Explanatory note

The principal Regulations make provision for the payment of allowances to members of local authorities, joint boards and certain related bodies.

These Regulations increase the maximum aggregate amount of special responsibility allowance payable to any one member from £8,000 to £8,120 per annum (regulations 2(2) and 3(2)).

These Regulations also increase the maximum rates of payment applicable under sections 45 and 47 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (regulations 4 and 5) and increase from £8,000 to £8,120 per annum the maximum total amount which may be paid by a local authority in any year in respect of allowances under section 49A of that Act (regulation 6).

There is an overall ceiling on the amount of allowances payable by a local authority, which ceiling may be calculated by reference to “the standard maximum” or, if greater, “the transitional maximum”. Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations specifies amounts for computation of “the standard maximum”. These Regulations insert a replacement Schedule 2 specifying increased amounts (regulation 7).

These Regulations also revoke, subject to certain savings, those provisions in the Local Authorities Etc. (Allowances) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1992 (S.I. 1992/505) which replaced maximum rates and maximum aggregated amounts in the principal Regulations since those rates and amounts are now themselves replaced in terms of these Regulations.

These Regulations have effect on and after 1st April 1993.