Minutes

Minutes of the Standards Committee of the Metropolitan Police Authority held on 21 June 2007 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Aneeta Prem (Chair)
• Stephanie Caplan (Deputy Chair)
• Anne Dickens
• Damian Hockney
• Bob Neil

MPA officers

• David Riddle (Deputy Chief Executive)
• Simon Vile (Head of Secretariat)

11. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

An apology for absence was received from John Roberts.

12. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

No interests declared.

13. Minutes

(Agenda item 3)

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting of the Standards Committee held on 5 October 2006 be agreed and signed as a correct record.

14. New model Code of Conduct

(Agenda item 4)

The Committee considered a report by the Chief Executive on the Government’s new Model Code of Conduct for members.

Members considered that the new Model Code made improvements on the original Code, for instance in terms of declarations of interest, disclosure of confidential information and bullying. However an area of concern was the requirement for members to include in the register of interests gifts and hospitality to the value of £25 or more. The requirement was also that members should declare these, where relevant, at meetings for a period of three years after receipt. It was felt that the officers needed to produce clear guidance for members on their responsibilities and also a process for reminding members on a regular basis what declarations they had included in the Register of Interests.

Members considered that the MPA’s Code should include the non-mandatory provision (paragraph 12 (2) of the Code) which enabled members to attend a meeting to make representations on matters with regard to which they had a prejudicial interest. This would also require the MPA to adopt a Standing Order giving members of the public similar rights, as set out in Appendix 2 of the report.

It was noted that the Association of Police Authorities was looking to produce a specific version of the Code for police authorities, but the Deputy Chief Executive advised that APA was focussing on issues of relevance to county councillors which would not apply in London, and he saw no reason why the Authority should not adopt the Code now to ensure that it complied with the legal timeframe for doing so.

RESOLVED – That the Authority be recommended

1. to adopt unamended those provisions of the Model Code of Conduct that apply to police authorities, except that the Authority’s Code should also include the non-mandatory paragraph 12 (2); and

2. to approve an addition to Standing Orders, as set out in Appendix 2 of the report, making provision for deputations from members of the public.

15. Benefits for members

(Agenda item 5)

The Committee considered a report by the Chief Executive asking for the Committee’s views on the question of whether MPA members should be able to take advantage of benefits that are available to MPS and MPA officers and staff.

Members recognised that there were arguments for and against this. In some other similar organisations such benefits would purely be available to staff. However Assembly Members were able to obtain corporate rate membership at a gym, so there were comparable examples.

On balance it was felt that it was not inappropriate for members to be able to access such benefits but that guidance should be produced so that members were clear as to when it was and was not appropriate to apply for a benefit. It was also agreed that the position should be reviewed after a year and guidance should be aligned as closely as possible to any issued in other parts of the GLA family.

RESOLVED –

1. That members should be able to apply for benefits that can be obtained by MPS and MPA officers and staff, on the basis of the principles outlined in paragraph 9 of the report;

2. that guidance be issued to all members, aligned as closely as possible to any similar advice given elsewhere in the GLA family; and

3. that the position be reviewed in a year’s time.

16. Employment and restrictions on political activity

(Agenda item 6)

The Committee considered a report by the Chief Executive inviting comments from the Committee on the MPS’s draft policy on staff’s engagement in political activities.

Members did not have any strong views on this policy, particularly as it was understood that the MPS trades unions had been consulted and did not have any in principle objections. There were some questions of detail, for instance around the impact on continuous service for pension purposes, where a member of staff resigned to stand in an election and was subsequently re-instated, not having been elected. There was also a question as to the correctness of paragraph 8 of the policy which appeared to say that a member of staff in the ‘politically free’ group had to resign before consenting to their nomination whereas a member of staff in the ‘intermediate’ or ‘restricted’ groups only had to resign on their formal adoption.

RESOLVED –

That the report be noted.

17. Local government and public involvement in Health Bill

(Agenda item 7)

The Committee received a report by the Chief Executive giving an update on the provisions contained in this Bill relating to the operation of standards committees and the Standards Board for England.

Members were informed that the Greater London Authority was acting as a pilot to look at the issues around standards committees acting as the local filter of complaints. They were invited to take part in a session at City Hall on 25 July.

RESOLVED –

That the report be received.

18. Standards indicators

(Agenda item 8)

The Committee considered a report by the Chief Executive presenting the quarterly standards indicators.

Members did not identify any matters of concern but did ask that the format of future reports be changed so that comparisons could be made between the same quarters for each year.

19. MEMBERS’ EXPENSES

(Agenda item 9)

This item was withdrawn.

The meeting finished at 1.15 p.m.

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