Minutes

Minutes of the Consultation Committee of the Metropolitan Police Authority held on 24 April 2003 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, SW1H 0NY.

Present:

Members:

• Cindy Butts (Chair)
• Kirsten Hearn
• Jenny Jones
• Nicholas Long (items 5 to 12)
• Abdal Ullah (Deputy Chair)

Also present: David Muir (items 1 to 5 and 9 to 12) and Rachel Whittaker (item 1 to 9)

MPA Officers:

• Catherine Crawford (Clerk)
• Ken Hunt (Deputy Treasurer)
• Ruth Hastings Iqball (Committee Services)

MPS Officers:

• Chas Bailey (Superintendent, Consultation Manager)

Co-opted members: Foston Fairclough (youth representative) and Sandra Flower (London PCCG Forum)

Part 1

52. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies were received from Kate Monkhouse (co-opted member), Julia Smith (Policy Officer, Consultation, Diversity and Outreach), and DAC Steve House (Territorial Operations)

53. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

No declarations of interests were made.

54. Minutes of the Consultation Committee – 27 February 2003

(Agenda item 3)

The Committee considered the minutes of the committee meeting held on 27 February 2003.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting on 27 February 2003 be agreed.

55. Chair and Members oral update

(Agenda item 4)

Members were invited to give an oral up date on issues relating to any activities since the last meeting of the Committee.

Resolved – That the Chair and members’ oral update be noted.

56. Funding for Community and Police Consultative Groups and Independent Custody Visiting Panels 2003/04

(Agenda item 5)

Each year the MPA allocates a budget to Community and Police Consultative Groups (CPCGs) and Independent Custody Visiting Panels (ICVPs) to enable them to undertake specified aspects of work on its behalf. The Clerk introduced a report containing the budget allocation for most CPCGs and ICVPs. The lack of a proposed allocation for the London Chairs’ Forum and other groups was raised. Members were informed that work on these was in progress. The Committee agreed to delegate the decision on funding for the remaining groups to the Clerk, in consultation with, and on advice from, the lead member for CPCGs, Nicholas Long, and the Chair, Cindy Butts. These final totals would be reported back to this committee.

Surprise was expressed at the disparity in costs for CPCGs and their staff. It was explained that there were three types of CPCG: independent groups; partnership groups where local authorities provided staff and premises; and agency groups, where staff and premises where shared with other agencies. Only the costs for independent groups were transparent, elsewhere costs were hidden or determined by the local authorities. Costs were also effected by the number of meetings each group held. Members felt there should have been more explanation around this in the report. The Chair agreed that some work should be done around the staffing of CPCGs and a report be made to the Human Resources Committee.

The Clerk undertook to circulate to members the amount of funding that would no longer be spent on Racial Incident Panels. Members where told that since the writing of the report, panel administrators had been informed where appropriate funding should be obtained.

Resolved – That

1. the recommended budget allocation for 2003/04 to each CPCG and ICVP be agreed;
2. the process for reaching the decision on budget allocation be noted;
3. the processes in place for managing the unallocated budgets to support MPA developments for ICVPs and CPCGs be noted,
4. the funding issue of the Racial Incident Panels be referred to the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board;
5. a report on the staffing of CPCGs be made to the Human Resources Committee;
6. the amount of money that would no long go to Racial Incident Panels be circulated to members;
7. the decision on funding for those groups not yet allocated be delegated to Clerk, in consultation with, and on advice from, the lead member for CPCGs, Nicholas Long and the Chair, Cindy Butts; and
8. the final funding totals be reported back to the Consultation Committee.

57. Model constitution for Community and Police Consultative Groups

(Agenda item 6)

A progress report was received on the preparation of a model constitution for Community and Police Consultative Groups (CPCGs). The Clerk explained that the work described in the report had led to questions on the employee status of some administrators and, in turn to further delay. In answer to a question concerning the ratifications of constitutions in the timescales given, members were informed that this decision could be delegated to executive CPCG members.

Resolved – That members agree the further work proposed.

58. Community Consultation Co-ordinators

(Agenda item 7)

The three Community Consultation Co-ordinators (CCCs) appointed by the MPA had begun work in the boroughs to which they were appointed in October 2002. A report was received providing members with an update of the progress of their progress. The Clerk stated that it was hoped to bring the final report on Kensington and Chelsea to the next Consultation Committee. The Committee noted that Kensington and Chelsea CPCG were enthusiastic about the proposals and were keen to proceed. It was asked as to how these proposals effected the proposed constitution. The Clerk stated this would be address in a future report. It was requested that copies of the Greenwich and interim Kensington and Chelsea report be given to the MPS and co-optees.

Resolved – That the work of the CCCs and the proposed consultation structure for the borough of Kensington and Chelsea be noted.

59. Independent Custody Visiting – new Home Office codes of practice

(Agenda item 8)

Previous reports had been received by the Consultation Committee highlighting police authority responsibility for Independent Custody Visiting. Section 51 of the Police Act 2002, which placed independent custody visiting on a statutory basis, came into force on 1 April 2003. Section 51(6) of the Act required the Home Secretary to issue a relevant code of practice. A report was received drawing members’ attention was drawn to this code and the implications for the resourcing of the responsibilities contained within it.

Resolved – That

1. the Home Office code of practice on independent custody visiting and the issues raised in paragraph 5 of the report be noted;
2. the work already underway within the Consultation and Diversity Unit to progress some of the best practice developments for the scheme be noted;
3. the proposals outlined in paragraphs 6–8 of the report for resourcing the additional work required over the next 12–18 months to enable scheme to operate on a consistent level London-wide be agreed; and
4. the parallel developments in codes of practice on the Appropriate Adults scheme issued by the Home Office be agreed.

60. Update on consultation for the 2004/5 Policing Plan

(Agenda item 9)

As this report had not been circulated within the required five working days before the meeting, the Chair agreed to accept the report as urgent because of the need to meet milestones in the consultation timetable.

Consultation for the 2004/5 Policing Plan culminates in September 2003. Members received a report updating them on the development of the consultation plan. Members queried the holding of a consultation event in August, but were informed that the timetable was constrained, and that the process was not limited to this event.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

61. ‘Stand up and stamp down on gun crime murders’ event

(Agenda item 10)

As this report had not been circulated within the required five working days before the meeting, the Chair agreed to accept the report as urgent because the event needed to be reported on promptly.

As part of its annual calendar of consultation events, the Consultation Committee held its first public meeting on gun crimes on 28 February 2003. A report was received providing an analysis of that event and the learning for future public meetings co-ordinated by the MPA. The Chair thanked members of the MPA’s Consultation and Press units for their work in arranging this event.

Resolved – That the report and the actions arising from the event be noted.

62. GLA Black and Minority Ethnic communities (BME) Cracking Crime Project

(Agenda item 11)

As this report had not been circulated within the required five working days before the meeting the Chair agreed to accept the report as urgent in order to maintain the momentum of the planning process.

In March 2002, the MPA contributed financially and by provision of resources to the Government Office for London and Greater London Authority BME Cracking Crimes two-day conference in London. A report was received updating members of the progress, and the MPA’s continued involvement, in the project. A further update was requested in due course.

Resolved – That members note the report and agree the continued involvement, at MPA officer level, in the project.

63. Co-opted Members

(Agenda item 12)

As this report had not been circulated within the required five working days before the meeting, the Chair agreed to accept the report as urgent because arrangements need to be in place for the AGM.

The report was received reviewing the arrangements for appointing co-opted members to the Committee and inviting members to make appointment for the new Authority year, which starts with the Annual Meeting on 26 June.

Questions were asked about the reimbursement of expenses for co-optees members and the difficulty of attendance at daytime meetings. It was agreed Abdal Ullah and Kirsten Hearn would discuss co-optee membership with the policy officer for consultation, and a revised report be presented to the next meeting.

Resolved – That Abdal Ullah and Kirsten Hearn discuss co-optee membership with the policy officer for consultation, and a revised report be presented to the next committee meeting.

The Committee closed at 3:20 p.m.

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