Agenda and minutes

Members to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests they may have in any matter being considered which are not entered onto the Authority’s Register, and officers to disclose any interests they may have in any contract to be considered.

None.

To note that Milton Keynes City Council will have appointed on 18 October 2023 the following Members to serve on the Authority:

Milton Keynes City Council (5)

From: Councillors Darlington, Exon, Fuller, Khan and McLean

To: Councillors Darlington, Exon, Fuller, (Liberal Democrat Member) and McLean

To note that Milton Keynes City Council appointed on 18 October 2023 the following Members to serve on the Authority:

Milton Keynes City Council (5)

From: Councillors Darlington, Exon, Fuller, Khan and McLean

To: Councillors Carr, Darlington, Exon, Fuller and McLean

(a)        Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990.

The Authority is required by the above Regulations to review the basis of allocation of seats amongst the Political Groups either at its Annual Meeting, or as soon as practicable thereafter, or following a change in its Membership.  In making its review, the Authority is required, so far as reasonably practicable, to comply with the following principles:

(i)                  The majority of seats is to be allocated to a particular Group if the number of persons belonging to that Group is a majority on the Authority.

(ii)                Subject to the above paragraphs, the number of seats on the Committees allocated to each Group should bear the same proportion to the total of all the seats on the Committees as that borne by the number of Members of that Group to the Membership of the Authority.

(iii)              Subject to paragraphs (i) to (iii) above, that the number of the seats on the body which are allocated to different political groups bears the same proportion to the number of all the seats on that body as is borne by the number of members of that group to the membership of the authority.

Subject to formal notification of the Membership of each Political Group, the allocation of seats on the Authority is as follows:

Conservative Group:                           10 seats           (58.82%)

Labour Group:                                     3 seats             (17.65%)

Liberal Democrat Group:                    4 seats             (23.53%)

The above Regulations, with the Authority’s Scheme of Delegation, require a notice in writing to be delivered to the Authority’s Monitoring Officer signed by two or more Members of the Authority to establish a Political Group. 

The Authority is asked to note the report.

Contact Officer: Katie Nellist (Democratic Services Officer) – 01296 744633

Background papers: None.

(b)        Committee Appointments

To consider making appointments to the Authority’s committees. The membership of the Executive and the Overview and Audit committees is required to be mutually exclusive.

Executive Committee

The Authority is asked to make appointments to the Executive Committee in accordance with the wishes of the respective Political Groups (8 Members).

It is recommended that the seats should be allocated as follows:

Conservative – 5

Labour – 1

Liberal Democrat – 2

Overview and Audit Committee

The Authority is asked to make appointments to the Overview and Audit Committee in accordance with the wishes of the respective Political Groups (9 Members).

It is recommended that the seats should be allocated as follows:

Conservative – 5

Labour – 2

Liberal Democrat – 2

Contact Officer: Katie Nellist (Democratic Services Officer) – 01296 744633

Background papers: None.

(i)                  Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990.

Conservative Group:         10 seats           (58.82%)

Labour Group:                   3 seats             (17.65%)

Liberal Democrat Group:  4 seats             (23.53%)

(ii)                Committee Appointments

That seats to the following Committees be allocated as follows:

Executive Committee (8 Members):

            (i) Conservative – 5

(ii) Labour – 1

(iii) Liberal Democrat – 2

 Overview and Audit Committee (9 Members):

            (i) Conservative – 5

(ii) Labour – 2

(iii) Liberal Democrat – 2

1.                  That the following Members be appointed to the Executive Committee:

Councillors Darlington, Christensen, Lambert, Adoh, Hall, McLean, Rouse and Walsh in accordance with the Group Leaders’ wishes.

2.                  That the following Members be appointed to the Overview and Audit Committee:

Councillors Bagge, Carroll, Chapple OBE, Hussain, Waite, Stuchbury, Carr and Exon in accordance with the Group Leaders’ wishes.

(Councillors Darlington and Hussain joined the meeting)

To consider item 9 (to follow)

The Chairman welcomed His Majesty’s Inspector (HMI) Roy Wilsher and Chief of Staff Jo Hayden from HMICFRS and advised Members that as it was an important session, he would allow Members a longer time to ask questions than usual.

HM Inspector advised Members that the Service had made some improvements but had not done enough since the last inspection to improve. Four of the 22 areas for improvement and three of the eight recommendations from the cause of concern in the 2021 report had been addressed. Prevention and Protection both needed clear direction and prioritising targets in the highest risk. Although mobilising the nearest fire appliance in the Thames Valley was a good thing, BFRS was over reliant on neighbouring fire services attending incidents. There was a need for better direction setting and prioritisation from senior leaders, but also a concern for the workload levels within the Service.

The report had 26 areas for improvement and three causes of concern. The Inspectorate expect an action plan within 28 days of publication of the report to show how the causes of concern would be addressed.

Starting from the base document, the Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP), does not cover all risks within Buckinghamshire and does not allocate resources in the way they would expect prevention, protection and response in a proportionate manner. There had not until recently been sufficient community engagement in the CRMP process, although the Service does gather local risk information well.

The first cause of concern was prevention. There had been some improvement, a revised strategy and some direction to the work, but the Service was not identifying and prioritising people most at risk. Work had been concentrated on the over 80’s and high rise residential. Although these were both risk factors, there were others. Health deprivation, alcohol and drug abuse etc. Prevention work needed to be evaluated. The staff who work on prevention had the right skills and make appropriate referrals, e.g. forms to social services and they also work well with partners. Staff were also good at safeguarding matters.

Cause of concern for protection. There was a need to review the strategy and the risk based inspection programme, to ensure the highest risk premises were identified and audited. There were more staff in protection, which was a good thing. They were well trained and carried out good quality audits within buildings and the building consultations were also good. The IT systems needed upgrading, and more direction and prioritisation was required for the staff.

Cause of concern on fairness and promoting diversity. The Service had not made enough progress since the last inspection to improve equality, diversity and inclusion. Although the Service had done some work, it had not done enough. The Service had completed one of the recommendations for reviewing its equality impact assessment process, but the other recommendations still required action to be taken or completed, i.e. raise awareness, feedback systems for staff, collecting data and recruiting a diverse workforce. The Service was good at  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

To note that the next meeting of the Fire Authority will be held on Wednesday 6 December 2023 at 11 am.

To note that the next meeting of the Fire Authority will be held on Wednesday 6 December 2023 at 11 am.

THE CHAIRMAN CLOSED THE MEETING AT 12.02PM