Specialist Operations management information supplementary report

Report: 11
Date: 5 March 2009
By: AC Specialist Operations on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

This supplementary report (to item 10) provides detail on a number of developments within Police Counter Terrorism and developing Police Authority governance.

A. Recommendation

That this report be received and noted.

B. Supporting information

1. Terrorism and Allied Matters (TAM) is a Business Area of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). The Chair of ACPO TAM (an elected position within ACPO) is currently Assistant Commissioner Specialist Operations (ACSO) Robert Quick. ACPO TAM’s primary functions are to develop, implement and maintain a national police counter terrorist strategy and to advise the Home Office on the distribution of counter terrorist grant and monitor expenditure on its behalf. ACPO TAM is responsible for counter terrorist grant outside London (currently circa £173m); the MPS receives its grant direct.

2. Outside London, there are four Counter Terrorism Units and four Counter Terrorism Intelligence Units, located across England and Wales. The Police Forces in which these units are sited are known as “lead forces”. The Police Authorities for the lead forces now convene as the Joint Counter Terrorism Oversight Group on a quarterly basis, to maintain a common approach to oversight and monitoring, as well as providing assurance to the Home Office that funding is being used as intended.

3. The developments that this report provides detail on are:

1. Development of the Police Counter Terrorism Network and changes to the role of both ACSO, and the newly designated Senior National Coordinator Counter Terrorism (an MPS DAC post) to include greater oversight and development of the network, and coordination of national assets.
2. The provision of Business Services under MPA governance to ACPO TAM by the MPS, which has been agreed in principle.
3. Proposals for the MPS to deliver Information Technology to ACPO TAM under MPA governance.

4. All three developments have national implications and will be subject to the governance structure of Police Authorities (lead force Authorities and Oversight groups). Detailed reports in respect of i and ii were discussed and noted at the inaugural MPA Counter Terrorism and Protective Services Sub-Committee on 27 November 2008. All elements of these developments that create any costs or liabilities for the MPS will be reported through MPA governance structures for approval.

Development of the Police Counter Terrorism Network

5. This report was presented to ACPO Chief Constables’ Council in October 2008. It proposed a number of recommendations, all of which were agreed. The report was also endorsed by the Joint Counter Terrorism Oversight Group in October 2008.

6. The recommendations were designed to take account of the highly successful build of regionally based Counter Terrorism Units (CTU [1]) and Counter Terrorism Intelligence Units (CTIU) , the Government’s refreshed ‘CONTEST’ strategy, as well as the HMIC report “Co-ordinating Pursue”. The recommendations identified how the co-ordination of national assets could be improved to ensure that they are fully and effectively utilised in mitigating national, regional and local risks whilst remaining connected with, and responsive to the needs of, local Forces. In addition, the recommendations took into account the CT challenge posed by the London Olympics 2012.

7. An enhanced role was proposed for the National Coordinator of Terrorist Investigations (an MPS DAC post) to provide greater oversight and coordination of operational activity across England and Wales. To reflect this change, the title was re-designated to Senior National Coordinator Counter Terrorism (SNC CT) to reflect a broader remit to coordinate the network outside of specific operations. The SNC CT reports to ACSO / Head of ACPO TAM. The NCTI role is now designated at Commander / Assistant Chief Constable rank and supports the SNC CT as deputy.

8. To support the SNC CT’s enhanced role, a National Coordination Centre (NCC) is proposed. This is proposed to be based in MPS premises, and will be a centre through which the SNC coordinates the Police CT network on a day to day basis. The NCC will act as a central point of national coordination which supports the SNC CT.

The Provision of Business Services to ACPO TAM

8. ACPO TAM distributes and administers grant to 23 Police Authorities / Lead Organisations, and also directly provides a range of specialist national services. The amount of grant has risen significantly over previous years and is due to increase further in 2009/2010.

9. In order to cope with this expansion ACPO TAM set up a range of business services support covering Finance, HR, Procurement, Estates and Legal. ACPO TAM is not a legal entity in itself, and therefore had to obtain these services externally. The majority of ACPO TAM units are located in central London and the MPS has provided various support services on an informal and sometimes ad hoc manner. The value of these services is currently estimated at £866,000 a year.

10. In March 2008 the MPS completed a review of the current arrangements with ACPO TAM, which concluded that they could be improved and governance could be strengthened. A formal review by ACPO TAM also found the arrangements to be unsatisfactory and proposed that key elements of business services be provided by the MPS under MPA governance.

11. Relevant stakeholders were consulted and options were recommended for the future delivery of business services. The preferred option of all parties was to develop a Service Level Agreement (SLA)/ Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the MPA/MPS and ACPO TAM. ACPO TAM will be the client, represented by ACSO, and subject to the development of satisfactory detailed proposals the MPA will delegate to the MPS through the Director of Resources the contractor responsibilities.

12. The SLA/MOU is currently being negotiated with MPS and MPA offices and will be put before members for approval.

Proposals for the MPS to deliver Information Technology to ACPO TAM

13. The issue of Information Communications & Technology (ICT) asset ownership necessitates ACPO TAM assets being treated differently to other business support services. An initial examination found that only two organisations were in a position to own ACPO TAM ICT, namely the MPA or the National Policing Improvement Agency.

14. A Board was established involving the MPA, NPIA, ACPO TAM, MPS and the Home Office to determine the appropriate relationship structure. Unanimous agreement was reached for the proposed relationship whereby ACPO TAM would be the Customer, NPIA the Intelligent Client/Technical Design Authority and subject to approval by the MPA, the MPS should be the Service Deliverer.

15. The Board also agreed an outline business case for the ASCENT Project. This will provide the infrastructure for the rest of the IT strategy and replace the existing system, in the light of changes to both threat and national assets. Proposals are currently being negotiated and will be reported through MPA governance structures for approval. ACPO TAM IT is funded through CT Capital Grant.

C. Race and equality impact

Any agreement of the developments mentioned in this report will be subject to MPA scrutiny of performance across all diversity strands. Additionally ACPO TAM engages in regular discussion with Government, Police Authorities and Local Authorities through the MPA chaired Joint Counter Terrorism Oversight Group.

D. Financial implications

This report is submitted purely for information purposes. All elements of these developments that create any costs or liabilities for the MPS will be reported through MPA governance structures for approval.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Robert Quick, Assistant Commissioner Specialist Operations, MPS

For information contact:

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

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