Proposed Budget Amendments

Report: 6
Joint meeting of the Strategic and Operational Policing and Finance and Resources Committees
Date: 17 March 2011
By: Treasurer of the Metropolitan Police Authority and the Director of Resources on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

This report sets out information on the amendments to the Authority’s 2011/12 budget, proposed at the London Assembly on 23rd February 2011.

A. Recommendation

That

1. Members note the amendments submitted to the Mayor’s proposals for the MPA 2011/12 Budget.
2. Members note that whilst the amendments are insufficiently developed to be incorporated into the 2011/12 budget at this stage, the Chair of the Police Authority will review the proposals in 2011/12.

B. Supporting information

B. SUPPORTING INFORMATION

1. At the London Assembly meeting on 23rd February 2011, three separate sets of amendments were put forward to the Mayor’s proposed budget for the MPA, for 2011/12. None of the amendments secured the required two thirds majority to secure approval and therefore the Mayor’s proposals were passed unamended.

2. The details of the three sets of amendments are set out in the appendix to the report, together with an initial response to each proposal.

Amendment Proposals

3. The Green Party proposals total £20m of additional expenditure funded by a number of proposed reductions. The most significant of these, including overtime and TSG, would have major implications for service delivery, as set out in the appendix. The proposals do not spell out clearly exactly how the savings would be implemented, or the impact that this might have on service delivery.

4. The Liberal Democrat proposals would result overall in an additional budget pressure of £4.08m. There is no detail provided of how this additional budget pressure might be absorbed. The major area identified for savings is the Directorate of Public Affairs, which would result in a reduction of 64 posts. It is unclear how the costs of reducing this number of posts could be absorbed within the current budget envelope.

5. The Labour proposals total £15.4m of additional spending, funded through a number of suggested savings. The largest of these is overtime (£4.4m) and DPA (£3.4m). Again there is no detail provided around the service impact of these savings, or how the cost of achieving these savings would be absorbed.

Conclusions

6. The proposals as submitted by the three party groups are insufficiently detailed to enable them to be built into the 2011/12 budget at this stage.

7. In particular further work would need to be done around the potential impact on service delivery, the cost of change and the risk impact of any change. An initial review carried out by the MPS indicates that there are significant budgetary implications with all the proposals.

8. The proposals will be taken forward and reviewed by the Chair of the Authority in 2011/12.

C. Other organisational & community implications

Equality and Diversity Impact

1. There are no direct implications arising from this report, which impact upon equality or diversity.

Consideration of MET Forward

2. The MPA budget supports the MPS / MPA in taking forward all strands of MET Forward.

Financial Implications

3. The financial implications are encompassed within this report.

Legal Implications

4. The Mayor’s budget including the component budget for the MPA was approved by the London Assembly on 23rd February 2011.

Environmental Implications

5. There are no environmental implications arising from this report:

Risk Implications

6. There is no risk impact from considering the proposals as part of the MPA budget scrutiny process. However, implementing the proposals without a fully worked up business case, could present a significant risk to the robustness of the 2011/12 budget.

D. Background papers

• MPS review of proposed amendments (attached).

E. Contact details

Report author: Bob Atkins, Treasurer

For information contact:

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

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