Agenda and minutes

            The Minutes of the meetings held on 9^th, 10^th and 17^th January 2007 were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

            The Committee considered a report of the Strategic Director – Corporate and Policy outlining a revised Retirement Policy covering:

·        Voluntary Early Retirement – in the Efficiency of the Service;

·        Ill-Health Retirement; and

·        Flexible Retirement.

It was noted that the Council was required to revise its retirement policy in the light of new age discrimination legislation and changes that had been made in the Pension Regulations. The revised draft policy essentially retained the key components of the existing scheme: no fundamental changes were proposed to the scheme at present, although adoption of the scheme did not prevent that from happening in future years.

Members were advised that the Trade Unions had been consulted and supported this course of action. In addition, it was noted that there were no direct financial implications attached to the report. Any future decisions around individual officers’ retirements would be brought to the Committee in accordance with the Council’s Constitution, at which time the relevant financial implications would be outlined for Members’ consideration.

RESOLVED: That the draft Retirement Policy, attached as an appendix to the report, be formally adopted.

The Committee considered:

(1)            whether Members of the press and public should be excluded from the meeting of the Committee during consideration of the following items of business in accordance with Sub-Section 4 of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 because it was likely that, in view of the nature of the business to be considered, exempt information would be disclosed, being information defined in Section 100 (1) and paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972; and

(2)            whether the disclosure of information was in the public interest, whether any relevant exemptions were applicable and whether, when applying the public interest test and exemptions, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed that in disclosing the information.

RESOLVED: That as, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, members of the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business in accordance with Sub-Section 4 of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 because it is likely that, in view of the nature of the business, exempt information will be disclosed, being information defined in Section 100 (1) and paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

            The Committee considered a report of the Strategic Director – Corporate and Policy seeking approval to the early retirement of three postholders in the Corporate and Policy Directorate “in the efficiency of the service”.

            RESOLVED: That

(1)            Stephen Spencer be retired from the Authority “in the efficiency of the service” within the scheme for such retirements agreed by the Committee;

(2)       Harry Woodall be retired from the Authority “in the efficiency of the service” within the scheme for such retirements as agreed by the Committee;

(3)            Christine Kenny be retired from the Authority “in the efficiency of the service” within the scheme for such retirements as agreed by the Committee;

(4)       all three posts be deleted from the establishment; and

(5)       the Strategic Director – Corporate and Policy be authorised to agree the final terms and dates of retirement in each case in consultation with the Executive Board Member for Corporate Services.