Minutes

Minutes of the Corporate Governance Committee of the Metropolitan Police Authority held on 11 July 2005 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, Westminster, London SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Toby Harris
• Elizabeth Howlett (items 9 – 13)
• Rachel Whittaker (Deputy Chair)

(Note: following Elizabeth Howlett’s arrival recommendations made in regard to agenda items 1 to 8, whilst the meeting was inquorate, were ratified.)

MPA officers

• Siobhan Coldwell (item 12)
• Keith Dickinson (Head of Policing Policy), (items 1 to 8)
• Ken Hunt (Treasurer)
• Peter Ticker (Director, Internal Audit)
• Ruth Hastings Iqball (Committee Section)

MPS officers

• Louis Backwell (Head, Health and Safety) (items 1 to 8)
• Nick Chown (Director of Risk Management)
• Paul Daly (Director of Exchequer Services)
• Keith Luck (Director of Resources) (item 9 to 13)
• Terry Price (Director of Strategic Finance)

Co-opted member

Richard Stephenson (Director, Group Health, Safety and Environment, Transport for London (Items 1- 8)

Also present: Neil Gray (Audit Commission)

1. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies were received from Jennette Arnold, Chair of the Committee. In her absence, Rachel Whittaker took the Chair. Apologies were also received from Catherine Crawford (Chief Executive and Clerk) and Richard Bryan (DAC, Chief of Staff and Strategic Development).

2. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

Toby Harris stated that he worked for KPMG, however not for a part involved in auditing the MPS. He therefore felt this did not necessitate him withdrawing from any part of the meeting.

3. Minutes of the Corporate Governance Committee – 8 April 2005

(Agenda item 3)

The Committee considered the minutes of the meeting held on 8 April 2005. With regard to item 9 ‘Statements of internal control – interim report’, members were informed that a draft statement had been received from the MPS. Under item 10 ‘Internal Audit progress report’, it had been reported that four high risk recommendations had been made in relation to the Diversity Directorate. The Director of Internal Audit stated that he had been following these up.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 8 April 2005 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

4. Chair and members update

(Agenda item 4)

Nothing was reported under this item.

5. Annual report of the Corporate Governance Committee

(Agenda item 5)

A report was received summarising the work of the Corporate Governance Committee for the year 2004/05. It was requested that the last sentence of paragraph 17 be made more positive.

Resolved – That with the change suggested above, the report be agreed.

6. Update on MPS health and safety performance

(Agenda item 6)

A report was received updating members on MPS’s health and safety performance. In answer to questions, members were informed that that road traffic injuries did not include injuries to members of the public and that the increased numbers of incidents reportable to the Health and Safety Executive in March was due to injuries caused by the frosty weather and whilst training. This upturn was disappointing, but only temporary.

Resolved - That the report be noted.

7. Assaults in the Metropolitan Police Service

(Agenda item 7)

Members received a report detailing further research and analysis the MPS had undertaken in relation to assaults on staff. Members requested that, in future, data be put in context by being expressed as a rate or percentage. It was also suggested that the data in table 2 would have been more helpful if it included details about the relative strengths of the boroughs mentioned. It was also felt it was unclear if a higher percentage of female PCSOs were assaulted in comparison to male PCSOs or female police officers. The Chair offered the assistance of MPA analysts in the presentation of data, if required. Members were informed of the difficulty of extracting assault data, particularly in relation to arrests.

Resolved - That the report be noted.

8. Health and safety – Operation Bracknell

(Agenda item 8)

Members received a report on the work conducted by the Health and Safety Branch in relation to Operation Bracknell. Members were informed that the numbers of police officers and staff working on Operation Bracknell had ranged between 30/40 to over 100. In addition to the visit by members of the Health and Safety Team, advice had been available locally and at the end of a phone. In answer to questions, members were informed that the issues raised at para 15 had been raised with the Police National Information Co-ordination Centre by MPS.

Members were informed that following the events of 7 July, the Health and Safety Team were again offering assistance to those involved.

Resolved - That the report be noted.

9. External audit plan 2005/06

(Agenda item 9)

The External Audit Plan 2005/6 was submitted to members for comment. They were informed that it was the first such plan submitted under the new code of practice and reflected the emerging focus on the collection and management of information to assist police business.

Resolved - That the Audit Plan be approved.

10. Internal Audit Annual Report 2004/5

(Agenda item 10)

A report was received summarising the work of Internal Audit for the year 2004/05, and giving the Director of Internal Audit’s opinion on the adequacy and effectiveness of control within the MPS and the MPA. The Director of Internal Audit stated that no improvement had been shown by MPS and that response times to recommendations were slipping. The Director of Resources for the MPS felt the trend was more positive than expressed in the report.

Members requested that the Director of Internal Audit set out further explanation of the principles that formed the basis for calculating the figure for savings made and losses stemmed in a briefing paper to the Committee, thus providing a clearer indication of the benefits of Internal Audit. In view of the sensitivity over this issue, it was felt the presentation of these figures should be discussed between the Director of Internal Audit and the MPS before presentation to the Committee.

The reduced assurance was of concern to Committee members. The Director of Resources stated that this adverse report related to two covert audits and the audit of the historic collection. Some progress was being made by the MPS in dealing with the covert audits and he personally was dealing with the historical collection. Members agreed, that if the MPS felt it necessary, a further report could be presented at the next Corporate Governance Committee.

The Director of Resources stated that the coming year would present continuing problems for financial management within the MPS as a result of the changes that would be brought about by the internal service review. Members felt this should be recorded as a high risk in the implementation plans.

Resolved - That

1. the draft Annual Report of the Director of Internal Audit be approved for circulation to all members of the MPA, subject to clarification of the basis on which losses and savings had been identified; and
2. a report be received at the next meeting on internal audits outstanding high risk recommendations.

11. Audit of the MPA – progress report

(Agenda item 11)

The Committee received a report informing it of progress in implementing the agreed action plan following the audit of the MPA. Members noted the increased cost of the MPA

Resolved - That the progress be noted.

12. Developing an effective review programme

(Agenda item 12)

The MPA has undertaken a considerable amount of scrutiny and review of the MPS each year. This report set out a proposed framework for agreeing a scrutiny and review programme based on sound scrutiny principles and ongoing commitments, thus providing a tool for maintaining a strategic overview of performance, which could be built on from year to year.

Members recommended that the words ‘civilianisation’ (para 17) should no longer be used. A member felt the report was premature, as it pre-empted the member’s review of the committee structure, however, another felt it outlined a process which would make a better use of resources. In answer to questions about the timing of the report, members were informed that that the report had been prepared now so that the Review Team would be ready commence work after the review of the committee structure.

Resolved – That, subject to the comments made above, the proposed scrutiny be endorsed.

13. MPA accounts for the year ended 31 March 2005

(Agenda item 13)

This report presented the Authority’s draft set of accounts for 2004-05. It identified key features of the accounts and explained their structure. The accounts would be forwarded to the next full Authority with the addition of any comments made by this committee.

The Treasurer thanked members of the MPS’s Finance Directorate for their assistance in preparing the accounts in the increasingly short timescales. Members noted that the accounts showed increased financial control of MPS finances. It was suggested that some grammatical and typing errors be amended and that a comment be added about the effect of leasing Empress State building on the MPA’s assets.

Resolved - with the amendments suggested above, the draft statement of accounts 2004-05 be presented to the full Authority.

The meeting ended at 1:00 p.m.

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