Minutes

Minutes of the in-quorate meeting of the Counter-Terrorism and Protective Services Sub-committee of the Metropolitan Police Authority held on 26 November 2009 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Toby Harris (Chair)
• Reshard Auladin (Vice Chair)

MPA officers

• Annabel Adams (Deputy Treasurer)
• Jane Owen (Head of Planning & Performance)
• Helena McKinnon (Planning & Performance)

MPS officers

• Brian Sweeting (SO Business Manager)
• John Bunn (SO2)
• Shaun Sawyer (SO15)
• Steph Roberts (SO15)
• Gill Swing (SO15)
• Duncan King (SO Lead Accountant)
• Keith Surtees (SCD Surveillance)

23. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

23.1 Apologies were received from James Cleverly and Neil Johnson

23.2 As this meeting was in-quorate any recommendations made would be ratified at the next meeting of the Sub-Committee.

24. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

24.1 No declarations were made.

25. Minutes: Counter-Terrorism and Protective Services Sub-committee (Part 1) – 7 September 2009

(Agenda item 3)

Recommended – That the minutes of the Counter-Terrorism and Protective Services Sub-Committee (Part 1) held on 7 September 2009 be agreed and signed as a correct record.

26. Specialist Operations update – diversity report

(Agenda item 4)

26.1 Members received a report that outlined actions and activities that have taken place to increase the number of BME officers in SO. Currently in SO 7.1% are BME officers, this exceeded other specialist business units. Members were informed that five years ago in 2004 3.84% of officers were BME, in March 2006 5.13% were BME. Numbers were increasing and the work undertaken has helped improve current numbers, however, there was some concerns in relation to gender. Members noted that currently 8.9% of the workforce in SO is female compared to 22.0% in the MPS as a whole. There has been improvement in the last 5 years, from 5.65% in 2005 to 6.36% in 2006. The recruitment of female officers into SO had proved difficult, but there were now initiatives in place improve this. These included a number of initiatives across the Directorate including:

• Developing role models and mentors and female only days in SO1
• SO6 had commissioned a report into why female officers are under representatives and difficult to recruit.
• The development of women awareness days at Gravesend
• S014 had set up ‘open days’ and ‘support groups’ aimed at female officers wishing to work in SO.

26.2 Members welcomed the initiatives and noted other areas of success that had been achieved within SO15. Members acknowledged that SO had improved in the diversity mattes as indicated in the figures presented. However, members felt that this good work should continue and compliancy should be avoided Members noted that a number of officers in the Directorate had made some negative comments about their experiences in the Directorate and the MPS need to act on the concerns raised.

26.3 Members asked about retention of officers in post and what was being done to make sure that their experiences were positive. Confirmation was sought as to who will be chairing the Diversity Board and why did some of the initiatives that are being undertaken seem discrete and separate. Members also suggested that diversity targets for SO15 needed to be a challenging target.

26.3 Members were informed that the MPS recognised that there was work to be undertaken around retention and ensuring that their experiences were positive. It was noted that AC John Yates usually chaired the Diversity Board meetings when available. With regard to initiatives members noted that best practice and some initiatives are already taking place pan SO, e.g. recruitment fairs and open forums.

26.4 Regarding the setting of diversity targets it was noted that no current target had been set, but the MPS would be willing to work with the Authority to set a target and suggested in the first instance that this could be 20%.

26.5 Members were informed that some BME and female officers did not see SO as an option as part of their careers and that the MPS were working with these groups to improve this perception, together with the perception that often to advance you had to work on borough in order to progress. As part of this discussion it was noted that work being undertaken to improve perception both ‘laterally as well as vertically’.

26.6 The Chairman added that there remained the need to value experience within SO, therefore balancing out opportunities across the structure and whilst there remained substantial progress there remained a considerable amount of work to be done.

Recommended  – That the report be received.

27. Exclusion of press and public

(Agenda item 5)

27.1 A resolution was put to exclude the press and public from the meeting during remaining items on the agenda as they were likely to disclose exempt information as described in Schedule 12(a) of the Local Government Act 1972, paragraph 3.

Recommended  – That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during discussion of the remaining items on the agenda.

Summary of decisions made on exempt items

28. Performance update: Prevent

(Agenda item 6a)

28.1 Members considered a report that provided a performance update on the ‘Prevent’ strand of the MPS counter – Terrorism Strategy.

Recommended  – That the report be received.

29. Performance update: MPS use of Section 43 and 44 TACT in London

(Agenda item 6b)

29.1 A report was considered that provided members with an update on Section 43 and 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Recommended  – That the information provided on the use of section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in the MPS be noted.

30. Specialist Crime update

(Agenda item 7)

30.1 Members received an oral update on specialist crime which included the role of SCD11:

Recommended  – That the report be noted.

31. Specialist operations financial management information 2009/10

(Agenda item 8)

31.1 A report was received that asked the Sub Committee to note the content of the Specialist Operations (SO) financial management information pack, based on actual spends to the end of September 2009. The pack provides an overview of Specialist Operations and MPS Counter Terrorism Grant budgets spends and forecasts at the end of September 2009.

Recommended – That the Sub-committee note the Specialist Operations Financial Management Information Pack.

32. Specialist operations management information

(Agenda item 9)

32.1 The Sub-Committee considered report that provided an update on Specialist Operations performance against performance plan targets 2009/10 for the period August-September 2009.

Recommended – That the report received.

33. Minutes: Counter-Terrorism and Protective Services Sub-committee (Part 2) – 7 September 2009

(Agenda item 10)

Recommended – That the minutes of the Counter-Terrorism and Protective Services Sub-Committee (Part 2) held on 7 September 2009 be agreed and signed as a correct record.

In Chairman informed the Sub-committee that Ruth Hastings-Iqball (previous secretary of this sub-committee) has now retired, the committee would like to offer their thanks for all her work.

It was also noted that this will be Gill Swinge’s last meeting; the committee would like to thanks her for all her work and Shaun Sawyer will be leaving his current position and going to Bramshill in January.

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