Committees
A meeting of the Highland and Islands Fire Board will take place in Committee Rooms 1 and 2, Highland Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Friday 23 January 2009 at 1.30 p.m.
Please note the room change.
You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.
Yours faithfully,
Michelle Morris
Clerk to the Board
Declarations of Interest – Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting. Any Member making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest. Advice may be sought from Officers prior to the meeting taking place.
Business
1. Apologies for Absence
2. New Year Honours List 2009
The Board is asked to note that Mr Douglas Colin Macdonald, volunteer Watch Manager of the Carrbridge Community Response Unit, has been awarded The Queen’s Fire Service Medal for Distinguished Service in the New Year Honours List.
3. Minutes of Meeting of 14 November 2008
There are submitted for confirmation as a correct record the Minutes of Meeting on 14 November 2008.
4. Minutes: Policy and Finance Working Group - 10 December 2008 and 9 January 2009
There are circulated for noting/approval respectively Minutes of Meetings of the Policy and Finance Working Group held on 10 December 2008 and on 9 January 2009. In this context, the following papers considered at the 9 January meeting are re-circulated for Members’ consideration:
i. Revenue Budget 2009/10 – Requisitions
There is circulated for approval Report No. PFWG 1-09 by the Treasurer comprising a revised requisition table relating to the approved budget, previously circulated to the Policy and Finance Working Group (item 2 of the 9 January 2009 minutes refers) and recommended by that Group for approval.
ii. Draft Service Plan for 2009/10-2011/12
There is circulated Report No. PFWG 2-09 dated 18 December 2008 by the Chief Fire Officer on the Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service Draft Service Plan for 2009/10, together with, as an appendix, copy of the draft Plan, previously considered by the Policy and Finance Working Group (item 3 of the minutes refers) and recommended by that Group for approval.
5. Minutes: Integrated Risk Management Plan Working Group
There are circulated for approval Minutes of Meeting of the Integrated Risk Management Plan Working Group held on 9 January 2009.
A presentation will be given on the methodology behind the IRMP process.
The Board is asked to approve the undernoted recommendations of the IRMP Working Group:
Item 2: Draft Action Plan 2009/10:
i. that the draft IRMP Action Plan 2009/10 be approved; and
ii. that the potential to access LEADER funding for the Service’s pro-social
activities be investigated.
Item 3: IRMP – Risk Review – Methodology:
i. that a presentation on the methodology be brought to the next meeting of
the Fire Board, and to Community Planning Partnerships; and
ii. that the Board, following receipt of the presentation, approve (a) the
proposed risk review methodology; and (b) in the first instance, its
application to determine priorities, based upon identified risk, for the capital
build programme.
6. Revenue Expenditure 2008/09 – Monitoring Statement
There is circulated for noting Report No. Fire 1-09 dated 22 December 2008 by the Chief Fire Officer setting out the current position of the Revenue Monitoring Statement for the period to 30 November 2008.
7. Capital Expenditure 2008/09 - Monitoring Report
There is circulated for noting Report No Fire 2-09 dated 22 December 2008 by the Chief Fire Officer showing the expenditure and income relating to the Board’s capital programme for the period to 30 November 2008.
8. Amendment to Scheme of Delegation
It is proposed that the remit of the Board’s Grievance Appeals Sub Committee be extended as shown in italics below, to include consideration of Stage Two appeals submitted through the Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure established in terms of the Pensions Act 1995.
Grievance and Pension Appeals Sub Committee
This Sub-Committee has delegated powers to deal with (a) grievance appeals involving uniformed personnel and/or support staff, where referred to that Sub-Committee in accordance with the relevant Conditions of Service and the terms of any local agreement made for different employee groups and (b) Stage Two appeals submitted through the Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure established in terms of the Pensions Act 1995.
9. Public Sector Equality Duties
i. Highland and Islands Fire Board
At its meeting held on 14 November 2008, the Board delegated powers to the Clerk, in consultation with the Convener, Vice Convener and the Board’s Equality and Diversity Champions, Mr J H Ford and Mrs H Carmichael, to finalise and publish (a) the Board’s revised Race Equality Scheme by the due date of 30 November 2008 and (b) the Board’s revised Race Equality Scheme by the due date of 4 December 2008.
Members are advised that both documents were published by their due dates on the Board’s web pages; copies can also be obtained from the Clerk’s office.
ii. Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service
There is circulated for noting Report No. Fire 05-09 dated 15 January 2009 by the Chief Fire Officer on his annual report in relation to the Disability Equality Duty.
10. Review of Discretionary Policies under the Local Government
Pension Scheme
There is circulated Report No. Fire 3-09 by the Treasurer dated 15 January 2009 reviewing the Board’s discretionary policies under the Local Government Pension Scheme.
Members are advised that the Discretionary Payments Regulations were initially set up in 1998 and are reviewed every five years. The last review took place in 2004 and the next full review is scheduled for 2009.
The Board is asked to:
i. agree the recommendations contained in Appendix 1 of the report;
ii. note the content of the policies contained in Appendix 2 of the report;
iii. note that all policies will be reviewed in 2014; and
iv. agree to retain an "opt out" provision allowing reconsideration of any
discretionary policy if the special circumstances of an individual case merit it.
11. Fire Conveners’ Forum
There are circulated for Members’ information Minutes of Meeting of the Scottish Fire Conveners Forum held on 23 October 2008.
12. Capital Programme Monitoring Report
There is circulated for noting Report No. Fire 06-09 dated 15 January 2009 by the Director of Housing and Property of the Highland Council summarising the status of all current key projects carried out for the Board.
13. Condition Report – Stornoway
There is circulated for noting Report No. Fire 09-09 dated 19 January 2009 by the Director of Housing and Property of the Highland Council on Stornoway Fire Station.
14. Site Acquisitions Progress Report
There is circulated for noting Report No. Fire 07-09 dated 15 January 2009 by the Director of Housing and Property of the Highland Council summarising the status of the acquisition of sites for future development.
15. Use of Pagers
At the Board’s meeting on 14 November 2008, the Chief Fire Officer undertook to investigate the issues raised regarding the difficulties incurred in the use of pagers, such as the lack of reception, and to consider problems and solutions.
The Chief Fire Officer will provide an update on his investigation.
16. Operational Update
The Chief Fire Officer will provide an update on recent operational activities.
17. Fire Scotland Conference 2009
Members are advised that the Fire Scotland Conference 2009 will take place in Crieff on 3-4 February 2009. The Board is invited to approve the attendance of the Convener and Vice Convener, the delegate fee for the residential event being £180.
17 a. Additional Item: Firefighter Fitness Standards
There is circulated Report No. Fire 08-09 dated 15 January 2009 by the Chief Fire Officer on ongoing work into determining agreed national fitness standards and the likely impact on recruitment within the retained and volunteer service if adopted.
17 b. Additional Item: Lochaline Fire Station – Inter-agency Development
There is circulated Report No. Fire 10-09 dated 19 January 2009 by the Chief Fire Officer seeking Member approval to enter into formal dialogue with the Highland Council and Coastguard Agencies about the potential for a multi-agency approach to the replacement of Lochaline Fire Station, as an integral part of the proposed new Primary School.
The Board is asked to:
i. approve formal dialogue between the Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue
Service, The Highland Council and Coastguard Agencies on a replacement
Lochaline Primary School as a multi-agency development, on the basis of a
£300,000 contribution to the project should current estimates prove to
reflect eventual accommodation requirements; and
ii. agree that a further report be brought to the Board at a future date
outlining the proposals in more detail and seeking formal approval to enter
into the proposed joint working arrangements.
18. Exclusion of the Public
The Board is asked to resolve that, under Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following two items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act, the relevant paragraphs being shown.
19. National Pay Award (Support Staff)
Paragraph 11
There is circulated to Members only for approval Report No. Fire4/09 dated 22 December 2008 by the Clerk on the pay award to Support Staff.
20. Award of Tender – Rousay Fire Station
Paragraphs 6, 8 and 9
At its meeting held on 14 November 2008, the Board agreed that the award of tender for Rousay Fire Station be deferred until the outcome of talks between the Convener, the Chief Fire Officer and the Scottish Government, regarding the underspend on the top-slicing award, was known.
There is now circulated to Members only copy tender award valuation report relating to this project. As the sum involved exceeds the relevant prescribed sum permitting the exercise of delegated powers, the Board is invited to homologate the award of tender as recommended therein, the contract having been awarded on 10 December 2008.