MPA update on ‘counter terrorism: the London Debate’

Report: 8
Date: 28 June 2007
By: Chief Executive

Summary

This report provides a brief update for members on the progress made by the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) regarding ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’ since it was presented to Full Authority on 22 February 2007. The report also proposes for members’ approval the way the MPA now takes this work forward.

A. Recommendation

That

1. Members note the progress made regarding ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’ since 22 February 2007.
2. Members approve the approach to taking ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’ forward now proposed in paragraph 25.

B. Supporting information

Background: 12 December 2005 – 22 February 2007

1. On 12 December 2005 the MPA hosted a community conference, entitled ‘Together Against Terror?’, at Central Hall Westminster.

2. Feedback from members of the public at and after this conference confirmed that there were grounds for further MPA community engagement on counter-terrorism.

3. On 26 January 2006 an MPA report on this conference was presented to Full Authority. This report also proposed that the MPA scope further work in the field of community engagement on counter-terrorism. This proposal was approved by members.

4. On 3 March 2006 an MPA report was presented to the Co-ordination and Policing Committee, proposing a carefully designed programme of community engagement on counter-terrorism, entitled ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’, for delivery by the MPA. This proposal was approved by members.

5. From March to December 2006 the MPA delivered its programme of community engagement on counter-terrorism, entitled ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’.

6. On 27 July 2006 an MPA report was presented to Full Authority updating members on progress made in delivering ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’.

7. On 22 February 2007 the final MPA report on this programme of community engagement on counter-terrorism, entitled ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’, was presented to Full Authority. This final report made 46 recommendations for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and offered 27 items of advice to other bodies, such as Government departments, the Security Service (MI5) and the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). This report and these recommendations and advice, subject to minor amendments, were approved by members.

8. At this meeting, Sir Ian Blair, Commissioner, MPS, welcomed the ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’ report in broad terms, and undertook to digest it over the following few months before returning to the MPA with the MPS’s formal response to its contents and recommendations.

Progress: 23 February 2007 – 28 June 2007

9. On 16 March 2007 Toby Harris, Reshard Auladin and Cindy Butts, supported by MPA officers, made the final, minor amendments to ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’ in the light of members’ comments and suggestions at Full Authority on 22 February 2007. Following this, the report was proof-read and then passed to designers and printers to be designed and printed professionally prior to widespread distribution.

10. On 27 March 2007, in order to secure MPS implementation of the recommendations made for the MPS in ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’, and in order to formalise an associated reporting process, the MPA sent a commissioning brief to the MPS, requiring it to present a report to Full Authority on 28 June 2007 detailing its substantive, considered response to ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’, including an individual response to each of the recommendations made for the MPS therein, and an update on any progress towards their respective implementation.

11. On 16 March 2007, given the priority and urgency of Recommendation 1 in ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’ (concerning police use of counter-terrorism stop and search powers in London), a separate commissioning brief was sent by the MPA to the MPS, requiring it to review rigorously its use of counter-terrorism stop and search powers and to present a report on the findings of this review to Full Authority on 31 May 2007.

12. On 31 May 2007 the MPS presented this report on its review of its use of counter-terrorism stop and search powers in London to Full Authority. This report made 9 further recommendations for the MPS, intended to improve the way it does its business in this sensitive area and more closely to align its practices with the views of Londoners. These 9 further recommendations were approved by members.

13. On 7 June 2007, at the MPA’s request, the Association of Police Authorities (APA) circulated this MPS report on police use of counter-terrorism stop and search powers in London to all Police Authority Chairs and Chief Executives for their reference. The MPA also asked the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to circulate this report to all Constabularies’ Chief Constables.

14. On 28 February 2007 Toby Harris, Reshard Auladin and Cindy Butts, supported by MPA staff, and accompanied by Sir Ian Blair, Commissioner, MPS, met with Tony Blair MP, Prime Minister, and Ruth Kelly MP, Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government, in the Cabinet Room at 10 Downing Street. The purpose of this meeting was to seek the express support of the Prime Minister and the Government for ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’, for its recommendations and advice, and for the community-based approach to counter-terrorism which it advocates. As a result of this meeting, explicit prime ministerial endorsement and governmental support were secured.

15. In order to seek to progress the adoption of advice offered for bodies other than the MPS by the MPA in ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’ a number of meetings have been requested by Toby Harris, Reshard Auladin and Cindy Butts, and have taken place as follows:

• On 15 March 2007 a meeting was held with civil servants in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
• On 21 March 2007 a meeting was held with civil servants in the Home Office.
• On 30 April 2007 a meeting was held with Deborah Glass, Commissioner, IPCC.
• On 22 May 2007 a meeting was held with Lord Peter Goldsmith, Attorney General.
• On 23 May 2007 a meeting was held with Alan Pacey, Assistant Chief Constable (Counter-Terrorism), British Transport Police (BTP).
• On 8 June 2007 a meeting was held with Fionnuala Gill, Chief Executive, APA.

16. Other such meetings have been requested with:

• Dr John Reid MP, Secretary of State, Home Office;
• Ruth Kelly MP, Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (awaiting confirmation of date);
• Tessa Jowell MP, Secretary of State, Department of Culture, Media and Sport;
• Alistair Darling MP, Secretary of State, Department of Transport;
• David Davis MP, Home Affairs Spokesperson, Conservative Party;
• Nick Clegg MP, Home Affairs Spokesperson, Liberal Democrat Party; and
• John Toker, Director of Counter-Terrorism Communications, Cabinet Office

17. Private discussions have also been held by Toby Harris, Reshard Auladin and Cindy Butts on how to take ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’ forward with:

• Tony McNulty MP, Minister for Security, Counter-Terrorism and Police, Home Office;
• DEMOS; and
• University College London Centre for Security and Crime Science.

18. Correspondence specifically on ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’ and the advice it contains for the Security Service has been exchanged between the MPA and Jonathan Evans, Director General, MI5.

19. Furthermore, the MPA has presented ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’:

• On 21 March 2007 to the APA’s National Policy Forum;
• On 21 March 2007 to West Yorkshire Police Authority staff; and
• On 4 April, 19 April and 14 May 2007 to delegations of politicians, police officers and prosecutors from the Netherlands.

20. On 18 April 2007 at the national Counter-Terrorism Units Oversight Group the MPA undertook to be the lead Police Authority for community engagement on counter-terrorism in 2007-8.

21. On 6-8 June 2007 the MPA disseminated 1,007 printed copies of the ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’ report to participants and interested parties regionally, nationally and internationally.

22. The MPA has commissioned two other, related MPS reports:

• On 11 May 2007 the MPA sent a commissioning brief to the MPS requiring it to present a report on its response to the IPCC’s 5 recommendations on Forest Gate to Full Authority on 28 June 2007.
• On 11 May 2007 the MPA sent a commissioning brief to the MPS requiring it to present a report to the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board on 4 October 2007 on its response to the recommendations arising from the ‘Disability Resilience’ conference hosted by the MPA and partners at City Hall on 17 March 2006.

Plans and proposals: 29 June 2007 +

23. On 3 July 2007 the MPA is running a national seminar for Police Authorities on community engagement on counter-terrorism.

24. On 12 July 2007 the MPA is presenting ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’ at a meeting of West Midlands Police Authority in Birmingham.

25. The following monitoring mechanism is proposed in order to secure maximum implementation of the recommendations made and advice offered in ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’:

• A matrix should be established, and continually updated, documenting all ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’ recommendations and items of advice. This matrix should include a record of, for each recommendation or item of advice:
  • the number of the recommendation;
  • to whom the recommendation is made;
  • the text of the recommendation;
  • the response to the recommendation;
  • progress towards the implementation of the recommendation;
  • whether or not the recommendations has been implemented, and therefore closed;
  • any further recommendations arising from the response to the recommendation; and
  • any relevant notes.
• This matrix should be the focal point of dedicated, quarterly meetings between Toby Harris, Reshard Auladin, Cindy Butts and appropriate senior MPS officer(s) to monitor and steer implementation of recommendations for the MPS. This series of meetings should be distinct and separate from those already held by Toby Harris and Reshard Auladin with MPS Specialist Operations (SO) on performance and operational matters, which require a higher level of security vetting and clearance.
• The matrix should also track adoption by other bodies of advice offered to them in ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’, which Toby Harris, Reshard Auladin and Cindy Butts, supported by MPA officers, should continue actively to pursue.
• Written reports should be presented biannually to MPA Full Authority updating members on progress with this work.

C. Race and equality impact

1. The equality and diversity implications of ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’ were covered in detail in previous reports to MPA Full Authority on 26 January 2006, Co-ordination and Policing Committee on 3 March 2006, Full Authority on 27 July 2006, and Full Authority on 22 February 2007.

2. ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’ was subjected to a full Equality Impact Assessment, which was approved by the MPA Equality and Diversity Unit and the MPA Chief Executive and Clerk.

3. At the heart of the design and delivery of ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’ has been a commitment to fulfil the MPA’s legal duties to eliminate discrimination and promote equality through its work.

4. ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’ has placed especial, but not exclusive emphasis upon consulting Londoners who have been disproportionately affected by terrorism and counter-terrorism, such as Muslims, and Londoners who have been inadequately engaged by the MPS and MPA in this area in the past, such as young people, students and women.

5. The participants in ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’ demonstrated diversity according to all six identity strands: gender, ethnicity, religion and/or (non-)belief, sexual orientation, age, and disability.

6. One of the primary purposes of ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’ is to advocate a more egalitarian approach to counter-terrorist efforts in the United Kingdom. Implementation of the recommendations made and advice offered by the MPA in the report on behalf of Londoners would contribute significantly to redressing current inequalities and consequent iniquities in this field.

D. Financial implications

1. There are no financial implications to this report. A budget of £29,000 was previously agreed by members and allocated to work on ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’. To date, this work, including design and printing of 1,500 copies of the final report, has cost a total of £17,000. The future MPA work proposed in this report has no costs attached, other than MPA officers’ and members’ time. Any unexpected costs incurred in the course of this work will be met from within the existing budget allocation.

D. Background papers

1. ‘Community engagement to counter terrorism (1)’, MPA, Full Authority, 26 January 2006
2. ‘Community engagement to counter terrorism (2)’, MPA, Co-ordination and Policing Committee, 3 March 2006
3. ‘Community engagement to counter terrorism (3a)’, MPA, Full Authority, 27 July 2006
4. ‘Community engagement to counter terrorism (3b)’, MPS, Full Authority, 27 July 2006
5. ‘Review of police use of counter-terrorism stop and search powers in London’, MPS, Full Authority, 31 May 2007
6. ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’, MPA, 22 February 2007
7. ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’, MPA, 2007

E. Contact details

Report author: Andy Hull (MPA Oversight and Review Unit), MPA.

For information contact:

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

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