The Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003

Co-optees' allowance

9.—(1) The scheme may provide for the payment of an allowance for each year to a member in respect of attendance at conferences and meetings (“co-optees' allowance”).

(2) In relation to co-optees' allowance, the scheme shall—

(a) specify the amount of entitlement by way of co-optees' allowance in respect of any year to which it relates; and

(b) provide that where the appointment of a member begins or ends otherwise than at the beginning or end of a year, his entitlement shall be to payment of such part of the co-optees' allowance as bears to the whole the same proportion as the number of days during which his term of office as member subsists bears to the number of days in that year.

(3) The scheme may specify that where a member is suspended or partially suspended from his responsibilities or duties as a member of an authority in accordance with Part III of the Local Government Act 2000 or regulations made under that Part, any co-optees' allowance payable to him in respect of the responsibilities or duties from which he is suspended or partially suspended may be withheld by the authority.

(4) The amount of co-optees' allowance payable to any member who presides at a meeting of an overview and scrutiny committee, where that committee’s functions under section 21 of the Local Government Act 2000 relate wholly or partly to any education functions which are the responsibility of the authority’s executive, shall not be less than the minimum amount of any special responsibility allowance payable under that authority’s scheme to a person who presides at meetings of any other other authority’s committees or sub-committees.

(5) For the purposes of paragraphs (1) to (4) of this Regulation, “member” means a person who is not a member of the authority but who is a member of a committee or sub-committee of an authority.