Home > Fire Authority > Committee Minutes > Regional Management Board 27 July 2006
Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Fire Authorities’ Regional Management Board
Annual Meeting held on Thursday 27 July 2006 at
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, Hull
Present:
Humberside Fire and Rescue Authority
Councillor C Randall
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority
Councillor E Broadbent
Councillor J Morley
South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority
Councillor J Andrews
Councillor J Bird
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority
Councillor D Atkinson
Councillor G Beever
Councillor M Coulson
Councillor R Light
Secretariat:
Mr M G Barnes
Mrs N Houseman
Treasurer:
Mr M Price
In attendance:
Mr K Marshall - Humberside
Mr P Wheldale - Humberside
Mr N Hutchinson - North Yorkshire
Mr A Trowsdale - North Yorkshire
Mr M Davies - South Yorkshire
Mr D Cutting - South Yorkshire
Mr A Hughes - West Yorkshire
Ms U Harrison - West Yorkshire
Mr J Lodge - GoYH, Business Change Manager
1 Appointment of Chair
Resolved
That Councillor J Andrews (South Yorkshire) be appointed Chair of the Yorkshire and Humberside Fire Authorities’ Regional Management Board for the 2006 / 2007 year.
2 Appointment of Vice Chair
Resolved
That Councillor M Coulson (West Yorkshire) be appointed Vice Chair of the Yorkshire and Humberside Fire Authorities’ Regional Management Board for the year 2006 / 2007.
3 Membership of the Board
Consideration was given to a report which detailed the membership of the Yorkshire and Humberside Fire Authorities’ Regional Management Board for 2006 / 2007 as notified by the constituent Fire Authorities as follows:
Humberside
Councillor C Randall
Councillor N Sherwood
North Yorkshire
Councillor E Broadbent
Councillor J Morley
South Yorkshire
Councillor J Andrews
Councillor J Bird
Councillor P Scriven
West Yorkshire
Councillor D Atkinson
Councillor G Beever
Councillor M Coulson
Councillor R Light
The political composition of the Board was Labour 5, Liberal Democrat 4 and
Conservative 2.
Resolved
(i) That the report be noted; and
(ii) That a report be submitted to the October meeting of the Board advising of
the background to officer appointments (Secretary and Treasurer), actual
costs incurred by constituent authorities and arrangements for lead officers in
each of the six strategic functional areas.
4 Apologies for Absence
Councillor N Sherwood – Humberside Fire and Rescue Authority
Councillor P Scriven – South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority
Apologies were also presented on behalf of Mr P Toase (Chief Fire Officer, West
Yorkshire), Mr S Pilling (Deputy Chief Fire Officer, West Yorkshire), Mr F Duffield (Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Humberside) and of Mr M Smitherman (Chief Fire Officer, South Yorkshire).
5 Urgent Items: DCLG Circular 44-2006 – Regional Control Centre Governance
The Secretary introduced a summary of the DCLG Circular 44 – 2006 relating to
Regional Control Centre Governance which had been received on 25 July 2006.
Members were concerned that there remained a number of issues which
required further clarification, notably the issue of funding for the Regional Control Centre.
Resolved
That the report be noted.
[The Chair had agreed to the inclusion of the item on the grounds urgency as the document had been published and received after the despatch of agenda
papers].
6 Admission of the Public
Resolved
That the public and press be excluded from the meeting during the item of
business specified below as it was likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public and press were present during these items, there would be disclosure to them of exempt information of the descriptions specified.
Agenda Item Number - E20
Title of Report - Programme Management – update
Minute Number - 20
Description of exempt information by reference to the paragraph number in Schedule 12a of the
Local Government Act 1972 - Paragraph 3 – Financial or business affairs
7 Declarations of Interest
There were no declarations of interest made in any matter under consideration
at the meeting.
8 Minutes of the Board at a Meeting Held on 6 April 2006
Resolved
That the Minutes be signed by the Chair as a correct record.
9 Appointment of Member Champions
The Secretary submitted a report which sought the appointment of Member
champions.
Resolved
That Member champions be appointed for 2006 / 7 as follows;
Resilience
Councillor J Bird - South Yorkshire
Councillor M Coulson - West Yorkshire
Common Services
Councillor R Light - West Yorkshire
Regional Control Rooms
Councillor J Andrews - South Yorkshire
Councillor G Beever - West Yorkshire
Procurement
Councillor E Broadbent - North Yorkshire
Training
Councillor P Scriven - South Yorkshire
Councillor N Sherwood - Humberside
Personnel & HR Management
Councillor C Randall - Humberside
10 Progress Report - Overview
Consideration was given to a report of the Secretary which advised of progress
made within the region against the six nationally set objectives for the Regional
Management Board as identified in the National Framework Document.
Members were advised that all the regional projects had either been achieved or remained on target to be achieved.
Resolved
That the report be noted.
Strategic Functions – Update
11 Resilience
Consideration was given to a report of the Chief Fire Officer (South Yorkshire)
submitted a report which provided an update on the issue of regional resilience.
Members were further advised that future reporting with regard to resilience
would also include resilience measures from a national, as well as regional,
perspective.
It was reported that the Member Champion, Councillor Jane Bird, had visited the Urban Search and Rescue facility (USAR) based in West Yorkshire which she
had found to be very informative. Concern was raised at the level of funding for
the equipment which had recently been confirmed at 50% from central
government where the expectation had been that the facility be fully funded.
Resolved
(i) That the report be noted;
(ii) That Members avail themselves of the opportunity to visit the USAR facility; and
(iii) That a paper be submitted to the next meeting of the Board reporting on
options for future funding arrangements where shortfalls in the financing
of regional facilities and equipment would arise as a direct result of the
level of government funding.
12 Specialist (Common) Services
Consideration was given to a report of the Deputy Chief Officer of Humberside
Fire and Rescue Service advising of the progress made with the work in the
Common Services strategic functional theme and specifically in the following
areas;
It was proposed that the remit of the Common Services work be extended to
incorporate operational convergence and the promotion of collaborative working
within the constituent regional Fire and Rescue Services.
Resolved
(i) That the report be noted,
(ii) That the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (Fire Investigation)
with Police Forces operating within the region be pursued;
(iii) That the outcome of (ii) above be reported back to the next meeting of the
Board;
(iv) That approval be given to the formation of a sub-group comprising
constituent FRS representation with responsibility for issues connected with FRA Operational convergence; and
(v) That a review of arrangements and associated outcomes with regard to
(iv) above be conducted within a 12-month period.
13 Regional Control Rooms
The Chief Fire Officer with West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service submitted a
report which updated Members on the status of the Yorkshire and Humberside
FiReControl Regional Control Centre project.
Members were advised of the current position with regard to the following key
issues;
Resolved
(i) That the report be noted; and
(ii) That a briefing on FiReControl issues be arranged for Thursday, 19 October 2006 (after the next meeting of the Regional Management Board).
14 Procurement
Consideration was given to a report of the Assistant Chief Fire Officer (Director
of Support Services, South Yorkshire) which advised of the work being
undertaken at national level with regard to the National Procurement Board and
the Integrated Clothing Project and which sought approval for the adoption of the Yorkshire and Humberside Fire Authorities’ draft Regional Procurement Strategy and associated action plan.
Resolved
(i) That the report be noted; and
(ii) That the Yorkshire and Humberside Fire Authorities’ Regional Procurement Strategy, and associated action plan, be adopted.
15 Training
Consideration was given to a report of the Assistant Chief Fire Officer (Director
of Human Resources) of North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service which
updated Members on the Training function and specifically on the following
issues;
Resolved
(i) That the report be noted;
(ii) That approval be given to the terms of reference (detailed at Annex A to
the report now submitted) for a Best Value style review of Training.
16 Personnel and HR Management
The Director of Human Resources at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
submitted a report which sought approval for the following draft strategies;
Members were also requested to consider the approval of terms of reference
(detailed in the report now submitted) for a regional review of Occupational
Health Services. The review would obviate the need for constituent authorities to undertake their own review of the function.
Resolved
(i) That the Human Resources Strategy be approved;
(ii) That the Equality and Diversity Strategy be approved; and
(iii) That approval be given to the Terms of Reference for the regional review
of Occupational Health Services.
17 Regional Control – Intra-Regional Cost Distribution
Consideration was given to a report of the Treasurer which set out possible intra-regional options for the cost distribution of Regional Control functions (based on population, tax base or geographical area).
Members were advised that there were both fixed and variable costings to
consider and that any decision taken now could be re-visited as appropriate.
Members were concerned that there remained many aspects with regard to the
costs associated with the establishment of the Regional Control Centre (financial, legal and staffing issues) and, without these, a departure from the existing arrangements for apportionment of Regional Management Board costs (Council Tax based) could not be considered or recommended to the constituent authorities.
Resolved
That the apportionment of costs for the Regional Control Centre functions remain as per the original Regional Management Board Agreement (Council tax based).
18 Memorandum Accounts 2005 / 2006
The Treasurer submitted a report which sought approval for the Memorandum
Accounts 2005 / 2006.
Resolved
That the Memorandum Accounts 2005 / 2006 be approved subject to audit and
be signed by the Chair.
19 Date of Next Meeting
Resolved
That the next meeting of the Yorkshire and Humberside Fire Authorities’ Regional Management Board be held on Thursday 19 October at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, Birkenshaw.
20 Programme Management - Update
(Exempt information under Schedule 12A Paragraph 3 – Financial or Business affairs)
The Chief Fire Officer / Chief Executive of North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue
Service submitted a report which advised of the current position with regard to the letting of a contract for resourcing of programme management.
Resolved
(i) That, as constituent authority capacity did not currently allow for the
secondment of an existing employee (as defined in Option 3), approval be given to Option 4 (as detailed in the report now submitted) for the resourcing of programme management and that specialist support be sourced through an employment agency for the first two phases of work; and
(ii) That Option 3 be considered as the preferred option for the continued
maintenance of programme management (phase 3) subject to a report back to the Board as appropriate.
Chair
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