Minutes

Minutes of the meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee held on 11 February 2010 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Steve O’Connell (Chairman)
• Reshard Auladin
• John Biggs
• Faith Boardman
• Dee Doocey
• Graham Speed

MPA officers

• Catherine Crawford (Chief Executive)
• Bob Atkins (Treasurer)
• John Crompton (Treasury Team)

MPS officers

• Ailsa Beaton (Director of Information)
• Jane Bond (Director Of Property Services)
• Paul Madge (Director of HR Operations)
• Diana Marchant (Director of Operational Resourcing, TP)
• Anne McMeel (Director of Resources)
• Gary Pugh (Director of Forensic Services)
• Peter Ross (Director, Procurement Delivery PSD)
• Gordon Russell (Director Facilities Management)
• Phil Smith (Director of Resilience, Compliance and Operational Support)
• David Woosey (Director, Supply Chain Management)

Chief Superintendent Dal Babu , Borough Commander for Harrow attended for consideration of agenda item 9.

105. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies for absence were received from Cindy Butts, Neil Johnson and Kit Malthouse.

106. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

No declarations were made.

107. Minutes of the meeting held on 21 January 2010 (Part 1)

(Agenda item 3)

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 21 January 2010 be agreed and signed as a correct record.

108. Business considered by the sub-committees

(Agenda item 4)

A report was submitted which contained a summary of the business considered by the Resources and Productivity Sub-Committee and the Estate Panel since the last meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

109. Revenue and capital budget monitoring 2009/10 – period 9

(Agenda item 5)

This report provided an update on the revenue and capital budget monitoring position for 2009/10 at period 9 (to the end of December). The revenue budget is forecast to overspend by £10.3m (approximately 0.4% of budget). The capital programme as at period 9) shows year to date total expenditure of £104.3m. This total represents 48.7% of the revised annual budget of £214m. The forecast for the year of £206.2m is £7.8m below the revised annual budget.

In reply to a question from a member on the overspend in Territorial Policing the Director of Resources reminded the Committee that monies had been received from the Home Office in support of the cost of policing the G20 summit, but not the Tamil demonstrations.

Arising from a discussion on the continued delays in the transfer of officers from TP to other OCUs (paragraph 26 ), Faith Boardman said that she would arrange for a report on manpower planning to be submitted to the HR and Remuneration Sub-Committee.

Arising from a discussion on police officer overtime (paragraph 32), the Director of Resources advised that a report was due to be considered at the next meeting of the Resources and Productivity Sub-Committee which would provide more detail on this area of spending.

In response to a question concerning the overspend on mobile telephones (paragraph 43) the Director of Information explained that following negotiations there had been a reduction in the unit cost for calls. However, the network was used for purposes in addition to calls and it was an increase in these extra uses which had led to the overspend.

Resolved – That the year to date and forecast position for the revenue and capital budgets be noted.

110. Transfer of MetRadio equipment

(Agenda item 6)

The MPA has previously approved the decommissioning and disposal of the MetRadio system following the implementation of the Airwave radio system. A report was submitted which advised that as part of the disposal programme it is proposed to transfer some of the equipment to the Ghana Police Service (GPS) and the Air Training Corps (ATC). The transfer of equipment to GPS will support an important international collaborative crime-fighting relationship for operational policing. It also offers financial benefit through cost avoidance. .

A briefing paper which set out the background to the disposal was tabled.

The Director of Information undertook to provide an assessment of disposals in the Airwave business case.

Further to paragraphs 11 and 12 of the Legal Implications section of the report, it was noted that the Treasurer and Director of Resources would determine whether the transfer of the equipment to the ATC constituted a grant under S14 of the MPA Standing Orders and would therefore need to be entered into the grants register.

Resolved –

• That subject to further clarification on whether Section 14(1) of the Financial Regulation applies to the transfer to the Air Training Corps, approval be given to the following transfers:-
• Ghana Police Service – a transfer comprising 20% of base-station equipment, and 7,500 hand-sets and related equipment (batteries, chargers, accessories).; and
• Air Training Corps in the London area – a transfer comprising 2,000 handsets to ATC units in the London area.

(Note: it was subsequently established that Section 14(1) of the Financial Regulations did not apply to the transfer to the ATC)

111. Estates update

(Agenda item 7)

A report was provide which provided an update on the estates responsibilities covered by Property Services and the specific issues that been addressed.

In reply to a question from a member concerning the firearms training facility at Gravesend the Director of Property Services confirmed that a report would be submitted in due course but because of the wide range of the issues which needed to be covered it was not possible to say when this would be.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

112. MPA estate engagement strategy

(Agenda item 8)

The MPA Estate Engagement Strategy provides an engagement framework for the MPA and MPS to use when informing Londoners about the upcoming Estate changes that will occur in their ward or borough. It provides a clear method of how information should be shared with Londoners and whom to engage with to ensure that the rationale for why the changes will occur and why they are beneficial for Londoners is recognised and more importantly understood.

In introducing the Strategy Graham Speed the Chair of the Estate Panel advised that the document before members related to engagement at Borough level: a Strategy for pan-London engagement would be developed later. In response to points from members he agreed that the flow chart should be amended to include the further stages in the process.

John Biggs referred to the proposal to recruit a Strategic Communications Adviser to lead the engagement activity. He said that he could not see the need to engage any additional staffing resource and felt that the work could be undertaken from the existing staffing complement. The Chair said that previous experience had shown the necessity for the engagement process to be carried out as effectively and professionally as possible and he would therefore support the proposal.

Resolved (with John Biggs dissenting on the necessity to appoint a Strategic Communications Adviser)

That, subject to the inclusion of the amendment to the flow chart of the subsequent stages in the process, the MPA Estate Engagement Strategy be adopted.

113. Transfer of front counter facilities –Harrow borough

(Agenda item 9)

This report recommended the transfer of the front counter services on Harrow Borough Operational Command Unit from:

• Harrow police station to the Safer Neighbourhoods base for Greenhill ward and Harrow on the Hill ward (Kirkland House) and from
• Wealdstone police station to Harrow Civic Centre.

The report also asked the Committee to support the future plans for Wealdstone police station following the transfer of front counter facilities. The proposals had received the support of MPA led Estates Review Panel.

Chief Superintendent Dal Babu , Borough Commander for Harrow attended for consideration of this item and spoke in support of the proposals. Reshard Auladin, MPA link member for Harrow, confirmed that he too supported the recommendations in the report.

Resolved-That

1. the outcome of the engagement challenge conducted on behalf of the MPA Estates Review Panel be noted;
2. Approval be given to the transfer of the front counter service from Harrow police station to new accommodation within the Safer Neighbourhoods base for Greenhill ward and Harrow on the Hill ward at Kirkland House;
3. Approval be given to the transfer of the front counter service from Wealdstone police station to new accommodation within Harrow Civic Centre
4. the future of Harrow police station be noted; and
5. the future plans for Wealdstone police station following the front counter transfer be supported.

114. Request for authority to dispose of surplus properties in 2010/11

(Agenda item 10)

A report was submitted which recommended the proposed disposal of a number of surplus residential and operational properties during 2010/11 at a value equal to or in excess of the current estimated market value.

Resolved

1. It be noted that the Capital Programme Receipts target of £20 million will be generated through the disposal of surplus assets;
2. Approval be given in principle to the list of surplus properties for disposal, in Appendix 1 (Exempt).
3. it be noted that the proposed disposal list in Appendix 1 has received agreement from the MPA Estate Panel.
4. it be noted that those receipts generated in regard to the disposal of assets will be allocated against the approved capital programme.
5. a separate report for approval will be submitted to the Committee in connection to property disposals which exceed £1 million in accordance with Standing Orders.

115. Exclusion of press and public

(Agenda item 11)

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 paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A to the above Act.

Summary of decisions made on exempt items

116. Exempt appendix to request for authority to dispose of surplus properties in 2010/11

(Agenda item 12)

The information was noted in connection with the relevant report.

117 Exempt appendices to estates update

(Agenda item 13)

Information noted.

118 Exempt business considered by the Resources and Productivity Sub-Committee

(Agenda item 14)

The information was noted in connection with the relevant report.

119 Office of Fair Trading reports on bid rigging in the property and recruitment industries

(Agenda item 15)

Recommendations relating to the changes to some of the detailed aspects of the procurement process be agreed.

120 The provision of Special Events Services

(Agenda item 16)

Recommendation relating to the award of a framework contract was agreed.

121. Improving Policing Information Programme Systems Integrator Contract Award

(Agenda item 17)

Recommendations relating to the award of a contract were agreed.

122. Furniture and Ancillary Services Contract

(Agenda item 18)

Recommendation relating to the award of a contract was agreed.

123. The Supply and maintenance of the ICCS, CCTV and SRCS elements of the Lambeth and Hendon Special Operations Rooms

(Agenda item 19)

Recommendations relating to the award of a contract were agreed.

124. Award of Forensic Science contracts for all services (except DNA)

(Agenda item 20)

Recommendations relating to the award of the contracts were agreed

125. Report from the Olympic and Paralympic Sub-Committee

(Agenda item 21)

Recommendations relating to four business cases were adopted.

126. Transforming HR

(Agenda item 22)

A programme update was noted.

127. Minutes of the meeting held on 17 December 2009 (part 2)

(Agenda item 23)

Subject to an amendment the minutes were agreed and signed as a correct record.

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