Minutes

Minutes of the Remuneration Sub Committee of the Metropolitan Police Authority held on 11 October 2001 at Romney House, Westminster, London, SW1P 3EY.

Present

Members

• Anthony Arbour
• Angela Slaven
• Rachel Whittaker

MPA Officers

• Catherine Crawford (Clerk)
• Alan Johnson, (Head of Human Resources)
• Graham Spencer (Human Resources)
• Simon Vile (Head of Secretariat)

MPS Officers

• Assistant Commissioner Bernard Hogan Howe
• Mike Shurety (Assistant Director of Personnel)
• Ian Wardrop (Assistant Director of Personnel)
• Tola Aderemi (Corporate Development Group)

An apology for absence was received from Toby Harris

Part 1

1. Election of Chair and Deputy Chair

(Agenda item 1)

Resolved that Rachel Whittaker be elected Chair for the remainder of the municipal year.

Rachel Whittaker thereupon took the Chair.

Resolved that Angela Slaven be elected Deputy Chair for the remainder of the municipal year.

2. Minutes

(Agenda item 2)

Resolved that the minutes of the meeting held on 17 May 2001 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

3. Appointment of MPS Director of Human Resources

(Agenda item 3)

The Sub-Committee received an oral update on this appointment process. A long list of candidates had been agreed and the recruitment agents were now getting further information from these candidates to enable short-listing to be carried out at the end of October and interviews in November.

As regards the composition of the interview panel, the Chair suggested that Angela Slaven replace Toby Harris on the panel, by mutual consent, if it proved difficult to find a suitable date for interviews.

4. Pay of Deputy Assistant Commissioners

(Agenda item 10)

The Sub-Committee agreed to bring this report by the Commissioner forward to the open part of the meeting. The report addressed issues relating to the forthcoming reintroduction of the rank of Deputy Assistant Commissioner. The Police Negotiating Board (PNB) would shortly be discussing a pay range and the report made proposals to be put to the PNB.

Resolved - That

1. the Sub-Committee supports a pay range of £87,586 to £98,045 for the rank of Deputy Assistant Commissioner, being 80% of the Assistant Commissioner's pay range and approximately 20% above the Commanders' pay range; and
2. this range be taken forward for approval by the Chief Officers' Committee of the PNB.

5. Terms of reference of the sub-committee

(Agenda item 4)

The Sub-Committee received a report proposing some changes to its terms of reference, for recommendation to the Human Resources Committee.

It was recognised at the meeting that further discussions were needed between the MPA and the MPS to clarify the MPA's involvement in the process of objective setting for senior civil staff posts. These discussions should include clarification of the MPA's present involvement in performance regimes and information about the process adopted in other police authorities.

Resolved – That

1. the Human Resources Committee be recommended to agree the following revised terms of reference:

ACPO Ranks

1. To consider, for recommendation to the Human Resources Committee, any new pay ranges for all ACPO ranks. These will be subject to agreement at the Police Negotiating Board and ratification by the Home Secretary.
2. To consider and agree the pay and terms and conditions to be offered on appointment to ACPO ranks up to and including Assistant Commissioner. This will include the length of any fixed term appointment. To develop, in discussion with the Commissioner, the performance assessment regime and additional benefits over and above those to which these posts are entitled by Police Regulations. This will also include early retirement arrangements for all ACPO ranks.
3. To make recommendations to the Home Secretary in relation to the terms and conditions to be offered to the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner.

Senior MPS civil staff

4. To consider recommendations from the Commissioner about the pay, terms and conditions, including early retirement or redundancy, for senior civil staff in pay bands 1 to 4.

Senior MPA staff

5. In consultation with the Chair of the Authority, to agree the level of salaries and salary increases for the Clerk and Treasurer."

2. further discussions be held on the MPA's involvement in objective setting for senior civil staff posts but that the report to the Human Resources Committee on these proposed changes to the terms of reference include a form of words to enable this discussion and subsequent implementation to happen.

6. Exclusion of press and public

(Agenda item 5)

Resolved that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during discussion of the following items because exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 is likely to be made known.

7. Confidential minutes

(Agenda item 6)

The confidential minutes of the meeting held on 17 May 2001 were confirmed and signed as a correct record.

8. Remuneration of the Clerk and Treasurer

(Agenda item 7)

The Sub-Committee considered a report proposing a process for the pay progression review for the Clerk and Treasurer.

Resolved that the proposals for pay progression for the Clerk and Treasurer be approved as set out in the exempt report.

9. ACPO appointments

(Agenda item 8)

The Sub-Committee considered a report that provided information on the current recruitment exercise for ACPO rank officers and a summary of the recruitment exercise undertaken earlier in the year.

The Sub-Committee also considered a draft letter to successful ACPO candidates. With regard to the notice period, the meeting considered that successful candidates should be required to provide at least three months notice if they wished to leave before the end of their fixed term appointment. It was also agreed that any request to seek an extension of a fixed term appointment should be made to the Commissioner. It was accepted that the letter should include reference to the performance assessment regime and that legal advice was needed on what should be included about successful officers having no other business interests. It was agreed that the draft letter was broadly acceptable and that further discussions be held between MPA and MPS officers to arrive at a form of words where there were areas of disagreement.

Resolved - That

1. approval be given to the recruitment of the number of Deputy Assistant Commissioners and Commanders indicated in the report, subject to sufficient suitable candidates being identified;
2. the information on the spring 2001 ACPO recruitment exercise be noted; and
3. further discussions be held to finalise the draft letter of appointment, as outlined above.

10. Approach to ACPO fixed term appointments

(Agenda item 9)

The Sub-Committee considered a report setting out a structured approach for the consideration of extensions and variations to the fixed term appointments of ACPO officers.

The Chair stressed the importance of having a review process in place in the near future which took account of the various factors such as the legality of extending contracts, and a calendar of retirements and renewable contracts.

Resolved - That

1. the ACPO retirement calendar be formally reviewed by the Sub-Committee at the meeting preceding the October ACPO selection exercise; and
2. the MPS write to the MPA as soon as possible on a review of the current fixed term appointments.

11. Senior MPS civil staff – implications of the senior staff review body

(Agenda item 11)

The Sub-Committee received an oral update. It was reported that the outcome of the Review Body's deliberations was expected by early November. It was agreed that a report should be put to a meeting of the sub-committee, to be arranged for early December, setting out the current contractual pay provision for senior MPS civil staff.

The meeting ended at 2.20 p.m.

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