NPCC - Brexit preparation - Home Office Funding and Lease

The Home Office has agreed to provide funding of £250,000 to the NPCC for contingency planning for Brexit. The NPCC has identified accommodation for the Brexit Safety Net Unit and is requesting approval for MOPAC to take a lease. As MOPAC host the NPCC, this paper requests approval to accept this funding and enter into a lease on behalf of NPCC. There is no financial exposure to MOPAC.

The DMPC is requested to approve

• receipt, on behalf of NPCC, of the 2018 /19 funding of £250,000 provided by the Home Office to develop the policing response to Brexit
• entering a lease to accommodate the Brexit Safety Net Unit

1. Introduction and background

1.1. The MPS host the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC), providing business support services, under a nationally agreed collaboration agreement.

1.2. The Home Office asked the NPCC/NCA Brexit Contingency Planning Team to develop proposals for a model to provide policing with mitigations of the potential consequences of “no deal, no implementation period” Brexit. The NPCC Brexit Contingency Planning Team, created the Brexit Safety Net model and Unit which the Government agreed to fund for 2018/19 – see PCD 468.

2. Issues for consideration

2.1. The Brexit Safety Net Unit require accommodation which is not available from within the existing MPS estate. Alternative accommodation has been sourced via a lease until upto December 2020, with a 6 month notice period.

2.2. Since the approval of funding for the Brexit Safety Net Unit by the HO, the HO has agreed to provide further funding of £250,000 for the NPCC Brexit Contingency Planning Team, who created the Brexit Safety Net model and Unit. The NPCC is seeking MOPAC approval to accept the HO grant funding.

3. Financial Comments

3.1. The grant funding of £250,000 will contribute to the NPCC costs of the Brexit Contingency Planning Team. There is no financial exposure for MOPAC.

3.2. The annual cost of the lease is £266,355, and this will be funded from HO grant funding. Any lease costs not met by the HO grant funding will be funded from the NPCC budget and reserves.

4. Legal Comments

4.1. Under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 police and crime commissioners “must (a) secure the maintenance of the police force for that area, and (b) secure that the police force is efficient and effective”.

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

4.3. Under paragraph 4.16 of the MOPAC Scheme of Consent and Delegation the DMPC must approve “All business cases to acquire or renew a leasehold with a value in excess of £500,000 over the initial lease period or 5 years whichever is the lesser”

5. GDPR and Data Privacy

5.1. The proposal does not use personally identifiable data of members of the public therefore there are no GDPR issues to be considered.

6. Equality Comments

6.1. There are no equality implications arising from acceptance of this grant funding or the taking on of the lease.

7. Background/supporting papers

7.1. NPCC Report