Warning: This is archived material and may be out of date. The Metropolitan Police Authority has been replaced by the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC).

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Minutes

Minutes of the meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee held on 16 December 2010 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

  • Steve O’Connell (Chair)
  • Reshard Auladin
  • John Biggs
  • Faith Boardman (Vice Chair)
  • Chris Boothman
  • Dee Doocey
  • Neil Johnson
  • Amanda Sater
  • Valerie Shawcross
  • Graham Speed

MPA officers

  • Bob Atkins (Treasurer)
  • John Crompton (Treasury Team)
  • Ken Gort (Head of Counter Fraud, DARA) attended for consideration of agenda item 11.

MPS officers

  • Ailsa Beaton (Director of Information)
  • Jane Bond (Director of Property Services)
  • Doug Fuller (THR Programme Director)
  • Ian Percival (Director, Group Finance)
  • David Taylor (Deputy Director, Asset Management PSD)

95. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

There were no apologies.

The Chair welcomed Ian Percival, Director, Group Finance to his first meeting of the Committee.

96. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

No declarations were made.

97. Minutes of the meeting held on 18 November 2010 (PART 1)

(Agenda item 3)

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 18 November 2010 be agreed and signed as a correct record.

98. 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.

99. Revenue and capital budget monitoring 2010/11 – period 7

(Agenda item 5)

This report provided an update on the revenue monitoring position for 2010/11 at period 7 (to the end of October). The revenue budget is forecast to overspend by £1.7m (0.1% of budget). The capital programme as at period 7 shows year to date total expenditure of £88.8m. This total represents 32.1% of the revised annual budget of £276.3m. The forecast for the year of £250.8m represents an underspend of £25.5m (9.2% of the revised annual budget).

At the invitation of the Chair, the Treasurer provided an oral report on the grant settlement which had been announced earlier in the week. He said that the outcome was slightly less favourable than had been anticipated. Every police authority will see a cash reduction in this funding of 5.1% in 2011/12and 6.7% in 2012/13. Funding for PCSOs had been preserved. The detailed announcement regarding counter terrorism funding had not been received. The Treasurer concluded by stating that detailed work on the Authority’s budget and business plan continued.

In reply to a question from a member on the budget monitoring report the Director of Resources undertook to provide more information on the position regard to the reduced spend on PDAs which was mentioned in paragraphs 9 and 52 of the report.

Faith Boardman advised that the Human Resources and Remuneration Sub-Committee would be considering the redeployment plan at its meeting on 20 December.

Resolved – That

  1. the year to date and forecast position for revenue and capital budgets be noted; and
  2. it be noted that the police officer pay budget has been reallocated to reflect the impact of the pause in recruitment but this has not yet been fully reflected in business group forecasts and will be reflected in the forecasts in the period 8 report.

100. Treasury management half year term review

(Agenda item 6)

A report was submitted which invited members to review treasury management activity for the period 1 April to 30 September 2010 and to approve amendments to the MPA investment counterparty list and prudential code indicators.

Resolved – That the report be submitted to the Authority meeting on 27 January 2011.

101. Efficiency plan monitoring as at second quarter 2010/11

(Agenda item 7)

A report was submitted which provided an update on the monitoring of the Metropolitan Police Authority/Metropolitan Police Service 2008/09 – 2010/11 Efficiency Plan. Overall, the forecast indicates an over achievement against the 2010/11 HM Treasury cumulative efficiency target of 10.3% (year 3 of the 3 year plan) by £63.5m.

Resolved – That the cumulative position as at the end of the second quarter against the efficiency plan target set by HM Treasury be noted.

102. Financial risk management

(Agenda item 8)

A report was presented which provided an assessment of the key financial risks. The assessment is intended to ensure effective management of the budget, so that the Authority are in a position to respond appropriately to the economic climate and budget pressures maximising the resources available to policing. The assessment is part of the overall risk management report which is considered by the Corporate Governance Committee.

In introducing the report the Treasurer stressed that this was a living document and updates will be provided to the Corporate Governance and Finance and Resources Committees each quarter. In reply to a question the Treasurer confirmed that the effects of a possible return to “normal” interest rates was something which would need to be borne in mind for the future. There were however no indications that there was likely to be any increase in interest rates to their historic higher levels in the short term.

Resolved –That the financial risk assessment be noted.

103. Estates update

(Agenda item 9)

A report was submitted which provided an update in regard to the estate responsibilities covered by Property Services.

In introducing the report the Director of Property Services advised that paragraph 47 had been included in error.

Resolved - That the information be noted.

104. Request for Authority to dispose of properties in 2011/12

(Agenda item 10)

A report was submitted which sought approval, in principle, to the disposal of a number of surplus residential and operational properties during 2011/12 at a value equal to or in excess of the current estimated market value.

Resolved - That

  1. it be noted that the Capital Programme Receipts budget of £40 million will be generated through the disposal of surplus assets generated through the corporate real estate approach;
  2. agreement be given in principle to the list of surplus properties for disposal, included in the exempt Appendix 1;
  3. it be noted that the proposed disposal list in exempt Appendix 1 has received agreement from the Estate Panel;
  4. a separate report be submitted for approval by members in connection to those individual property disposals which exceed £1 million pounds or are of particular interest, in accordance with the MPA Standing Orders; and
  5. It be noted that, in line with the current policy, those buildings with an operational front counter will only be disposed of once an alternative front counter has been provided.

105. Any other urgent business

(Agenda item 11)

Typing/transcription services

Agreed to consider this in the exempt section of the meeting.

106. Exclusion of press and public

(Agenda item 12)

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

107. Provision of mobile telephony services

(Agenda item 13)

Agreed to enter into a framework agreement

108. Exempt appendices to estate update

(Agenda item 14)

Information noted.

109. Exempt appendix to request for authority to dispose of additional surplus properties in 2010/2011

(Agenda item 15)

Information noted.

110. FMS Contract changes

(Agenda item 16)

Information noted.

111. Hendon real estate asset plan

(Agenda item 17)

Information noted

112. People Service update

(Agenda item 18)

113. Report from the Olympic Sub-committee

(Agenda item 19)

Business case relating to Automatic Number Plate Recognition was agreed.

114. Minutes of the meeting held on 18 November 2010 (part 2)

(Agenda item 21)

Agreed and signed as a correct record.

115. Any other urgent business – MPS typing and transcription services

Position noted. Report on registering business interests to be submitted to the February meeting.

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