§ Baroness Gardner of Parkesasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Whitty on 27 July (HL 3783), whether the additional financial cost of the new higher rates of council allowances paid to elected councillors by councils operating a "cabinet system" will be met by the Government in extra Standard Spending Assessment, or whether the cost will fall on the council tax payers. [HL4040]
§ Lord WhittyFurther to my Answer of 27 July, when a council adopts new ways of working such as a "cabinet system", it may keep its present scheme of allowances or move to a new scheme. Such a new scheme may entail higher or lower overall expenditure on allowances and it is for each council to decide how to accommodate any such change in its budget. Changing a council's scheme of allowance has no implication for its Standard Spending Assessment.