Report from the Sub-committees of the Finance and Resources Committee

Report: 4
Date: 14 April 2011
By: Chief Executive

Summary

This report contains a summary of the business considered by the Sub-committees of the Finance and Resources Committee.

A. Recommendations

That members note the report.

B. Supporting information

1. This report covers the following meetings:

• Estate Panel – 24 March 2011
• Resources and Productivity Sub-Committee –4 April 2011

Estate Panel

2. Dee Doocey has left the Estate Panel and Amanda Sater has joined it. Amongst the matters discussed at the meeting on 24 March were the outcomes of the three disposals reports which are also the subject of reports on the agenda for today’s meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee. The Panel also considered reports on front counters in Sutton and the Sovereign Gate post acquisition report. The reports on these subjects are on the agenda for today’s meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee reflect the comments made by the Panel.

3. The next meeting of the Estate Panel is on 23 May at 3.00 p.m.

Resources and Productivity Sub-Committee – 4 April 2011

Procurement strategy action plan

4. The quarterly monitoring report on the MPA/MPS procurement strategy action plan was submitted. Members had previously indicated that they were satisfied with the progress which was being made on the key actions required to implement the strategy and were pleased to note that the latest report showed that this positive direction of travel has been maintained. There are now very few targets which still have a Red status using the Red Amber Green system and the vast majority of targets have been accorded a green status.

5. A new procurement strategy covering the period 2012 onwards will be developed in association with the MPA. This will contain new targets which will provide new areas of challenge.

6. The report also advised that an internal audit of the procurement control framework had recently been finalised. The Director of Audit, Risk and Assurance (DARA) had identified a number of areas of improvement since the last review. A number of controls need to be further embedded and consistently applied before the framework could be assessed as being fully effective. Members were advised of the plans which Procurement Services have in place to address these areas.

Award of forensic services contracts

7. On 14 December 2010 the Home Office announced that the Forensic Science Service (FSS) is to cease trading by the end of March 2012. The FSS is the main forensic provider to the MPS. The MPS is assessing its options with regards the future of forensic service provision and a business case recommending the next steps is due to be completed in April.

8. To ensure that the MPS maintains service provision via compliant contracts until such time that the recommendations in the business case can be approved and implemented, members were asked to approve two interim contracts for a 11 month period (with a potential 6 month extension) for all forensic services apart from DNA and drugs. The Sub-Committee agreed to award these two short term contracts.

Other reports considered

9. A business case was approved in respect of Project Mercury and a recommendation relating to the award of a contract was adopted. The Sub-Committee received as an urgent item a report concerning the approval of an award of a contract for the contract which had previously been the subject of an urgent report at the February meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee.

C. Other organisational and community implications

Equalities Impact

1. There are no race and diversity impact issues directly arising from this report. Any implications are addressed in the reports considered at the Sub-Committee

Met Forward

2. The remit of the Resources and Productivity Sub-Committee is largely in support of the Met Support strand, but there are no direct implications for the delivery of Met Forward arising from this report.

Financial Implications

3. There are no financial implications directly arising from this report.

Legal Implications

4 Any implications are addressed in the reports considered at the Sub-Committee.

Environmental Implications

5 Any implications are addressed in the reports considered at the Sub-Committee.

Risk Implications

6 Any implications are addressed in the reports considered at the Sub-Committee.

D. Background papers

None

E. Contact details

Report authors: John Crompton, MPA

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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