16.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), an authority may provide for the payment of an allowance for each year to a co-opted member who has such responsibilities or duties in respect of attendance at conferences or meetings as are prescribed by the Panel.
(2) The amount of entitlement in respect of a co-opted member by way of co-optees' allowance must not, subject to regulations 19 and 20, exceed the amount prescribed by the Panel for that authority in -
(a)other than where sub-paragraph (b) applies, the initial report in pursuance of regulation 34(1)(b)(vi);
(b)a supplementary report, the relevant provisions of which for the time being apply.
(3) Subject to paragraph (2) and regulation 20 an authority may amend the amount of entitlement of co-optees' allowance for a year at any time in that year.
(4) Where an authority makes such an amendment, whether in pursuance of regulation 20 or otherwise, that authority may provide for the amount of entitlement to co-optees' allowance as amended to apply with effect from the beginning of the year in which the amendment is made.
(5) Where the term of office of a co-opted member comprises part only of a year the entitlement of that co-opted member is to payment of such proportion of co-optees' allowance as the number of days on which that office is held during the year bears to the number of days in that year.
(6) Where a co-opted member is suspended or partially suspended from that co-opted member’s responsibilities or duties as a co-opted 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 that co-opted member in respect of the responsibilities or duties from which that co-opted member is suspended or partially suspended must be withheld by the authority.