Minutes - draft

Please note these minutes are currently draft and are subject to committee approval.

Minutes of the Corporate Governance Committee of the Metropolitan Police Authority held on 16 March 2006 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, Westminster, London SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Jennette Arnold (Chair)
• Toby Harris
• Rachel Whittaker (Deputy Chair)

MPA officers

• Ken Hunt (Treasurer)
• David Riddle (Deputy Chief Executive and Deputy Clerk)
• Peter Ticker (Director, Internal Audit)
• Ruth Hastings Iqball (Committee Section)

MPS officers

• Nick Chown (Director of Risk Management)
• Alan Croney (Director, Property Services) (item 13)
• Paul Daly (Director of Exchequer Services)
• Steve Kavanagh (Det Superintendent, Staff Officer to AC Alan Brown) (item 13)
• Nick Kettle (Team Leader Safety and Health Risk Management Team)
• Stephen Rimmer (Director of Strategy, Modernisation and Performance) (item 1-5)

Co-opted member

• Richard Stephenson (Director, Group Health, Safety and Environment, Transport for London)

Also in attendance: Michael Haworth–Maden (District Auditor, Audit Commission) and Neil Gray (Audit Manager, Audit Commission) (item 7).

38. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies were received from Elizabeth Howlett (member), Catherine Crawford (Chief Executive and Clerk) and Louis Backwell (Head, Health and Safety).

39. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

No declarations of interest were received.

40. Minutes of the Corporate Governance Committee – 5 December 2005

(Agenda item 3)

The Committee considered and agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 5 December 2005.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 5 December be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

41. Chair and members update

(Agenda item 4)

In answer to a question, members were informed that a report on ‘fix on fail’ policy for property maintenance, and how the requirements of health and safety were met within it, would be coming to the next meeting of the Corporate Governance Committee.

Resolved – That the update be received.

42. Update on MPS health and safety performance

(Agenda item 5)

Members received a report updating them on the MPS’s health and safety performance. In answer to questions, members were informed that the fatality shown in the appendix to the report had taken place on duty during cycle training and been reported as an accident. However it had later been found to be due to a heart attack and was not considered a workplace accident as defined by the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations. Members were informed that unlike most employees officers were considered to be on duty whilst travelling to and from work, which skewed accident on duty figures.

Members were concerned by the 10% increase in ‘over 3 day injuries’. Members were informed that as of the previous day this figure had fallen to 6%. It was felt that a possible reason for the increase was the increase in operational activity following the terrorism attacks in London. Members asked if this figure could be correlated with the number of extra officer hours worked over the same period.

Members asked if officers and police staff were consulted about their satisfaction with the management health and safety in the MPS. They were informed that the MPS had recently undertaken a health and safety climate study and would be reporting the finding back to the MPS. In addition, feedback was also obtained from forum meetings held with new and serving staff and staff associations during the health and safety management system audits.

Members were informed that Louis Backwell was leaving the MPS following three years of service and was thanked for his work.

Resolved – That the update on MPS health and safety performance be noted.

43. Internal Audit plan for April 2006 to March 2007

(Agenda item 6)

A report and associated appendices was received setting out the proposed plan for the use of Internal Audit resources from 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007. The annual plan was based on an updated Audit Needs Assessment and Risk Analysis for the next five years ahead.

Members asked if Internal Audit had the flexibility to take to take on any additional audits proposed by MPA members. They were informed that Internal Audit had no spare capacity, and if presented with competing priorities it would have to drop its least important activity.

Resolved – That

1. the proposed use of Internal Audit resources be approved and the summary calculation of audit need and comparison to planned work set out in Appendices 1 and 2 be noted; and
2. the programme of Internal Audit work, set out in Appendices 3 to 6, be approved.

44. External audit: proposed risk based programme 2006-07

(Agenda item 7)

Members received a report containing the Audit Commission’s proposed topic areas for determining the audit and inspection programme for 2006/07.

Members asked how base costing would be highlighted and how it would deal with partnerships. It was also noted that the MPS was behind in activity based costing. Members were informed that the Audit Commission had just completed work on this. Its report would say that the direction of travel was correct but work remained to be done. The Audit Commission would consider the members comments further.

Resolved – That

1. the proposed topic areas as the basis for determining the audit and inspection programme for 2006/07 onwards members be approved; and
2. that the formal audit plan 2006/07 be brought to the next meeting of the committee.

45. Audit Commission informal use of resources assessment

(Agenda item 8)

Following from its informal ‘use of resources’ assessment, the Audit Commission had issued its summary of recommendations report. This report outlined the Audit Commission’s main conclusions and findings and included an action plan responding to the various findings. The report also provided a summary of the process for 2005/06, which will be rolled out to all police authorities and included as part of the HMIC base line assessment. Members commented on items in the appendix.

Resolved – That

1. the report be noted; and
2. the action plan agreed.

46. Progress report from the Director of Internal Audit

(Agenda item 9)

The Committee received a report summarising the work of Internal Audit for the period November 2005 to February 2006.

Resolved – That the progress report be received.

47. Business risk team update

(Agenda item 10)

A report was received on progress made by the MPS in the areas of corporate governance, business risk management and insurance management. In answer to a question, members were assured that the MPS was not moving away from key performance indicators, but enhancing the process. Members asked if a risk assessment had been made concerning the disruption of supply chains. They were informed that the MPS’s Central Service’s Business Continuity Team had done some work on this. Members agreed it would be useful to have a report on this in future.

Resolved - That

1. progress to end January 2006 on corporate governance, business risk management, and insurance management (Appendix 1) be noted;
2. progress as captured by the Audit Commission / ALARM risk management Key Performance Indicator (Appendix 2) be noted;
3. the ‘rebranding’ of the two MPS risk management teams be noted; and
4. the Committee receive a report on the risk assessment on the disruption of supply chains.

48. Statement of internal control – interim report

(Agenda item 11)

The MPA had been required to include a Statement of Internal Control in its financial statements since 2003/04. It included details of the system of internal control and risk management, the key controls, and how effectively they were being deployed, highlighting any significant internal control issues and the relevant actions being taken to address them. Members received a an update on progress in addressing the significant internal control issues included in the statement of accounts for 2004/05, and outlining the process for producing the statement of internal control for 2005/06

Resolved - That

1. the progress in addressing the significant internal control issues included in the 2004/05 Statement of Internal Control be noted;
2. the process for producing the Statement of Internal Control for 2005/06 be noted; and
3. a report on the draft Statement of Internal Control be brought to the Corporate Governance Committee on 19 June.

49. Exclusion of Press and Public

(Agenda item 12)

Resolved – That the press and public be asked to leave the meeting during discussion of the remaining item of business because exempt information as defined in of Part 1 Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) is likely to be made known.

Summary of exempt items

50. Sports and social clubs – responsibilities for health and safety

(Agenda item 11)

Both the MPA and the Club Management Committees of the MPS’s four sports clubs have responsibilities under the Health & Safety at Work legislation, however there was no definition or demarcation of these responsibilities or any mechanism for the MPA to identify, assess or manage health and safety risks. Members received a report suggesting how this situation might be resolved.

The meeting closed at 1.30 p.m.

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