Reports from committees

Report: 9
Date: 28 May 2009
By: Chief Executive

Summary

At each meeting of the Authority members will receive a report from committees that have meet in recent weeks.

This is the first report from the authority’s committees to the full authority. It provides members with details of the key items considered at each of the committees and their sub-committees.

This report covers the following meetings:

• Finance and Resources Committee - 23 April 2009
• Strategic and Operational Policing Committee - 7 May 2009

Finance and Resources Committee - 23 April 2009

The following members were in attendance: Steve O’Connell (Chairman), Reshard Auladin, John Biggs, Faith Boardman, (Vice Chairman), Dee Doocey, Deborah Regal, Graham Speed and Richard Tracey.

Revenue and capital budget monitoring position for 2008/09 at Period 11 (to the end of February)

As at period 11 (to the end of February) the revenue budget is forecast to underspend by £29.1m (0.9% of budget). The capital programme shows year to date total expenditure of £256.6m (including the purchase of New Scotland Yard (£129m)). This total represents 74.6% of the revised annual budget of £344m. The forecast for the year of £293.9m is £50.1m below the revised annual budget.

Small and medium enterprises - early payment of invoices

The Committee has previously approved a series of actions with the aim to pay small and medium enterprises (SMEs) earlier that the current net 30 day payment terms and ultimately for all SMEs to be paid within a 10 working day payment term. This is the MPS response to the Mayoral undertaking to identify ways to assist small and medium sized firms in the current economic climate.

Members received the first monitoring report .and were advised that the work implemented to date has been completed within existing resources and as part of a larger programme of work to improve the Service’s procurement processes.

Treasury Management Policy

The Treasury Management policy statement for 2009/10 has been agreed. Day to day responsibility for the treasury management function remains as a delegated function with the Director of Resources. The policy is approved annually and has been updated to reflect recommendations made in the recent KPMG report.

Police Property Act Fund

The Police Property Act applies to property that is in the possession of police where the owner of the property cannot be identified or where no court order has been made. The Committee received information relating to the annual accounts for the Fund for 2007-08, the outurn of the 2008-09 grants budget and proposals for the allocation of the 2009-10 grants budget. The grants budget of £300,000 will be allocated to boroughs using an established formula.

Procurement items

The Resources Sub-Committee now gives detailed consideration to these reports before they are considered by the F&R Committee. Those considered at the meeting included the following:

Intermediate term energy procurement strategy - exempt

The contracts for the purchase of future supplies of gas and electricity were extended

Procurement of future radio services contract - exempt

The Committee received the outcome of a competitive tender exercise for the provision of radio services and agreed to award a new contract for a 9 year period.

Forensic Medical Examiner contract with British Transport Police - exempt

It was agreed to enter into a contract both with BTP and the City of London Police for the provision of forensic medical examiner services via the MPS rather than directly with the Forensic Medical Examiners. This arrangement will not impact on the level of service provided to the MPS.

Strategic and Operational Policing Committee - 7 May 2009

The following members were in attendance: Reshard Auladin (Chair), Jennette Arnold, James Cleverly, Toby Harris (Vice Chair), Neil Johnson Jenny Jones, Joanne McCartney and Caroline Pidgeon. Also in attendance: Valerie Brasse

Presentation by IPCC

Deborah Glass, Commissioner, IPCC, gave a presentation entitled ‘IPCC Work with MPS 2008/2009’.

Referrals from MPS relating to fatalities April 2004 – December 2008’ – IPCC report

 A report was received containing as an appendix the IPCC report named above. Members asked how recommendations in relation to pursuits and driver training were shared with police authorities. The Commissioner, IPCC, agreed to develop a tripartite information sharing system involving police authorities.

Headline performance report

The T/AC, Territorial Policing, introduced a report providing an overview of MPS performance for 2008/09. The report comprised three elements:

• crime performance for selected crime categories,
• performance against the MPS Critical Performance Areas, and
• performance against other policing plan indicators.

Members asked about figures for rape and hate crime, and about business crime (primarily shoplifting).

Specialist Crime Directorate (SCD) - thematic performance report

This report provided a summary of SCD’s performance against its key measures and targets from April 2008 to March 2009. In answer to questions, members were told that investigation of rape, prostitution and human trafficking now all fell within SCD, although the Clubs and Vice Unit remained within TP. Questions were about the Child Abuse Investigation Command (CAIC). It was agreed this information, together with an outline of responses to all outstanding recommendations from Lord Laming’s Inquiry, would be contained in the report on ‘baby P’ that would be received at the next committee meeting. It was also agreed that a briefing paper would be supplied to members on betting shop raids.

The transfer of accountability for rape and serious sexual violence investigation from the Territorial Policing (TP) business group to SCD

At the beginning of 2008, MPS concern over the two high profile serious and series sexual offences cases led the, then, Commissioner to commission an in-depth assessment of the MPS response to rape and serious sexual violence. In March 2009, after extensive consultation and review, the MPS Management Board agreed that, whilst much excellent work has been achieved by Sapphire teams since their creation, accountability for rape and serious sexual violence investigation should transfer from mainstream policing arrangements in TP to the SCD in September 2009. The MPS believed a dedicated 24-hour response to victims within a single dedicated line management would provide greater and more consistent support for victims, would professionalise the MPS’ investigative response with specially trained staff and would build on the organisational learning from internal reviews, including the two serious and series cases.

Section 44 Terrorism Act 2000 - tactical use review

The Committee received a report highlighting the history and rationale for the tactical review of sec. 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and developed several findings in the form of a suggested model, with recommendations drawn from the process of research, engagement and analysis of the tactical use of sec. 44 in the MPS. The Chair asked that further recommendations be added to those in the report: that members be engaged in the review and evaluation of the pilots and that a report would come back to the Committee in three months time.

Policing town centres safely

A report was received setting out the delivery of a new approach to policing town centres including criteria for selecting locations, engagement plans, accommodation and implementation plan, It also included:

• the community/partner engagement strategy for identifying the first sixteen town centre footprints;
• details of how the Special Constabulary would form part of these teams; and
• an implementation plan for the 32 Town Centre Teams over the next two years.

Members felt they had not been properly consulted about the proposals and expressed a desire to be kept better informed especially in the light of their CDRP role. The Chief Executive stated that she would discuss the matter further with the T/AC, TP, and the MPA’s Head of Engagement and Partnerships.

Report on the sub committees of the Strategic and Operational Policing Committee

This report contained a summary of reports received by following sub committees:

• Counter-Terrorism and Protective Services Sub-Committee - 1 April 2009
• Professional Standards Cases Sub Committee - 9 March 2009
• Professional Standards Cases Sub Committee - 2 April 2009
• Olympics / Paralympics Sub Committee - 22 January 2009

Termination of the Traffic Reporting Information System (TRIS) contract - exempt

The Committee received a report outlining the background to the procurement of the Traffic Reporting Information System (TRIS) and summarising the problems encountered since the contract was signed four years ago. The way forward proposed by the MPS was agreed.

The settlement of claims resulting from arrests outside the Mexican Embassy in 2006 - exempt

A late and additional report was received on the settlement of five claims following arrests outside the Mexican Embassy in 2006. The report outlined the circumstances surrounding the claims. Members expressed concern that they had not been made aware of this case earlier under the MPA/MPS protocol on compensation cases, and amendment to the protocol was agreed to prevent this happening again.

Contact details

Report author(s): John Crompton, MPA

For more information contact:

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

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