GRATUITY PAYMENTS FOR RETIRING LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCILLORS

Early day motion 1533, tabled 2 July 2002 by John Cummings (Labour). Signed by 43 members.

That this House warmly acknowledges the lobby of Parliament organised by the All Party National Association of Councillors in support of the Restoring the Balance Campaign as a means of renewing and reinvigorating local democracy; calls on Her Majesty's Government to implement a system of gratuities for retiring local government councillors based upon levels of responsibility and years in service in recognition of councillors contribution to public service and as a means of creating opportunities to attract more women, younger people and candidates from a representative cross section of social and ethnic backgrounds to participate in serving their communities as locally social and ethnic backgrounds to participate in serving their communities as locally elected councillors; recognises the success of similar gratuity schemes in the Republic of Ireland where the scheme is credited by the Irish Local Minister, Noel Dempsey T.D., as opening up opportunities for the young and encouraging a better gender balance; and notes that the implementation of a gratuity scheme in Wales by the Welsh Assembly has attracted wide ranging support across the political spectrum and that similar proposals are under consideration in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Scottish Parliament.

Signatures by party: Labour 32, Labour/Co-operative 4, UUP 3, DUP 2, Liberal Democrat 1, Plaid Cymru 1.