Minutes

Minutes of the meeting of the Finance Committee held on 13 October 2003 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY.

Present:

Members:

• Graham Tope (Chair)
• Reshard Auladin
• Elizabeth Howlett
• Eric Ollerenshaw
• Sir John Quinton
• Richard Sumray

MPA staff:

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

MPS staff:

• Sir Ian Blair (Deputy Commissioner)
• Keith Luck (Director of Resources)
• Rose Fitzpatrick (Commander)
• Terry Price (Head of Corporate Finance)
• Martin Chatfield (Step Change Programme for agenda item 4)

Part 1

47. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Nicholas Long and Rachel Whittaker.

48. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

No declarations were made.

49. Revenue budget draft submission 2004/05

(Agenda item 3)

The 2004/05 revenue budget draft submission was submitted for consideration by the Committee.

The Treasurer explained that the first three items in the list of potential further savings identified in paragraph 19 were matters which it was hoped could largely be resolved by discussions between himself and the Director of Resources and they expected to find £20m from these sources. The remaining areas in the list would require detailed consideration by the business groups and a target of £20m. had been set. The Deputy Commissioner stated that it was likely that some hard decisions would be necessary to achieve these further savings whilst simultaneously supporting growth in other parts of the organisation.

The Committee noted that the original timetable had envisaged that the meeting would make recommendations to the meeting of the Authority to be held on 30 October. The Treasurer said that this was not possible given the need to identify further savings although the submission as considered would essentially be that which was taken forward. Given the very short timescales for agreeing the further savings final approval for the budget might have to be given at the Coordination and Policing Committees on 7 November. This would still be before the announcement was made about the amount of Home Office funding.

The Chair said that the Committee should also consider the draft budget at its meeting on 23 October so that the Committee could receive a progress on identifying the further savings.

The Committee noted that the step change programme would be assimilated into the overall budget submission and that the options for the step change programme shown in paragraph 15 were based on cost exemplifications in the business case.

Members asked questions on the new initiatives listed in Schedule 3.9. On item 16 it was agreed that the Director of Resources undertook to check the statement that Tasers had been supplied to all boroughs.

Resolved – That

1. the draft revenue budget submission be agreed for submission to the Authority whilst recognising that it does not reflect the continuing exercise to identify further budget reductions, which are the subject of further consideration; and
2. the oral report on meeting the £40 million target for further savings be noted and that a further report be submitted to the next meeting of the Committee on 23 October.

50. Step change – business case

(Agenda item 4)

A report was submitted on the executive summary of the step change programme the costs of the programme. The step change programme is Part 5 of the 2004/05 budget submission.

In reply to questions the Deputy Commissioner confirmed that a ward approach was no longer considered to be the most appropriate means of delivery and a more flexible approach was being given to identifying the geographical units for the community based teams. In reply to a question he said it was envisaged that local authorities would buy the services of police personnel rather than employ their own wardens.

Resolved – That the executive summary of the Step Change Programme Business Case for Growth included in the draft Part 5 of the 2004/05 Budget Submission be noted.

51. Draft capital programme 2004/05 TO 2008/09

(Agenda item 5)

This report provided information on a proposed five-year capital expenditure programme for 2004/05 to 2008/09, which is part of the budget proposal to the Mayor and Greater London Authority.

Summary information is provided on expected funding and on capital projects that fall to be funded from specific grants additional to the main capital programme. Confirmation of available funding through the local government settlement will be reported in detail to the Committee in January 2004.

Resolved – That

1. the draft indicative medium term capital programme 2004/05 to 2008/09 be approved as part of the overall budget submission to the Greater London Authority, subject to final approval at the MPA Authority on 30 October or Co-ordination and Policing Committee on 7 November; and
2. it be noted that final approval of the detailed five-year capital programme 2004/05 to 2008/09 will be sought from the Committee in January 2004 following announcement of the local government finance settlement.

The meeting closed at 4.05 p.m.

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