Minutes

Minutes of the Co-ordination and Policing Committee held on 15 December 2003 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Toby Harris (Chair)
• Richard Barnes (Deputy Chair)
• Cindy Butts
• Elizabeth Howlett
• R David Muir (Deputy Chair)
• Sir John Quinton
• Richard Sumray
• Rachel Whittaker
• Cecile Wright

MPA officers

• Catherine Crawford (Clerk)
• Peter Martin (Treasurer)
• David Riddle (Deputy Clerk)
• Simon Vile (Head of Secretariat)

MPS officers

• Sir Ian Blair (Deputy Commissioner)
• Martin Tiplady (Director of Human Resources)
• David Veness (Assistant Commissioner)
• Stephen House (Deputy Assistant Commissioner)
• Peter Loughborough (Commander)

Diana Johnson was also present.

Part 1

31. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies for absence were received from Reshard Auladin and Nicholas Long.

32. Declarations of interest

(Agenda item 2)

No declarations of interest were made.

33. Minutes

(Agenda item 3)

The Committee considered the minutes of the meeting held on 20 October 2003 and the notes of the inquorate meeting held on 17 November.

Resolved – That

1. the minutes of the meeting of the Co-ordination and Policing Committee held on 20 October 2003 be agreed and signed as a correct record; and
2. the notes of the inquorate meeting held on 17 November, so that the recommendations expressed at that meeting become decisions of the committee.

34. Initial performance assessment of the MPA

(Agenda item 4)

The committee considered a report by the Clerk setting out the proposed process and timetable for the publication of the MPA’s self-assessment report, required as part of the Audit Commission’s Initial Performance Assessment of the Authority.

It was noted that to date only one member had indicated her attendance at the member workshop arranged for 17 December. The MPA’s self-assessment report would be copied to all members.

Resolved – That the suggested process outlined in the report be approved.

35. Nomination of membership for Health and Safety Sub-committee

(Agenda item 5)

The committee considered a report by the Clerk proposing membership and a reporting line for this new sub-committee.

Resolved – That

1. the membership of the sub-committee comprise Jennette Arnold (Chair), Toby Harris, Rachel Whittaker and Kirsten Hearn; and
2. the sub-committee report to the Co-ordination & Policing Committee.

36. Members’ allowances and expenses

(Agenda item 6)

The committee considered a report by the Clerk setting out details of payments made to members of the Authority in 2002/03 and raising two issues in relation to the scheme of members’ expenses.

The committee voted on whether to recommend the congestion charge to the Authority as a justifiable members’ expense. The committee voted, by four votes to three, to recommend against payment of the congestion charge and parking expenses.

Resolved – That

1. the report on payments made to members in 2002/03 be noted; and
2. the Authority be recommended:
   1. not to approve payment of the congestion charge or parking charges as a valid members’ expense
   2. to introduce a three month deadline for the presentation of claims (subject to the Clerk being able to exercise discretion in exceptional circumstances).

37. Any other urgent business

(Agenda item 7)

Richard Barnes referred to a Hindu Safety Conference he and the Chair had attended in Northolt, where the issue of vandalism of statues was discussed. He commented that the MPS and the CPS had not appreciated the significance of this event to the Hindu community and had therefore failed to liaise sufficiently. This was an issue, along with wider issues of religious hatred, that could usefully be addressed by the committee at a future meeting.

38. Exclusion of press and public

(Agenda item 8)

Resolved – That the press and public be asked to leave the meeting during discussion of the remaining items of business because exempt information as defined in paragraph 14 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 is likely to be made known.

Part 2

39. Exempt minutes

(Agenda item 9)

Resolved – That the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 20 October be confirmed and signed.

40. Police recruitment

(Urgent item)

The Committee received an urgent report on police recruitment issues and implications for 2004/05.

41. Operation coliseum

(Agenda item 10)

The Committee received a report on lessons learned by the MPS from the events leading up to the shootings at the Turnmills nightclub in April 2003 and Sir Anthony Burden’s report.

It was agreed that any member wishing a fuller briefing should contact DAC House.

42. Armstrong Inquiry – MPS response and action plan

(Agenda item 11)

The Committee received a report by the Commissioner summarising MPS progress in implementing the recommendations of the Frank Armstrong report into the Windsor Castle security breach.

43. Security update

AC Veness gave the Committee an oral update on the security situation.

The meeting ended at 1.15 p.m.

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