Minutes

Minutes of the Co-ordination and Policing Committee held on 4 November 2005 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Len Duvall (Chair)
• Cindy Butts (Deputy Chair)
• Richard Barnes
• Toby Harris
• Kirsten Hearn
• Elizabeth Howlett
• Karim Murji
• Richard Sumray
• Graham Tope
• Rachel Whittaker
• Abdal Ullah

MPA officers

• Catherine Crawford (Chief Executive and Clerk)
• David Riddle (Deputy Chief Executive, and Solicitor to the Authority)
• Ken Hunt (Treasurer)
• Nick Baker (Head of Committee Services)

MPS officers

• Sir Ian Blair (Commissioner – item 8)
• Paul Stephenson (Deputy Commissioner)
• DAC Stephen House
• Martin Tiplady (Director of HR)
• Sharon Burd (Director of Finance)

13. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies for absence were received from Reshard Auladin (Deputy Chair), and Jennette Arnold.

14. Declarations of interest

(Agenda item 2)

No interests were declared.

15. Minutes - 7 October 2005

(Agenda item 3)

The Committee considered the minutes of the meeting held on 7 October 2005.

It was agreed an additional recommendation on the rationalisation of MPS stop and search panels and boards be added to minute 6.

RESOLVED - That the minutes (Part 1), subject to the additional recommendation to minute 6, of the meeting held on 7 October 2005, be agreed and signed as a correct record.

16. Resources Allocation Formula update

(Agenda item 4)

Members received an update on the Resource Allocation Formula (RAF). The update included a review of the 2% cap and feedback on the use of the ‘Commissioner’s judgement’ following the completion of the Service Review process.

The Chair confirmed that he had received comments from a number of local authorities on the RAF and he requested that when a revision of the process was to be undertaken these comments should be considered.

Members highlighted a number of concerns regarding the disparity of some borough workforce targets (BWT). In response to these concerns, members were reassured that in the boroughs highlighted, BWT numbers were being addressed and that the increase in particular boroughs had been due to the placement of probationers.

Members commented on the ‘Bexley Project’, which aimed to improve the police officers/police staff ratio and had seen an increase in the number of police officers, therefore undermining the principle of the project . The Deputy Commissioner agreed that this issue needed to be looked at.

Members also received an explanation on how the budget was measured against officer (adjusted) average salaries and this was reviewed yearly to avoid overspends.

An undertaking was given to circulate to members the number of probationers on boroughs.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

17. MPA Domestic Violence Board

(Agenda item 5)

At the meeting of the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board (EODB) on 6 October 2005, approval was given to the establishment of a Domestic Violence Board and the decision was referred to this Committee for further consideration in view of the corporate implications of establishing the new Board.

Members agreed that the Board should be established initially for a year at which point a review should be undertaken.

It was agreed that the Board should focus on performance issues and have a specific work programme and to take account of other partner’s works on domestic violence.

Elizabeth Howlett expressed an interest in joining the Board.

RESOLVED – That

1. Members agree that the MPA establishes a Domestic Violence Board to oversee MPS performance in relation to domestic violence and that the Board be time limited to a year with a review undertaken at that point; and
2. Elizabeth Howlett be appointed to the Board.

18. Progress on action plan from external audit annual letter

(Agenda item 6)

Members received a report that presented the current position on the action plan for addressing the key recommendations outlined in the Audit Commission’s Annual Report and Inspection letter.

RESOLVED – That members approve the steps taken to make progress against the action plan.

19. Member vetting

(Agenda item 7)

A report was received that proposed that all members should be vetted to counter-terrorism check (CTC) level.

In supporting the proposal, the Committee requested that future member appointments should be ‘subject to security clearance to CTC level’. Any subsequent issues arising from security clearance should be referred to the Standards Board.

RESOLVED – That

1. the MPS be asked to carry out a CTC check on those MPA members not cleared to that level; and
2. a CTC check should be carried out for all future member appointment.

20. Budget submission

(Agenda item 8)

Members received a report on the progress on the budget submission 2206/07-2008/09 and gave details on the financial overview position, in particular the requirement for continuing work to identify options for reducing the budget gap.

(Further information and consideration of the Budget was held in exempt session, following a resolution to exclude the press and public from the meeting).

In presenting the report the Deputy Commissioner informed the Committee that the reports outlined a number of draft proposals which were subject to detailed scrutiny by the MPA and MPS and which were being negotiated with staff.

The Treasurer highlighted the need for caution in relation to the use of reserves due to uncertainty around issues such as the funding of Operation Theseus and changes to police pensions financing.

A number of specific issues were raised on indicative proposals for growth including Met HR, SCD Corporate costs; costs of policing public order events and witness care units. In responding to these particular issues the Chair reminded members that he would expect the report to the Authority meeting on 17 November to include commentary on these and any other issues members brought to the attention of the Treasurer.

In response to questions from members regarding the roll out of Safer Neighbourhoods, the Chair reiterated that the delivery of Safer Neighbourhoods was subject to both central government and Mayoral support.

RESOLVED – That

1. for consideration of part of this item the press and public be excluded from the meeting during as it was likely to disclose exempt information as described in Schedule 12(a) (1 and 11) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended);
2. the Committee note the further progress being made on the budget submission to the Mayor for 2006/07 and the financial overview position as summarised in Appendix 1, in particular the requirement for continuing work to identify options for reducing the budget gap;
3. a further report be submitted to a meeting of the full Authority on 17 November 2005;
4. the MPA’s direct budget and proposals for transferring any year end underspend to reserves be confirmed.
5. the provisional advice on the robustness of the estimates (Appendix 2) be noted.

21. Any urgent business

(Agenda item 9)

(a) Review of the policing response to disasters

(Agenda item 9a)

This report was deferred from the full Authority meeting on 27 October 2005.

The report provided members with an update on how the MPS has learnt from its response to previous major incidents and disasters. In particular, the report focused on good practice around disaster victim identification, casualty bureaux, family assistance centres and mortuary and resilience mortuary facilities.

As part of this review the MPS had established the Responding to Major Incidents Programme Board, which was considering feedback from partners and stakeholders on the MPS response to recent incidents and disasters. The MPS invited MPA representation to this Board.

Members highlighted the importance of full cost recovery to the MPA/MPS arising from natural disasters and that standby equipment to carry out duties be available.

It was noted that the report of the Internal Consultancy Group had suggested that: ‘The Metropolitan Police Authority and the Association of Police Authorities, together with the Home Office, consider whether the powers available to Police Authorities are adequate to ensure that individual police forces can provide a timely, adequate and effective resource to support a national police response in the event of a mass disaster’. It was agreed that the Committee receive a further report on this matter at a future meeting.

RESOLVED – That

1. the report be noted;
2. the MPA be represented on the MPS Responding to Major incidents programme Board and a report on this be considered at a future meeting; and
3. the Committee receive a report on the powers available to police authorities to ensure that individual police services can provide a timely, adequate and effective resource to support a national police response in the event of a mass disaster.

(b) Flu Pandemic

(Agenda item 9b)

A report was received that provided information around London resilience in the event of a influenza pandemic.

The report outlined arrangements for business continuity, the role of BOCUs and role of public order planning and a brief update on Avian Flu. Members were informed that the Department of Health were leading on the planning for any pandemic flu, with other agencies, including the police services and that this was being undertaken through the London Resilience Forum and the GLA Pandemic Response Steering Group. The MPS suggested that feedback from these fora should be presented to either this Committee or the full Authority.

In relation to quarantine zones, the MPS reiterated that these would be subject to a ministerial agreement and not the police service.

The Chair requested that the MPS respond directly to Jenny Jones on the questions that she had submitted.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

(c) Gun Crime Scrutiny revisit

(Agenda item 9c)

Members received a report that requested approval to reconvene the gun crime scrutiny to investigate the MPS response to rising gun crime incidents during 2005.

Members supported the reconvening of the Scrutiny with the same membership of the initial panel on the grounds of continuity.

RESOLVED – That the Gun Crime Scrutiny be reconvened as outlined in the report.

The meeting closed at 12.55 p.m.

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