Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from:-

Cllr Glenis Ansell – Wiltshire Council

Cllr Chris Caswill – Wiltshire Council

Cllr Julian Johnson - Wiltshire Council, who was substituted by Cllr Tony Trotman

Kieran Kilgallen – Chief Executive, OPCC

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on the 19^th November 2014.

Resolved:

To confirm and sign as a correct record the minutes of the previous meeting held on 19 November 2014.

There were no declarations of interest made at the meeting.

There were no Chairman’s announcements  

The Panel welcomes contributions from members of the public.

Statements

If you wish to make a statement at this meeting on any item on this agenda, please register to do so at least 10 minutes prior to the meeting. Speakers are permitted to speak for up to 3 minutes on any agenda item. Please contact the officer named on the first page of the agenda for any further clarification.

Questions

Members of the public are able to ask questions in relation to the responsibilities and functions of the Panel at each meeting. Those wishing to ask questions are required to give notice of any such questions in writing to the Head of Democratic Services at Wiltshire Council no later than 5.00 pm on Friday 9^th January 2015.

Please contact the officer named on the first page of the agenda for further advice. Questions may be asked without notice if the Chairman decides that the matter is urgent.

There were no members of the public present or councillors’ questions.

Angus Macpherson to present the PCC Diary report.

The PCC Diary report which set out a summary of commitments the Commissioner had undertaken since the last meeting of the Police and Crime Panel on 19 November 2014 was received.

The Commissioner advised that:-

·                He had attended a regional meeting in Bridgwater on 12 November 2014 when updates had been received on the work of the regional programme boards, including the Regional Organised Crime Unit, Major Crime, Digital Evidence Management and Regional ICT Strategy.  He also gave an update on the Community Rehabilitation Company contract which would cover the South West of England and Wales and come into effect on 1 February.  He explained that the primary purpose of this contract was to assist ex offenders in finding work. 

·                The Community Messaging Launch had been continuing with a launch in Melksham on 13 November and in Tidworth on 14 November.  It was anticipated that this exercise would be completed throughout Wiltshire by the second week in February.  One of the objects of this Launch would be to re-energise Neighbourhood Watch schemes.  The Commissioner stressed that there would be a focus on Community Safety.   Reference was made to Neighbourhood Alert and Members were reminded that this was an online, secure community messaging system that allowed authorised administrators to log in and send messages to registered people in the community, members of Neighbourhood Watch and other schemes such as Tenant and Resident Associations, Church Groups, Community contacts and members of Business Watch, who had chosen to receive them.  Messages could be sent by email, telephone or text message by a range of approved Information by providers such as the Police, Neighbourhood Watch administrators, Trading Standards and the Fire Service.  Concern had been expressed that parish notices such as fete publicity and other social events could easily swamp the site and it was acknowledged that this potential danger would need to be watched.

·                A meeting of the Wiltshire Criminal Justice Board (WCJB) had taken place on 26 November, the Board not having met for some time.  It was now chaired by the Chief Constable and the Commissioner had been invited to become a member.  Mr Robert Buckland, MP for Swindon South and a member of the National Criminal Justice Board, had been invited to join.  The work of the WCJB was still being developed but its members were committed to its success.

·                A telephone conference had taken place on 27 November with the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners in respect of the planned police ICT company, discussing in particular its benefits to Wiltshire.  It should bring significant purchasing benefits to its members by designing contracts which would attract substantial savings and lead to the standardisation of equipment.

·                An open meeting of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) had been held on 4 December at which the Commissioner had presented the initial results of the rural crime survey.  The survey was a major consultation with farmers, land owners and others who either live or work in rural Wiltshire.  Members of the Panel  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Report by Angus Macpherson, Police and Crime Commissioner.

The report attached provides the Panel with information on the draft budget and precept being considered.

The Commissioner gave a detailed presentation on his draft budget settlement.

He explained that in October 2014 the initial Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS), attached as an appendix to the report, had been produced and reviewed at the Commissioner’s monitoring board.  The MTFS looked at the estimated financial position of the PCC over the following three years and the impact to commission services.  The Commissioner stressed that the assumptions included were superceded by actual information as it was received.

It was noted that the following Police relevant information was announced in the December settlement;

·                a 5.1% cash reduction in Police Revenue funding for 2015-16

·                Additional top slicing of PCC Funding in 2015-16 of £96m (for the Innovation Fund, IPCC, HMIC, Major Programmes, contingency and other areas). Resulting in a funding reduction of £835,000 for Wiltshire PCC.

·                the provision of additional council tax freeze grants for 2015-16 equivalent to a 1% tax rise for those precepting bodies which decide not to increase council tax.

·                the announcement that any council tax freeze grants will be funded from the original police settlement hence reducing ‘normal funding’ available for distribution to PCC’s in the future.

·                the setting of the council tax referendum threshold level at 2%.

This resulted in the main grants received from central government reducing from £61.652m to £58.502m, a reduction of £3.150m.

The Commissioner went on to explain that he was currently considering two options surrounding the council tax, namely:

·                Option A – To increase council tax by 1.9% (in the knowledge that this would be the maximum allowable before a referendum was called)

·                Option B – To maintain council tax at the 2014-15 level

The Panel noted the estimated funds likely to be available to the Commissioner under each option but he pointed out that additional funds would be allocated centrally to commission victims’ services and support restorative justice.  Provisional funding announced for victims’ services in 2015-16 was £584,000; part of this funding would now finance Wiltshire’s direct contribution to the Victims’ Support Charity.  Provisional funding for restorative justice was £155,000 for 2015-16.

The Commissioner explained that in considering the options, he needed to focus on the long term funding position.  To not increase council tax at this time would have considerable impact on his future ability to commission policing and crime services. The offer of freeze grants would reduce his future base budget and only further deplete funding available nationally for policing. He pointed out that a 1.9% increase in council tax would result in Wiltshire’s Band D council tax increasing from £160.92 to £163.98, representing an increase of £3.06 per annum or 6p per week. An average increase of £3.06 per year, per household would provide the Commissioner with an additional £345,000 of local income for 2015-16.  Whilst much would depend upon the outcome of the forthcoming general election, Commissioners had been advised to plan on further central reductions of 3.2% per annum. 

It was noted that the Commissioner was in the process of widely consulting the public  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

A report is attached providing an update on PCP task group activity and proposing decisions requiring PCP approval. The report includes updates on:

·         Volunteers and Special Constables Task Group – review of progress

·         Licensing Task Group – final report

·         Police Performance Review Working Group – proposed terms of reference

·         Regional Collaborations Task Group – proposed terms of reference

The Panel received an update on the activity of the following Task Groups:-

·         Volunteers and Special Constables Task Group

·         Licensing Task Group

·         Police Performance Review Working Group

·         Regional Collaboration Task Group

Resolved:

1.            To note the update on task group activity provided.

2.            To note that the Panel Chairman has submitted a series of questions to the PCC asking for updates on issues raised in his response to the Final Report of the Volunteers and Special Constables Task Group.

3.            To note the Final Report of the Licensing Task Group and that this has been submitted to the PCC and a response is awaited.

4.            To endorse the terms of reference proposed for the Police Performance Review Working Group.

5.            To defer endorsing the terms of reference proposed for the Regional Collaborations Task Group in order that the views of the PCC be obtained, asummary list of the various collaborations in which Wiltshire Police was involved still being awaited from OPCC.

To note the forward work plan.

A document was received showing the Panel’s Forward Work Programme.

Resolved:

To note the contents of the Forward Work Programme for this Panel.

To note the future meeting dates below:

·         Thursday 5 February 2015 – 10.30 am start – County Hall, Trowbridge

·         Thursday 5 March 2015 – 2:30pm start – Monkton Park Offices, Chippenham

·         Thursday 18 June 2015 – 2:30pm start – Corn Exchange, Devizes

·         Thursday 3 September 2015 – 10.30 am start – City Hall, Salisbury

·         Wednesday 2 December 2015 – 10.30 am start – Swindon Borough Council Offices

Resolved:

To note that the next meeting of the Panel was due to be held on Tuesday 5 February 2015, in the Kennet Room at County Hall, Trowbridge, starting at 10.30am.