Consultative groups and ICV financial update

Report: 8
Date: 04 July 2002
By: Clerk

Summary

This report is presented to update Members on the 2001/02 financial expenditure of Consultative Groups and Independent Custody Visiting Panels (ICV) and to highlight some issues.

A. Recommendations

That

1. members note the agreement made for the scrutiny of the internal management of the overall consultation budget.
2. members note the wide variation in expenditure claims of the Groups and Panels; and the actions in place for addressing this
3. members note the decision taken to retain 10% of the budget allocated to those Groups that do not submit an annual consultation work programme.

B. Supporting information

1. The MPA has an overall consultation budget of £1,240,000 in 2002/03. A significant portion of this is allocated to consultative groups for their operation to enable the MPA to engage and consult with local communities and people policing matters, and to ICV Panels whose role is to verify the treatment of individuals detained in custody.

This level of funding requires effective management and a number of process are already in place for assuring this:

1. The Lead member for Community and Police Consulative Groups (CPCG), Nicholas Long meets regularly with officers to discuss the Group’s financial matters, including giving guidance on urgent and or potentially difficult matters.
2. The MPA Finance regularly gives guidance to CDO Unit officers on financial management matters. This will continue and will be enhanced with the appointment of the part time Finance.
3. Regular papers will be presented to this committee in order to ensure that regular information if given to members as well as to ensure transparency in the internal processes and decisions reached.

Groups and Panels expenditure 2001/02

3. Consultative groups were awarded £880,991 in 2001/02 and up to 31 March 2002, had claimed £384,003.98. As at end June 2002, the remaining total balance of the budget for CPCG was £460,954. About 19 Groups are yet to submit a claim for their 2001/02 budget and final quarter claims are still outstanding from some groups. Accruals have been made in the 2001/02 accounts in respect of this, which was a best estimate 0f £449,909. (Appendix 1, see Supporting material).

4. ICV Panels were awarded £246,339 in 2001/02 and as at 31 March 2002, had claimed £85,679 of the overall amount allocated. As at end June 2002, the remaining total balance of budget for ICVP was £138,650.31. Accruals have been made in the 2001/02 accounts in respect of this, which was a best estimate of £184,992.37. Like the Consultative Groups, annual claims are being awaited from 14 Panels and 7 are still to submit their final quarter financial expenditure. This is attached at Appendix 2 (see Supporting material).

5. The wide variation in expenditure of the groups is being looked into by the MPA and guidance is being developed that would assist groups in this area for their expenditure in the current financial year.

Funding allocation 2002/03

6. The total budget for 2002/03 is £1,240,000. The funding allocated for 2002/03 to CPC groups is £879,880 and for ICV panels £236,259. The Co-ordination and Urgency Unit approved this allocation on 9 April. The CDO Unit will have an overall consultation development budget of £123,861. Due to the newness of this committee, members may wish to take a decision on the consultation development priorities for this financial year.

Consultation Work programme

7. For the first time, consultative groups were asked to submit a work programme indicating the consultation activities that they will be carrying out in the financial year and for which the funding will be used.

8. 23 groups submitted a work programme. To date, work programme are still being awaited from 11 groups. Those groups that did not submitted a work programme at the time of submitting their bid application have been informed that the MPA will retain 10% of their budget, pending receipt of their work programme. Officers are reviewing the work programmes to be able to assess the year-end performance of groups against those areas indicated in their programme plan. Officers are working with those Groups that have not yet submitted a programme in order to provide them with assistance or to identify the difficulties that they may have in completing this. There is a need for more detailed guidance to be given to consultative groups on the types of consultation that will be required to support the funding bid. This will be developed and circulated to Groups by autumn, in time for their 2003/04 bid application process that will begin in December 2002.

9. The immediate issue, which has presented ongoing difficulties for the groups and panels, is that of receiving funding in advance rather than in arrears – as has been the case. This has been revised to ensure that Independent Groups now receive their funding quarterly in advance. A revised quarterly monitoring form has been developed to include notification of additional funding received by Groups (and Panels, where appropriate). New financial guidance outlining the accounting requirement is being developed and will be sent to groups as soon as possible.

Local authority administered groups

10. These groups normally claim their funding allocated to them annually in arrears. The requirement to account for the funding being claimed remains; however, officers are looking to see whether different requirements may be needed.

Internal management of funding to groups and panels

11. The MPA CDO Unit has not had a permanent staff member dealing with the day-to-day processing and allocating of funding to the groups and panels. This has presented difficulties, which will be addressed with the appointment of a dedicated part-time finance officer.

Equal Opportunities and Race Relations Implications

The groups’ work programme will be reviewed to ensure that they are engaging with a range of groups including those traditionally discriminated against and identified in the MPA Consultation Strategy as a priority for all consultation at local and pan-London basis.

C. Financial implications

There are no direct implications associated with this report.

D. Background papers

None

E. Contact details

Report author: Julia Smith, CDO, MPA.

For information contact:

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

Send an e-mail linking to this page

Feedback