Minutes - draft

Please note these minutes are currently draft and are subject to committee approval.

Minutes of the meeting of the Finance Committee held on 21 December 2006 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Graham Tope, (Chair)
• Reshard Auladin
• Richard Barnes
• Elizabeth Howlett
• Rachel Whittaker.

MPA officers

• Catherine Crawford (Chief Executive and Clerk)
• David Riddle (Deputy Chief Executive and Clerk)
• Ken Hunt (Treasurer)
• John Crompton (Committee Services)

MPS officers

• Sharon Burd, (Acting Director of Resources)
• Simon Hart (Acting Director of Finance Services)
• Karim Mahamdallie (Director of Business Support)
• Paul Stock (Director of Strategic Finance)
• John Whitaker (Director Communication Services)
• Steve Ditchburn (Head of Vehicle Removal Service)
• Chris Nason (Head of Service Analysis, DoI)
• Anthony Doyle (Director of Procurement)
• Chris Gibson (Deputy Director Outsourced Services Programme)

65. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

An apology for absence was received from Bob Neill.

66. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

There were none.

67. Minutes of the meeting held on 23 November 2006

(Agenda item 3)

Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting held on 23 November 2006 be agreed and signed as a correct record,

68. Revenue and capital budget monitoring 2006/07 – period 7

(Agenda item 4)

This report provides an update on the revenue and capital budget monitoring position for 2006/07 at Period 7 (to the end of October). At this stage, the revenue budget is forecast to overspend by £28.4m (1.0% of budget), which includes £22.2m of estimated additional costs related to Operations Overt/Overamp. The underlying forecast overspend excluding Operations Overt/Overamp (i.e. core budget) is £6.2m (0.2% of budget). The Capital Programme shows year to date total expenditure of £76.3m. This total represents 32.5% of the revised budget. The forecast for the year of £196m is £38.7m below the revised budget of £234.7m principally due to the re-phasing of project expenditure into future years.

In reply to a question the Director of Business Support said the indications were that period 8 would show a continued improvement in achieving a reduction in the overspend on the core revenue budget.

The Director of Business Support undertook to provide more information on transport costs in future reports.

Richard Sumray said it would be useful if later reports indicated how specific overspending items had been brought back into line – for example as a result of specific action or reflected the normal spending pattern in the last quarter.

With regard to Operations Overt/Overamp the Chief Executive referred to a meeting which had been held between the Authority and the Home Office Minister at which it had been indicated that the Home Office would be making a as yet unspecified contribution towards the costs.

Resolved – That

1. the year to date and forecast position for revenue budgets and the capital programme be noted; and
2. approval be given to the budget changes to the capital programme as set out at paragraph 37.

69. Revenue budget 2007/08 -2009/10 – oral update

(Agenda item 5)

The Treasurer referred to the discussion of this subject at the Authority meeting on 29 December and said that there had been no further developments and reiterated that the Mayor had now issue is Consultation Document on Budget and Precepts 2007-08. The Mayor had proposed a budget requirement of £2,540.7 M for the MPA but was asking the GLA group to look for additional savings and a target of £8M is still being sought.

70. Efficiency plan monitoring – as at 2nd quarter

(Agenda item 6)

This report provides an update on the monitoring of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA)/Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) 2006/07 efficiency plan. Overall the forecast indicates an over-achievement against the Home Office’s efficiency target by £35.8m.

Resolved - That the position against the efficiency plan as at the end of September be noted.

71. PFI refinancing

(Agenda item 7)

No report submitted.

The Committee noted that a report would be submitted early in the new year.

72. Airwave radio programming

(Agenda item 8)

A report was submitted which requested the Committee to agree to the spend proposed in this report for the development of a corporate system to automate the remote multi-programming of Airwave radios. The solution to be delivered through variations to existing radio contracts.

Resolved – that funds be spent on the provision of a technology based Airwave radio automated remote multi-programming system.

73. Routine contracts programme

(Agenda item 9)

This report sets out the latest version of the Routine Contracts Programme, which provides members with detail on the contracts above £1m that the MPS wishes to let over the next twelve months on a rolling programme as well as details of those contracts let since the last report. The programme only covers the known routine renewals and not the emergent requirements that will continue to be dealt with under the current arrangements and brought to Committee where required.

Resolved - That the latest version of the Routine Contracts Programme be approved and authorisation be given to place the OJEU advertisements as appropriate.

74. Authority to bid for TfL Vehicle removal and storage tender

(Agenda item 10)

A report was submitted which made application for the Vehicle Recovery and Examination Service to be given authority to bid for all or part of the Transport for London (TfL) London-wide removal service contract currently out to OJEU tender. VRES currently undertakes this service through a Special Service Agreement between TfL and MPS resulting in budget income of £1.24m. This report seeks to continue that service through a formal contract.

Resolved – That

1. authority be given for the Vehicle Recovery and Examination Service to bid for the Transport for London red route/bus corridor removal and storage OJEU contract;
2. full costings to be agreed with the Treasurer and Internal Audit prior to the submission of any bid sent to TfL; and
3. a further report be submitted to members outlining the options before any bid is made.

75. 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 8 and 9 of Schedule 12A to the above Act.

Summary of decisions made on exempt items

Minute 76 agenda item 12 – PFI refinancing – no report
Noted that a report would be submitted early in the new year

Minute 77 agenda item 13 – Exempt Appendix to routine contracts programme
Recommendations adopted.

Minute 78 agenda item 14. Outsource services programme
Status of the programme noted.

Minute 79 agenda item 15 – Exempt minutes of the meeting held on 23 November 2006.
Agreed and signed as a correct record.

Minute 80 agenda item 16 late item MPA approval to settle the active directory renewal
Recommendations relating to settlement of the active directory renewal agreed.

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