Response to Dennis Fallon 17 March 2011
Dear West Midlands Police Authority,
I have been reviewing the West Midlands Casualty Reduction Partnership website and noticed their most recent announcement(MRA),
"West Midlands Police is to provide over £1 million funding toensure that speed enforcement cameras remain operational across theregion for the coming financial year, following the local authorities' decision to withdraw funding to the West Midlands Casualty Reduction Scheme"...
I am confused about this decision for several reasons,as our Police vision statement is:'Serving our communities, protecting them fromharm', yet evidence from Swindon and other partnerships show that,in reality, the cameras do not really have a significant impact onaccident statistics, so somehow the financial decision makers inthe West Midlands must have been persuaded to allocate funds forsome reason.My main crime concerns from press reports, isescalating levels scrap metal theft,cannabis factories,drug dealing and street crime.I note from accounts that the external funding of cameras was £2.5 million in 2009/2010.
As a tax paying resident of Birmingham I would appreciate information about various finance related matters of concern.
QUESTION ONE.Regarding the WMCRP announcement,is it WM police orthe WMPA who have agreed to provide the one million pound funding,and which part of the budget will provide the funding?
Information included in attached Appendix A of the report to Finance and Resources Committee meeting on 10 March 2011.
These documents are in the public domain and are published on the Police Authority’s website.
QUESTION TWO.Obviously the final decision would have been made at aspending review meeting and minutes will have been recorded.Pleaseadvise of the date of the meeting and the names and status of thepeople who attended.Please advise if a copy of the minutes isavailable for review.Was the decision be signed off with approvalof both the treasurer and Chief Constable Chris Sims?
The following information will be placed in the public domain and published on the Police Authority’s website after the minutes of the meeting on 10 March have been approved by the committee.
The Finance and Resources Committee meeting on 10 March 2011 was held in
in the Main Hall, Blakenhall Community and Healthy Living Centre, Bromley Street, Blakenhall, Wolverhampton
PRESENTCAUNT, Councillor D
CONNOR JP, Mr B
CORNISH, Councillor M
HOLL-ALLEN, Councillor D
HUGHES, Mr R [until 11:30]
JONES, Councillor B –in the Chair
MCENTIRE, Ms J
OBSERVERSDAVIES, Councillor K
Approximately 20 members of the public
IN ATTENDANCEHartill, Insp MTraffic
Herrington, Mr GIntelligence
Hickman, Ms FCommittee Manager
Jeffries, Ms KInformation Services
Kelly, Mr AHead of Fleet Services
Parkes, Mr DSupport Services
Smith, Mr DWMP Director of Resources
Williams, Mr MWMPA Treasurer
APOLOGIESBAINS, Councillor S
QUESTION THREE.Quote "West Midlands Police is to provide over £1million funding...".Obviously the funding request is a calculatedamount which is distributed to more than one end user.Please advisehow the money is expected to be distributed, in terms of salarycosts and the various other expenses including camera maintenance and other members of the partnership,and from which bank accountthe money originates and which bank account is the destination.
Refer to WMP
Freedom of Information Unit
West Midlands Police
PO Box 52, Lloyd House
Colmore Circus Queensway
BIRMINGHAM
B4 6NQ
Fax: 0121 626 5291
E-mail:
QUESTION FOUR.From the WMPA website "We are required by law to havea legal adviser and a treasurer. These are provided through an agreement with Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council".
Please adviseif the WMPA treasurer is Mr S.Williams CPFA,IRRV, and what is his ongoing connection with Dudley MBC as he appears to have left theiremploy over 12 months ago.Please advise when Mr Williams started astreasurer WMPA and if that is his sole full-time employment, as from the accounts he appears to be paid only £24,000 p.a.
Mike Williams was appointed Treasurer of West Midlands Police Authority with effect from March 1994. At that time the role of Treasurer was part of the duties of the Chief Finance Officer (later retitled Director of Finance) of Dudley MBC. The duties of Treasurer were deemed to account for about 20% of the Chief Finance Officer's time.
That arrangement changed some years ago, when Mr Williams was formally appointed by the Police Authority as Treasurer and the arrangements with Dudley were included in a formal Service Level Agreement.
Mr Williams retired as Director of Finance at Dudley in March 2009, but was asked to continue as Treasurer to the Police Authority. He was also asked to undertake a new part time job at Dudley with a new contract of employment. It was agreed that Mr Williams pay arrangements for the Police Authority Treasurer position should continue through the well established arrangements with Dudley, for as long as his part time contract with Dudley continued. That contract will finish on 31 March 2011 and the Authority will enter into a new part time contract of employment with Mr Williams with effect from 1 April 2011.
QUESTION FIVE.As WMPA have knowledge of WM police, please advisewhat is the role of their Director of Resources, Mr Derek Smith,whohas no qualifications or C.V on display, despite being on theCommand Team and earning £121,000 p.a.
Refer to WMP:
QUESTION SIX.On the WMPA Statement of accounts 2009/2010 Part 11,the total of Members allowances came to £278,000. Please advise how many members of the WMPA are eligible for these allowances.UnderInland Revenue rules a person cannot claim expenses to their normalplace of work, but there appears to be extensive travel claims.Please explain the nature and quantum of the `basicallowances`, `special responsibility allowances`, `travelling andsubsistence allowance`, and the `other allowances` which seem to beconsistent at £12,000 annual claim.
Members Expenses Scheme and Members Allowance Scheme provided. These documents are in the public domain and are published on the Police Authority’s website.
QUESTION SEVEN.In section 34,there appears to be a separate bankaccount called the `proceeds of crime account`(POCA) withapproximately £3.8 million,$19,000, and 64,000 euros.This isconfusing as U.K bank accounts only record amounts in U.K currency, an explanation would be appreciated.Please advise the name of the bank operating the account, the account type, and whose signaturesare authorised to make withdrawals.Please advise of the year endbalance of the account for the past five years, and list the amountand destination of withdrawals exceeding £500 over the last 12months.Who has the responsibility of paying monies in, and whodecides for what purposes the funds are to be used and if there isany written protocol for use of the account.
Refer to WMP
I find Birmingham Council tax to be very high and I wouldappreciate clarification as to what is going on regarding variousrevenues raised.
The Revenue Budget and Capital programme 2011/12 which was presented to the Police Authority meeting on 17 February 2011 provided. This includes information about the level of increase of the policing precept for 2011/12 (Item 8). The policing precept is the element of council tax which pays towards policing. If you wish to find out about the other elements of your council tax, you will need to contact Birmingham City Council.
I would appreciate completion of these points within the usual 20day FOI timescale.
Yours faithfully,
Dennis Fallon