MPA and MPS equalities budget submission and diversity objectives 2004-2007

Report: 11
Date: 04 December 2003
By: Clerk

Summary

Members agreed the draft Equalities budget for the MPA at the October meeting. This report invites members of the Board to discuss the detailed Equalities Budget submissions of the MPA and MPS that were submitted to the Mayor’s office for consideration as part of the annual budget process.

A. Recommendations

That members:

1. Comment on an agree the Race and Diversity objectives of the MPA for 2004-07
2. Note the progress made on implementing the recommendations following the 2003/04 Budget Equalities meeting
3. Agree the two additional equalities objectives proposed by the Mayor’s office following the 2004/05 equalities budget review process
4. In light of the most recent Counsel legal advice, refer the Mayor’s office recommendation for monitoring the equalities performance of Community and Police Consultative Groups (CPCGs) to the Authority for a decision
5. Agree the process proposed for more closely monitoring and over viewing the Equalities Expenditure of the MPS

B. Supporting information

1. The MPA and the MPS are required to develop a detailed budget submission outlining the core equalities objectives and activities, as part of the overall annual budget request to the Mayor of London and the Greater London Assembly. The MPA submission is attached at Appendix 1 for members only and outlines the strategic objectives, which is discussed in detail in agenda item 9b on this agenda.

2. Each year the Mayor sets different key objectives that he wants each of the GLA group to address. This year the focus is on the safety of women and the MPA will be working to ensure that the proposals submitted by the MPS are implemented. The Authority would also in its own right, look into ways that it can add value to the important area of work for London’s female population.

3. The Mayor’s office has also recommended that one of the key objectives for the EODB should be the recruitment, retention and progression of Black and Minority (and women) staff in the MPS. The MPA Human Resource Committee continues to have an overview of this area, and this Board will wish to see that the HR committee pursues its governance responsibility for developments in this area, and that it receives regular reports from the HR committee. Additionally, the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 places specific statutory obligations on police authorities and forces towards the Dismantling Barriers targets. Progress on this area will be reported directly to this Board.

4. The work of the Recruitment Task Force has played an important role in exploring some of the recruitment issues, what is being proposed by the mayor’s office is that similar focus must be given to the MPS progress in relation to retention and progression matters. If members are in agreement the Mayor’s office recommendation Officers will bring more detailed proposals for the way in which this may be progressed once consideration has been given to the proposals that are likely to be contained in the report of the Lawrence Sub Group on Recruitment, Retention and Progression that is soon to be published and the internal progress on these matters by the MPS Development and Organisational Implementation team (DOIT) in the Diversity Directorate.

Overview of the equalities performance and practice of Community and Police Consultative Groups

5. Members will note that the submission has proposed the need for this Board to provide an overview of the equalities representativeness of local Community and Police Consultative Groups. The requirements for similar equalities overview is also contained in the MPA Race Equality Scheme and the Service Improvement Plan. Both of these documents were published before the most recent legal advice from Counsel who has now stated that the Authority has no statutory responsibility for CPCG. There continues, however to be a funding relationship between the Authority and these Groups and new criteria has been developed to ensure that the diversity representation of these groups will be one of the criteria that will be used for assessing the level of the grant allocation to these groups for 2004/05.

6. The most recently published Home Office research ‘The Role of Police Authorities in Public Engagement’ has again highlighted that CPCG’s continuing failure to ‘attract a representative audience and to generate a meaningful output on strategic issues. The report recommends that police authorities should look into more effective methods for engaging with the communities that it serves.

7. In light of Counsel’s decision, and the most recent Home Office recommendation, the issue regarding the equality representativeness of CPCG’s is simply part of a wider issue that needs to be addressed by the Authority. Members may therefore wish to consider referring the Mayor’s office recommendation to the Authority, so that a decision can be reached on the long term direction of the Authority concerning CPCG. The EODB will be in a better position to consider its response to this recommendation from the Mayor’s office.

Mayor’s Office Recommendations 2003/04 Equalities Budget process

8. In 2003/04, the GLA made a number of recommendations for the MPA to address in the ensuing year. These have been in the public domain for some time and some of these are outlined in this paper. Officers have actioned the majority of these recommendations.

The few that remain are still to be completed include

• “The MPA can only perform its scrutiny role effectively if it is working to a coherent strategic equalities framework. The MPA should publish their Diversity Strategy, originally promised for March 2003, as soon as possible. This needs to incorporate the outcomes of the Equalities for All Review and the targets contained within the Race Equality Scheme; and 
• “Current equalities training programmes appear to be very broad and generic; there does need to be focused training provided on specific equalities areas – particularly in relation to the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.”
• “The MPA needs to address, in a proactive way, the needs of other equality target groups [disability, sexuality, age and faith] – particularly in light of the European directives.”

9. The Mayor’s office also made a number of recommendations regarding the MPS budget submission. Members will wish to ask the MPS for a progress report against each of these.

MPA Equality and Diversity Policy Objectives 2004 – 07 

10. The MPA budget submission has proposed six priority areas that will form the basis for the race and diversity strategy for the EODB and the Authority for the next three years. These Key priorities are outlined in the budget submission (page 6-7). 

Staffing details

11. The detailed breakdown of the MPA staffing, HR and internal expenditure is outlined in para 14-28 where an explanation is provided for each area of expenditure.

The Service Improvement Plan (SIP) pages 31-41

12. One of the requirements of the 2004-07-budget submission is that of providing an update of the SIP arising form the Best Value review of equalities. The MPA’s completed SIP is attached and detailed discussions are yet to take place between the MPA and the GLA offices who are over viewing the progress of each of the GLA Groups.

13. There is likely to be a cost implication in undertaking this area of work and discussions will be held between MPA officers to develop a programme of work for achieving this performance measure.

Proposed MPA Equalities Budget Expenditure

14. The proposed expenditure was agreed at the October meeting of this Board and has now been submitted to the Mayor’s office. Members will note the increase in the overall expenditure inclusive of staffing and internal expenditure to £530,500.

15. The full time staffing compliment for progressing the Authority’s work on diversity is 2.5 permanent staff. Most recently, an individual has been appointed on a 6-month contract to provide assistance with the stop and search scrutiny and progress the local government equalities standards requirement. This is complimented by the work undertaken by a range of others as the process of mainstreaming diversity in the working processes of the MPA.

16. That being said, the recent increased focus on race and diversity in the MPA and MPS is likely to place a heavy burden on staff in the Consultation and Diversity Unit. The Mayor’s office has already indicated that, in its assessment, the current MPA Diversity staffing is inadequate to achieve the proposed work programme. This matter has been raised previously. Members will note that Officers have highlighted this as being one of the risks to the work programme of this Board not being achieved. Members will need to consider the impact that this is likely to have should the demand for new work arises in the coming year.

MPS Equalities Diversity Budget Submission

17. This is attached as Appendix 2 for members only. MPA and MPS officers are still to discuss this in detail, and it is accepted that the priorities outlined in the submission may vary once the decisions on the reviewed diversity agenda in the MPS and outcomes of the Commissioners Task Force on Diversity and the internal review that is underway on the Diversity Directorate has been completed.

Scrutiny of the MPS Equalities Budget Expenditure

18. The overall proposed expenditure for 2004-05 is £112,992,708. This is a huge expenditure and this board may wish to take a closer interest in monitoring the way this budget is expended and the outcomes of those initiatives and programmes proposed by the MPS. One of the terms of reference of this Board is that of scrutinising the equalities budget expenditure of the MPS. This could be achieved through receiving more regular equalities expenditure reports from the MPS.

C. Equality and diversity implications

The work programme specifically aims to ensure the MPA meets its duties and aims relating to Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. The programme enables the Authority to better engage with the MPA’s equality target groups, improve its own and the MPS’ diversity performance, address key issues of community concern and develop the appropriate structures and processes to fulfil its equal opportunities policy.

D. Financial implications

This Board has previously considered the financial implications. The overall MPA Equalities budget for 2004-05 is £530,500. The MPS Equalities and Diversity Budget for 2004-05 is £138,170,581 revenue and £4,450,000 capital. These are totals taken from the 2004/05 Equalities Budget submission. It is important to note that this is an estimate of the costs we will be incurred on equalities-related issues. The 2004/05 figures are provisional until the budget is agreed in mid February.

E. Background papers

• MPA Budget Equalities Submission
• MPS Equalities Budget Submission

These are included as appendices 1 and 2 respectively to this report for members only. They have also been placed on the website and copies are available from the MPA Secretariat – 020 7202 0181. 

F. Contact details

Report author: Julia Smith

For more information contact:

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

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