Live Fire Advanced Skills House

This project involves the MPS building an additional firearms training facility, which will enable the MPS to fulfil a compulsory training requirement for the armed officer role profile of Counter Terrorism Specialist Firearms Officer (CTSFO). Training requirements for armed police officers of the various armed role profiles are mandated nationally by the College of Policing (COP).

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:

• To approve the recommendation of Option 2 – Building of a Live Fire Advanced Skills House
• To approve the release of £0.25M in capital funds from the £5M in the capital plan to carry out a PFI variation enquiry to progress designs and appoint professionals to carry out the preliminary stages of a build project at MPSTC to enable progression to Full Business Case (FBC). This will cover the cost of a PFI variation enquiry including a feasibility study to provide robust build costings and programme should the build proceed in the suggested location as recommended. It does not commit the MPS to further expense if the organisation is unhappy with the results of the variation.
• To agree to the re-profiling of capital plan to reflect the changes in estimated spend.
• To approve the alignment of £1.25M Optimism Bias (25% of the estimated build cost advised by PSD at OBC stage), be absorbed within the OB for the wider capital build programme.
• To note it is estimated that the running costs will be £125k per annum. The required funding will come from the SCO19 revenue budgets to the PFI cost centre to contribute towards the additional costs.

1. Introduction and background

1.1. The MPS Counter Terrorism Specialist Firearms Officer (CTSFO) form a central pillar of the national armed capability, which delivers against elements of Protect Prepare & Pursue, within the Contest Strategy.

2. Issues for consideration

2.1. The MPS requires CTSFOs to carryout armed policing operations to protect the public in the Capital. CTSFOs are a required element of MPS armed policing capability and continuing to have officers who perform this role profile is essential in order combat the threat of terrorism and serious and organised crime operations

2.2. In order to qualify as a CTSFO officers are required to complete all mandatory CTSFO modules from the College of Policing (COP) CTSFO training manual. In order to maintain the qualification of CTSFO officers must undergo regular continuation training and display and be continually assessed as operationally competent in each of the mandatory modules at regular intervals through the year.

3. Financial Comments

3.1. Funding for this project has been identified within the MPS Capital Plan and existing revenue budgets. Further details are provided in Part 2.

4. Legal Comments

4.1. The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) is a contracting authority as defined in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (the Regulations). All awards of public contracts for goods and/or services valued at £181,302 or above must be procured in accordance with the Regulations. There are no additional legal considerations above or beyond any normal construction project.

5. Equality Comments

5.1. The nine Protected Characteristics specified by the Equality Act 2010 have been considered, and there are no issues arising from this decision.

6. Background/supporting papers

6.1. Report