Agenda item

To consider Item 13

The Corporate Planning Manager advised Members that this was a regular report on the status of Corporate Risks presented to every meeting of this Committee. Since the Committee met in March 2021, the risk register has been subject to regular review by officers at the Performance Monitoring and Strategic Management Boards and by Lead Members where individual risks fall within their areas of reference. As Members could see, there had been no new risks since the last report or changes to the risk scores or RAG status.

With regard to the pandemic risk which had been receiving even more attention than usual in the media following the Government’s decision to relax most of the legally enforceable restrictions, although many remained on an advisory basis to be left to the discretion of employers, public service providers, businesses and the wider public. The Authority’s Pandemic Management Group had reviewed the potential impact of the changes and decided to remain at Stage 3 of the Pandemic Recovery Strategy. This meant that all staff should continue working to the pre-existing Covid-19 arrangements following the lifting of the legally enforceable national restrictions to help minimise the impact on staff and the communities it serves. Measures such as social distancing, enhanced hygiene regimes and the use of appropriate PPE would continue in all workplaces and when out and about in the community. These arrangements would remain in place until 16 August 2021 after which they would be subject to further review.

Regarding the EU transition risk which had been reduced to Green RAG status in January 2021, following the conclusion of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the UK and the EU, Members would have noted the positive adequacy decision in relation to GDPR which was one of the final transitional milestones. Considering this, and the absence of any foreseeable disruption to the Authority’s services from any residual level of risk, officers would welcome a view from the Committee as to whether Members would like to keep this risk on the Corporate Risk Register or de-escalate it for monitoring to the relevant directorate risk register.

A Member asked, as the Authority had a lot of equipment, if there had been any delays or price increases as a consequence of the UK/EU deal and was advised by the Director of Finance and Assets that it was hard to distinguish between the impact of Brexit and the potential impacts of Covid-19 on prices. For example, the supply of lumber and building supplies could be just as much due to Covid-19 where rather than going on holiday, people were using the money to renovate their homes and there had been some price pressures on renovations on some of the Authority’s buildings.

The Corporate Planning Manager advised that he was asking Members as to whether they wished to continue to scrutinize the EU transition risk at this level at this Committee, or to de-escalate it to sit on a directorate risk register, which would be subject to ongoing monitoring by officers. If there was anything significant to arise, it would of course be re-elevated for Member scrutiny.

A Member asked about quantifying the risk of the Court of Appeal ruling on the McCloud Sargeant case. The Director of Finance and Assets advised that he was working at national level with the Local Government Association, National Fire Chiefs Council and the Home Office around the Authority’s submission for the upcoming spending review which would need to be submitted to the Treasury by the end of August. Within it was a discussion around precept flexibility and funding for both pensions administration and potentially increased employers costs of pensions. The Authority was looking to do what it could to secure a sustainable funding settlement going forward.

A Member asked if future recruitment and retention would be an issue and also what was the Recruitment Oversight Board. The Head of Protection, Assurance and Development advised Members that he chaired the Recruitment Oversight Board and representatives on the Board covered all areas and all departments within the organisation. The Board met to look at where the vacancies were and what the impact was likely to be. A project had been commenced to look at how the Authority recruits in the future.

A Member asked if crews were being affected by the ‘pingdemic’ and was advised by the Chief Fire Officer that he received Covid-19 updates on a daily basis and he continued to monitor the issues in terms of isolation. It had presented some issues for staffing and would continue to in the near future. The Chief Fire Officer had been lobbying the National Fire Chiefs Council to put pressure on the Home Office to consider exemptions for firefighters in terms of testing etc. Staffing nationally across the fire service was tight.

It being proposed and seconded the ‘Risk of physical disruption to Service operations due to no, or insufficiently comprehensive agreement covering future UK relations with the EU’ be removed from the Corporate Risk register.

RESOLVED –

1.               That the status on identified corporate risks at Annex C be reviewed and approved.

2.               That comments be provided to officers for consideration and attention in future updates/reports.

It being proposed and seconded it was:

RESOLVED -

3.               That the risk of physical disruption to service operations due to no, or insufficiently comprehensive agreement covering future UK relations with the EU be removed from the Corporate Risk Register.

It being proposed and seconded it was moved:

4.               That an environmental impact risk be added to the Corporate Risk Register.

It being put to a recorded vote as set out below, the motion was defeated: