Chair’s update report

Report: 4
Date: 24 October 2000
By: Chair

Summary

This report presents a brief overview of current key MPA actions and initiatives that fall within the remit of the CDO Committee.

A. Supporting information

Lawrence status report

1. At the MPA meeting on 12 October, the Authority unanimously approved a final offer of settlement for the Lawrence family. The offer is now with the solicitors for the Lawrence family. The Authority is committed to ensure that the painful lessons learned from the case will continue to inform the way in which policing is carried out in the Metropolitan Police District. Members were particularly surprised to see the matter reported in the “Daily Mail” on Saturday as no press release had been authorised.

Gurpal Virdi status report

2. Plans for setting up this independent Inquiry are now well under way. I have agreed the terms of reference with the MPS and other key stakeholders.

3. The membership of the panel will be drawn from the list of individuals, representing a wide spectrum of interests. I will reach a final decision on the composition by the end of October 2000 when the Inquiry panel will meet for the first time.

4. The timescale for the Inquiry is still being finalised. I foresee that the final report of the findings will be published by June 2001.

Notting Hill Carnival

5. The Mayor for London is conducting a review of the Notting Hill carnival. Nick Long is the MPA representative and will give an oral report at the meeting.

Greater London Authority Equalities Commission

6. Cindy Butts is representing the MPA on the GLA Equalities Commission and will give an oral update of the progress in this area of work at the meeting.

Equal opportunities and anti discrimination

7. Section 404 of the Local Government Act 1999 requires that the MPA, in exercising its functions, shall have regard to the need to ‘promote equality of opportunity for all persons, irrespective of their race, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation or religion; to ‘eliminate unlawful discrimination’; and to ‘promote good relations between persons of different racial groups, religious beliefs and sexual orientation. The MPA is undertaking a number of initiatives to satisfy this requirement and two of these have been outlined below.

Local Government Act 2000 - general principles and model code of conduct

8. The Local Government Act 2000 received Royal Assent on 28 July. Amongst other things it introduces a new ethical framework that will apply to police authorities as well as local authorities and similar bodies.

9. In advance of adoption of new model codes of conduct arising from the Act, the MPA has agreed to adopt an anti-discrimination code of conduct, which is in line with one of its statutory responsibilities to ‘promote equal opportunities.’ and ‘eliminate unlawful discrimination.’

Meetings with community and representative groups

10. The MPA Chair, Toby Harris and the Chairs of other committees, are in the process of meeting with key community and representative groups who feel that they have a valuable contribution to make to the work of the MPA. I and other members of the CDO Committee have already established contact with a range of groups and we will be continuing to do so.

B. Recommendation

C. Financial implications

There are no financial implications arising from this report.

D. Review arrangements

I will provide a fresh update each month.

E. Background papers

The following is a statutory list of background papers (under the Local Government Act 1972 S.100 D) which disclose facts or matters on which the report is based and which have been relied on to a material extent in preparing this report. They are available on request to either the contact officer listed above or to the Clerk to the Police Authority at the address indicated on the agenda.

• Local Government Act 1999
• DETR General Principles of Conduct in Local Government - A Consultation Paper July 2000
• APA Code of Conduct for Police Authority members and Staff

F. Contact details

The author of this report is Julia Smith.

For information contact:

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

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