A meeting of the Northern Joint Police Board will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, on Friday, 30 March, 2007 at 10.00 a.m.

 

Please note the earlier than usual start time.

 

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.      Minutes – Previous Meeting

 

There are circulated for confirmation Minutes of Board Meeting of 19 January 2007

 

3.     Minutes – Finance and Policy Working Group/Complaints Study Group

 

There are circulated for confirmation Minutes of Meeting of the Finance and Policy Working Group/Complaints Study Group  held on 5 March 2007.

 

In this context, there is also circulated Report No. POL12/07 dated 21 March 2007 by the Clerk seeking approval of the final draft of the pre-election Briefing Paper considered by the Working Group (item 2 of the Minutes refers) and copied thereafter to all Board Members, as requested by the Board at its meeting on 19 January 2007. 

 

4.     Force Review Project

 

There is circulated Report No. pol-21-07  dated 23 March 2007 by the Chief Constable updating Members on the outcomes and future implementation of the Force Review Project.

 

Policy and Finance

 

5.     Revenue Budget Monitoring Statement 2006/07

 

There is circulated for noting Report No. pol-13-07  dated 20 March 2007 comprising a statement and commentary by the Chief Constable on Revenue Expenditure and Income for the period to 28 February 2007

 

6.    Capital Expenditure Monitoring Statement 2006/07

 

There is circulated for noting Report No. pol-14-07  dated 20 March 2007 comprising a statement and commentary by the Chief Constable on Capital Expenditure for the period to 28 February 2007

 

7.    Capital Plan 2007/08

 

There is circulated for approval Report No. pol-15-07 dated 15 March 2007 by the Chief Constable on proposals for the 2007/2008 Capital Plan.

 

8.    Estate Management

 

There is circulated Report No. pol-16-07 dated 16 March 2007 by the Chief Constable on progress made on planned projects.

 

The report invites the Board to note the progress to date on approved projects and seeks approval for the Headquarters Reception and Access Control project as outlined, from inception through all stages to award of contract.

 

8A.   Procurement of ICT Services

 

There is circulated Report No. pol-22-07  by the Chief Constable on the intended establishment of a national Centre of Expertise for Police Procurement for the Scottish Police Service, co-ordinated by Strathclyde Police, but with each force having equal responsibility for and control of same.  The report also suggests the Board consider approving the development of a framework agreement between the Scottish police forces, police authorities and the Scottish Police Services Authority, through the proposed Centre of Expertise, to enable the effective procurement of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) associated with the national business change programme.

 

Members are invited to:-

 

i.   note the establishment of a national Centre of Expertise for Police
    Procurement, co-ordinated by Strathclyde Police and;
ii.  consider approving the development of a framework agreement between
    the Scottish police forces, police authorities and the SPSA to enable the
    effective procurement of ICT associated with the national business change
    programme through the proposed Centre of Expertise.

 

General Matters

 

9.   Chief Constable’s Periodic Report

 

There is circulated for noting Report No. POL17/07 by the Chief Constable comprising his Periodic Report and covering the following issues:-

 

i.    Crime and Road Accident Statistics (circulated in a separate booklet);

ii.   Crime Situation ; and

iii.  Update from Operational Suport Service Unit.

 

10.   Letters of Appreciation

 

There will be tabled for noting 36 letters of appreciation by the Chief Constable for the period 1 January to 28 February 2007.   There is also circulated for noting Report No. pol-18-07 dated 5 March 2007 by the Chief Constable illustrating letters of appreciation.

 

11.  Complaints against the Police

 

There is circulated for noting Report No. pol-19-07  dated 5 March 2007 by the Chief Constable regarding complaints against Police Officers from 1 January to 28 February 2007.

 

It is recommended that the Complaints Books specifying complaints against the Northern Constabulary, which will be available for inspection by members prior to the meeting, be declared exempt information by virtue of Paragraph 1 of Part I of Schedule 7A of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.

 

12.  Execution of Deeds

 

Members are asked to note the following deed recently executed on behalf of the Board:-

 

• Disposition by the Northern Joint Police in favour of Cairn Housing Association Ltd of 10 Balmoral Terrace, Inverness
• Disposition by the Northern Joint Police in favour of Shetland Islands Council of 23 and 25 Twageos Road, Lerwick
• Disposition by the Northern Joint Police in favour of Al-Mac Property Ltd of former wireless shelter site at Bonar Bridge, Sutherland.

 

13.  Recess Powers

 

Members are advised that the legislation establishing the Board provides that, if re-elected to their respective authorities, the Convener and Vice-Convener will each continue in post until the first meeting of their respective authorities following the local government elections, at which meeting each authority will appoint its new Board members.  However, the Convener and Vice-Convener have intimated that neither will be standing for re-election.  There will therefore be a period from the elections on 3 May 2007 until the new Board meets on 15 June 2007, and appoints its office-bearers, when each office will necessarily be vacant.

 

The Board is invited to agree that:

 

i.   between the Election and the first meeting of the new Board, powers to
    deal with urgent business requiring Board approval, or consultation with the
    Convener and/or Vice-Convener, be exercised by the Clerk, in consultation
    with the Chief Constable; and

ii.  any use of such recess powers be reported to the first meeting of the new
    Board following the elections.

 

14.  Exclusion of the Public

 

The Board is asked to resolve that, under Section 50(A)4 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the public be excluded  from the meeting for the following item on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 7A of the Act, the relevant paragraph being shown.

 

Staffing

 

15.  Removal Allowance

 

Paragraph 1

 

There is circulated Report No. POL20/07 dated 16 March 2007 by the Chief Constable on an application relating to removal allowance.