The Dispensations Sub Committee of Warwickshire County Council met on 5 June 2025 to discuss applications for dispensations. The report pack included a recommendation to grant dispensations to all councillors in relation to certain functions of the council. These dispensations were intended to prevent councillors from inadvertently breaching requirements related to Disclosable Pecuniary Interests¹ (DPIs) and to ensure the council could conduct its business effectively.

Applications for Dispensations

The Applications for Dispensations Report 5 June 2025 outlined four specific dispensations recommended for approval:

1. School-related functions: This would allow councillors who are parents or guardians of children in full-time education to speak and vote on matters related to school meals, school transport, and travelling expenses, unless the matter specifically relates to the school their child attends.
2. Twin-hatted members: This would apply to councillors who are also elected or co-opted members of another public authority, or whose spouse or partner holds such a position. The dispensation would allow them to speak and vote on matters affecting the other authority, even if they have a DPI due to receiving an allowance from that authority. However, if the issue is a matter of dispute between Warwickshire County Council and the other authority that would affect the other authority's financial position, the councillor would only be allowed to speak, and then would have to leave the room.
3. Local Government Reform and Devolution: This would allow councillors to speak and vote on matters related to local government reform and devolution, even if they have a DPI arising from issues covered by the English Devolution White Paper² and/or proposed unitary local government in Warwickshire. This would apply if they or their spouse or partner receive an allowance from another Warwickshire public authority or a salary from the County Council or that other public authority.
4. Spouse/Partner Employment: This would allow councillors to speak and vote on all matters affecting the County Council or another authority, even if their spouse or partner is an employee of the County Council or that other authority. The exception would be issues that would have a direct impact on the employment of the spouse or partner.

The report argued that these dispensations are necessary to:

• Protect members from inadvertent breaches of DPI requirements.
• Ensure the council can conduct its business effectively.
• Prevent a significant impairment of members' ability to make representations on local issues.
• Avoid excluding large numbers of members from discussions and debates.

The report noted the potential impact on democracy if these dispensations were not granted:

Without the grant of dispensations in Recommendations 1-4, the ability of Members to make representation on local issues would be significantly impaired. Many issues require the co-operation of partners to enable delivery, and this issue has the potential to exclude large numbers of Members from discussion and debates.

The report also highlighted the importance of member views being heard on the issue of local government reform and devolution, given the government's invitation to develop proposals for local government reorganisation in the area.