FRS Management Board Meeting
Tuesday 21st June 2005
1000 hrs, Marine Laboratory
MINUTES
Present: Robin Cook (Chairman)
Malcolm Beveridge
Carey Cunningham (representing Trevor Hastings)
Colin Moffat
Rob Fryer (representing Bill Turrell)
Pamela Reid
Morag McCall
Sarah Heath (representing Alastair Johnstone) (Secretary)
1. Introduction and Apologies
The Chairman welcomed members to the meeting Apologies had been received from Ron Stagg, Trevor Hastings, Bill Turrell, and Alastair Johnstone.
2. Action Points arising from meeting on 17th May 2005
1. Pamela Reid has circulated a note to PDs giving an outline programme for the external auditors visit.
2. Morag McCall has circulated list of staff vacancies to Management Board members. (see 665)
3. Robin Cook, Ron Stagg, Pamela Reid and Morag McCall have discussed structure and posts within Finance.
4. Pamela Reid and Bill Turrell to confer on WTD implications for FM Programme. This is in progress.
5. Secretary has arranged for a meeting to review Risk Register to take place 19 August.
6. Ron Stagg has provided Pamela Reid with the review reports for each Commission obtained from Phil Balls.
7. Ron Stagg has invited Scott Moncrieff to suggest revised Agency targets.
8. PDs are invited to propose accreditation targets for inclusion in the quality management system. Action point carried over.
9. Pamela Reid to suggest financial measures as future key agency targets. In progress.
10. Board Members returned edited new research vessel name proposals to Ron Stagg by 31 May.
11. Ron Stagg circulated collated short-list of vessel names to members for approval.
12. PDs to identify appropriate leaders from the list of staff forming H&S advisory sub-committees and inform Ron Stagg. Action point carried over.
13. Malcolm Beveridge to produce proposals on future Science Day events for Board approval by August 2005 MB meeting. In progress.
14. Colin Moffat to advise the MB on the structure of the OSPAR Marine strategy programme.
15. HR to consider the potential demand for science presentation training. On-going. SE specialist to be involved, also, Rob Fryer to provide advice on the presentation of scientific data.
16. Pamela Reid has chased-up ROAME and SLA milestones from Phil Balls.
17. Chris Hall has provided info on mini-grab sampler development to Colin Moffat.
18. Programme Directors have communicated procedure for submitting overtime claim forms to Group Leaders (to ensure that they are aware of their responsibilities as countersigning officers.)
19. All Science Programme Directors sent Robin Cook their thoughts for development of a 5 year science strategy for FRS by the deadline (23 May 2005.)
20. Trevor Hastings has consulted Carey Cunningham about potential future use of radioactive substances and has informed Ron Stagg.
The Board accepted the minutes of the last meeting.
3. Finance and Administration
a) Finance Report
Pamela Reid reported that the auditors expect to sign off the accounts week beginning 27th June 2005. Although there are a few minor issues to resolve, and notional and depreciation costs may need to be adjusted, as yet no serious issues have been raised.
FRS had an overspend of £125,000 in 2004-05. Although this represents roughly 0.5% of the overall budget, the agency is required to write a report to SE. The rise in fuel costs accounts for much of this sum. The Board noted that appropriate in-year action was taken to inform SE and to minimise the overspend.
Preparation of the annual accounts is underway and it is expected that they will be ready for board approval and CE’s signature in July.
The word ‘deficit’ in column one of the Income and expenditure account for the year ended 31 March 2005 is misleading, and should be re-considered.
Action: Pamela Reid to consult auditors to reword or qualify the use of the word deficit in this context.
b) Running Cost Budget Allocation
Work continues on running cost budget allocations and a report will be posted on the Intranet.
The board discussed the current recruitment freeze and its wider implications. It was agreed that the freeze could not extend to contract posts where the contract income is dependent on recruiting staff.
c) Capital Budget Priorities
Work is underway to rank the items submitted under capital proposals.
Action: Robin Cook, Ron Stagg and Pamela Reid will rank the items and circulate the list to PDs by 1st July 2005.
Some capital funds will be held back as a contingency.
d) Recruitment Freeze
The group discussed the on-going recruitment freeze and agreed that some restraint was still required in order to reconcile the budget. HR reported that at present there are 20 unfilled posts within FRS, yielding between £300k and 500k per year (where they remain unfilled). The Board discussed the issue and agreed that pending any further information, the Agency could afford to fund up to five posts. These would not necessarily come from the current vacancies list and could include new posts as required. It was agreed that PDs should submit business cases for priority recrutiment in their areas to Morag and that these would be considered by the Board at an extra MB meeting in July. Thereafter the position would be reviewed on a monthly basis.
It was agreed that posts that have already been approved for regrading and that are covered by staff in receipt of a Temporary Responsibility Supplement (TRS) would be advertised simultaneously.
4. Update on Capital Procurement Projects
a) Clupea
Staff are participating in an on-line voting system to choose the name of the replacement vessel.
Difficulties have arisen with the tendering for the design and build contract due to allegations of unfair competition made against one of the short-listed yards. Ministerial approval to proceed with the tendering process is being sought.
b) New building
The timetable for the project has slipped about one month. Although some aspects can be run in parallel to keep the timetable on track it may be necessary to ask for flexibility in capital funding to allow costs to be applied in financial year 08/09. Negotiations are continuing in relation to acquisition of the adjacent playing field owned by ACC.
5. Key Agency Targets
This was dealt with under item 2 point 9.
6. Cultural Web
The Cultural Mapping Report written by Jean Meyrick has been published on the Intranet. On 28 June at 10:30 am (in the Lecture Theatre) Carey Cunningham is to present the findings of the report, and Robin Cook will follow up.
To implement the findings of the survey, it is likely that FRS will establish two working groups, one to look at internal communications, and another for financial and administrative issues.
7. Directors’ Monthly reports
Directorate
The ICT report must be implemented in order that FRS comply with the recommendations in the recent Audit report. The Board agreed in principle to the ICT report, and on the condition that the proposals being worked up with appropriate consultation.
There is to be an ‘Open Doors’ day held at FRS Marine Laboratory on Saturday September 10th
2005. The public will be invited into the building, though it is planned that visitors will be taken into the lecture theatre. Health and Safety regulations do not permit more widespread access. Staff will be asked to participate in this event.
Action: Alastair Johnstone to draw up a programme for the day to inform the Board and to make arrangements with staff.
Comments were raised on the number of leaflets and articles that have been published this year.
Action: Alastair Johnstone to present these figures both monthly, and in terms of meeting annual targets.
Support Services
An incident on board FRV Clupea is being investigated following a complaint form Marr Vessel Management.
A procurement exercise to set up a contract for the provision of Occupational Health Services at FRS has been completed.
SS reported problems with the FL electricity bills. FL had been informed that it had been undercharged for electricity supply to the sum of £94k. This figure is subject to negotiation involving the SE. More generally, with rising oil prices it is expected that fuel bills including electicity are likely to increase subsbtantially in the next few years. Studies carried out by FRS’ Environmental Policy Working Group indicate that FRS’ energy usage has increased in the last year, and that the agency consumes more energy during the summer.
Aquatic Environment
AE reported on the on-going difficulties with the Food Standards Agency (FSA):
· The phytoplankton monitoring contract came up for renewal. FSA were unable to decide to whom it should be awarded. FRS thus withdrew from the tendering process.
· The FSA is considering extending their contingency biotoxin monitoring contract with the Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) for a further three months. This places some FRS AE staff in an unsatisfactory ‘holding’ position until a decision is reached.
The same ‘holding’ issue apples to the LC-MS contract, though in a slightly different context. However, this is indicative of the FSA procurement process as experienced by FRS.
· The Board agreed that these contractual issues with FSA must be resolved. To this end, FRS is to organise a meeting with senior FSA (Scotland) staff to discuss these problems.
Action: Ron Stagg to arrange a meeting with FSA deputy CE.
A member of AE staff made a presentation to the North Atlantic Fisheries College on the microbiological component of AE’s work.
Staff have been involved in various outreach activities involving schools and the Royal Society of Chemistry. FRS’ GIS and graphics and Media groups were especially helpful in preparing for these events.
The Board discussed FRS’ policy regarding links with school pupils. HR reported that there is to be a review of the practice of offering work experience places senior school 5th year pupils, and that, in addition, FRS will be offering both 4th and 5th year pupils mock interviews. It was agreed that this could be very helpful to young people.
AAAH
AAAH voiced concerns over the impact of the continued recruitment freeze, and the implications it has for achievement of Agency milestones. The Board agreed that ERAD must be kept informed of any anticipated milestone shortfalls.
AAAH has been awarded a contract with the FSA.
*A member of AAAH staff attended a UK-wide meeting to discuss harmonisation of care and use of fish in research.
Freshwater Laboratory
FL raised the issue of FRS funds being available for studentships. It was agreed that the budget for 2006 will influence on the decision to fund studentships from FRS funds. Robin Cook advised that the research partnerships between FRS and the universities of Aberdeen, Strathclyde and maybe St Andrews should be considered as part of a package that would include finding for studentships and other posts such as fellowships and post docs.. The amount of money available for these activities was still under review and will depend on the FRS total budget in 2006 and 2007.
Fisheries Management
The following was reported from the Fisheries Management Programme:
Robin Cook confirmed that there are no plans for FRV Scotia to take part in the ASH or blue whiting survey and pressure to do so would be resisted.
There is to be a review of safety on board commercial vessels in relation to the legal status of the currently used indemnity forms.
Action: Pamela Reid to speak to John Morrison about indemnity forms.
Staff have raised concerns about the lack of publicity given to FRS scientific publications, more specifically those likely to have wider public interest. It was agreed that an FRS Editorial Board comprising merit C2s should be established to address this issue.
Action: Ron Stagg to take forward the decision to establish an FRS Editorial Board comprising merit C2s.
The Board agreed that the Scottish Marine Observatory initiative should be communicated more widely.
Action: Bill Turrell to inform the Board about the Scottish Marine Observatory initiative.
8. AOB
The issue of the impact of changes to payroll in relation to disclosure of SMB members’ remuneration packages in the forthcoming FRS Report and Accounts was raised. The Board was advised that since HR no longer has responsibility for pay and access to associated files, it will take longer for Finance to prepare this information.
9. Next meeting: Tuesday 16 August 2005 at the FRS Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen.
Meeting closed 12:30
Sarah P Heath
26th June 2005
Action Points from FRS MB meeting 21 June 2005
1. PDs to identify appropriate leaders from the list of staff forming H&S advisory sub-committees and inform Ron Stagg. Action point carried over.
2. Pamela Reid to consult auditors to reword or qualify the use of the word deficit in this context.
3. Robin cook, Ron Stagg and Pamela Reid to rank capital items and circulate the list to PDs by 1st July 2005.
4. Alastair Johnstone to draw up a programme for the day to inform the Board and to make arrangements with staff.
5. Alastair Johnstone to present these figures both monthly, and in terms of meeting annual targets.
6. Ron Stagg to arrange a meeting with FSA Deputy CE.
7. Pamela Reid to speak to John Morrison about indemnity forms.
8. Ron Stagg to take forward the decision to establish an FRS Editorial Board comprising merit C2s.
9. Bill Turrell to inform the Board about the Scottish Marine Observatory initiative.
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