Independent member appointment panel

Report: 9
Date: 26 June 2008
By: the Chief Executive

Summary

This report invites the Authority to form a panel of members to make independent member appointments.

A. Recommendation

That the Authority

1. agrees that the final independent member appointments be made by a panel of members;

2. decides on the membership of this appointment panel; and

3. agrees the preferred approach that the panel seek confirmation for its appointment decisions from the Authority at its meeting on 24 July, but that if this timescale cannot be achieved, that the panel be given delegated authority to make decisions on member appointments.

B. Supporting information

1. The current term of office of ten of the Authority’s independent members expires on 30 September. The Home Secretary makes one of these appointments and she has informed the Authority that she has appointed Toby Harris for a further term of office. The other nine positions have been advertised publicly and the closing date for applications was 4 June. Nearly 140 applications were received.

2. The appointment process has two stages. A selection panel is responsible for recommending 18 suitable candidates to the MPA (they must put forward twice the number of candidates as there are vacancies). This selection panel comprises Len Duvall and Elizabeth Howlett (MPA appointees), Kit Malthouse (Mayor’s appointee), Professor Prem Sharma (Home Secretary’s appointee) and Ann Gill, an independent assessor drawn from a list produced by the Home Office. The selection panel are looking to hold interviews on 2, 3 and 7 July.

3. The final selection and appointment of the nine independent members is then made “by the existing members of the Metropolitan Police Authority” (MPA Regulations 2008). This can be carried out by all (eligible) members of the Authority or by a smaller panel of members. Apart from the initial appointments in 2000, the MPA has taken the latter approach, with a panel of three or five members reporting its appointments to the full Authority for confirmation. The Authority is recommended to adopt this approach again and is asked to appoint the panel membership. The aim is to complete the interviews in July for report to the full Authority at the end of July.

4. In making these appointments, members are asked to bear in mind that any independent or magistrate member who is on the selection panel’s shortlist cannot sit on the appointment panel, nor can they take part in the discussion and decision as to who should be appointed to that panel.

5. The aim is to complete the appointment process by the end of July, both to avoid the main holiday period and more importantly to give those who may or may not be successful in their application sufficient notice of the outcome. It is desirable but not a legal requirement that the full Authority confirms the nine successful candidates identified by the appointment panel. However, if it is not possible (for instance because of panel members’ availability) to complete the interviews in July 2008, there is not another full Authority meeting until October 2008. It is therefore recommended that in this event the panel be given delegated authority to make the appointments.

C. Race and equality impact

In line with good recruitment practice, the Authority should, as far as is practicable, ensure that the appointment panel membership is balanced, for instance in terms of ethnicity and gender.

D. Financial implications

There are no financial implications.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author(s): Simon Vile, Head of Corporate Secretariat, MPA

For more information contact:

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

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