CITY of York Councillors could receive an £819 increase in their basic allowance together with child care provision in a bid to attract more people - particularly women - to office.

Councillors currently receive £5,043 per financial year as well as special responsibility allowances for the chair and vice-chair of committees of £3,384 and £509 respectively.

But a report by an independent review panel recommends that the basic allowance be increased to £5,862 per year, and the increase be backdated to the introduction of the new statutory executive arrangements on June 1 last year.

If these recommendations are approved it will cost £49,600 for the backdated allowances and £55,300 per financial year thereafter, which will be met from the current budget for members' allowances.

The panel also recommends that the civic hospitality budget, which covers Mayoral events, should be increased by £5,180 to £14,000, but that it should be spent in accordance with a coherent plan to achieve maximum benefit.

It also recommends that the special responsibility allowances be frozen at the current level, except for the chair and vice chair of the licensing and regulatory committee which will be brought up to the level of other committees.

A dependent care allowance of £4.20 per hour for each child with the care costs for children with special needs set at £5.60 per hour up to 8pm and £6.72 per hour after that was also recommended by the panel.

However the council's executive committee, which met last night to discuss the issue before it is debated by full council on January 30, decided to recommend that the special needs care is set at up to £9 per hour.

The executive also recommended that the arrangements be reviewed after 12 months to ensure they are working adequately.

Chairman Dave Merrett said some people had been put off becoming councillors because of family commitments.

He said: "I know we have been unable to recruit people who were interested in standing for council because of these types of issues. It is putting off quite a lot of women." The meeting was told that the shadow executive had questioned the amount of child care allowance recommended.

But Councillor Ruth Potter said: "In terms of the comments by the shadow executive, they are living in the past. You might be able to get a next-door neighbour to look after your child for that, but for a good place with a registered childminder you would be lucky to get it for the amount recommended here."

Updated: 16:17 Tuesday, January 21, 2003