Selection process for Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis

Report: 8
Date: 27 November 2008
By: the Chief Executive

Summary

The Chief Executive has delegated power to determine the size and composition of a selection panel for an Association of Chief Police Officer (ACPO) appointment but the Full Authority determines the size and composition of any panel convened to formulate the MPA's recommendations to the Home Office in respect of the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner. This report sets out the proposals for the process for the imminent appointment of the next Commissioner.

A. Recommendation

That members note the process to be adopted and agree the process for finalising the composition of the MPS selection panel (paragraphs 6-10).

B. Supporting information

Background

1. At the full Authority meeting on 6 October, it was agreed that whilst the Chief Executive has delegated power to determine the size and composition of a selection panel for an Association of Chief Police Officer (ACPO) appointment, the full Authority will determine the size and composition of any panel convened to formulate the MPA's recommendations to the Home Office in respect of the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner.

Advertisement

2. As Members will have seen, the advertisement for the next Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis was jointly published by the MPA and the Home Office on Friday 7 November 2008, with a closing time and date for applications of 12 noon on 1 December 2008.

Short listing

3. The Home Office will carry out the initial short listing exercise. This will be chaired by the Home Office Permanent Secretary, and will include the Director General of the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism, two MPA Members (Kit Malthouse and Cindy Butts) and an independent member to provide clear assurance that the process complies with the principles of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA).

4. The Acting Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary (HMIC), Denis O’Connor, will act as professional advisor to the short listing panel.

5. It is anticipated the Home Office short listing process will take place during December.

MPA selection panel

6. The MPA will then interview the shortlisted candidates. Every member of the Authority is eligible to sit on this panel, although clearly having the selection panel of 23 members would be unwieldy. Whilst Home Office guidance on ACPO selection requires Members sitting on selection panels to have attended ACPO selection training, the guidance does not apply to the posts of Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner as the appointments are made under Royal Warrant. There is consequently no requirement to have attended such training for this appointment, although clearly it would be helpful to have done so.

7. It is therefore proposed that there should be a representative panel of members comprising the Chairs of the four main Committees, namely Reshard Auladin (Chair, Strategic and Operational Policing Committee) Cindy Butts (Chair, Communities, Equalities and People Committee, MPA), Steve O’Connell (Chair, Finance and Resources Committee) and Toby Harris (Chair, Corporate Governance Committee), plus two independent members and representatives of the four political parties on the Authority (i.e. Conservative Party, Green Party, Labour Party and Liberal Democrat Party).

8. If Members agree this approach, an email will be circulated shortly inviting expressions of interest. Members are invited to discuss whether, in the event of more members wishing to take part in the panel interview than this approach suggests, the best way forward to resolve the panel representation is to be determined by informal negotiation or by drawing lots or to increase the size of the panel to include all those who wish to take part.

9. The Chief Executive and HMIC will act as professional advisors to the MPA panel.

10. It is anticipated the MPA interviews will take place in mid January 2009.

MPA recommendations and Mayoral representations

11. The MPA will then write to the Home Secretary making recommendations. The Mayor of London has a statutory entitlement to make separate representations.

Final decision

12. The Home Secretary will then interview one or two candidates following recommendations from the MPA and representations from the Mayor of London. The appointment will be made by Her Majesty The Queen following a recommendation by the Home Secretary.

C. Legal implications

1. The proposals set out in this report comply with police authority responsibilities for the appointment of ACPO ranks (chief constable, DCC and ACC and equivalents) under sections 11(1), 11A and 12(2) of the Police Act 1996, subject to the approval of the Secretary of State and regulations made under Section 50 of the Police Act 1996 (Secretary of State’s determinations).

2. Appointments to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) are governed by sections 9B to 9G of the Police Act 1996, as inserted by the Greater London Authority Act 1999.

3. It is expected that candidates for the post of chief constable should meet the standard eligibility requirement for that post, as set out in paragraph 1 of Part 1 of the determination made under Regulation 11 of the Police Regulations 2003.

4. The posts of Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis are made under Royal Warrant. Their appointments are subject to approval by the Secretary of State, who would make a recommendation to the Palace, having consulted the MPA and the Mayor of London.

C. Race and equality impact

The proposals are intended to comply with best practice in selection processes and to ensure that there is fair and open competition. The proposals must also compliant with the legal framework for these appointments.

D. Financial implications

There are minimal financial implications arising from the joint advertisement published by the MPA and the Home Office in Police Review and Police Professional magazines.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author(s): Alan Johnson, HR Policy Officer, MPA

For more information contact:

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

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