PCD 1257 HO NPCC Cyber Funding

PCD 1257 HO NPCC Cyber Funding

This papers seeks approval to accept National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and Home Office (HO) funding to support the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) response to cyber crime. The funding for 2022/23 is £1,120,958, and is estimated at upto £1,190,000 for both 2023/24 and 2024/25.  

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:   

1. Approve the acceptance of a Grant of up to £1,120,958 from the NPCC lead for Cyber to support the MPS Force level response for cyber dependent crime in 2022/23. Comprising of up to £1,113,458 HSG budget for the wage costs for up to 17 officers and £7,500 NCCP budget for travel and accommodation associated with NPCC provided training. 

2. Approve the acceptance of Grant funding of up to £1,190,000 for Financial Years 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 subject to NPCC offer 

PART I - NON-CONFIDENTIAL FACTS AND ADVICE TO THE DMPC 

1. Introduction and background  

1. This papers seeks the authority to accept Home Office funding from the National Police Chiefs Council to tackle cyber dependent crime for 2022/23 and if offered funding for 2023/24 and 2024/25.  Previous funding for this activity has been approved for the period from October 2018 to March 2022. 

2. Issues for consideration 

1. The 2022/23 grant will be used to fund up to £1,113,458 for the wage costs for up to 17 officers and £7,500 for travel and accommodation associated with NPCC provided training.  

2. The grant is conditional on MPS matching the funding provided for staffing and ringfencing the use of the grant to cyber dependent crime. The MPS has assured that both of these conditions are met.  

3. The MPS state that the acceptance of the grant “directly support the MOPAC Police & Crime Plan in respect of sections 4.1 and 5.4 

• 4.1 MOPAC will work with Action Fraud and the MPS to ensure victims of fraud and cybercrime are offered timely and effective support, prioritising the most vulnerable victims and ensuring adequate multi-agency support arrangements are put in place as soon as possible, and  

• 5.4 MOPAC will integrate the work of the London Digital Security Centre – which provides advice and support to small businesses in London to help protect them from online crime – into a new London Cyber Resilience Centre. This will integrate with national efforts to protect small businesses from online crime, supported with Home Office funding, and led nationally by the NPCC 

3. Financial Comments  

1. The proposal is for the acceptance of grant funding of £1,120,958 for 2022/23, and upto £1,190,000 in each of 2023/24 and 2024/25 if offered.  

4. Legal Comments 

1. The legal powers applicable to the acceptance of this Grant will be under Schedule 3, Paragraph 7 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 which provides that,  

• 7(1)The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime may do anything which is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to, the exercise of the functions of the Office. 

• (2)That includes— 

• (a)entering into contracts and other agreements (whether legally binding or not); 

2. Paragraph 4.8 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides that the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC) has delegated authority to approve all bids for grant funding. 

5. GDPR and Data Privacy  

1. MOPAC will adhere to the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and ensure that any organisations who are commissioned to do work with or on behalf of MOPAC are fully compliant with the policy and understand their GDPR responsibilities.   

2. The MPS assure that screening questions have been completed and a DPIA is not required because this is not a project or application to change or introduce a new process or function but to deliver business as usual in an investigative capacity. 

6. Equality Comments    

7. MOPAC is required to comply with the public sector equality duty set out in section 149(1) of the Equality Act 2010. This requires MOPAC to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations by reference to people with protected characteristics. The protected characteristics are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. 

8. The MPS assure that as this is an extension of an existing service this work does not change any aspects relating to equality or diversity and there are no equality implications as a result of accepting this funding. 

7. Background/supporting papers 

• Appendix 1 MPS Report  - NPCC Funding for Force Cyber Crime Unit MPS Decision Number 315 

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