25 June 2013
Essex County Councillors enjoyed over £40,000 worth of catering at taxpayers expense in one year - and the costs do not appear in their expenses returns
Newly elected Green Party Councillors have uncovered details of the free lunches councillors get at County Hall - an expense which does not appear in councillors returns published by the authority.
In the last financial year (2012-13), 3518 meals were served to councillors at a cost to taxpayers of over £40,000, though this figure does not include full staffing costs.
These meals are not accounted for in the Members expenses and allowances returns (1). Neither do they have to be claimed (2). So long as a councillor is on an "approved duty" at County Hall they can get free meals and just have to sign a book.
Green Party research shows that even before free meals are considered, the allowances and expenses for senior Essex County Councillors are the highest in East Anglia. In the last full year for which expenses and allowances were published (2011/12) (1) 5 top Tories in the Essex administration got over £50,000 each. 15 councillors accrued more than £30,000 each (including the 5 above). Yet these councillors are also entitled to free meals and would tend to be in County Hall more often on approved duties.
Green County Councillors have agreed not to take any free meals at County Hall.
Cllr. James Abbott, Green Group Leader said
"The free meals service is an unjustified cost to taxpayers, especially as austerity continues for many hard-pressed households and the County Council has itself stated a top priority of closing its looming funding gap.
We are not against meals being available, but only when really needed - and councillors should pay for them.
Our position is that we will only have tea or coffee occasionally and if (unlikely) that we did eat at County Hall for some reason we have agreed we will pay for the food.
The councillor allowance scheme at Essex is already generous and councillors can easily afford to pay for their food, not add further burdens on to taxpayers."
Green Councillors are working to implement reforms at County Hall which were pledged in the Essex Green Party Manifesto, working across party lines where it is possible to do so. As well as ending free meals for councillors, measures include establishing a public question time at all meetings and improving the much criticised highways service - both to reduce the time it takes to fix potholes and other defects and to improve communications with residents.
Notes
(1) Members expenses and allowances returns
(2) The ECC website says that Councillor’s expenses must be claimed but makes no mention of free meals
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