Minutes

Minutes of the an meeting of the Co-ordination and Policing Committee held on 6 July 2006 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Len Duvall (Chair)
• Cindy Butts (Deputy Chair)
• Richard Barnes
• Toby Harris, (for agenda items 1-3 and 5)
• Damian Hockney
• Elizabeth Howlett
• Karim Murji
• Aneeta Prem (up to agenda item 6)
• John Roberts
• Richard Sumray
• Rachel Whittaker

MPA officers

• Catherine Crawford (Chief Executive and Clerk)
• Ken Hunt (Treasurer)
• David Riddle (Deputy Chief Executive and Clerk)
• Tim Rees (Head of Community Engagement)
• John Crompton (Committee Services)

MPS officers

• Paul Stephenson (Deputy Commissioner)
• Martin Tiplady (Director of Human Resources)
• Dick Fedorcio (Director of Public Affairs)
• Rod Jarman (Commander,Territorial Policing)
• Steve Bloomfield (Chief Superintendent ,Safer Neighbourhoods)

Also attended – Tony Arbour

1. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies for absence were received from Reshard Auladin (Deputy Chair), Jennette Arnold, Kirsten Hearn and Graham Tope

2. Declarations of interest

(Agenda item 2)

No declarations of interest were received.

3. Minutes – 9 June 2006

(Agenda item 3)

Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting held on 9 June 2006, be agreed and signed as a correct record.

4. The Morris Inquiry – Implementation of recommendations

(Agenda item 4)

A report was submitted which provided a brief overview of the progress made by MPS and MPA in implementing the recommendations of the Morris Inquiry.
The report outlined the substantial progress that has been made. A formal process for “sign off” of recommendations is being developed, and submissions will start to flow through to this committee later this year and into 2007.

Members commented that it would be useful for the progress of the recommendations to be set against a time line and asked that this be included in any future report. The Deputy Commissioner said that he would anticipate that this would show that a considerable number of the recommendations were nearing the completion stage. Areas of long term cultural change were also being addressed.

Members agreed with the proposal in the report that a stakeholder event be held in 2007 but in order for it to serve a useful purpose there would need to be careful consideration of the timing and content of the event.

A member commented that Lord Morris should be made aware of the progress of the recommendations in his report.

Resolved – that

1. the progress made in the implementation of the Morris Inquiry recommendations;
2. future reports include a time line for implementation of recommendations; and
3. a stakeholder event be held in early 2007 to engage with stakeholders in assessing progress made towards a changed MPS.

5. Review of Independent Custody Visiting administration arrangements

(Agenda item 5)

This report recommended that the MPA should assume direct responsibility for the administering of the Independent Custody Visiting scheme. This would enable the Authority to achieve and demonstrate proper compliance with its statutory responsibilities and to manage the scheme effectively.

This item was considered before agenda item 6 and Standing Orders were suspended to allow Mick Farrrant, ICV Chair to address the Committee. Mr Farrant outlined the background to custody visiting and said that while progress had been made in considering the issues in the recent meetings which he and colleagues had held with the Chair of the Authority, the majority of ICV’s and Panels were opposed to the proposed changes at this stage and were not convinced that they would deliver a stronger ICV service. The ICV Panel Chairs considered that more discussion was needed with a view to an alternative way forward. He would therefore request the Committee to defer making final decisions on the matter until these discussions had concluded.

In reply to a question the Deputy Chief Executive confirmed that it was the intention that the ICV Administrators be placed with other MPA staff involved in “outward facing” work.

Some members referred to the residual areas of concern expressed by Mr Farrant and the individual Panels. In view of these concerns it appeared to make sense to defer making a decision on the proposals to allow the remaining points of concern to be discussed further.

John Roberts, portfolio member for Independent Custody Visiting said that there had been detailed consideration of the proposals over a long period and it was now appropriate to make decisions on the way forward. Aneeta Prem reminded the Committee that there had also been discussion of the need to make administrative changes when she was the lead member for this area of work and she could not support any further delay in implementing the recommendations.

The Chair referred to the progress which had been made in the more recent discussions with Mr Farrant and other ICV Chairs and he would reiterate the point which he had made at a recent meeting that if a team of 8 Administrators did not prove to be adequate this would be looked at. He would urge the Committee to agree the recommendations in the report. The discussions with the ICV’s on the implementation would continue and he would suggest that a further report on the governance issues be submitted to the November meeting.

Resolved – (on a vote and with 7 voting in favour and 4 against)

1. the proposals to remodel the administration of Independent Custody Visiting in London be agreed;
2. the timescale proposed for these changes be agreed; and
3. a further report on the governance issues be submitted to the November meeting.

6. Home Office Immigration detainees at MPS detention facilities

(Agenda item 6)

A report was submitted which updated the Committee on the use of MPS custody accommodation by immigration detainees and on other developments regarding immigration detainees.

Commander Jarman said that some of the figures shown in paragraph 5 were no longer correct. A meeting has been set up with Independent Custody Visitors to discuss some of the detailed arrangements for the holding of detainees such as access to medical care.

Resolved – That the current position in relation to the use of MPS detention facilities and the proposed review of working practices between the MPS and the United Kingdom Immigration Service

7. Safer Neighbourhoods public information dissemination

(Agenda item 7)

A report was submitted which provided an updated on the progress of how the central Safer Neighbourhood Team is working with the locally based Safer Neighbourhood teams in disseminating information to local communities.

A member said that the provision of information at neighbourhood level it should also contain a corporate, London wider Safer Neigbourhood branding.

Resolved –That the progress in developing a comprehensive and consistent public information dissemination strategy for all Safer Neighbourhood teams be noted.

8. Use of the MPA Partnership Fund

(Agenda item 8)

A report was submitted which provided an overview of the distribution of the MPA Partnership Fund for the 2005/06 financial year. The breakdown of allocations contained shows allocations to set categories.

The Chair reminded the Committee that MPA link members had a role in agreeing the expenditure of the fund.

Members commented that it was essential there be as much relevant information as possible on how the Fund had been used so that there could then be an evaluation of the use of the monies. In this context, a member stated that here were a very large figure shown as “miscellaneous” in the report which was not very informative and he would ask that in future reports there be at least a general indication of what all of the Fund had been used for.

Resolved – That

1. the distribution of the MPA Partnership Fund across the 32 London boroughs be noted; and
2. the allocation of Partnership Fund in certain categories of activities, together with figures for intended carry forward also be noted.

9. MPA Regional Partnership Fund

(Agenda item 9)

A report was submitted which set out the principles and eligibility criteria for a possible regional partnership fund.

It was agreed that the report be deferred for further consideration at a future meeting.

10. Any urgent business

(Agenda item 10a and 10b)

The Committee agreed to consider two items of late business:

(i) Scrutiny of the MPS Directorate of Public Affairs

A report was submitted which outlined an approach to scrutinising the MPS’s Directorate of Public Affairs following comments made by members at the Authority meeting on 29 June.

The following members indicated that they would be interested in taking part in the scrutiny:

• Len Duvall
• Damian Hockney
• Elizabeth Howlett
• Karim Murji
• Rachel Whittaker

Resolved - That

1. a scrutiny of MPS’s Directorate of Public Affairs be held; and
2. further consideration be given to the terms of reference for the scrutiny and bringing in external expertise to support the work of the panel.

(ii) ACPO Excellence in Policing Performance Conference 2006

A report was submitted on the ACPO Excellence in Policing Performance Conference 2006 which is being held on 11 and 12 September 2006 at the Ramphal Centre, University of Warwick. The report requested the Committee to approve the attendance of Richard Barnes on behalf of the MPA. This decision rests with the Committee as the costs will exceed £500.

Resolved - That the attendance of Richard Barnes at the ACPO Excellence in Policing Performance Conference 2006 be approved at a cost of £750.

11. Exclusion of Press and Public

(Agenda item 11)

Resolved - That under section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involved disclosure of exempt information as detailed in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 12A to the above Act.

Summary of decisions made on exempt items

Minute 12 Chief superintendent post related allowance
A list of post related allowance posts under the scheme introduced in
2004 were identified.

Minute 13. police reform and special priority payments
The Special Priority payment posts and payments for 2006 were approved.

Minute 14 Request for financial assistance
Recommendation adopted.

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