Minutes

Minutes of the meeting of the Finance, Planning and Best Value Committee held on 17 April 2001 at Romney House, Westminster, London SW1.

Present:

• Graham Tope (Chair)
• Reshard Auladin (Deputy Chair)
• Nicholas Long (Deputy Chair)
• Cindy Butts
• Roger Evans
• Cecile Lothian
• Sir John Quinton
• Richard Sumray
• Rachel Whittaker

MPA staff:

• Catherine Crawford (Clerk)
• Peter Martin (Treasurer)

MPS staff:

• Deputy Commissioner Ian Blair
  Bob Alexander
• Trevor Lawrence
• Superintendent Phil Flowers

Also present 25 members of the press/media and public and other staff members from the MPA and MPS.

Part 1

110. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

An apology for absence was received from John Biggs.

111. Minutes: 20 March 2001

(Agenda item 2)

The minutes were tabled.

Resolved:
that the minutes of the meeting held on 20 March 2001 be agreed and signed as a correct record.

112. Chair and members' update

(Agenda item 3)

The Chair reported receipt of a letter from the Secretary of the Police Federation following decisions made at the last meeting of the Committee. The Chair also said that his work with the review of the Resource Allocation Formula (RAF) had included attendance at a workshop. He had also attended a plenary session of the Association of Police Authorities.

Rachel Whittaker reported that she held a meeting with the Director of Resources to discuss the way in which police training was funded. The discussion would form the basis of a report.

Nicholas Long said he had also been also been involved in the review of the RAF. The Estates sub-group had made some progress on identifying a work programme.

Resolved:
that the report be noted.

113. Policing and performance plan

(Agenda item 4)

A report was considered which described the current position on the preparation and distribution of the annual policing plan/best value performance plan.

With regard to the second recommendation concerning feedback members indicated that in order to allow adequate discussion of the process involved in the production of the plan in the first instance a meeting of the Oversight Panel be held. Members were asked to submit any comments to the best value manager for inclusion in a report which would be considered by the Oversight Panel.

Resolved:

1. The formal publication of the Authority's policing and performance plan for 2002/02 be noted.
2. The members of the Oversight Panel and MPA and MPS officers involved in the production of the plan be thanked for their hard work.
3. A meeting of the Oversight Panel be held to consider the process involved in the production of the plan.
4. Following consideration of the process involved in the production of the plan by the Oversight Panel a report be submitted to the June meeting of the committee.

114. Budget monitoring

(Agenda item 5)

A report was submitted which identified the key issues that have come to light during the planned year close process.

Resolved:
that the updated year end position be noted.

115. Medium term financial projection 2001/06

(Agenda item 6)

A report was considered which set out the medium term financial projections to 2006.

In considering the report members acknowledged that the projections would be subject to constant revision. The Committee indicated that the following items should be included in the first revised version of the report:

• projected costs of the continued building programme;
• a reduction in the provision for compensation pay outs in the future especially in the context of the introduction of risk insurance;
• reserves requirement to be made more explicit;
• strategic links with the medium term plan;
• it was also felt that given that the target figure of 28,000 police officers by 2004 was being widely quoted it would be prudent to make appropriate provision for the corresponding increase in the civil staff budget.

The Treasurer was asked to incorporate the foregoing comments in a report for further consideration in conjunction with the GLA.

Resolved:

1. The initial medium term financial projections including the potential variations be noted.
2. The Treasurer be commissioned to draft a revised version taking into account the above comments for consideration as necessary in consultation with the GLA.

116. Virement arrangements

(Agenda item 7)

Proposals concerning the arrangements for budget virements (transfers between budgets) were considered.

Resolved:
that the proposals for virement management as set out in paragraphs 5 to 11 be agreed.

117. Budget implementation 2001/02

(Agenda item 8)

The Committee received a report which describes the progress made by the MPS in implementing its budget for 2001/02.

Resolved:

1. The progress on budget implementation be noted.
2. The first full budget implementation report be submitted to the Committee in June.

118. Efficiency and effectiveness review programme

(Agenda item 9)

A firm of consultants, Accenture, was appointed earlier in the year to carry out a mapping and scoping exercise for the proposed efficiency and effectiveness review programme. Following initial consideration by the Steering Group the review programme submitted by Accenture was presented to the Committee. Revised recommendations were tabled.

A presentation was made by Greg Wilkinson from Accenture supported by James Taylor following which members asked questions.

Members expressed surprise at the statement by Accenture that there were up to 600 extant reviews currently being carried out within the MPS. Concern was also expressed that Accenture's proposals would duplicate existing reviews and the programme of best value reviews and did not acknowledge the work which PA had been doing with the MPS.

Greg Wilkinson said that the proposed reviews would have a different approach from best value reviews and would produce identifiable savings. They would thus complement rather than duplicate the best value reviews.

The Committee felt that there should be further consideration before any review was initiated. Accordingly the tabled recommendations were amended.

Resolved:

1. The report by Accenture be received and the proposed efficiency and effectiveness programme noted. Before any review is agreed the Committee will need clarification in the terms of reference for each individual proposed review of its relationship to (a) any relevant existing or recent reviews by the MPS and (b) a subsequent best value review.
2. The Project Board be asked to report back to the Committee on a process for determining the relevance of existing reviews and criteria for new reviews excluding best value reviews.
3. The Project Board be asked to bring forward proposals for an initial tranche of reviews with terms of reference for approval by the Committee.
4. The proposals for securing stakeholder agreement be agreed.
5. The programme management structure and responsibilities be agreed.
6. The procurement process be agreed.

119. Business case for investment in the financial function

(Agenda item 10)

A report was considered which set out the case for investment in the MPS finance function to enable it to develop the capacity to deliver the services required and expected of it.

The Chair said that it was clear from the arguments put forward in the report and from other reports which had been previously considered that it was necessary to invest in the finance function as a matter of urgency. He would therefore suggest that at its meeting on 19 April the Authority be requested to authorise the expenditure detailed in the report. Rather than the suggested source of funding he would recommend that the investment be funded from the contingency of £5 million created by the Authority at its meeting on 8 March 2001 out of savings on court warrants execution and national insurance contributions

Richard Sumray referred to previous discussions about the need to identify a process by which funding could be obtained for prioritised items in the policing plan for which there was no provision in the approved budget (e.g. the provision of more rape custody suites.) It was agreed that a further report would be submitted to the Committee in June.

The Committee asked that the accuracy of the information contained in annex 1 be checked before the meeting of the Authority. The officers were also asked to include in the annex a line showing the position in London that would result from the proposed investment.

Resolved:

1. The Finance, Planning and Best Value Committee recommends that the Authority approve additional expenditure of £900,000 in 2001/02 (£1,562,000 in a full year) to restructure and reskill the MPS finance function. It is proposed that this expenditure should be funded from the contingency of £5 million created by the Authority at its meeting in March 2001 out of savings on court warrants execution and national insurance contributions.
2. Approval be sought as a matter of urgency at the Authority meeting on 19 April.
3. A report be submitted to a future meeting on a wider review of budget priorities.

120. MPA accommodation requirements appraisal

(Agenda item 11)

A report was considered which outlined the need for MPA to determine its future accommodation requirements.

With regard to Recommendation 2 members indicated that they did not wish to submit any advice to the full Authority about location. The Deputy Commissioner said that if the Authority decided to move away from Victoria consideration should be given to providing some office space for the use of senior MPS personnel.

Resolved:
that the three stage process for determining the MPA's future accommodation be agreed.

121. Proposed 2001/02 allocation of funding for Police Community Consultative Groups and Lay (Custody) Visiting panels

(Agenda item 12)

A report was considered which set out the proposed funding allocations for 2001/02.

Cecile Lothian and Nicholas Long said thanked the officers for their hard work in carrying out this first evaluation of the bids.

Members commented that it would be helpful in future years if the information included an indication in general terms of the reasons for the differences between the allocations. For example, whether the group had to pay rent for its offices.

Resolved:

1. The process used for evaluating the bid proposals submitted by PCCGs and Independent Custody Visiting Panels be noted.
2. The proposed funding allocation in appendices B and C be agreed.
3. The recommendations be remitted to the full Authority for approval at its meeting on 19 April.
4. The officers be thanked for their hard work in carrying out the evaluation.

122. Review of residential rents and service charge

(Agenda item 15)

A report was submitted in the exempt section of the agenda which requested the Committee to determine the level of rent increase for resident officers for 2001/02.

The Committee agreed to consider this report in the public part of the meeting.

Members requested that a report be submitted to a future meeting setting out information which would enable them to undertake a review of the policy in this area.

Resolved:

1. The rents on residential quarters be increased by an average of 6.2 per cent with effect from 1 June 2001.
2. The service charge payable on section houses bedspaces be increased by 6.2 per cent with effect from 1 June 2001.
3. The changes be adjusted to reflect an annual increase of 6.2 per cent
4. A review be undertaken of the general policy in this area.

123. Exclusion of press and public

(Agenda item 13)

Resolved:
that under section 100 A(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 8 and 9 of Schedule 12A of the above Act.

Summary of decisions made on exempt items

Agenda Item 14 Vehicle Removal Contract
The Committee noted a report on the vehicle removal contract and asked that further reports be submitted to each meeting.

Agenda Item 15 Review of Residential Rents and Service Charge
The Committee agreed to consider this report as a non-exempt item.

Agenda Item 16 Former Rochester Row Police Station update
The Committee agreed the arrangements for the disposal of the former police station.

Agenda item 17 Exempt minutes
There were none.

The meeting ended at 5.10pm.

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