Minutes

Minutes of the Metropolitan Police Authority held on 9 November 2000 at the Harvey Goodwin Room, Church House, Great Smith Street, Westminster, London SW1.

Present:

• Toby Harris (Chair)
• Richard Barnes (Deputy Chair)
• Peter Herbert (Deputy Chair)

Members:

Anthony Arbour, Jennette Arnold, Reshard Auladin, , John Biggs, Cindy Butts, Roger Evans, Lynne Featherstone, Elizabeth Howlett, Jenny Jones, Nicholas Long, Cecile Lothian, R David Muir, Sir John Quinton, Angela Slaven, Richard Sumray, Abdal Ullah and Rachel Whittaker

MPA staff:

Peter Edwards (Clerk) and Peter Martin (Treasurer)

MPS staff:

Sir J Stevens (Commissioner), Ian Blair (Deputy Commissioner) and Keith Luck (Director of Resources)

In addition approximately 48 members of the press/public and other MPA/MPS staff were present.

Part 1

70. Apologies

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies were received from Nicky Gavron, Darren Johnson and Graham Tope.

71. Minutes: 12 October 2000

(Agenda item 2)

Resolved:

That the minutes of the Authority meeting held on 12 October 2000, be agreed and signed as a correct record.

72. Minutes of committees

(Agenda item 3)

The Authority received the adopted minutes of the following Committees:

• Finance, Planning and Best Value - 19 September 2000
• Human Resources Committee - 21 September 2000
• Consultation, Diversity and Outreach Committee - 26 September 2000
• Chair's Co-ordination and Urgency Committee - 28 September 2000

Jenny Jones reported that she had not been present as stated at the meeting of the Consultation, Diversity and Outreach Committee on 26 September 2000.

The Chair said that at future meetings members would also receive minutes which had not been adopted by Committees.

Resolved:
that the minutes of the above-mentioned Committees be received.

73. Commissioner's update

(Agenda item 4)

The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir John Stevens, gave the Authority an oral report on a range of current developments and issues. These included: arrangements for New Year's Eve 2000; fuel protesters (including the effects of a possible slow moving convoy); the recruitment and retention of police officers and civilian staff; the effects of possible violence in London relating to the current conflict in the middle-east; the continuing terrorist threat; details of 'Operation Tippet' currently being undertaken in Lambeth; recent high profile crimes including the attempted robbery at the Millennium Dome; and a large demonstration in Hackney.

In connection with the report on Operation Tippett, copies of a letter from the Lambeth PCCG were tabled.

Resolved:

1. the Commissioner's oral update be noted;
2. that a progress report on 'Operation Tippet' be forwarded to Roger Evans.

74. Pay arrangements in forces surrounding London

(Agenda item 5)

The Authority received a report that outlined the formal offer by the Official Side of the Police Negotiating Board to introduce an outer London allowance for post-Sheehy police officers from six forces surrounding London; and which considered the implications for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

It was noted that the allowance would be payable within the following forces: Bedford, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey and Thames Valley; and that the Official Side had indicated that the offer had been formulated 'to balance the recruitment and retention requirements of the six forces operating within the tight South East labour market against the needs of London and other forces'.

The report indicated that the MPS had expressed concern that should the offer be accepted and implemented, it would significantly reduce the stimulus to MPS recruitment and retention afforded by the Home Secretary's decision to increase the London pay lead to £6,000.

It was noted that the Home Office was currently reviewing the Police Negotiating Board.

Resolved:

1. the Authority note the unhelpful implications for the MPS recruitment and retention of the Official Side's offer, if accepted and implemented; and
2. in his capacity as a member of the Board, the Chair of the Authority continue to stress the special needs of London and the detrimental effect the PNB proposal would have on the recruitment and retention of officers in London.

75. Police station opening hours

(Agenda item 6)

The Authority received a report that gave background information on the current opening hours of front counters in Metropolitan Police Stations and Police Offices.

It was noted that the current MPS policy was that there would be no front office closures, for the time being, other than for building works, without the authority of the Assistant Commissioner (Territorial Policing).

Members requested that the statistical information provided in the Appendices to the report be checked for accuracy and consistency and a revised version be circulated with these minutes.

Resolved:

1. the report be noted and received; and
2. a further report on the possible use of voluntary and civilian staff at front desks and on the value of consultation on closure/reduced opening hours of police stations, be presented to a future meeting of the Authority.

76. Freemasonry in police service in England and Wales

(Agenda item 7)

The Authority received a report that informed members that the Association of Police Authorities (APA) had circulated a Home Office Consultation Document on ways of achieving public transparency in regard to Freemasonry in the Police Service. It was noted that the APA were seeking to prepare a corporate response and the Authority were accordingly invited to comment.

Resolved:

That the following response be forwarded to the APA:

'MPA supports continuing efforts on a voluntary basis for police officers to register. Ways in which this can be done should be explored with Police/Staff Associations. The MPA agrees that officers be required to give notification of membership where this is relevant to an inquiry.'

77. Mayor's draft transport strategy

(Agenda item 8)

As part of the Mayor's obligation to develop and implement polices that promote a safe, integrated, efficient and economic transport system to, from and within Greater London, the Mayor had produced a draft Transport Strategy and sought functional bodies' views on it. The Authority received a report that summarised the Mayor's draft Strategy and offered an initial assessment by officers of the implications for policing in London.

The GLA Transport Strategy Manager gave a presentation.

Resolved:

1. the initial assessment be noted.
2. the MPS prepare a report to the next Chair's Co-Ordination and Urgency Committee (to address the draft strategy and this initial assessment and concentrating on proposals for implementation in 2001/02).

78. Virdi inquiry status report

(Agenda item 9)

The Authority received a report that outlined the current progress in the setting up of the 'Virdi Inquiry'. The report gave the proposed 'terms of reference' for the inquiry, details of the membership of the inquiry panel, staffing arrangements and the nature of the inquiry.

It was noted that the estimated costs of the inquiry would be presented to the next Chairs' Co-ordination and Urgency Committee.

Resolved:

1. the Authority note the terms of reference, membership and intended timescale of the inquiry, as outlined in the report;
2. the Authority request the Inquiry Team, where possible to hold some sessions in public; and
3. the Authority note that a full budget would be submitted to the next meeting of the Chair's Co-ordination and Urgency Committee and the outcome reported to the next meeting of the Authority.

79. Presentation on operation Trident

(Agenda item 10)

The Authority were to have received a presentation on 'Operation Trident', but time constraints prevented this.

Resolved:
that the progress on 'Operation Trident' form part of the Commissioner's oral report at the next meeting of the Authority.

80. Presentation on Notting Hill Carnival 2000

(Agenda item 11)

The Authority received a presentation by Assistant Commissioner Johnston (MPS) on the Notting Hill Carnival 2000.

In welcoming the presentation, members agreed that the same presentation would be beneficial to the Mayor's review of carnival. Nicholas Long, the MPA's representative on the review, undertook to relay the points that had been made at the meeting to the review.

Jennette Arnold requested that she be further briefed on the safety aspects of the Carnival.

Resolved:
that the presentation be offered to the Mayor's review of the Carnival.

81. Exclusion of the press and public

(Agenda item 12)

Resolved:
that under section 100 A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the item 14 on the grounds that they involved disclosure of exempt information as detailed in the paragraphs of Schedule 12A (1) of the above Act.

Summary of exempt item(s)

Exempt minutes of the Full Authority: 12 October 2000
To consider the exempt minutes of the Full Authority meeting held on 12 October 2000.

Exempt minutes of Committees
To consider the exempt minutes of Committee meetings held in September 2000

Legal proceedings update
The Authority considered a report that provided an update on a legal proceedings in a particular case.

The meeting ended at 1.15pm.

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