MPA membership of Association of Police Authorities (APA)

Report: 10
Meeting: Metropolitan Police Authority
Date: 10 July 2000
By: Clerk

Summary

The APA is the national body, which represents all police authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It has an established national role in negotiating with central government on a range of key policing matters at a strategic level, in addition it provides a service which goes beyond that of providing expert advice and includes for example, training, seminars, workshops and conferences.

The MPA's role ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of policing in the Metropolitan District of London could be enhanced through its membership of the APA. Additionally, it will give the MPA a platform to influence policing beyond the region of London, thus contributing to improvements in the policies that effect policing at a national level.

A. Supporting information

1. The APA has two main roles:

• to act as the national voice of police authorities; and
• to provide support services to its member authorities.

2. The APA is the national body, which represents all police authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It was set up in 1997 to provide a national voice for police authorities. Prior to the establishment of the MPA, the APA represented the interests of the Metropolitan Police Committee (MPC) which was the advisory body to the Home Secretary in his former capacity as police authority for the Metropolitan Police.

3. The purpose of the APA is to:

• represent police authorities in tripartite negotiations with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the Home Office;
• provides central support services to assist police authorities, including guidance advice and training;
• is the principal channel for exchange of information on best practice and arranges workshops, seminars and conferences on major issues of concern to police authorities.

4. The aims of the APA are:

• to secure efficient and effective policing service within the tripartite partnership;
• enhance local policing accountability;
• develop policies and structures in support of the police authority role;
• spread good practice, particularly through best value.

5. One of the Association's most important jobs is to act as a strong national voice for police authorities. In this context the Association meets regularly both collectively and bilaterally with Home Office ministers, and representatives from ACPO, HMIC, and the Audit Commission.

6. The Association also represents police authorities on a wide range of tripartite bodies and other fora at both member and officer level, as well as contributing to various ad hoc working groups set up to deal with particular issues. These include negotiating bodies such as the Police Negotiating Board, Police Support Staff Council; and advisory bodies such as:

• Police Advisory Board
• National Police Services Advisory Board
• Police Training Council

7. The Association appoints members to represent Police authority interests on statutory bodies including; the service authorities for National Crime Squad and National Criminal Intelligence Service, and the Police Information Technology Board.

8. The APA has a key role in developing and influencing policy development on policing issues at national as well as local levels. Many of these policy groups parallel the policy areas of the MPA. There is therefore potential for learning, as well as information, sharing between the two bodies. The APA has six main Policy Groups and various working groups in which members formulate policy.

9. The main policy groups cover the following areas:

• Finance Issues
• Personnel Issues
• Best Value
• Partnership
• Operational and Technology and
• Ethnic Diversity

10. The terms of reference for some of these policy groups are similar to those of the MPA Committees and these are attached as Appendix 1.

11. The MPC joined the APA in April 1998 and held three seats. The ALG holds the other three Metropolitan Authority seats.

12. Members will wish to note that, to a large extent, the APA has offered a similarly high level of advice to the Transition Team that is available to other police authorities.

13. The APA is already well placed to influence government and ACPO on key policy decisions and practice issues relating to policing and it would seem sensible for the MPA to seek to influence these established processes, through membership, rather than try to influence its own – even where it may have the political stature to do so.

14. As previously stated, over the past year, the APA has played a significant role in advising the Home Secretary, Home Office and MPA Transitional team officers on the setting up of the MPA. There is therefore a good historical link which should not be overlooked.

15. The APA is the only source of expertise and advice on police authority issues, roles and responsibilities, as distinct from policing issues generally. The APA provides a range of expert advice and guidance to police authorities throughout the country. It also has a good overview of best practice examples and performance that, the MPA, as a newly established police authority, would benefit from – as well as influence.

16. The APA represents police authorities interests on a range of negotiating and consultation bodies for dealing with key strategic issues including, for example, pay and conditions of service for police throughout the country. The MPA membership will greatly assist the negotiating power of the APA, thereby contributing to a stronger voice for policing, which would directly benefit the Metropolitan police Service. Should the MPA decide to act alone, it may have difficulty accessing these fora thus reducing its representational influence for the Metropolitan police.

17. Although it may be argued that the MPA has the potential, by virtue of the size and responsibility (workforce, funding, national and international functions, etc) of the MPS, the political interface with, for example the interrelationship between the MPA Chair, Mayor for London and the Greater London Assembly, to be in a position to undertake much of the representation function that the APA undertakes itself. It is important that the MPA is able to influence policing matters nationally, regionally as well as locally. Membership of the APA will ensure that it is well placed to have such influence.

18. The final point to bring to members attention is the APA's interest in and keenness to welcome the MPA into membership. The APA is aware of the positive impact that the MPA could have on the Association and it is eager that this opportunity should not be lost.

B. Recommendations

That In view of the APA's well-established role as the national voice for Police Authorities and the potential to offer the MPA, as well as the potential of the MPA to influence the direction and developments of policing at a national level, that the Authority approve full membership of the APA.

C. Financial implications

The cost to become a member of the APA is £10,891 per place, per year. The cost of APA membership is proportionate to the size of the MPA; the greater influence that it will have on the APA is also reflected in the membership subscription. There are currently six metropolitan seats on the APA, three held by the MPC and three held by the ALG. The MPA will be entitled to have the six seats. The annual cost of membership will therefore be £65,346. However, as previously indicated, because the MPS have already paid subscription for 2000-01 for three seats, should members vote to take up its full compliment of seats, there would only be the need to fund three seats at £32,673.

D. Review arrangements

Members may wish to review the membership arrangements at the end of the first 12 months to ensure that it was continuing to receive value for money for its membership of the APA.

E. Background papers

The following is a statutory list of background papers (under the Local Government Act 1972 S.100 D) which disclose facts or matters on which the report is based and which have been relied on to a material extent in preparing this report. They are available on request to either the contact officer listed above or to the Clerk to the Police Authority at the address indicated on the agenda.

F. Contact details

The author of this report is Julia Smith

For information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

Appendix 1: APA Policy Committees and Working Groups Terms of Reference

1. Best Value Policy Group (formerly Quality and Performance Management group)

• to develop, promote, review and monitor, under the chairmanship of a member of the APA Executive Sub-Committee, APA policies relating to best value;
• to co-ordinate timely responses to consultation exercises as required;
• to gather information, and initiate surveys and research projects with a view to identifying and disseminating good practice;
• to provide advice and support to member authorities on best value;
• to maintain links with key partners including the Home Office, HMIC, Audit Commission and ACPO.

2. APA Partnerships Policy Group

To develop, promote, review and monitor, under the chairmanship of a member of the APA Executive Sub-Committee, APA policies relating to:

• community safety, crime reduction and prevention issues;
• drug and alcohol-related issues; youth matters; and
• such other partnership matters as may from time to time arise.

To maintain links with LGA counterparts and other relevant organisations and groups with expertise or interests in partnership issues.

To co-ordinate the APA response to consultation exercises on partnership matters.

To initiate surveys and research projects, identify good practice and provide advice and support to police authorities.

3. Finance Issues Policy Group is responsible for:

Developing, promoting, reviewing and monitoring APA policies relating to all finance issues affecting policing. In addition, it is also responsible for:

• co-coordinating responses to consultations as required;
• defining best practice procedures; and
• gathering information, and initiate surveys and research projects.

4. Personnel Issues Policy Group is responsible for:

• The personnel functions of police forces, which affect their efficiency and effectiveness.
• Other appropriate personnel issues, including those affecting relationships between the police and local communities.
• Co-ordinating timely responses to consultations as requested.
• Defining "best practice" procedures.
• Gathering information and initiates surveys and research projects.

5. Ethnic Diversity Policy Group

Was set up in anticipation of the Stephen Lawrence report. The main function is to develop, promote, review and monitor the APA policies on ethnic minority issues to build trust and confidence in the police service, including:

• Considers the implications for police authorities of the recommendations of the McPherson Report;
• Considers the implications for police authorities of the HMIC Thematic Report "Winning the Race Revisited";
• Develops a national response to these issues on behalf of police authorities
• Produces advice and guidance for police authorities on the lessons to be learnt from these reports;
• Defines good practice and procedures in the provision of policing services to ethnic minority communities;
• Considers issues affecting the recruitment, retention and progression of ethnic minority officers and support staff;
• Considers issues affecting complaints and discipline issues;
• Considers the training implications of the reports, including the scope for training in partnership with outside agencies;

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