A meeting of the Northern Joint Police Board will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Friday, 19 January 2007 at 10.30 a.m.

 

You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

R Pieroni

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.    

 

Preliminaries

 

1.           Apologies for Absence

 

2.           New Year Honours List

 

The Board is asked to note that Mr W J Ross, a Member of the Board representing the Highland Council, was awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours List 2007 for services to Forestry in the Highlands.

 

3.          Minutes - Previous 

There are circulated for confirmation Minutes of Board Meeting of 22 November 2006.

 

4.       Force Reveiw Project

There will follow report by the Chief Constable updating Members on progress with the Force Review Project.

 

Policy and Finance

 

4.           Revenue Budget Monitoring Statement 2006/07 

There is circulated for noting Report No. POL-1-07 dated 9 January 2007 comprising a statement and commentary by the Chief Constable on Revenue Expenditure and Income for the period to 31 December 2006.

 

5.           Revenue Budget 2007/2008  

There is circulated for approval Report No. POL-2-07 dated 9 January 2007 by the Chief Constable on the proposed revenue budget for the Board for 2007/08, the draft budget having previously been considered by the Finance and Policy Working Group at its meeting held on 9 January 2007.  

 

There are also circulated Minutes of Meeting of the Finance and Policy Working Group on 9 January 2007.  Members are asked to note that item 4 of the Minutes will be dealt with at item 9 below.

 

6.           Capital Expenditure Monitoring Statement 2006/07 

There is circulated for noting Report No. POL-3-07 dated 11 January 2007 comprising a statement and commentary by the Chief Constable on Capital Expenditure for the period to 31 December 2006.

 

7.           Estate Management Programme

There is circulated Report No. POL-4-07 dated 8 January 2007 by the Chief Constable providing Members with an update on the Force Housing Management Review which has been ongoing since 2005 and presenting a progress report on capital projects.

 

 The Board is invited to:

 

i.             note the progress made on the Housing and Capital Programme;

ii.           agree the co-opting of Orkney and Shetland Members to the Management Review Team for the specific purpose of selection of housing providers in their respective areas; and

iii.         approve the opening of negotiations with individual Registered Social Landlords in each of the Island Authorities.

8.           Non-works Procurement Activity 

There is circulated for noting Report No. POL-5-07 dated January 2007 by the Chief Constable providing Members with an update on recent significant non-works procurement activity.

9.           Future Developments in the Delivery of Policing Services in Scotland   

i.             Scottish Police Services Authority

There is circulated for information and discussion Report No. POL-6-07 by the Chief Constable on issues which will impact on Northern Constabulary as a consequence of the establishment of the Scottish Police Services Authority.

 

ii.           Pre-Election Board Position Paper

 

At its meeting held on 25 August 2006, the Board agreed to take a more proactive role in raising awareness of the quality of police services provided by Northern Constabulary.  At its meeting held on 22 November 2006, the Board agreed that a briefing paper be developed underlining the quality of policing services in the Highlands and Islands, for circulation in the run-up to the Scottish Parliament elections in 2007, and that this matter be considered at this meeting.

 

At its meeting held on 9 January 2007, the Policy and Finance Working Group considered a confidential briefing letter from the Chief Constable providing background information on a range of relevant issues (item 5 above refers); much of this material is reflected in the report on the Scottish Police Services Authority circulated at 9(i) above.  The Working Group agreed to recommend that, following this meeting of the Board, the Clerk co-ordinate preparation of a lobbying position paper reflecting the views of the Board, as expressed at this meeting, for circulation to all Members for comment, prior to publication to candidate MSPs and such other parties as the Board might agree.

 

Members are invited to consider what they would wish to see included in this paper.

 

10.       Disability Equality Scheme          

At its meeting held on 22 November 2006, Members noted that (i) the Board had an obligation to publish a Disability Equality Scheme; and (ii) the Clerk had been liaising with the Force and with other police authorities to ensure consistency in approach and standards.  Members agreed that the Clerk, in consultation with the Convener, prepare an initial scheme document by the due date of 4 December 2007, to be submitted to the Board at this meeting for formal approval.

 

In this connection, there is circulated for approval Report No. POL-7-07 by the Clerk comprising a draft Disability Equality Scheme for publication by the Board.

 

11.       Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002: Implementation               

At its meeting held on 25 August 2006, the Board had noted the breakdown of staff time involved in dealing with Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, details of the nature of the requests received, the costs involved in providing the information and the source of requests for the period 1 January to 31 July 2006.

 

In this connection, there is circulated for noting Report No. POL-8-07 by the Chief Constable providing Members with an update on the final position for the period 1 January to 31 December 2006 relating to requests received under FOI legislation.

 

General Matters

 

12.   Chief Constable’s Periodic Report   

There is circulated for noting Report No. POL-9-07 by the Chief Constable comprising his Periodic Report and covering the following issues:-

• Vacancies
• Planning
• Council tax
• Schools
• Libraries

• Licensing
• Housing
• Roads
• News 
• Leisure