11 December 2013

Date: 

Wednesday, 11 December, 2013

Time: 

15:00

Location: 

Oak Room, Headquarters, Shrewsbury

Category: 

Item no. Agenda Item Details Status
01 Apologies for Absence

Apologies for absence have been received from Councillor Kiernan.

02 Disclosable Pecuniary Interests

Members are reminded that they must not participate in the discussion of, or voting on any matter, in which they have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest, and should leave the room prior to the commencement of the debate.

03 Minutes

Members are asked to agree the minutes of the Fire Authority meeting, held on 25 September 2013, attached marked 3, and that they be signed by the Chair as a correct record.

AttachmentSize
PDF icon 03-cfa-minutes-25-sept-2013.pdf227.21 KB
For decision
04 Public Questions

Members are asked to receive any questions, statements or petitions, of which notice has been received from members of the public.

05a Proposed Merger of Standards and Human Resources Committee

This report, to follow marked 5a, asks Members to consider the recommendation from its Standards and Human Resources Committees that the two Committees be merged into one. Should the Authority agree this recommendation, there are a number of other decisions it then needs to make.

For decision
05b Meeting Schedule 2014

A schedule of proposed dates for 2014 meetings of the Fire Authority and its committees is attached, marked 5b for approval.

AttachmentSize
PDF icon 05b-meeting-schedule-2014.pdf70.9 KB
For decision
06 Human Resources Committtee

Members are asked to receive the non-exempt minutes of the Human Resources Committee meeting, held on 17 October 2013 and attached marked 6.

AttachmentSize
PDF icon 6-hr-non-exempt-minutes-17-oct-2013.pdf191.03 KB
For information
07 Strategy and Resources Committee

Members are asked to receive the minutes of the Strategy and Resources Committee meeting, held on 7 November 2013 and attached marked 7, and consider and decide upon the recommendations at item 6. The report relating to these recommendations is attached, marked 7a.

Please note that the reports considered by the Committee at item 5 (2014/15 and Later Years Revenue and Capital Budgets) are contained within the Green Booklet (attached as the Appendix to report 9 - 2014/15 and Later Years Budget Summary) and will form the basis of discussion at item 9 on this agenda.

AttachmentSize
PDF icon 07-sandr-minutes-7-nov-2013.pdf145.82 KB
PDF icon 07a-fin-perf-to-sept-2013.pdf222.46 KB
For decision
08 Audit and Performance Management Committee

Members are asked to receive the non-exempt minutes of the Audit and Performance Management Committee meeting, held on 14 November 2013 and attached marked 8.

AttachmentSize
PDF icon 08-andpm-minutes-14-nov-2013.pdf143.63 KB
For information
09 2014/15 and Later Years Budget Summary

This report, attached marked 9, summarises the budgets that are proposed by the Strategy and Resources Committee. The results are put forward to the Fire Authority for approval as the basis for consultation, leading to a final decision at the Fire Authority meeting in February 2014.

Please note the Appendix to the report (the Green Booklet) is attached.

AttachmentSize
PDF icon 09-APPENDIX 2014-15 and Later Years Revenue and Capital Budgets.pdf1017.51 KB
PDF icon 09-2014-15-and-later-years-revenue-and-capital-budgets.pdf136.6 KB
For decision
10 Meeting with Fire Minister

The meeting was arranged through Philip Dunne MP and was held in a committee room within the houses of parliament. All of the Shropshire conservative MPs attended. As this was a group of conservative MPs meeting a Conservative Minister, David Wright (Labour) was not invited. The Chair of the Fire Authority, Stuart West, and Councillor Eric Carter attended from the Fire Authority, together with the Chief Fire Officer.

In addition to Brandon Lewis, Neil O'Connor, the Head of Fire and Emergency Planning at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), and a number of civil servants were also in attendance.

The meeting was opened by Philip Dunne, following which the Chief Fire Officer gave a presentation, outlining the Fire Authority 's funding position going forward, and the likely consequences of implementing proposals to reduce the budget. He also outlined three proposals that would alleviate the funding pressures on the Authority. The MPs were all supportive of the Authority's approach. The Minister responded, that although he was very sympathetic to our position as a rural fire service (he is an MP from Great Yarmouth), he thought that meeting our proposals would be difficult.

The Minister responded to each of the three key proposals as follows:

Review of the funding formula
He said that the DCLG has no plans to review the formula. He understands the inequality in funding between fire services but has no plans to address it via a review of the formula at present.

A flat rate increase in precept
He said that this had been introduced last year as a one off and that they will not be doing the same again this year, because it is outside government policy.

Sparsity
When asked if he could look at removing the damping mechanism to allow funding to flow from the urban areas to the rural areas, he agreed to do so. What this means is unclear.

The Minister gave no indication of any planned changes to the funding mechanism or to any other policy that would give the Authority some optimism, apart from a recognition of the need to look again at sparsity. The meeting was useful in that it was an opportunity to state the Authority's case and at the same time support the wider rural / urban funding lobby.

For information
11 2020 Strategic Planning Process

Phase two of the Integrated Risk Management Planning (IRMP) 2020 process is continuing with Members of the Strategic Risk and Planning Working Group (StRaP) attending numerous meetings with staff, local councillors and MPs to discuss the various options being explored as part of the Impact Appraisal process.

The following timetable for Phase 3 is proposed:

Results from Phase 2 are considered by StRaP on 23 January 2014, with recommendations going via Strategy and Resources Committee to the Fire Authority on 26 February 2014;

StRaP will meet on 20 March 2014 to agree the Phase 3 strategy, with implementation from April to June 2014;

The results from Phase 3 will be considered by StRaP on 4 September 2014, with recommendations going via Strategy and Resources Committee to the Fire Authority on 8 October 2014; and

The Fire Authority's Integrated Risk Management Plan 2015-20 will be published, with implementation starting in January 2015 onwards.

For information
12 The Scheme for Payment of Members' Allowances 2014/15

This report, attached marked 12, asks the Fire Authority to consider and agree its 2014/15 Scheme for the Payment of Members' Allowances.

AttachmentSize
PDF icon 12-scheme-for-payment-of-members-allowances-2014-15.pdf495.27 KB
For decision
13 Local Government Act 1972

Members are asked to consider a resolution under section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 that the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information, as defined by the provisions of Part I of Schedule 12(A) to the Act, by virtue of Paragraphs 1, 2 and 3.

For decision
14 Human Resources Committee Exempt Minutes (Paragraph 3)

Members are asked to receive the exempt minutes of the Human Resources Committee meeting, held on 17 October 2013 and attached marked 14.

For information
15 Audit and Performance Management Committee Exempt Minutes (Paragraph 3)

Members are asked to receive the exempt minutes of the Audit and Performance Management Committee meeting, held on 14 November 2013 and attached marked 15.

For information
16 Special Exemptions from Standing Orders relating to Contracts (Paragraph 3)

This report, attached marked 16, advises Members of special exemptions from Standing Orders relating to Contracts, which have been agreed by the Chief Fire Officer and the Treasure, after consultation with the Chair of the Fire Authority.

For decision
17 Recruitment of Deputy Chief Fire Officer (Paragraph 3)

This report, attached marked 17, sets out the Chief Fire Officer's intentions regarding the structure of Brigade Management and asks the Fire Authority to direct the Brigade Manager's Employment Panel to plan the process for recruitment of a Deputy Chief Fire Officer.

For decision
18 Shropshire Fire Risk Management Services Ltd (Paragraphs 1, 2 and 3)

This report, attached marked 18, advises of developments relating to Shropshire Fire Risk Management Services Ltd