Minutes

Minutes of the Resources and Productivity Sub-committee of the Metropolitan Police Authority held on 5 July 2010 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Faith Boardman (Chairman)
• Valerie Brasse
• Graham Speed (Vice Chairman)

MPA officers

• Annabel Adams (Deputy Treasurer)
• Julie Norgrove (Director of Audit, Risk and Assurance)
• John Crompton (Treasury Team)

MPS officers

• Ailsa Beaton (Director of Information)
• Anne McMeel (Director of Resources)
• Nick Rogers (Director of Finance Services)
• Gary Pugh (Director of Forensic Services)
• David Woosey (Acting Director of Procurement Services)

1. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

An apology for absence was submitted on behalf of John Biggs.

2. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

No declarations were made.

3 Appointment of Chair of and Vice Chair

It was moved by Valerie Brasse, seconded by Graham Speed, and

Resolved - That Faith Boardman be appointed Chair of the Sub-committee.

It was moved by Faith Boardman, seconded by Valerie Brasse and

Resolved - That Graham Speed be appointed as Vice Chair.

(Both of these appointments were ratified by the Finance and Resources Committee at its meeting on 15 July 2010.)

4. Minutes of the meeting held on 10 June 2010

(Agenda item 4)

Resolved That the minutes of the Resources and Productivity Sub-committee held on 10 June 2010 be agreed and signed as a correct record.

5. Capital programme –quarterly monitoring 2009/10 Q4

(Agenda item 5)

This report provided a detailed review of the MPS capital programme as at the end of March 2010.

In introducing the report the Director of Finance Services advised that a report was due to be considered at the July meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee which would contain information on aspects such as end of year adjustments. He also advised that over-programming was about £40m. which was about 14% of the Programme.

The Director of Resources apologised for the fact that some pages had been omitted from Appendix 1 and that it had been necessary to send these out as a very late despatch. Recommendation 2 in the report had been included in error and should be deleted.

Members commented that the format of Appendix 1 was not particularly helpful in enabling them to identify areas of concern. It was agreed that consideration would be given to changes in the presentation of the information in future quarterly reports so that the attention of members are drawn more effectively to those instances where there are particularly large variances or other issues which may be of concern. The Director of Resources said that the information in the Appendix had been produced especially for the meeting and to a format which had been requested by the Authority. It required the manual retrieval of the information to produce it in this format.

In reply to questions on how the capital programme was monitored within the MPS , the Director of Resources advised that the challenge aspect would be provided by the lead accountants. Each business group monitored the progress of its own capital schemes but there was not a corporate Programme Office dealing with all capital projects and as far as she was aware this was the normal practice in public sector organisations. The programme, as a whole, was monitored by the Capital Programme Steering Group. The Director of Information advised that one of the roles of the former MPA IS/IT Oversight Group was to consider the capital programme for her Directorate. She would welcome the re-introduction of such an oversight group.

Graham Speed said that it was accepted that there needed to be a balance regarding the provision of information and the Authority should seek to use existing information (such as the dashboards which were considered by the Estate Panel) rather than commission new work.

It was noted that Graham Speed wished to ask a number of detailed questions. The Director of Resources requested that these be sent following the meeting so that a composite response could be made.

Resolved That

1. the quarter 4 monitoring position be noted;
2. A schedule of questions from members be submitted and a written response be provided by the Director of Resources; and
3. consideration to be given to changes in the presentation of information in future reports.

6. Overtime quarterly monitoring report 2009/10 – quarter 4

(Agenda item 6)

This report provided analysis on overtime paid to Police Officers, Police Staff and Police Community Support Officers during the year to 31 March 2010.
The Director of Resources answered a number of detailed questions raised by members.
It was noted that there were some further detailed questions which members wished to ask. The Director of Resources requested that these be sent following the meeting so that a composite response could be made. Members also requested information on the terms and conditions which governed overtime.

Resolved That

1. the quarter 4 position for overtime costs of Police Officers, Police Staff and Police Community Support Officers be noted; and
2. a schedule of questions from members be submitted and a written response be provided by the Director of Resources.

7. Independent Review of MPS IS/IT strategy –action plan

(Agenda item 7)

At its meeting on 10 June 2010 the Sub-committee received a report on the independent review of the MPS ICT Strategy which had been carried out by the by the National Policing Improvement Agency. At that time it was agreed that an action plan be provided to take forward the 10 recommendations in the report and a report was submitted which set out the action plan.

The Chair said she would discuss further aspects of the action plan with the Deputy Treasurer after the meeting.

The Deputy Treasurer advised that consideration was being given to introducing a mechanism to enable members to be briefed on IS/IT matters, possibly by the creation of a panel which would meet as and when required –for example ahead of a Finance and Resources Committee which was due to consider a policy initiative or contract award.

Resolved -That the proposed actions produced in response to the independent review of the MPS ICT strategy be noted.

8. Requests for contract action – management information

(Agenda item 8)

This report set out the summary of requests for contract action received in Procurement Services within the last quarter (January 2010 - March 2010), with a particular focus on the requests that fall under the remit of Single Tender Actions (STA) and submitted via the associated form 1049. The report also provided details of compliance with EU Procurement law and the MPA Contract Regulations and provided a summary of the number and value of those approved and declined.

Members commented that they welcomed the new format of the report.

Resolved That the summary of competed tenders received in the fourth quarter of 2009/10 and the control of single tender exemptions through Procurement Services and the MPA be noted.

9. Forensic services contract for drugs services

(Agenda item 9)

No report was submitted for this agenda item as the report is exempt –see under agenda item 14.

10. Routine contracts programme

(Agenda item 10)

This report set out the latest version of the Routine Contracts Programme, which provided members with detail on the contracts above £1m that the MPS wishes to let over the next twelve months on a rolling programme, the details of those contracts let since the last report. The rolling programme covers routine renewals/re-tenders and all known new or emergent requirements.

The Chair said it was good to see the further progress with regard to contract compliance shown in exempt Appendix 2.

Resolved-. That the Finance and Resources Committee be advised that the recommendations should be supported.

11. Exclusion of press and public

(Agenda item 11)

Resolved - That under section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involved disclosure of exempt information as detailed in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A to the above Act.

Summary of decisions made on exempt items

12. Exempt appendices to overtime report

(Agenda item 12)

Information noted.

13. Exempt appendices to requests for contract information –management information

(Agenda item 13)

Information noted.

14. Forensic services contract for drugs services

(Agenda item 14)

Recommendation relating to the award of a contract was agreed.

15. Exempt Appendices to Routine Contracts Programme

(Agenda item 15)

Report referred to the Finance and Resources Committee.

16. Provision of a corporate print management solution

(Agenda item 16)

Recommendation relating to the award of a five year contract was agreed.

17. A Review of the HMIC Value for Money profile 2009/10

(Agenda item 17)

Report noted.

18. Exempt minutes of the meeting held on 10 June 2010

(Agenda item 18)

Confirmed and signed.

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