The Dispensations Sub-Committee of Warwickshire County Council met on 16 May 2025 to discuss applications for dispensations. The report pack included a proposal to grant dispensations to all councillors in specific circumstances, allowing them to participate in discussions and votes where they might otherwise have a conflict of interest. These circumstances relate to school matters, allowances, council tax, membership of other public authorities, and local government reform.

Dispensations for Councillors

The report pack included a recommendation to grant dispensations for four years to all councillors in several key areas. The report stated that these dispensations are intended to:

protect Members from inadvertent breaches of the requirements related to Disclosable Pecuniary Interests due to omissions and ambiguities in the legislation and to ensure that the County Council can conduct its business effectively.

The dispensations would allow councillors to speak and vote on matters related to:

• School Meals and Transport: Councillors who are parents or guardians of children in full-time education would be allowed to participate in discussions and votes about school meals or transport, unless it specifically relates to the school their child attends.
• Member Allowances: Councillors would be permitted to discuss and vote on matters concerning allowances, payments, pensions, indemnity or other financial benefits given to members.
• Council Tax: Councillors would be allowed to participate in setting Council Tax or a precept¹.
• Twin-hatted Members: Councillors who are also members of another public authority (or whose spouse/partner is) would be allowed to speak and vote on matters affecting that other authority, even if they receive an allowance from it. However, if the issue is a matter of dispute between the County Council and the other authority, the councillor may only speak and must then withdraw from the meeting. According to the report, approximately 23% of the council's membership are twin-hatted members.
• Local Government Reform and Devolution: Councillors with a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest arising from issues covered by the English Devolution White Paper² and/or proposed unitary local government in Warwickshire, due to receiving an allowance from another Warwickshire public authority or a salary from the County Council or that other public authority, would be allowed to speak and vote on these issues.
• Spouse/Partner Employment: Councillors whose spouse or partner is an employee of the County Council or another authority would be allowed to speak and vote on most matters, except those with a direct impact on their spouse's or partner's employment.

The report argues that without these dispensations, the ability of councillors to represent local issues would be significantly impaired, and that it could exclude large numbers of members from discussions and debates.

Other Business

The agenda for the meeting also included:

• The appointment of a chair for the meeting.
• Apologies for absence.
• Disclosures of pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests.