Reports from committees

Report: 8
Date: 26 May 2011
By: Chief Executive

At each meeting of the Authority members will receive a report from committees that have meet in recent weeks.

This report from the authority’s committees provides members with details of the key items considered at each of the committees and their sub-committees.

This report covers the following meetings:

• Finance and Resources Committee – 24 March 2011
• Standards Committee – 29 March 2011
• Finance and Resources Committee – 14 April 2011
• Communities, Equality and People Committee – 5 May 2011

Finance and Resources Committee - 24 March 2011

Members present:

Reshard Auladin, John Biggs, Chris Boothman, Valerie Shawcross and Graham Speed In the absence of the Chair and Vice-Chair it was agreed that the meeting be chaired by Graham Speed.

Revenue and capital budget monitoring

This report advised that at period 10 (to the end of January) the revenue budget is forecast to under-spend by £3.5m (0.1% of budget). The capital programme as at the end of period 10 shows year to date total expenditure of £137.2m. This total represents 49.7% of the revised annual budget of £276.3m. The forecast for the year of £206.5m represents an under-spend of £69.8m (25.3% of the revised annual budget).

Annual review of the schedule of fees and charges

Approval was given to the revised schedule of the fees and charges levied by the MPS and also the charges for the special services of police

Police Property Act Fund

These funds relate to property that is in the possession of police where the owner of the property cannot be identified and where no order of a competent court has been made. The income derived from funds invested is added to and becomes part of the PPAF which may then be used to meet the expenses incurred in the conveyance, storage, safe custody and sale of the property and to make payments for charitable purpose. The PPAF meets direct cost expenditure, such as auction costs, and a notional annual administration charge of £0.2m to the MPS

The Committee received information on the grants awarded in each borough in 2010/11 and approved the proposals for the allocation of the 2011/12 grant budget which totals £800,000.

Internal Audit shared services

Approval was given for the MPA to enter into an arrangement with the Greater London Authority (GLA) for the MPA to discharge the GLA’s Internal Audit function, and to delegate authority to the Chief Executive of the MPA to approve all necessary actions and documentation to put the arrangements in place. The internal audit function will be provided from 1 April 2011 under a shared service arrangement.

Olympic Games business cases (exempt)

A process is in place for managing the flow of Olympics related business cases from the Olympic Sub Committee to the Finance and Resources Committee under which the Olympics Sub Committee presents a written report to the Finance and Resources Committee At this meeting the business case relating to the serious and organised crime project was agreed

Standards Committee – 29 March 2011

Members present: Jennette Arnold, Christopher Boothman, John Bowers, Anne Dickens (Chair), Janet Gray (Vice Chair) and Toby Harris

Guest speaker

The Committee welcomed Catherine Crawford, Chief Executive of the MPA who provided members with an update on the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill.

As part of her presentation to members, Catherine Crawford also highlighted a number of other points which included:

• The corporation sole status of the MOPC and MPS
• That the MPS would also be an employer
• Discussions on a non statutory protocol/guidance on operational independence.
• Discussion around the transfer of staff and estate from MPA to MOPC and a possible secondary transfer of some areas to the MPS.
• The lack of clarify around complaints against senior police officers.

Members noted that there was no provision in the Bill for a complaints regime for the MOPC, although there was the possibility of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) having a role in this function. Some members expressed some concern around the GLA scrutiny panel not having the right to call the MPS Commissioner to its meetings, but acknowledged that there was scope for the MPS Commissioner to be invited and that it was very unlikely that he would not attend. Members also asked if the Bill was likely to be voted out once in the House of Lords. It was noted that whilst there was likely to thorough examination of the Bill and likely amendments suggested, it was not thought the Bill would fall. It was mentioned that there might be a problem with the proposed timescale for completion due to the number of other important Bills passing to the House of Lords and the limited time available to complete the process.

Update on the standards regime

A report was presented that provided members with an update on the progress of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill, as well as the Decentralisation and Localism Bill, so far as they affected the MPA’s Standards Committee.

Members were reminded that the Decentralisation and Localism Bill contained proposals to abolish the ethical standards regime. Once the Bill was enacted this would see Standards for England ceasing to operate and relevant authorities no longer required to have a local standards committee and the national code of conduct for elected members being dispensed with.

Members were also informed that some regard to the implications of the Bill and the abolition of the MPA was needed when considering any future complaints. Members were informed that it may be necessary to avoid the possibility of a member being subjected to an investigation at the time of the abolition of the MPA, as there was currently no transitional provision for dealing with complaints against MPA members and it would be difficult to see how the public interest would be served in pursuing the investigation. The report suggested that members should assess any complaint on a case by case basis and that the Assessment Sub-Committee should be mindful of these issues as well as taking care to apply the criteria for investigation and consider the public interest.

Members agreed that a letter should be written, by the Chair, to the Mayor reiterating the committee’s view that the new Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime should give consideration to the adoption of some form of standards regime.

Update on the local assessment of complaints about MPA

Members received a report that sought approval to the minutes of an Assessment Sub-Committee meeting about a Member complaint and to note the Annual Return to Standards for England

Update on politically restricted posts

A report was received that updated members as to the work of officers in relation to politically restricted posts

Members were reminded that the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 had been amended by the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 and that this amendment had included the removal of the requirement of authorities to maintain a list of posts to be politically restricted due to salary

Standards indicators

Members received quarterly standard indicators for the periods July-September 2010 and October - December 2010.

Strategic and Operational Policing Committee – 7 April 2011

Members present: Reshard Auladin (as Chairman), Tony Arbour, Chris Boothman, Jennette Arnold, Toby Harris, Jenny Jones, Joanne McCartney, Caroline Pidgeon, Valerie Brasse, and Graham Speed.

Territorial Support Group (TSG) Review

The MPS informed Members that the TSG consisted of 777 officers, operating from five bases, and that although they are responsible for responding to critical incidents and public disorder they only use 15% of their time fulfilling this specialist role, and the other 85% in supporting crime reduction on boroughs, and in SO or SCD.

They noted that the TSG senior management team initiated a review in 2009, which has resulted in ten recommendations. Highlights include: that the unit structure should be modified to reflect MPS priorities and value for money – this has encompassed new shift patterns that enable 24/7 coverage and prioritising work on detailed demand analysis; secondly, a review of TSG skills – including the redeveloping the TSG surveillance capacity to assist further in reducing volume crime, and increasing the unit’s firearms capacity into a strategic reserve (an extra 150 officers will be firearms trained); thirdly, a number of recommendations regarding engagement and communication – all officers have a PDR relating to neighbourhood policing and spend three days in support of Safer Neighbourhoods teams in every five week cycle, the ‘situation has changed’ presentation – which casts the audience in the role of officers policing a public order event - has been delivered across London, and a community reference group is being developed.

Whilst deployment levels have been broadly the same over the previous year, complaints have reduced by a third and the reductions in incivility are the highest across the MPS. They also noted that training programmes had been amended to take in interaction with the public, scenarios include: public order, disorder, house entry, and prison intervention.

With regard the community reference groups Members were informed that this would be used to tap into different communities and those with specialist insight – e.g. protest groups and journalists. Whilst this would be a formal forum it will not be subject to the same restrictions as an IAG.

The policing of stalking and harassment

This report was produced following the MPA/MPS annual report into violence against women. The Chair noted that some of the figures within the report were very disturbing.

Members expressed concern that a series of incidents of harassment may, according to the report, be recorded as only one crime, and may not therefore constitute a pattern of behaviour – as required by the Protection from Harassment Act. The MPA noted that evidence underpinning that assertion was broadly anecdotal and suggested that MPS provide a response to that in a future report.

There was debate as to whether the BCS highlighted underreporting in VAW or if the variance in results were likely due to differing definitions used – that stating ‘harassed’ for the purposes of the BCS may not be a ‘course of conduct’ as criminal investigation would require, for instance.

Update on Restorative Justice within the MPS

A Member raised concerns that the public may think a ‘chat’ with a victim would be insufficient recompense for such crimes. He suggested that the public may not see these interventions as sanction and that this scheme may encourage the resolving of investigations prior to giving thought to the adequacy of the punishment.

The MPS replied that restorative justice provides reparation for victims and enables local problem solving. They noted that a public steering group has been used to evaluate the Greenwich pilot. The Chair added that the victim would have to consent to restorative justice being used.

Finance and Resources Committee – 14 April 2011

Members Present:

Steve O’Connell, Reshard Auladin, John Biggs, Chris Boothman and Dee Doocey.

Revenue and capital budget monitoring (period 11)

This report advised that at period 11 (to the end of February) the revenue budget is forecast to under-spend by £6.4m (0.2% of budget). The capital programme as at the end of period 11 shows year to date total expenditure of £156.9m. This total represents 56.8% of the revised annual budget of £276.3m. The forecast for the year of £199.6m represents an under-spend of £76.7m (27.8% of the revised annual budget).

Disposal of former police stations

There is a schedule of properties which have been identified for disposal in the current financial year. The Committee received reports in connection with the outcome of three of these disposals and approved the recommended bids which had been made in respect of the following former police stations: Surbiton (Kingston), Harold Hill (Havering) and Rainham (Havering) . An open market tender was carried out in each case. The receipts generated from these disposals will allocated to the 2011/12 capital programme.

Local Authority Match funding scheme

A report was submitted which advised that a match funding scheme has been offered to the Local Authorities, under Section 92 of the Police Act 1996, where if they fund one police officer another officer will be provided at no additional charge to the Local Authority. The Chair of the MPA wrote to the Leaders of all 32 local authorities suggesting that they might explore how the various community safety funding streams might be used to provide additional police officers in each borough and to invite expressions of interest. A figure of £51,000 was set for each local authority funded officer which, with the match funding, would effectively provide them with two officers for this figure. The scheme was supported by an additional 54 officer posts in the draft Policing London Business Plan considered by the Authority in February. Current indications from boroughs are that the scheme will result in agreements requiring a total of 230 officer posts of which 115 will be funded by councils.

Three key principles were established which have been incorporated into a more detailed set of principles:

• The match funded officers had to relate to additional officers, and specifically be over and above those officers already provided to the Local Authority under one of the MPA’s current ‘cost sharing’ schemes.
• The match funded officers remained under the operational control of the Commissioner.
• The match funded officers would only be abstracted from their duties in the case of an emergency, and in those circumstances the Local Authority would not receive any refund to their grant.

At the time of the meeting the scheme had seen initial expressions of interest for 200 officers (gross) to undertake a variety of activities including policing of parks and open spaces (Wandsworth and Redbridge), estates policing (Barking and Dagenham, Hounslow, Waltham Forest) and tasking teams (Brent, Harrow and Redbridge. It is expected that up to a maximum of 230 bids could be received once all Local Authorities have established their position. The scheme is seen as a means of working in partnership with borough councils and of safeguarding officer resilience during a period of increasing financial restraint.

The Committee noted that the proposal before the Committee was not a radical new idea as similar schemes had been in operation in boroughs for several years. Rather it provided a template of standard terms and conditions which would be applied locally and there will be a separate agreement with each participating borough and these will be signed off by the MPA Chief Executive. The agreements are for three years and are subject to 12 months notice by either party.

The Committee heard representations in objection to the proposals from two parties.

The Committee approved the terms of the scheme.

Transfer of front counter facilities –Sutton

Approval was given to the transfer of front counter services in Sutton Borough Operational Command Unit from Wallington police station to the Safer Neighbourhoods base at Crosspoint House, Wallington.

Communities, Equalities and People Committee – 5 May 2011

The following Members were in attendance:

Cindy Butts, Faith Boardman, Victoria Borwick, Valerie Brasse and Clive Lawton

Territorial Policing Development Programme (Human Resources and Equality Implications)

The Committee received a report providing an overview of the Human Resources and equality implications of the Territorial Policing Development Programme. The staff consultation process was outlined, along with the level of support being offered to staff who are being considered for redeployment. The MPS outlined the approach to address equality and diversity implications during the development programme. The Committee will continue to monitor the ongoing progress of the programme.

Met Volunteer Programme

The Committee received a report which outlined the development of the Met Volunteer Programme (MVP) and set out background information on the operational processes of the volunteer programme. The MPS also outlined their engagement with volunteers who are willing to provide additional time during the 2012 Olympics. Members commended the positive work of the volunteer programme, along with the wide diversity of the volunteers.

Representative Workforce within the MPS Olympic Command Teams

The Committee received a report which outlined the work to ensure a representative workforce in the MPS Olympic Command Teams. In order to encourage a diverse workforce in the command team, initial presentations are held for interested staff; which provides an overview of the available roles. These presentations are held prior to vacancies being advertised, in order to encourage interest from applicants of diverse backgrounds. The Chair of the Committee was invited to attend one of these presentations.

D. Background papers

• None

E. Contact details

Report authors:

• Full Authority: Nick Baker
• Finance & Resources Committee/Corporate Governance Committee: John Crompton
• Strategic and Operational Policing Committee: Thomas Foot
• Communities, Equalities and People Committee: Michael Taylor

For more information contact:

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

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