Meeting documents

To consider Item 5

The Corporate Planning Manager advised Members that the Corporate Risk Register was last reviewed by the Overview and Audit Committee on 23 September 2015, and also by the Performance Management Board (PMB) on 22 October 2015 and the Strategic Management Board (SMB) on 10 November 2015. As a result of those reviews, no new risks had been identified and there were no changes to the risk scores.

Since the report was written there had been a couple of developments that the Corporate Planning Manager wanted to bring to Members’ attention; the first one related to the staff availability risk and the risk of industrial action in relation to the pensions dispute.

The Chief Fire Officer had received a letter from Matt Wrack, General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, informing the Authority ‘no further strikes will be called in relation to the existing trade dispute on pensions, while this legal challenge is pursued. For the avoidance of doubt, and for your purposes, I can confirm that no strike action will be called before June 2017’.

The risk score would be reviewed in light of this new development, but it was unlikely to change as it was a general risk to staff availability and industrial action was only one factor of it.

The other update was in relation to the funding and savings risk. There was still a degree of uncertainty following the Autumn Statement. The Government had announced its intention to devolve business rates to local authorities by the end of this parliament and withdraw central government grants. It was not clear how this would affect some of the more specialist grants the Authority receives such as USAR.

The Director of Finance and Assets advised Members that the Authority was aware that the Government intended to transfer 100% of the business rates through to local authorities and remove the revenue support grant. In terms of medium term financial planning, it was being monitored closely.

A question was asked regarding the wider terrorism risk and whether it came under corporate risk. Members were advised that it came within the scope of the Authority’s public safety plan and integrated risk management planning and training exercises were undertaken with partners for eventualities of that nature.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer advised Members that the Authority currently had an embedded officer seconded into the South East Counter Terrorism Unit. This officer represented all of the Thames Valley Fire and Rescue Authorities including Hampshire.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer also reassured Members that the Authority had a number of National Inter-Agency Liaison Officers (NILO) who had undertaken special vetting to gain access to shared intelligence that was held on the wider Thames Valley area and beyond and this was factored into the Authority’s planning and operations.

A question was asked as to how the Authority was dealing with the ageing workforce risk. Members were advised that from April 2016 it was planned to refresh the workforce with up to 10 apprentices a year for three years. This would fit in with the workforce plan and predicted retirement profile and was factored into the medium term financial plan. This was primarily for firefighter replacement. A briefing sheet would be sent out to Members with all the information, for them to pass on at Local Area Forums and Parish Councils.

RESOLVED –

That the status report on identified corporate risks at Annex C be noted.