Minutes

Minutes of the Standards Committee of the Metropolitan Police Authority held on 23 September 2009 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members (MPA)

• Stephanie Caplan
• Jennette Arnold
• Christopher Boothman
• Anne Dickens
• Toby Harris
• Kirsten Hearn
• Deborah Regal
• Richard Tracey

MPA officers

• Simon Vile (Head of Corporate Secretariat/Monitoring Officer)
• Nick Baker (Head of Committee Services)

1. Election of Chair and Vice Chair

(Agenda item 1)

1.1 Nominations for the position of Chair and Vice Chair of the Committee were sought up until the meeting of the Standards Committee following the annual meeting of the Authority in 2010.

1.2 Anne Dickens proposed and Toby Harris seconded Stephanie Caplan for the position of Chair. Stephanie Caplan proposed and Chris Boothman seconded Anne Dickens as Vice Chair.

Resolved - That that Stephanie Caplan be elected Chair and Anne Dickens be elected Vice Chair of the Standards Committee until up until the annual meeting of the Authority in 2010.

2. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 2)

2.1 No apologies for absence were received.

3. Declarations of interest

(Agenda item 3)

3.1 No declarations of interest were made.

4. Minutes (part 1)

(Agenda item 4)

4.1 The Committee considered the minutes of the meeting held on 26 September 2008 and 4 March 2009, the Standards Committee Sub-Committee meeting held on 24 June 2009 (Part 1) and the Assessment Sub-Committee meeting held on 3 September 2009.

Resolved – That the minutes referred to above be agreed and signed as a correct record.

5. Protocol on confidential briefings and information

(Agenda item 5)

5.1 Members received a report that proposed a protocol on confidential briefings and information.

5.2 In welcoming the protocol members’ main concerns were around greater clarity about what was a confidential matter, particularly as members may be aware of issues that could affect operational matters. Members also felt that there was a need for guidance on breaches of confidentiality that might be argued as being in the public interest.

5.3 The protocol made reference to both members and staff; the Committee suggested that it should be directed at members, with reference made to staff conduct in the staff handbook.

5.4 Members welcomed protocol and raised a numbers of issues including:

• The need for the protocol to take account of individual briefings
• Greater clarity for members of MPS documentation which is often marked secret or confidential.
• The need to recognise that this protocol is not a standalone document (references to the Members Code of Conduct and staff handbook should be made)
• The need for clarity on the status of information on cross borough issues

5.5 The Monitoring Officer confirmed that it had not been possible to include the GLA in this protocol but that he would share the protocol with them.

Resolved - That officers take account of the comments made by the Committee in developing the protocol for recommendation to the full Authority.

6. Standards Committee (further provisions) England regulations 2009

(Agenda item 6)

6.1 A report was received informed members of the key highlights of the Standards Committee (Further Provisions) England Regulations 2009, which came into force on 15 June 2009.

6.2 The Regulations covered the following areas: suspensions of initial assessment functions; joint standards committees; and dispensations.

6.3 In relation to joint standard committees members were asked to consider if officers should discuss with the Greater London Authority and the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority the possibility of establishing a joint committee. In doing so, members were asked to consider three models for carrying out this function.

6.4 Members were not supportive of a joint Standards Committee and had some reservations about the joint assessment and review process which involved the GLA, LFEPA and the MPA. However, members could see benefits of working jointly with LFEPA as both they and the MPA had similar workloads. It was suggested that officer discuss with LFEPA a possible model for this option.

6.5 Arising from the discussion, the Monitoring Officer proposed a joint training session with LFEPA on the assessment and review process, which could also be widened to invite non standard committee members of each of the authorities. In welcoming this suggestion, members asked that as part of the training it include a case study of what is considered to be confidential information.

Resolved – That

1. officers continue to discuss with LFEPA on developing a model for joint assessment and review working; and
2. a joint training session on assessment and review working with LFEPA be arranged.

7. Standards indicators

(Agenda item 7)

7.1 Members received quarterly standard indicators for the period Jan 2008 to June 2009.

7.2 It was noted that the number of FOI requests replied to within the statutory timescale was 17 not 1 as indicated in the papers.

Resolved – That the standard indicators be received.

8. Members expenses, gifts and hospitality - oral update

(Agenda item 8)

8.1 The Monitoring Officer confirmed that members’ expenses, gifts and hospitality details had now been published on the MPA website.

8.2 Members were also informed that for London Assembly members of the Authority discussions were taking place with the GLA about producing a single register of interest for the GLA, MPA and LFEPA for those members. It might be possible to extend this to cover declarations of gifts and hospitality. It was noted that such a link (on the MPA website to the GLA website) exists for the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Authority, as their dual roles made it difficult on occasions to distinguish what should be a GLA declaration from an MPA declaration. Officers would now consider the same process for other Assembly members but would need to check the legality of this proposal.

Resolved - That the report be received.

9. Exclusion of press and public

9.1 A resolution was put to exclude the press and public from the meeting during remaining items on the agenda as they were likely to disclose exempt information as described in Schedule 12(a) of the Local Government Act 1972, paragraph 1.

Resolved - That in the light of members not wishing to comment on the minutes (Part2) of the Committee meeting held on 24 June 2009 the press and public were not excluded from the meeting during discussion of the remaining item on the agenda

10. Minutes (part 2)

(Agenda item 10)

10.1 The Committee considered the minutes (Part 2) of Standards Committee Sub-Committee meeting 24 June 2009.

Resolved – that the minutes (Part 2) of the Standards Committee Sub-Committee meeting held on 24 June 2009 be agreed and signed as a correct record.

The meeting closed at 11.00 a.m.

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