LOCAL GOVERNMENT (ALLOWANCES TO MEMBERS) (Hansard, 8 February 1961)

§ Mr. G. W. Reynolds (Islington. North)
I beg to move,
That leave be given to bring in a Bill to amend section one hundred and thirteen of the Local Government Act, 1948; to provide for the payment of allowances wherever approved duties are performed; and for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid.
The House will remember that in the Local Government Act, 1948, provision was made whereby elected members of local authorities could claim certain expenses and subsistence payments. Two factors have arisen since, one being the fact that for a large number of committees or bodies on which the members serve it is not possible for them to claim expenses because they are not regarded as approved duties. I do not wish in my proposed Bill to make any alterations in those aspects of the problem.

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. In the interests of the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Reynolds) and of the whole House, can we be a little more silent?

§ Mr. Reynolds
I was saying, Mr. Speaker, that I have no wish in my Bill to make any alterations in the type of meeting or in the number of bodies to which the provisions of the Local Government Act, 1948, as regards subsistence apply.
What I intend to do is to abolish another obstacle, namely, that members of borough councils and urban district councils cannot claim any travelling expenses for attending meetings of the local authority in the authorities area. At present, particularly in some larger county boroughs, it often happens that members have to pay a 1s. or 1s. 6d. fare in order to attend meetings at the local town hall two or three times a week. Whilst this may be no hardship to some members, it is becoming an ever increasing hardship to old-age pensioners and others on small incomes serving as elected members of local authorities.
There is also the provision at present whereby members of county councils and rural district councils cannot claim travelling expenses or subsistence if the meeting takes place less than three miles 405 as the crow flies from their home. I seek to abolish this provision also so that it will then be possible for elected members of local authorities to claim fares and subsistence allowances for all approved duties that they attend, no matter whether they are borough or urban district councillors or where the meeting happens to be held in a rural district or in a county council area.
There will be no intention to extend the scope of meetings at which such allowances can be claimed.