Hart Borough Council Staffing and Appeals Committee Meeting

The minutes of the meeting held on 2^nd September 2022, including Exempt Minutes, were agreed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record, with the addition of showing that Cllr Makepeace-Browne was Chairman of the meeting.

There were no apologies for absence.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Chairman announced that following the announcement by the Joint Chief Executive the previous day, there would be an impact on the work of the IDP.  

The Committee discussed:

• What that impact was likely to be
• The original remit of the IDP

That further information would be forthcoming as soon as available

It was recommended to Staffing Committee that it approved the Tier 2 efficiency savings associated with the Council’s car mileage allowance policy. 

Discussion included:

·       The potential move from JNC to HMRC rates

·       Number of staff who would be impacted by any such change

·       The potential savings to be made, which had previously been outlined as a Tier 2 saving

·       Whether any work had been undertaken on comparison of salaries between Hart and other local Councils; and whether it was anticipated that there would be a potential recruitment problem with the proposed change to HMRC rates

·       Potential contractual issues

·       Whether the Council had any members of staff classed as home workers and therefore entitled to claim mileage from a place of work other than the Civic Offices

DECISION

Staffing Committee approved the proposed changes to the Council’s Car Mileage policy and the new policy would become effective from 1 April 2023.

Members discussed whether the public interest in maintaining an exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

RECOMMENDATION

Cabinet agreed that, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded during the discussion of the matters referred to, on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information, as defined in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.