusions of the study should be followed, whatever they were.