Minutes

Minutes of the meeting of the special joint meeting of the Finance Committee and Planning Performance and Review Committee held on 19 November 2007 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Graham Tope (Chair)
• Richard Sumray (Deputy Chair) up to agenda item 14)
• Reshard Auladin
• Faith Boardman
• Dee Doocey
• Elizabeth Howlett

Also present: Karim Murji (Agenda item 5)

MPA officers

• Catherine Crawford (Chief Executive)
• Ken Hunt (Treasurer)
• John Crompton (Committee Services)

MPS officers

• Anne McMeel (Director of Strategic Finance)
• Simon Hart (Director of Business Development)
• Karim Mahamdallie (Director of Business Support)
• Paul Stock (Director, Strategic Finance)
• Alan Croney (Director of Property Services)
• Detective Superintendent David Imroth for agenda item 5
• Patrick Phillips and Simon Hill (Directorate of Information), Rachel Musson for agenda item 6
• representatives of the Merton and Waltham Forest Operational Command Units for item 18

67. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies for absence were received from Richard Barnes and Aneeta Prem.

68. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

There were none.

69. Minutes of the meetings held on 20 September and 18 October 2007

(Agenda item 3)

RESOLVED - That the minutes of the meetings held on 20 September and 18 October 2007 be agreed and signed as a correct record.

70. Revenue and capital budget monitoring 2007/08 - period 6

(Agenda item 4)

his report provided an update on the revenue and capital budget monitoring position for 2007/08 at period 6 (to the end of September). The revenue budget is forecast to underspend by £14.6m (0.5% of budget), which includes £5.6m of estimated additional costs related to Operation Seagram. The capital programme as at period 6 shows year to date total expenditure of £54.1m. This total represents 30.1% of the revised annual budget. The forecast for the year of £178.0m is £1.8m below the revised budget of £179.8m.

The Committee noted that paragraph 34 referred to in the second recommendation should read paragraph 33.

In reply to points raised by members the Director of Strategic Finance advised that the intention was that in future years the capital programme would be re-freshed on two occasions a year and these would probably be at the time of the closure of the previous year’s accounts and at the time of the budget submission process. Members requested additional information on overtime spend on major operations.

RESOLVED – That -

1. the year to date and forecast position for revenue and capital budgets be noted.

2. Approval be given to the budget changes to the capital programme as set out at paragraph 33

71. MPS development of police activity based on costing

(Agenda item 5)

This report provided an update on the 2006/07 submission to the Home Office and progress including the high level costing results and development of use of data. It is also the final part to the report presented at the October Finance Committee, which provided information on national and local developments in ABC, along with details of the MPS Productivity Programme

Karim Murji attended for consideration of this report. He asked for an assessment of what uses the ABC data would be put in future years. In reply, the Director of Strategic Finance said that one possible scenario would be for it to be part of a wider efficiency programme.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

72. Project Herald

(Agenda item 6)

A report was submitted concerning Project Herald, which proposed a new custody-staffing model which aims to deliver efficiencies and a safer custody environment.

Members commented that the way in which the financial implications were set out was not sufficiently clear to make a decision – there was, for example no explanation given for the projected variations in particular years.

It was agreed that the report be deferred and a more detailed version be submitted to a future meeting.

73. Estates update

(Agenda item 7)

 report was submitted which updated the committee on estate and Property Services matters.

RESOLVED –That the report be noted.

74. Acquisition of a patrol base for Merton BOCU

(Agenda item 8)

A report was submitted which proposed the provision of a patrol base for the Borough of Merton through the freehold acquisition of a site in Merton to provide patrol base facilities for Merton as part of the roll out of the estate strategy.

From the Merton Operational Command Unit attended for consideration of this item.

Elizabeth Howlett, MPA link member for Merton, confirmed that she supported the proposal. However, she would be interested to know whether full consideration had been given to the welfare and safety of staff using public transport at night.

RESOLVED – That

1. approval be given to the freehold acquisition of a site in Merton to house the patrol and response team; and

2. approval be given to the estimated capital expenditure as specified in the exempt Appendix for contract work and professional fees in connection with the required construction and fit out.

75. Exclusion of press and public

(Agenda item 9)

RESOLVED - That under section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involved disclosure of exempt information as detailed in paragraphs 3 and 7 of Schedule 12A to the above Act.

Summary of decisions made on exempt items

Minute 76 agenda item 10 – Exempt Appendix to Project Herald
Report deferred – see under minute 72.

Minute 77 agenda item 11– exempt Appendices to estates update
Information noted.

Minute 78 agenda item 12 – exempt appendix to Merton patrol base
Information noted.

Minute 79 agenda item 13 - ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) strategy
review
Approval given to the procurement of an MPS corporate ERP licence

Minute 80 agenda item 14 - estate proposals to deliver residential solution for Peel Centre
Recommendations relating to the Peel Centre were adopted.

Minute 81 agenda item 15 - variation on costs for Waltham Forest custody centre
Recommendations relating to approving a variation on the project costs were agreed.

Minute 82 agenda item 16 - Appointments to the custody centre and patrol base programmes utilising the SECE major works framework
Recommendations relating to the appointment of contractors to the second stage of tendering were adopted.

Minute 83 agenda item 17 –Property procurement service
Recommendations relating to the strategic review of the procurement service were adopted.

Minute 84 agenda item 18 - proposed upgrade works to New Scotland Yard in support of the Central London estate strategy
Approved expenditure for essential building works within New Scotland Yard and to an extension to the lease for Wellington House.

Minute 85 agenda item 19 - Olympic strategic co-ordination centre and
intelligence centre
Recommendations relating to the need for urgent feasibility planning and the establishment of a capital project budget were adopted.

Minute 86 agenda item 20 - exempt minutes of the meeting held on 20 September and 18 October 2007
Agreed and signed as a correct record .

The meeting closed at 4.48 p.m.
 

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