Contents
Report 12 of the 19 July 2007 meeting of the Finance Committee and sets out information for the adoption of ACPO charges for common items by the MPS and options for levying charges in the future to ensure the charges in London reflect the general higher costs and overheads.
Warning: This is archived material and may be out of date. The Metropolitan Police Authority has been replaced by the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC).
See the MOPC website for further information.
Annual review of the schedule of fees and charges – update report
Report: 12
Date: 19 July 2007
By: Director of Strategic Finance on behalf of the Commissioner
Summary
This report sets out information updating members on the basis for the adoption of ACPO charges for common items by the MPS and options for levying charges in the future to ensure the charges in London reflect the general higher costs and overheads.
A. Recommendations
- That Members note the report.
B. Supporting information
Introduction
1. At the Finance Committee on 18 January 2007, Members commented that they wanted further information on the basis for the ACPO charges for common items and the extent to which they were binding. Members wanted reassurance that the charges set for London for common items reflected the general higher costs and overheads.
Charges for common items
2. The range of charges for common items encompass such items as:
- Charges for the provision of copy documents, interviews with police officers requested by solicitors, etc. required for civil proceedings;
- The cost of providing additional copies of audio taped interviews;
- Charges for the taking of fingerprints for members of the public in relation to visa and passport applications (as advised by National Fingerprint Board [1] via the offices of ACPO).
ACPO recommendation for charges for common items
3. The schedule of MPS fees and charges have been calculated against the background of work undertaken by the ACPO Finance and Resources Business Area that produced formal guidance on charging for police services in 2005.
4. This guidance was produced with the aim of providing forces with a sound and robust approach to charging for their services that is both transparent and consistent. ACPO Chief Constables’ Council formally endorsed the guidance in April 2005.
5. The ACPO guidance included a recommendation on the use of common fees and charges across police forces for the provision of copy documentation etc. ACPO’s reasoning for charges for common items across police forces was that it can be difficult to justify widely varying costs for instance, provision of Road Traffic Information. ACPO believed it created an overall problem in terms of credibility outside of the police service.
6. The recommendation within the ACPO guidance included a schedule of charges for common items. However, there was no advice given within the ACPO guidance as to how the charges for common items were calculated.
7. The guidance encouraged forces to harmonise their charging methodologies over the next three financial years with an expectation that by April 2008, forces would have common charges. ACPO are in the process of providing forces with an updated version of this guidance.
Impact upon MPS charges for copy documentation etc
8. The Finance Committee of the 20 January 2005 accepted the recommendation from the MPS that where the current MPS fees and charges were lower than the ACPO recommended charges or where the MPS did not currently charge for the product, the ACPO charge would be adopted within the schedule of MPS fees and charges.
9. Additionally, this Finance Committee accepted the premise that where the charge levied by the MPS was higher than that recommended by ACPO, as identified by a review undertaken during 2004/05 of the cost to the MPS of providing certain information, the MPS charges would mark time until such time as the ACPO recommended charges harmonised.
10. The following table provides details of the charges from 1 April 2007 where the MPS has adopted the ACPO charge.
| Item | MPS Charge from 1 April 2006
£ |
Draft ACPO Charge, adopted by MPS,from 1 April 2007
£ |
|---|---|---|
| Copies of additional pages of Evidence and Actions Book (EAB) Collision/Accident Report Books (C/ARB) etc. in excess of 25 pages per incident | £3.00 | £3.30 |
| Statements up to max of 3 pages (Other than in EAB/CARB) | £25.00 | £28.00 |
| Witness statements (Witness does not agree to disclosure of personal details) | £40.00 | £44.00 |
| Witness statements (Witness agrees to disclosure of personal details) | £30.00 | £33.00 |
| Copy of plan (Other than in EAB or CARB) | £30.00 | £33.00 |
| Self reporting/minor accident form per report | £25.00 | £27.00 |
| Other (All other copies) | £3.00 | £3.30 |
| Audio tapes | £25.00 | £27.30 |
| Rough data per page | £20.00 | £22.00 |
| Search for limited particulars of a road traffic accident | £25.00 | £27.00 |
| Request for a statement to be written by a Police Officer | £100.00 | £110.00 |
| Request for an interview with a member of the MPS in a civil case | £100.00 | £110.00 |
| Fingerprints of persons wishing to obtain visas and/or clearance certificates – First Set | £20.00 | £60.00 [2] |
| Fingerprints (as above) – Each subsequent set | £10.00 | £30.00 |
11. The following tables provide details of the charges from 1 April 2007 where the MPS has adopted a position of marking time.
| Item | MPS Charge from 1 April 2006 retained for 1 April 2007
£ |
Draft ACPO Charge
from 1 April 2007 £ |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence and Actions Book (EAB) Collision/Accident Report Books (C/ARB) etc. | £96.00 | £76.49 |
| Copy Photographs (First from Negative) | £26.00 | £21.85 |
| Each subsequent photograph from first negative | £5.50 | £2.23 |
| Video tape | £131.00 | £65.56 |
| Video tape detailing reconstruction of fatal road traffic accident | £131.00 | £65.56 |
| Cancellation Charges – Cancellation of request for documentation where search for documentation has been undertaken | £35.00 | £27.32 |
12. In recommending charges for common items, ACPO recognised that this was to be an interim step and that forces should reassess the nature and level of charge at three yearly intervals to review their continuing relevance.
13. MPS Finance Services adopted the recommendation of charges for common items, from April 2005. As such, the nature and level of charges for MPS copy documentation etc. are due for re-assessment during 2007/08 in good time for introduction in April 2008.
14. MPS Finance Services intend to undertake a full review during 2007/08 of the cost to the MPS of providing certain information with a view to identifying if the current MPS charges retain their currency.
15. If the evidence from the review indicates that the current MPS charges understate the true cost of reproducing this documentation, including the effect of the general higher costs and overheads in London, it is proposed that MPS Finance Services would commence dialogue with ACPO advising them of our intention to increase charges.
ACPO Policy – extent to which agreed policy is binding on forces
16. ACPO has its own Constitution that includes a section on ACPO policy. There is a requirement for ACPO policy to be agreed by either the Chief Constables’ Council or the ACPO Cabinet. Once policy is agreed, it is issued to each Chief Constable with the recommendation that it should be adopted within their force.
17. If, for a specific reason, a Chief Constable does not intend or is unable to adopt an ACPO policy, the Chief Constable would need to inform the President of ACPO of the fact, with reasons, in writing.
18. In respect of the ACPO guidance on charging for police services, as part of the endorsement from the Chief Constables’ Council, ACPO Members were asked to note the caveat that whilst individual forces should seek to harmonise their charging methodologies with the guidance over the next three years (i.e. by April 2008), forces were asked to comply with the provisions of the guidance with immediate effect, derogating from it only after documenting the reasons for doing so.
19. MPS Finance Services addressed this endorsement in its consideration of the schedule of fees and charges over recent years. In principle the MPS accepts that there should not be widely varying charges for common items but remains committed to ensuring said charges within the MPS are reflective of the general higher costs and overheads in London.
20. The Authority has statutory responsibility for the finances of the MPS. Therefore the Commissioner is responsible for the financial management of the Force under delegation from the Authority. Specifically, the Authority is responsible for determining charging policy and particularly charges for special police services but also chargeable services generally.
Abbreviations
- ACPO
- Association of Chief Police Officers
- C/ARB
- Collision/Accident Report Book
- EAB
- Evidence and Actions Book
- MPA
- Metropolitan Police Authority
- MPS
- Metropolitan Police Service
C. Race and equality impact
There are no issues which impact upon race and equality.
D. Financial implications
1. The estimated 2007/08 income generated from the fees and charges are fully reflected in the table below which is as stated in the published MPS 2007/08 Budget Book except where there is more up to date information:
| Cost Elements | 2007/08Estimated Income£m |
|---|---|
| Copies – Evidence & Actions Book, Collision Accident Report Book. Interviews Receipts | 1.4 |
| Charges for the Special Services of Police | 3.5 |
| Charges for Detention of Prisoners in MPS Cell Accommodation (Immigration Detainees/Home Office prisoners (Operation Safeguard) - (Current Forecast) | 4.8 |
| Intruder Alarm Income | 0.7 |
| Subject Access Fees | 0.1 |
| Overseas Visitors | 0.7 |
| Seconded Officers (excluding secondments to National Crime Squad) | 11.3 |
| Firearms/shotgun Certificates | 0.3 |
| Vehicle Removal and Storage | 1.4 |
| Total | 24.2 |
2. It should be noted that the income generated from the fees and charges may be higher or lower than the above estimates due to demand fluctuations.
3. This is illustrated within the estimated income in respect of charges for detention of prisoners. The published 2007/08 Budget Book income figure for detention of prisoners in MPS cells is £5.2m principally from holding immigration detainees.
4. As a result of the overcrowding in the prison population and the present continuation of Operation Safeguard, there have been fewer cells available to hold immigration detainees with a knock on effect on receipts reflected in the £4.8 million quoted in the above table.
E. Background papers
- Report number 6 of the 20 January 2005 meeting of the MPA Finance Committee. (Annual Review of the Schedule of Fees and Charges).
- Report number 5 of the 18 January 2007 meeting of the MPA Finance Committee. (Annual Review of the Schedule of Fees and Charges).
F. Contact details
Report author: Sharon Burd, Director of Finance Services, MPS
For more information contact:
MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18
Footnotes
1. The National Fingerprint Board of England and Wales (set up in 2003) is chaired by a chief constable and made up of senior operational police officers, Home Office representatives and very senior forensic practitioners. This board has the remit from ACPO and has overall authority and responsibility for police practice and policy in relation to fingerprint matters. [Back]
2. ACPO Finance and Resources queried the level of increase with the National Fingerprint Board and were satisfied that the increase was justified due to the passage of time since the last increase that was more than five years ago. [Back]
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