EXPENSES and allowances for North Yorkshire councillors are set to be pegged next year.

An independent remuneration panel which has looked at the amounts paid to members of North Yorkshire County Council has recommended no increases for the forthcoming 2013/14 financial year.

The panel’s report will be presented at a full meeting of the authority next month.

If the recommendations are adopted, all basic councillors’ allowances and special responsibility allowances – paid to members who have certain roles within the council, such as committee chairs – will remain at the 2012/13 levels, as will travel and meal rates.

County councillors are paid £8,994 a year, with leader John Weighell being paid £24,704. Members of the authority’s executive get £13,896.

However, 2013/14 will – if the panel’s recommendations are followed – see new special responsibility allowances introduced for the chairman and vice-chairman of the new Police and Crime Panel for North Yorkshire, which will be £4,632 and £1,544 respectively.

Councillors are also currently able to claim mileage of 40p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25p a mile afterwards, with meal allowances being £6.50 for breakfast, £9 for lunch and £11 for an evening meal, while members can claim £76.50 for an overnight stay and £90 if it is in London. The panel’s report said these rates should continue in 2013/14.