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Page summary This resource is from the Committees section. These are the minutes of the 27 January 2005 meeting of the MPA Committee. Sections available here:
Content MinutesMinutes of the meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority held on 27 January 2005 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY. PresentMembers
MPA officers
MPS officers
Part 196. Holocaust memorial dayAt the request of the Chair, all present rose to observe a minute’s silence to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. 97. Apologies for absence(Agenda item 1) An apology for late arrival was received from Graham Tope. 98. Declarations of interest(Agenda item 2) Peter Herbert referred to the item on the supplemental agenda in relation to the disposal of the Old Street Police Station. He declared that, as a trustee of the Community Advice Project, he had a prejudicial interest and would withdraw from the meeting if that item were discussed. 99. Authority businessThe Chair proposed and it was Resolved – That consideration of the report on the disposal of Old Street Police Station be deferred to the next meeting. The Chair confirmed that a report on the review of the Resource Allocation Formula would be submitted to the February meeting of the Co-ordination & Policing Committee. 100. Minutes(Agenda item 3) Resolved – That the minutes of the Authority meeting held on 16 December 2004 be confirmed and signed as a correct record. 101. Public questionThe Authority received a question from Kathryn Bonds and Councillor Pat Ryans, as follows:
The Clerk responded on behalf of the Authority as follows:
In response, Kathryn Bonds emphasised that the key to success would be consistent joint working and ‘ring-fenced’ police officers, as abstractions caused problems. Graham Tope, commenting as link member for Croydon, said that Crystal Palace was particularly unusual in being within the boundaries of five boroughs. For each borough the area did not figure high enough to become a priority, but if taken collectively it probably would. 102. Minutes of committees(Agenda item 4) The Authority received the minutes of the following Committees:
Resolved – That the minutes of committees be noted. 103. Chair’s, Members’ and Clerk’s update(Agenda item 6) The Chair reported on the first round of the budget debate at the London Assembly and that all parties had agreed with the MPA’s budget. The Clerk reported on the Queen’s recent appointment of Paul Stephenson as Deputy Commissioner. The MPA had been fully involved in the process of making recommendations. The Clerk also reported on the MPA’s appointment of three Assistant Commissioner appointments – Alan Brown, Stephen House and Andy Hayman. Members also reported on other issues, including:
At the request of the Chair, members stood and applauded Sir John Stevens in appreciation of his contribution as Commissioner. 104. Commissioner’s update(Agenda item 7) The Commissioner thanked members for their good wishes on his retirement. He than introduced the written performance report, highlighting successes and areas where improvement was needed. The meeting discussed, amongst other things, the relationship between alcohol and violence and action against poorly run licensed premises. Jenny Jones asked for information on the number of MPS officers killed in road traffic accidents whilst on duty and on how many officer days absence are caused by road accidents. She also asked to see the MPS’s response to the Government’s traffic policing and road safety proposals. 105. MPA high level objectives (corporate control strategies)The Authority considered a report outlining the progress on the development of the MPA high-level and overarching objectives for inclusion in the Annual Policing Plan for 2005/2006. The Deputy Commissioner commented that the annual policing plan remained an interim approach and the intention was to move to a three-year plan and budget. Richard Sumray, Chair of the Planning, Performance & Review Committee commented that there were some aspects that still needed developing. For instance, some areas were still not covered or targets needed to be made more specific. He referred in particular to the addition in subject area 1 of the word ‘extremist’ in the outcome ‘to prevent terrorist and extremist incidents’. He had concerns about how this could be interpreted. Resolved – That, subject to the above comments, the Authority
106. Operation Bracknell – United Kingdom policing response to the Asian TsunamiThe Authority considered a report by the Commissioner providing details of the UK policing response to the Asian Tsunami disaster and the role that the MPS has played. Commander Yates and Aneeta Prem had just returned from Thailand and had been able to view the MPS’s contribution to the disaster relief effort at first hand. Commander Yates also reported on the MPS’s work in England, for instance in the Casualty Bureau, the National Incident Room and in family liaison. Aneeta Prem paid tribute to the enormous commitment shown by the MPS officers and staff in Thailand, working in very stressful circumstances. It would be important to look at what help and support they would need on their return home. Members of the Authority expressed their gratitude to the efforts of MPS staff both abroad and in England. Officers and staff in many areas had been called upon to perform beyond the call of duty, for instance at Heathrow Airport, the catering facilities at Hendon and the occupational health staff. It was agreed that at a suitable time (and subject to whatever other national events are planned) the MPA and the MPS should arrange a reception to thank all officers and staff engaged in the response to this disaster. The Treasurer reported that although the Authority had not obtained definitive legal advice, there was a risk that some MPS activity in response to this disaster went beyond the Authority’s statutory powers. It was important, therefore, that written assurances were received from the Government in relation to funding. The Chair emphasised that without these firm assurances, the Authority would be obliged to review the MPS’s continuing contribution to the relief effort. He proposed an amendment to the resolution to this effect, and it was Resolved – That, subject to the financial clarifications sought from the Government, the Authority notes the extent of the MPS involvement in Operation Bracknell and the move towards a national structure to manage this investigation. 107. Disabled people and the police – a new relationshipThe Authority considered a reference from the Community Engagement Committee in relation to a report commissioned from Greater London Action on Disability on policing issues affecting disabled people. Resolved – That the Authority
108. Police reform white paper ‘building communities, beating crime’The Authority considered a report by the Clerk setting out a draft response to the police reform White Paper and a draft submission on further consultation on reforms to existing partnership working arrangements. Some drafting changes were discussed at the meeting, in particular relating to the powers of Police Community Support Officers and the role of Magistrate Members. It was agreed that the submission be redrafted to reflect these comments and re-circulated to members before submission to the Home Office. Resolved – That
109. Crime and disorder reduction partnership updateThe Authority received a report by the Clerk on the MPA’s involvement with CDRPs over the previous six months and common issues arising from this. Resolved - That the report be noted. 110. Initial performance assessment of the MPAThe Authority considered a report by the Clerk on the Audit Commission’s report and progress made in addressing the issues raised by the report. Resolved – That the conclusions of the report be noted. 111. Report of the Standards CommitteeThe Authority received a report of the Standards Committee’s meeting on 13 December 2004. The Clerk reported an amendment to Appendix 1 of the report in that the total expenses for Rachel Whittaker should be £1,539.51 and not £2,024.05 as shown. 112. Other businessC3iThe Chair referred to the decisions taken by the Finance Committee on 20 January and said that he would be happy to meet with any member who had concerns about the position. Other members would also be welcome to join the oversight group. New CommissionerSir Ian Blair expressed the hope that members would be able to attend his inaugural address as Commissioner on 1 February. The meeting closed at 12.30 p.m. Internal links The following pages on the MPA website are relevant: |
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