Membership of the Professional Standards Cases Sub-committee

Report: 12
Date: 18 May 2006
By: Chief Executive and Clerk

Summary

The Committee is asked to appoint the Chair, Deputy Chair and membership of the Professional Standards Cases Sub Committee - up till the annual meeting in June 2006.

A. Recommendations

That

1. the Committee appoint a Chair, Deputy Chair and the membership of the Professional Standards Cases Sub Committee;
2. the Committee recommend to full Authority that the quorum for meetings of the Sub-Committee should be three members;
3. the Committee agree that in general pension forfeiture and other cases should be heard by not more than five members; and
4. officers seek to schedule members’ attendance so that each member will attend five meetings a year or thereabouts (assuming a standard cycle of monthly meetings).

B. Supporting information

1. Following the recent restructuring of committees and subsequent appointment of the Professional Standards and Complaints Committee at the full Authority Annual Meeting on 30 March 2006, the Committee is asked to appoint members to the Senior Officers Conduct Sub-Committee.

2. The Committee is also asked to appoint a Chair and Deputy Chair of the Sub-Committee.

3. The following have indicated that they wish to be members of the Sub Committee

• Anthony Arbour [1]
• Reshard Auladin [1]
• Cindy Butts
• Damien Hockney [1]
• Elizabeth Howlett [1]
• Karim Murji [1]
• Aneeta Prem [1]
• John Roberts
• Richard Sumray [1]
• Rachael Whittaker [1]

3. The terms of reference for the Sub Committee is attached at Appendix 1 for information.

4. It should be noted that members will have to be reappointed following the annual meeting in June.

5. It is important that meetings should not be inquorate, as this may mean postponing a hearing or deferring a decision with significant impact on an individual. Therefore, the Committee is asked to recommend to the MPA that there should be a quorum of three for Sub-Committee meetings.

6. Where the Sub-Committee is meeting to hear cases, in pension forfeitures for example, the panel should not be more than five members otherwise the process may become intimidating for appellants. It is suggested that attendance at meetings be pre-planned so that each Member will attend five or so meetings each year. This will give each Member a reasonable balance of experience and workload while also keeping panel size manageable.

C. Race and equality impact

There are no race and equality impact issues relating to this report.

D. Financial implications

There are no financial implications arising from this report.

E. Background papers

None.

F. Contact details

Report author(s): Ruth Hastings Iqball, Committee, Liaison and Members Services, MPA

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 1

Professional Standards Cases Sub-Committee

(A Sub-Committee of the Professional Standards & Complaints Committee)

Police Pensions Forfeiture

1. To determine whether forfeiture of a police officer’s pension should be considered because he or she has been convicted of an offence committed in connection with his/her service as a member of the police force which the Home Secretary may certify as either having been gravely injurious to the interests of the State or liable to lead to serious loss of confidence in the public service.

2. In the event of the Home Secretary issuing a certificate of forfeiture, to determine the proportion, if any, of the pension which may be forfeited permanently or temporarily.

Senior Officer Conduct

3. To investigate and deal with any allegations, report and complaints about the conduct of officers of ACPO rank in accordance with appropriate regulations.

4. To consider all matters relating to discipline against ACPO rank officers, within police regulations.

Business Appeals

5. To deal with appeals by officers of the MPS against refusals by the Commissioner of permission for them to pursue business interests.

N.B. The sub-committee will have a fixed membership. These members do not necessarily have to be members of the parent committee. In the event of one of those members being unable to hear a particular case the Chief Executive has delegated authority to appoint another member for that meeting.

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