Draft clauses for a service authority for the Central Police College

Report: 5
Date: 21 September 2000
By: Clerk

Summary

This paper presents for Members consideration a Home Office consultation document on legislative changes in relation to the management and delivery of police training. It also informs Members of the responses made by the APA and MPS to the document. The paper recommends that the MPA respond to the Home Office by endorsing the position taken by the APA and requesting representation on the new Service Authority.

A. Supporting information

1. Successive reports on police training have emphasised the need to improve the quality of training delivered at both local and national level. In November 1999 the Home Office responded to these reports by publishing a consultation paper on police training which outlined a range of proposals to raise standards for both police officers and civil staff. In May 2000 the Home Office published “Police Training: The Way Forward”. This took account of the responses received to the consultation paper and outlined how the Home Office intended to take forward this issue. Some of the Home Office proposals require legislative changes.

2. One of the proposals requiring legislation is the creation of a Service Authority for the Central Police College. A Home Office consultation document on the draft legislation intended to implement the Service Authority was circulated for comment on 3 August 2000. This is attached at Annex A. Respondents were requested to comment by 18 September 2000. The APA and MPS have both responded to the consultation document and their responses are attached at Annexes B and C respectively.

3. The consultation document asks respondents to comment on a number of specific issues relating to the new arrangements. The two key points for the MPA to consider involve the membership of the new Service Authority and its funding arrangements.

4. The Home Office proposes a 17 member Authority comprising 5 independent members appointed by the Home Secretary, 5 police officers appointed by a majority decision of chief officers, 6 Police Authority Members appointed by a majority decision by Police Authorities and 1 Crown servant appointed by the Home Secretary.

5. In addition, the Home Office has identified two ways of funding the new Authority. These are:

• Central funding
• Levy funding

6. Central funding could be by either a direct grant or top slicing funding from the police settlement. Direct grant funding means that funding would come from the Home Office allocation and would be separate from the police grant. Top slicing would involve the Home Office deducting funds from the total police settlement before it is allotted to Police Authorities in accordance with the funding formula.

7. Levy funding involves the Service Authority putting forward funding proposals to the Home Secretary who would then consult with the APA and ACPO before deciding on the appropriate levy to set.

8. The Home Office acknowledges that the MPS uses the services of the NPT far less than other forces and accepts that any payment mechanism would need to take that into account.

9. The Home Office has stated a preference for a centrally funded option on the basis that it could be less time consuming and complex than negotiating a levying process.

10. The APA is content with the proposed membership of the Service Authority and supports the levy option rather than the direct grant option on the basis that a levy would instil a greater sense of ownership by Police Authorities and forces for the new college and Authority.

11. The MPS wishes the new Service Authority to have reserved seats for an MPS officer of ACPO rank and a representative of the MPA. It favours the direct funding option because of problems experienced with levy funding for NCIS and NCS, but acknowledges that levy funding has given the police service some control over performance and value for money in respect of both NCIS and NCS.

B. Recommendation

1. That the MPA support the APA response in relation to levy funding for the Service Authority.
2. That the MPA write to the Home Office formally requesting reserved seats for both the MPS and MPA as outlined at paragraph 11.

C. Financial implications

There will be a significant financial commitment whichever option is chosen. It is difficult to cost at this stage until a decision on whether to go forward with the levy or central funding option is made. Much will depend on how the MP’S reduced take up of national services is reflected in the payment mechanism selected.

D. Review arrangements

None.

E. Background papers

The following is a statutory list of background papers (under the Local Government Act 1972 S.100 D) which disclose facts or matters on which the report is based and which have been relied on to a material extent in preparing this report. They are available on request to either the contact officer listed above or to the Clerk to the Police Authority at the address indicated on the agenda.

• “Police Training: The Way Forward” published by the Home Office.

F. Contact details

The author of this report is Helen Grant.

For information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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