Minutes

Minutes of the meeting of the Finance Committee held on 12 December 2002 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY.

Present:

• Graham Tope (Chair)
• Nicholas Long (Deputy Chair)
• Reshard Auladin
• Elizabeth Howlett
• Eric Ollerenshaw
• Sir John Quinton
• Richard Sumray
• Rachel Whittaker

MPA staff:

• Catherine Crawford (Clerk)
• Peter Martin (Treasurer)
• John Crompton (Committee Services)

MPS staff:

• Ian Blair (Deputy Commissioner)
• Keith Luck (Director of Resources)
• Alan Croney (Director of Property Services)
• Mike Jennings (Director of Finance) and Alan Given

Part 1

94. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

No apologies were submitted.

95. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

Agenda item 19 – Former Bow Police Street. Nicholas Long asked that it be noted that he was the MPA representative on London Police Education Ltd., but that he was not a director.

96. Minutes of the meeting held on 14 November 2002

(Agenda item 3)

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 14 November 2002 be agreed and signed as a correct record.

In connection with minute 81 - draft budget submission 2003/04 - Rachel Whittaker asked that it be recorded that concerns which had been expressed at recent meetings about the need for adequate provision for overtime once the full implications of the PNB agreement were known were still valid.

97. Chair and Members’ update

(Agenda item 4)

The Deputy Chair reported on some recent MPA activities.

98. Capital programme monitoring 2002/03 – second quarter

(Agenda item 5)

A report was submitted which provided forecasts of capital expenditure for 2002/03 as at the end of the second quarter. The report also contained details of the actual expenditure on capital projects from 1 April to 30 September 2002 and details of projects added to the capital programme since April 2002.

Arising from a discussion on the forecast underspend it was suggested that in future years a small list of reserve items be drawn up which could be introduced at short notice. The revenue implications would need to be known.

Resolved - That

1. approval be given to an increase to the capital programme of £2.994m in respect of vehicles purchased to support the safer streets, counter terrorism and Transport OCU initiatives. Funding to come from specific grants.
2. approval be given to an increase to the capital programme of £2.0m for enhancement of the new Command and Control Centre at Hendon. Funding to come from specific grant (£0.5m) and capital receipts (£1.5m) (see paragraph 14).
3. it be noted that

• recorded expenditure at the end of the second quarter was £37.417m which represents 31.16% of the revised budget sum (see paragraph 3).
• the capital expenditure forecast by budget holders as at the end of September indicates an underspend of £14.924m against the revised budget of £120.090m
• forecast capital receipts have risen from £15m to £32.96m
• the revised business group allocations and financing position for the capital programme 2002/03 following approval of recommendations 1 and 2.

99. Revenue budget monitoring 2002/03

(Agenda item 6)

A report was submitted which set out the income and expenditure to the end of October and provides an update to the projected financial outturn for the year.

The Treasurer reminded the Committee that at the Authority meeting on 12 December he had reported minimum additional flexibility, following the grant settlement and after balancing the budget as currently drafted, of £1.6 million. An unconfirmed specific grant of up to £7.8 million could be receivable in respect of PNB-agreed special priority payments. If confirmed this would increase the budget flexibility to £9.4 million. The Authority had agreed an order of priority for incorporation of new initiatives in the budget conditional upon confirmation of sufficient additional grant funding. The Authority had also agreed items of a one-off nature which could potentially be met from the current year’s underspend. These items would be reviewed by the Finance Committee in the context of the underspending, including being satisfied on the one-off nature of the expenditure and that they are consistent with the latest proposals concerning Glidewell.

The Committee noted that a report would be submitted at its next meeting to update members on the budget position.

Resolved (with Elizabeth Howlett and Eric Ollerenshaw stating that they wished to continued reserving their position on the budget): That the report be noted.

100. Efficiency and effectiveness review programme

(Agenda item 7)

This report provided an update on the progress made in the efficiency and effectiveness reviews.

Resolved - That

1. the progress on the efficiency and effectiveness reviews be noted.
2. it be noted that the reviews of the management structures and sickness reviews have been deferred.

101. Estate updates

(Agenda item 8)

Referring to paragraph 11, the Director of Property Services advised that members of the Committee would be invited to the opening of the new facility.

In reply to questions from a member, the Director of Property Services confirmed that works at Kentish Town Police Station were in the work programme but there had been some slippage. A report would be submitted concerning the estate implications of the best value review of demand management.

Resolved - That the report be noted.

102. Disposal of Rochester Row Police Station

(Agenda item 9)

This report and the linked exempt report were withdrawn.

103. Sandgate House

(Agenda item 10)

A report was submitted concerning marketing the site that comprises part of the rear garden to Sandgate House, Ealing W5.

Resolved - That the offer from “Party B” detailed in the exempt report be accepted.

104. Refurbishment of Croft Gymnasium, Peel Centre, Hendon

(Agenda item 11)

A report was submitted which sought approval to a contract for the refurbishment if the Croft Gymnasium at the Peel Centre. It is proposed to provide additional office / classroom accommodation by rationalising the building layout and by extension of the building at ground and second floor levels to meet current and future increased CO11 - Officer Safety Unit- operational requirements.

A plan of the proposed works was displayed.

Resolved - That: approval be given to go out to tender and award a building contract (as preferred option C) with the provision that the tender is within the approved funding provision in the medium term capital programme.

105. Disposal of Old Street Police Station and Magistrates Court

(Agenda item 12)

A report was submitted which outlined the position in relation to the decision making process on the disposal of the Old Street premises. A full report will be submitted to the January meeting of the Finance Committee and a presentation will be made to the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board on 9 January 2003.

Resolved - That the report be noted.

106. Criminal Justice update

(Agenda item 13)

A report was submitted concerning pre-charge advice for investigating officers at the point of charge. Research elsewhere has suggested that this delivers lower case attrition and improved criminal justice performance.

Nicholas Long stated that Reshard Auladin had asked him to report that he supported the conclusions in the report.

Resolved - That-

1. the CPS be allowed to fund building works by MPS contractors within BOCUs (under strict conditions) to facilitate the accommodation of their resources in police buildings, in particular work required to support information technology.
2. the Director of Property Services be given delegated authority to pursue the estate aspect in consultation with Nicholas Long.

107. Exclusion of press and public

(Agenda item 14)

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 to the above Act.

Part 2

Summary of decisions made on exempt items

Minute 108 agenda item 15 Rochester Row Police Station
Report withdrawn

Minute 109 agenda item 16 Sandgate House
Exempt information noted.

Minute 110 agenda item 17 Refurbishment of Croft Gymnasium Peel Centre -Hendon
Exempt information noted.

Minute 111 agenda item 18 Old Street
No report.

Minute 112 agenda item 19 Former Bow Street Police Station
Report relating to these premises noted. Further report requested'.

Minute 113 agenda item 20 exempt minutes of the meeting held on 14 November 2002
The exempt minutes were confirmed and signed.

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