Concerns have been raised regarding the lack of financial remuneration for councillors serving on the West Midlands Police and Crime Panel, with calls for this to be reviewed to reflect the substantial time commitment required.
Councillor Jackie Gardiner, representing Coventry, highlighted the fairness of compensating panel members during a meeting held on Monday, 27 July. She emphasised that councillors dedicate considerable hours to the panel, in addition to their existing council responsibilities.
“It’s a very considerable time allocation that’s being given and I would just like to point out that this is perhaps something that needs to be looked at in the future,” said Councillor Gardiner. “How reasonable is it to expect councillors to give very, very substantial amounts of their time, on top of all their other council duties they have, and not be remunerated for it?”
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She also noted that offering payment could encourage younger councillors to participate in the panel, stating, “It can’t simply be a panel for those who are retired and living by independent means. It’s important for the general public to be able to take part in these.”
Currently, the panel operates with an allocated budget of £67,000 for its running costs, but none of this goes towards direct allowances for members.
However, not all members agree on the necessity of pay. Fellow panel member Ken Hawkins expressed a differing view, recalling the introduction of the Police and Crime Panel as a less costly alternative to the previous police authority. He said, “We all get allowances from our own authorities and we volunteer for this role. We’re here to serve.”
Councillor Gardiner responded by acknowledging this perspective but reiterated the importance of remuneration for broader participation. “Each of these meetings last three or four hours, and then there are all the hours of preparation that need to be put in,” she said. “This is a very large time commitment on top of what people are paid for by their councils to do their own council work.”
At the meeting, newly elected panel chair Councillor Anthony Ward acknowledged the debate and pledged to review the remuneration arrangements. “I am aware that this has been in place for a considerable amount of time,” he said. “I will look into it because the workload councillors conduct might also have changed considerably compared to when this was originally made and set in policy.”
He also mentioned that many other combined authority panels similarly do not provide financial allowances, and he intends to assess where the West Midlands Police and Crime Panel fits within this wider framework. “What I don’t want to do is for us to be the only panel when there is a set procedure on how it currently goes,” Councillor Ward added.
The discussion highlights ongoing concerns about how best to support elected members undertaking important oversight roles in policing, while ensuring that opportunities remain accessible to a diverse range of councillors.