Police officers increases to certain allowances

Report: 9
Date: 21 June 2001
By: Clerk

Summary

This paper seeks authority to increase certain allowances paid to police officers which are outside the remit of the Police Negotiating Board (PNB) or have been delegated to police authorities by the PNB; and to delegate to the Clerk and the Treasurer authority to approve future increases to non-nationally negotiated allowances.

A. Recommendations

1. The special escort allowance paid to officers employed on these duties be increased by the rate of increase of 3 per cent applied to other allowances as negotiated through the PNB in 2000/01.
2. The motor cycle allowance payable for use of private motor cycles on official business be increased by approximately 33 per cent to reflect the absence of increases in the past 10 years.
3. The Clerk and the Treasurer be authorised to agree future increases in these allowances provided that the increases match those agreed by the PNB for nationally negotiated allowances.

B. Supporting information

Special escort allowance

1. The special escort allowance was approved by the Home Secretary in 1992 to compensate police officers working mainly in Special Branch and Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Group for being required to remain on duty far longer than their normal period of duty of eight hours. It also provided an element to cover the disturbance and disruption to their personal lives arising from lengthy periods away from home. Officers receiving this allowance do not qualify for overtime payments.

2. Different rates apply to different ranks. There is also a "limited capacity" rate which applies to officers designated as "travelling staff" whose duties do not cover the full range of responsibilities but who, nevertheless, are required to travel with the principals. The rates for inspecting ranks are lower than for constables and sergeants to take account of the changes to inspecting ranks' pay arrangements in 1995 when compensation for overtime was removed by a consolidated increase in basic pay. Similarly, the rate for superintending ranks has no allowance for overtime compensation since these officers are not eligible for overtime payments.

3. At the time the allowance was introduced, the Home Secretary authorised annual increases in line with the annual percentage increase in police pay, subject to formal Home Office approval each year. Hitherto, that approval has been given by the then designated Home Office official within the Metropolitan Police Committee.

4. The current and proposed rates, the latter taking account of the 3 per cent increase in basic pay with effect from 1 September 2000, are set out below.

5. If approved, the new rates would be paid with effect from 1 September 2000. The total cost of the allowance in the 12 months ending 31 August 2000 was £869,000. An increase of 3 per cent would amount to £26,000. MPS Finance Directorate has confirmed that this increase could be met from the pay budget.

Motor cycle mileage allowance

6. This allowance reimburses officers for the use of their private motor cycles on official business. Authority to negotiate increases to this allowance was delegated by the PNB to individual police authorities and the respective Joint Branch Board (in the MPS, Joint Executive Committee (JEC)) of the Police Federation some years ago. The guidance issued was that the same rates as those applied to local authorities in the police service area should be applied to police officers. In the absence of a comparable rate, the Civil Service rate was suggested.

7. The MPS civil staff rates are less than the current police officer rates for the first 5,000 miles, although the lower rate payable for miles above 5,000 is higher. The Association of London Government rates are, generally, higher than those sought by the JEC and are divided into more categories of engine size and miles per year.

8. The MPS Police Federation JEC has not sought an increase in this allowance until last year when it requested an increase to match changes in retail price index (fares and other travel costs) since 1991, when the allowance was last increased. This would result in increases in the order of 33 per cent. The actual amounts are, however, very small.

Note: All rates are pence per mile

9. The following table sets out the current rates and those used for MPS civil staff, the JEC claim and the proposed MPS rates.

10. The total paid in motor cycle mileage allowance for the period 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001 was £6,600. A 33 per cent increase would cost an additional £2,200.

11. It is recommended that, exceptionally, the increase requested by the Police Federation be approved. Such approval should be without prejudice to any other claim for any other allowance which might be subject to approval by the police authority. In particular, it shall not set a precedent in relation to the public transport rate of motor mileage allowance, paid for casual use of a private car on official business. This rate is currently 23.8p per mile and is the same rate paid to civil staff. This rate also has not been increased for some years.

General

12. The Committee is invited to agree that it need not be troubled by future requests for increases to these allowances, particularly in respect of the negligible amounts involved in the motor cycle mileage allowance. It is recommended that the authority to pay increased amounts be delegated to the Clerk and the Treasurer on receipt of a formal request by the MPS and provided that the increases sought do not exceed the negotiated increases as approved by the Home Secretary for basic pay or other mileage allowances, as the case may be.

C. Financial implications

13. In the year ending 31 August 2000, the amount paid in respect of the special escort allowance was £869,000. The proposed increase of 3 per cent would result in an additional amount of £26,000. This amount can be found from within the pay budget.

The increase of £2,200 in payment of motor cycle allowance is such that the financial implication is minimal.

D. Background papers

None.

E. Contact details

The author of this report is Ian Wardrop, MPS.

For information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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