Question to Kent County Council [with answer], 6 April 2011: Interim Senior Officer Pay (Liberal Democrats on Kent County Council)

Liberal Democrats on Kent County Council <info@kentlibdems.org.uk>

Question to Kent County Council [with answer], 6 April 2011: Interim Senior Officer Pay

April 6, 2011 4:23 PM

Question by Martin Vye to Paul Carter, Leader of the Council

Given the taxpaying public's concerns about high pay in the public sector and the revelation that sums of more than £1,000 per day are being paid by the Council to several senior officers in interim posts, would the Leader of the Council ensure that Cabinet Members provide all Members with details of the work done justifying the payment of these sums, especially as the rate paid is often more than double that of the anticipated weekly salary for the equivalent permanent Corporate Director position.

Answer

I do not recognise the figure Mr Vye quotes in his question. When the total cost of the employment package for the ex-Managing Director for CFE is compared to the costs of the two interim Corporate Directors covering the revised posts, his figures do not add up.

The total weekly cost of the ex MD for CFE, including employer on-costs, was around £5300. This does not include sick pay or the cost of redundancy. The weekly cost of the interim Corporate Director Families and Social Care is almost exactly the same and for the interim Corporate Director Education, Learning & Skills is £3900.

I am in no doubt that we get value for money from our consultants. In every case, they have been set stretching, measurable, ambitious targets to achieve. In many cases they have delivered outcomes that could not have been achieved by substantive members of staff due to the nature of the work. Interims by definition are used to coming into an organisation and achieving quick outcomes. Each of the interims that we have recently engaged have proven and credible track records in similar Authorities.