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Minutes of the CPS Board Meeting on 18 May 2005

Present:

Ken Macdonald (Chair)
Jim England
Richard Foster
Neil Franklin
Philip Geering
John Graham
Claire Hamon
Peter Lewis
Portia Ragnauth
Angela O'Connor
Judith Hunt
Deborah King
Dru Sharpling
Seamus Taylor
Moira Wallace
Paul Havill

Secretariat:

Gary Cox
Nicol Harlow

Apologies

Philip Oliver
Anjali Arya


    Item 1: Previous minutes

  1. The note of the last meeting was agreed.
  2. On actions arising, the Board noted an update paper on the timetable for developing a pay and workforce strategy.

    3. Item 2: Director's Update

    Queen's Speech

  3. The Director provided an update on key business issues for the CPS since the last Board meeting. Following the election, the Queen's Speech announced a number of legislative proposals affecting CPS and the CJS including proposals to tackle terrorism, new offences for glorifying terrorism and inciting religious hatred; new powers for the police and local communities to tackle knives, guns and alcohol-related violence and a reform of the criminal defence service, making better use of legal aid resources. The Labour Party Manifesto also included a proposal for victim's advocates and work has begun to take this forward.

    4. Charging and Advocacy

  4. Charging rollout continues and work on prosecutor training is continuing. There has been an encouraging increase in the use of in-house advocates and the CPS is making sound progress in delivering its advocacy strategy.

    5. Senior Managers' Conference

  5. The Senior Management Conference was very positive and the narrative developed at the conference, on the changing role of the prosecutor and others is being synthesised in good time for CCPs to brief Unit Heads in advance of their roadshows with the Director and Chief Executive in July 2005.

    6. Adam Cowell Memorial Lecture

  6. The Director gave the Adam Cowell Memorial Lecture at the Law Society on 'The State, Criminal Justice and Due Process.' A copy of the speech will be issued to CCPs, ABMs and HQ Directors for information.

    7. Item 3: Equality and Diversity Policy Statement and Strategy

  7. The Board considered a paper on the Equality and Diversity Policy Statement and Strategy. The policy and strategy have been the subject of extensive external and internal consultation and have secured the Plain English Campaign Crystal Mark for clarity.
  8. The documents build on earlier CPS equalities policy, which primarily focussed on employment issues. The intention was now to mainstream equality and diversity into all CPS employment and prosecution business.
  9. The Board welcomed a more outcomes focused equality and diversity policy and strategy that is consistent with Cabinet Office guidance and good practice. The Board endorsed the policy statement and strategy.

    10. Item 4: Statement on Internal Control

  10. The Board considered a paper on the draft Statement on Internal Control, as part of the assurance process for the Director to sign the CPS Annual Resource Accounts.
  11. The Board recognised that the Audit Committee endorsed the Statement and the Head of Internal Audit is satisfied with the adequacy of the CPS internal control arrangements. The Board noted that the Head of Internal Audit identifies risk and management of change as having significantly improved over the last two years and that key financial systems continue to operate effectively.
  12. The Board approved the Statement of Internal Control ready for the Director to sign the Accounts.

    13. Item 5: Spending Review 2006

  13. The Board considered a paper on the work underway and the proposed approach for Spending Review 2006, which will determine the CPS's PSA targets and budgets for the three years from 2007-10.
  14. The submission will need to provide evidence that the Service has continued to improve performance and deliver efficiency savings.
  15. The Board agreed that the Finance Committee should oversee the SR 2006 programme and should be involved in any work on the Spending Review involving the Law Officers' Departments, other criminal justice departments and OCJR. There would be regular reports to the Board on progress and issues in developing the Spending Review submission.

    16. Item 6: Review of Joined up CJS IT developments and issues

  16. The Board received an update on CJS information technology development, progress and challenges and issues from the Director General, Criminal Justice Information Technology.
  17. The presentation provided a status on the range of system developments and the rollout or upgrade of IT infrastructure across the across the police, CPS, courts and other CJS agencies. Work was underway develop roll out plans for police custody and case preparation systems to all forces and a pilot in Humberside was piloting exchange of information between police and the CPS.
  18. The Board recognised that benefits realisation and delivering the return on investment in information technology was a major issue and challenge for the CJS. The Board also recognised that as part of delivering those benefits, CPS and police needed to develop their plans for exchanging information well in advance of local police force take up of their case management system.

    19. Item 7: Corporate Risk

  19. The Board considered a paper including a final report on the management of corporate risks during 2004-05 and the proposed risks for 2005-06, developed and proposed by the Delivery and Change Committee.
  20. The Board noted that actions taken to manage CPS corporate risks for the previous year and that there were no exceptions to report. Active management of the risks to roll-out and deliver the charging and No Witness No Justice projects have moved those risks to 'Green' status over the year.
  21. The Board considered the risks for 2005-06, and asked for work to manage the 'risk of interruption of the capability to deliver prosecution business' to include CPS Direct. Subject to that, the Board agreed the corporate risks for 2005-06.
  22. The Board invited the Delivery and Change Committee to keep the management of corporate risks and countermeasures under review and to provide the Board with a mid-year progress report.

    23. Item 8: Taking Forward Issues From the Senior Managers Conference

  23. The Board considered a paper on key issues to be taken forward from the April Senior Managers' Conference and recognised that many of the issues from the conference were already being taken forward as part of existing work programmes.
  24. The narrative for the CPS discussed at the Conference is being and developed and it is intended to issues the document in June, in preparation for the Unit Head Roadshows with the Director and Chief Executive in July.
  25. The Board agreed on the key issues to take forward from the conference and the respective Committees responsible for taking them forward. The Board agreed that a progress report on those issues should be considered at the September Board meeting, ready for an update at the next Senior Managers' Conference in October.

    26. Item 9: Draft Agenda for the Board Meeting on 20 July 2005

  26. The agenda for their next Board meeting on 20 July 2005 was agreed as:

    • a forward look on charging and advocacy and managing the capacity of Areas to deliver on both initiatives in tandem
    • a review of the Unit Head Roadshows conducted so far
    • proposals to improve performance management
    • COMPASS benefits realisation plans
    • an update from CJIT on proposals for police force take up of their case preparation system and implications for the CPS
    • discussion on issues for the next Senior Managers' conference.

    Item 10: Any Other Business

  27. The Board considered a brief update on issues the Policy Strategy and Diversity Committee on Hunting and Bad Character.

Strategy Planning & Change Division
May 2005