Minutes

Minutes of the meeting of the Finance Committee held on 24 January 2008 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Graham Tope (Chair)
• Richard Sumray (Deputy Chair)
• Reshard Auladin
• Elizabeth Howlett
• Aneeta Prem

MPA officers

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

MPS officers

• Anne McMeel (Director of Strategic Finance),
• Simon Hart (Acting Director of Finance Services)
• Karim Mahamdallie (Director of Business Support)
• Paul Stock (Director, Strategic Finance)
• Alan Croney (Director of Property Services)
• Brita Sread (DPS)
• Patrick Phillips (DoI)
• Anthony Doyle (Director of Procurement)
• Acting Commander Nigel Mawer attended for item 6
• John Whittaker (Vehicle Recovery and Examination Service) attended for agenda items 12 and 21
• Stephen Ditchburn (Vehicle Recovery and Examination Service) attended for agenda items 12 and 21

106. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies for absence were received from Richard Barnes, Faith Boardman, Dee Doocey, Damian Hockney and Rachel Whittaker.

107. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

There were none.

108. Minutes of the meeting held on 11 December 2007

(Agenda item 3)

RESOLVED - That the minutes of the meeting held on 11 December 2007 be agreed and signed as a correct record.

109. Revenue and capital budget monitoring 2007/08 – Period 8

(Agenda item 4)

This report provides an update on the revenue and capital budget monitoring position for 2007/08 at Period 8 (to the end of November). The revenue budget is forecast to underspend by £15.9m (0.5% of budget), which includes £5.4m of estimated additional costs related to Operation Seagram. The Capital Programme as at Period 8 (to the end of November) shows year to date total expenditure of £75.4m. This total represents 42.0% of the revised annual budget. The forecast for the year of £167.7m is £12.1m below the revised budget of £179.8m (£116.5m below the original annual budget of £284.2m).

In reply to questions from members on police officer pay, the Director of Strategic Finance advised that it was too early to make decisions on how to treat the underspend arising from the lower than anticipated police pay award. The matter would probably be considered as one of the issues to be addressed at the time of the closure of the accounts. She also advised that consideration was being given to having a three year deployment plan rather than annual profile to smooth out the end of year officer projections In reply to a question about the continued overspend in supplies and services the Director of Strategic Finance advised that in the new year it was intended to have an improved link between the budget transfers and the actual activity. Reshard Auladin suggested that members might find it useful to be advised in more detail what was contained within this budget line.

RESOLVED – That the year to date and forecast position for revenue and capital budgets be noted.

110. 2008 – 11 Medium term financial plan

(Agenda item 5)

This report provides an update on the MPA/MPS Medium Term Finance Plan in the light of announcements on the Government’s provisional Grant Settlement and the Mayor’s budget proposals for 2008-11.

Richard Sumray commented that it would have been useful if there had been some justification for the proposed budget increases in the submission shown in the table in paragraph 11.

The Director of Strategic Finance advised that the proposed budget changes has been identified as part of suggested increases in the “higher funding limit” in the budget submission agreed by the Authority previously.

RESOLVED – That-the report and the responses made to the Government’s provisional Grant Settlement and the Mayor’s budget proposals for 2008-11 be noted.

111. Proceeds of Crime Act

(Agenda item 6)

A report was submitted concerning a proposal to supply regular funding to the Safer London Foundation from the MPS Asset Recover funding.

In reply to questions from members Acting Commander Mawer confirmed that the Safer London Foundation commissioned work and advised that the abbreviations ARIS used in the report stood for the Asset Recovery Incentive Scheme and RART stood for Regional Asset Recovery Team.

RESOLVED That

1. Approval be given to a proposed ‘payback’ scheme for communities with the following features:

• To use the SLF as the conduit for community funding from ARIS.
• To provide £500,000 yearly from ARIS funding to the SLF to fund community based projects aimed at reducing acquisitive crime and sending the message across London that crime does not pay
• To maximize the publicity opportunities that this recycling of criminals assets provides.
• Where ARIS income is above that forecast to satisfy the 5-year plan. An additional 20% of that extra income to be provided to SLF at year-end to a maximum of £500,000 (which would be £1 million including the yearly amount).
• The remaining 80% of income above forecast to be used to continue to build the MPS infrastructure and to fund MPS led community initiatives.
• To publicise the bidding process and outcomes

2. Updates be submitted to the Finance Committee twice a year.

112. Update on approval to a MPA forensic science evaluation and monitoring unit

(Agenda item 7)

The Committee had approved the acquisition and development of a specific property solution in Lambeth in support of an MPA forensic science evaluation and monitoring unit under delegated authority in consultation with the Chief Executive and subject to a satisfactory business case and financial settlement for the proposed acquisition. A report was submitted which provided an update to this approval and concluded that the proposed solution was no longer feasible.

In reply to questions from members the Director of Property Services confirmed that the search for a new location for the unit included sites which were not in central London.

RESOLVED –That the Committee.

1. notes the progress that has been in regard to the specific property solution in Lambeth and the outcome of the feasibility study in regard to this solution;

2. supports the recommendation that the proposed solution is no longer feasible; and

3. notes that searches will be undertaken to identify suitable property solutions for MPS Investment Board and the MPA to consider.

113. Routine contracts programme

(Agenda item 8)

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 Routine Contracts Programme and give authorisation to place OJEU advertisements where appropriate be approved.

114. Technology group procurement framework

(Agenda item 9)

At its meeting on 3 May 2007 the Committee approved the business case for a framework for the procurement of electronic and related equipment. A report was submitted which advised that eight companies had been identified as suitable suppliers and sought authority to issue contracts to selected companies which will form the Technology Group Framework.

RESOLVED – That approval be given to the award of contracts to form the Technology Group Procurement Framework

115. Mobile data terminals replacement

(Agenda item 10)

At its meeting on 21 June 2007 the Committee approved the business case for the Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) Replacement Project. Following formal tender procurement activities, the Project Board have identified and recommended a preferred supplier. The report also advised that the costs identified are within the authorised budgets.

RESOLVED – That

1. the MDT Replacement contract be awarded to the preferred supplier as detailed in Exempt Appendix 1 and it be noted that the costs identified are within the authorised budgets.

2. it be noted that funding has been agreed within the Business Case (ref: 960514-BUS-0002) ,the Committee endorsed this in June 2007 and Investment Board agreed the additional funding on 18 December 2007.

116. Operational personal digital assistants

(Agenda item 11)

This project will install the infrastructure for the Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) system and deploy two hundred PDA devices in order to validate the solution. A report was submitted which sought approval to award the contract for the Operational PDA to the preferred supplier. The report included cost projections.

It was agreed to add a third recommendation to this report which currently appeared in the linked exempt report.

RESOLVED – That

1. the Operational PDA contract be awarded to the preferred supplier and note the additional recommendations detailed in exempt Appendix 1;

2 It be noted that funding has been agreed within the Business Case (ref: 960524-BUS-001) and this was endorsed by the MPS Investment Board in September: and

3. approval be given to the MPS bid for central funds from the NPIA/ Home Office to assist with the local purchase of PDA devices.

117. Vehicle removal and storage contracts

(Agenda item 12)

A report was submitted which sought approval to award contracts for vehicle recovery and storage as well as the provision of two forensic suites to support this activity. The contractual criteria are based upon the MPS operational historical requirement, without guarantee of future workload and will continue to complement the existing in-house provision.

The Commercial Services Director asked the Committee to note that, as stated in the report, one of the suppliers was recommended for approval based on the overall appraisal although it had not supplied the lowest bid.

RESOLVED – That

1. Approval be given to the awarding of the recovery contracts (lots 1,2,4 to 9) to the suppliers set out in exempt Appendix 1;

2. Approval be given to the awarding of forensic / mechanical suites (lots 10 and 11) to the suppliers set out in the exempt Appendix; and

3. Lot 3 be re-tendered

118. Exclusion of press and public

(Agenda item 13)

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 paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A to the above Act.

Summary of decisions made on exempt items

Minute 119 agenda item 14 – Exempt Appendix to update on approval to a MPA forensic science evaluation and monitoring unit

Information noted.

Minute 120 agenda item 15– exempt Appendix to routine contracts programme

Information noted.

Minute 121 agenda item 16 – exempt Appendix to Technology Group Procurement network

Information noted

Minute 122 agenda item 17 - exempt Appendix to mobile data terminals replacement

Information noted

Minute 123 agenda item 18 - exempt Appendix to operational Personal Digital Assistants

Recommendations relating to the award of the contract were adopted.

Minute 124 agenda item 19 - Mettime Programme – approval to release invitation to tender

Authorisation given to the release of an invitation to tender to select a System Integrator to upgrade the MPS Duties Management and Overtime System (CARM) - from Version 2 to Version 3

Minute 125 agenda item 20 - technology group procurement framework

Recommendations relating to the award of contracts were agreed

Minute 126 agenda item 21 - exempt Appendix to vehicle removal and storage contracts

Information noted.

Minute 127 agenda item 22- exempt minutes of the meeting held on 11 December 2007

Agreed and signed as a correct record.

The meeting closed at 4.20 p.m.

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