Home Office Grant Funding – Science, Technology, Analysis and Research

This paper seeks approval to accept Home Office grant funding of £3,793,101.29 for 2021/22 in respect of the National Policing Chiefs Council (NPCC) Science, Technology, Analysis and, Research (STAR) function. There is no financial exposure to MOPAC.

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to approve MOPAC entering into a grant agreement with the Home Office, on behalf of the NPCC, and receive up to £3,793,101.29 of funding in 2021/22.

1. Introduction and background

1.1. The Home Office awarded £5.2m through the 2021/22 Police Settlement, to fund Science, Technology, Analysis and Research (STAR) across the policing sector.

1.2. This paper seeks approval for MOPAC on behalf of the NPCC to accept £3,793,101.29 of this funding – the balance of the £5.2m being retained by the Home Office for projects led by them and the National Crime Agency.

2. Issues for consideration

2.1. The grant funding is for the 2021/22 financial year only. It has been used to fund the role of the new Police Chief Scientific Advisor, his private office and specific STAR projects approved through the Police STAR Board.

2.2. The delay in seeking this approval is due to Home Office administrative issues.

3. Financial Comments

3.1. The NPCC have assured that there will be compliant spend of this funding by the 31 March 2022, and that the estimated costs of the team will be fully funded from the HO grant. If there are any additional costs these will be met by the Home Office or NPCC. There is no financial exposure for MOPAC.

4. Legal Comments

4.1. This grant will be paid to the MOPAC, as the host organisation for the NPoCC, in exercise of the power conferred upon the Secretary of State for the Home Department under Section 57 of the Police Act 1996.

4.2. Under paragraph 4.8 of the MOPAC Scheme of Consent and Delegation the DMPC has delegated authority to approve “Bids for grant funding made and all offers made of grant funding; and/or where appropriate a strategy for grant giving”.

4.3. The grant agreement will be published under the Elected Policing Bodies (Specified Information) Order 2011

5. GDPR and Data Privacy

5.1. 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.

5.2. The receipt of HO funding does not involve the use of personally identifiable data of members of the public, so there are no GDPR issues to be considered

6. Equality Comments

6.1. 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.

6.2. There are no equality implications arising from acceptance of this grant funding.

7. Background/supporting papers

• Appendix 1 NPCC report - The Police STAR Fund