THE CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY                                      Agenda            5
                                                                                Item
                                           15th APRIL 2003
                       TIME INPUT AND REMUNERATION OF MEMBERS
  SUMMARY: To seek Members’ agreement to their input of time as Board Members for
  the rest of the calendar year as a basis for remuneration, and agreement to arrangements
  for travel and subsistence.
CONSIDERATION
     1.
     2.  The National Parks (Scotland) Act provides at schedule 1 paragraph 12 that the NPA
         "must pay its Convener, Deputy Convener and other Members such remuneration
         and allowances as the Scottish Ministers may determine". The Scottish Executive
         have set the level of payment for Members (in letters of appointment to each
         Member) at 175 per day, on the basis of a time input of 2-3 days per month, up to
         maximum of 6,300 (representing 3 days per month).
     3.
     4.  Following the appointment of the CNPA board, there is likely to be a relatively high
         level of briefing and training during the shadow running period as Members become
         acquainted with the Park itself, the current issues, its statutory functions, the work
         required to put strategic plans in place, and the need to become a fully functioning
         NDPB (Non Departmental Public Body).
     5.
     6.  One of the important issues for the Board to consider during the shadow running
         period will be how it wishes to organise itself to carry out its functions; in particular,
         whether it will wish to form smaller committees as way of taking work forward, and
         whether (in addition or as an alternative) it will wish to have individual Members as
         "champions"for various issues and/or areas of the Park. In either case, engagement
         with people and organisations will be vital, and how that is done will determine to
         some extent the demands on Members’ time. The efficiency with which Members
         time, and hence public money, is deployed, will also be an important consideration.
     7.
     8.  It is therefore suggested that for the remainder of this calendar year, Members work
         on the basis of an average time input of 3 days a month (averaged over the period
         from April to December), and are paid accordingly, unless they declare 2 days is the
         maximum they can allocate to Park business. This will be reviewed in the light of
         experience before the 31 December 2003.
     9.
     10. The input of time by the Convener and Deputy Convener is difficult to judge at this
         early stage. Subject to approval by Scottish Ministers, it is proposed that the
         Convener is paid on the basis of an average input of 2 days per week, and the
         Deputy Convener on the basis of an average input of 1 day per week, until the end of
         2003.This takes account of the requirements of media briefings, conference
         attendance, meetings with Ministers and other partner organisations.
     11.
     12. All Members are appointed in their personal capacity, to serve the NPA. Appointed
         members are not on the NPA board in a representative capacity (in the sense of
         representing an organisation). Members are therefore being remunerated accordingly
         by the NPA. If Members have other employment, it is for them to reach an
         understanding with their employer in relation to payment for time spent on National

         Park Authority business.
     7.  For purposes of travel and subsistence, it is proposed that until such time as the NPA
         is able to review its arrangements and may wish to put in place an alternative, it
         adopts the travel and subsistence arrangements set out in Annex A (as inherited from
         the Cairngorms Partnership).
  RECOMMENDATION:
       1.
       2.  That Members are paid on the basis of working an average of 3 days per month
           for the CNPA until December 2003;
       3.
       4.  That subject to approval by Scottish Ministers, the Convener is paid on the basis
           of an average of 2 days per week, and Deputy Convener on the basis of an
           average 1 day a week for the CNPA;
       5.
       6.  That until such time as the NPA agrees an alternative set of arrangements for
           travel and subsistence of Members, those operated by the Cairngorms
           Partnership will apply;
       7.
       8.  That all these arrangements apply until the end of 2003, when they will be
           reviewed in the light of experience.
Signature:
Designation: Interim Chief Executive
Date: 2nd April 2003
ANNEX A
RATES OF TRAVEL AND SUBSISTENCE
The CNPA will reimburse Members for the cost of travel in a private vehicle necessarily
incurred by Board members on official business at a rate of 40p/mile. Board members should
travel by the most cost-effective means and where practical to do so should make
arrangements to share transport. Taxis should only be used where time is a factor and where
no other form of transport is available.
Board members will be entitled to claim subsistence in respect of expenses necessarily

incurred on official business for the CNPA as follows:
B&B 62
Dinner 14.40
Lunch 4.60