Minutes of the CPS Board Meeting on 25 January 2006
Present:
Ken Macdonald (Chair)
Richard Foster
Neil Franklin
Philip Geering
John Graham
Claire Hamon
Deborah King
Peter Lewis
Angela O'Connor
Portia Ragnauth
Jim England
Seamus Taylor
Jane Furniss
Philip Oliver
Secretariat:
Gary Cox
Nicol Harlow
Apologies
Dru Sharpling
Anjali Arya, Non-Executive Director
Item 1: Comprehensive Spending Review 2007
1. The Board considered a presentation from HM Treasury on the background, issues and challenges for the next Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR07) which will set Departmental resources for the three years 2007-2011.
2. The CSR provides an opportunity to take stock of progress, achievements and delivery in public services over the last 10 years and to take a forward look at the challenges for Government over the coming 10 years.
3. The Board noted that there has been a sustained increase in funding for public services over the last 10 years. The CPS budget increased over that period, allowing the Service to address under-funding problems and meet a rising workload by increasing staff numbers, introducing IT and pursuing a vigorous reform programme.
4. Looking over the CSR07 period, the Board recognised that the emphasis should be on the CPS continuing to make efficiency savings, for example from effective use of IT, from better procurement arrangements, from the new workforce strategy, from effective management and use of prosecution costs and on identifying further CJS-wide improvements and efficiencies. In addition, consideration needed to be given to how the asset recovery incentivisation arrangements would operate across the CJS from 2008-09.
Item 2: Previous minutes and actions arising
5. The Board agreed the note and actions from the last Board meeting held on 21 November 2005.
Item 3: Director's Update
Carter Review of Legal Aid
6. The Director updated the Board on the Carter Review of Legal Aid, which is expected to report in February 2006.
21st Century Justice
7. The Board noted progress on the 21st Century Justice Review, which is looking at ways of improving magistrates' courts so they can deliver simple, speedy and summary justice. The Board recognised that a pending NAO report on the CPS and magistrates' court will highlight that the courts are burdened with prosecuting a high volume of low-level crimes and offenders.
Police Reform
8. The Director reported that only a minority of forces had submitted proposals and business plans on police force mergers to the Home Secretary.
Non-Executive Directors
9. The Director informed the Board that the recruitment exercise for two new non-executive Directors was underway and appointments were anticipated in March 2006.
Law Graduate Trainee Scheme
10. The Director highlighted the success of the Law Graduate Trainee Scheme which, in two weeks, had received 1000 applications for 25 places. This was a highly professional recruitment exercise and the interest it had generated reflected that the CPS was becoming an employer of choice for ambitious legal graduates.
Visit by Gus O'Donnell, Cabinet Secretary
11. The Director reported that Gus O'Donnell, the new Cabinet Secretary, visited Ludgate Hill in January 2006 to meet a range of Area managers and HQ Directors and to hear about the reform of the CPS and plans for the future.
Item 4: Budget Allocations and Business Priorities for 2006-07
12. The Board noted that budgets for 2006-07 will be issued by the end of January 2006 and that budget allocations seek to direct resources to frontline expenditure and continue the policy of capping discretionary, non-corporate administration costs in HQ.
13. In tandem with agreeing budgets, Board members agreed business priorities for 2006-07 which will provide a framework for the CPS Business Plan for next year.
Item 5: IS Strategy 2006-2009
14. The Board agreed the IS Strategy which articulates how technology will support the CPS business strategy and enable change across the Service. The Strategy is based on 6 key themes of:
- developing case management
- working flexibly
- joining up the CPS
- improving the efficiency of corporate services
- improving management information and
- joining up the CJS
15. The Board agreed the overall IS Strategy and in discussion recognised that whilst many of the existing key programmes within the strategy already have funding; others do not. This means the CPS will need to prioritise future investments to maximise the benefits and efficiencies from ICT.
Item 6: Equality & Diversity Strategy Progress Report
16. The Board considered a progress report on the implementation of the Equality and Diversity Strategy, agreed by the Board in May 2005.
17. The Board noted that the strategy has a focus on a more outcome and results based approach to equality and diversity and community engagement. Key areas of progress over the last 6 months included the introduction of two performance indicators on reducing unsuccessful outcomes in hate crime prosecutions and on community engagement.
18. The Board also noted that two equalities themed reviews were taking place on handling of homophobic crime and on workforce under-representation and three community engagement pilots have been established which will be independently evaluated and a report, along with a good practice guide for all Areas will be launched at a national Community Engagement Conference next year.
Item 7: Initial Proposals for the Spring Senior Managers Conference
19. The Board considered proposals for the Spring Senior Managers Conference and suggested that staff survey results, progress and issues from the INVEST programme and the development on performance management tools might provide material for a substantive conference that would look at the challenges for the CPS in managing and developing people.
Item 8: Draft Agenda for the Board meeting 15 March 2006
20. The Board considered proposals for next Board meeting on 15 March 2006 and agreed that the agenda for the next meeting be drawn from:
- Budget position and forecast outturn
- Assurance report on delivery, change and risk
- CPS and magistrates' courts: NAO Report on effective use of magistrates' courts/ 21st Century Justice/Diversion/Respect proposals
- Carter Review of Legal Aid: proposals and implications for CPS
- A stocktake of victim and witness services
- Progress report on INVEST
- Governance Review findings and proposals
- Revised Proposals for the Spring Senior Managers' Conference
- Draft Agenda for Board Meeting in May 2006
Item 9: Any Other Business
INVEST
21. The Board noted progress on the INVEST pay, grading and performance management programme which was on track to be completed in April 2006.
Strategy Planning & Change Division
January 2006
