1 September 2010
AREA FISCALS GROUP
MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 1 SEPTEMBER 2010
AT
SCOTTISH PROSECUTION COLLEGE, LEGAL HOUSE, 101 GORBAL STREET, GLASGOW
Present: (Chair) Lesley Thomson Area Fiscal, Glasgow
Morag McLaughlin Area Fiscal, Lothian and Borders
Janet Cameron Area Fiscal, Lanarkshire
Peter Collings Deputy Chief Executive
Anne Currie Area Fiscal, Grampian
Catriona Dalrymple Interim Area Fiscal, Fife
Tom Dysart Area Fiscal, Tayside
Janice Irvine Director of Human Resources
Andrew Laing Area Fiscal, Highlands & Islands
John Logue Head of Policy
David Harvie Area Fiscal, Central
Ruth McQuaid Area Fiscal, Dumfries and Galloway
Scott Pattison Director of Operations
Geri Watt Director of Strategic Delivery Division
John Watt Area Fiscal, Argyll and Clyde
In attendance: Bill Comrie ABM, Glasgow
Debbie Hilton Information Officer
Mark Howells Director of Finance
Kevin McArthur Secretary
Carol McDivitt Information Adviser
Sue Sandeman Staff Information Manager
Gertie Wallace Head of Criminal Justice and Disclosure Team
Apologies: John Dunn Deputy Crown Agent
Michelle Macleod Head of Cadder Project
Welcome
1. Lesley Thomson welcomed everyone to the meeting.
2. Apologies were accepted from John Dunn and Michelle Macleod.
Minutes of Previous Meeting and Matters Arising
3. The minutes of the AFG/ABM meeting held on 4 August 2010 were approved.
4. Lesley Thomson addressed the action points from the previous meeting.
Management Briefing
5. The meeting noted the usual management briefing.
6. Janice Irvine indicated that the recent Principal Depute Deployment exercise has been well received by staff and is nearing a conclusion.
7. The meeting congratulated Catriona Dalrymple and Andrew Richardson on their appointment as District Fiscals in Dundee and Aberdeen, respectively.
Finance Update
8. Lesley Thomson welcomed Mark Howells to the meeting.
9. Mark introduced paper AFG(10)20 which advised the meeting of the latest financial developments in COPFS. During discussion:
a) The meeting were advised that the final future remains uncertain and fluid. The UK Spending Review is published on 20 October 2010 and things will become much clearer following the subsequent Scottish Government Spending Review due to be published on 17/18 November 2010;
b) Mark advised the Group that a Cost Analysis and Awareness Report, compiled by Robin Doyle, was put to Management Board in August. The objective of the project was to analyse the COPFS cost base and, for each type of expenditure, identify the relative magnitude and the scope that there is to reduce the cost;
c) The meeting were advised that this may provide useful reference for Areas and Units in the Business Planning Rounds;
d) The meeting noted Management Board had discussed the benefits of the Audit Scotland Improving Efficiency in the Public Sector toolkit;
e) Mark advised that all Budget Centres are currently forecasting to Budget;
f) It was noted that two new non-executive members of the Audit Committee are due to be appointed in October;
g) The meeting considered assumptions identified for the upcoming Business Planning Round in the absence of a definitive budget for next year. There was a general feeling that many of the suggestions indicated were already being implemented or exercised by Areas;
h) It was acknowledged that our efforts in identifying and implementing efficiency savings need to be more focussed in the coming weeks in anticipation of the Spending Review;
i) The meeting agreed that there will be difficult decisions to be made in the future and wondered if there was ways of creating income.
Operations and Policy Review
10. The meeting noted the usual Operations and Policy Review.
Update on Cadder
11. Lesley Thomson welcomed Gertie Wallace to the meeting.
12. Gertie provided an update on the current position and advised that the Project Board last met on Wednesday 25 August 2010.
13. The meeting noted that COPFS officials have met with the Police to discuss issues arising. Scott Pattison indicated that further meetings with the Police and the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) have been set for the end of September.
14. The meeting discussed several types of cases where guidance will need to be very clear including sexual cases where, if there is no admission, immediate forensic work will be required from the SPSA.
Phoenix Update
15. Peter Collings provided the meeting with an update on the current position in relation to Phoenix. He indicated the elaboration has now been completed and that discussions are now ongoing with CapGemini on the next steps for the project. The outcomes of these discussions will be put to the Corporate Issues Sub Group and Management Board for consideration.
Risk Management
16. Mark Howells introduced paper AFG(10)23 which sought confirmation from AFG that the Corporate Risk Register is comprehensive and current and the risks attached to Cadder and Phoenix are being managed effectively.
17. The meeting noted the contents of the paper and agreed the risks are being addressed appropriately.
18. The meeting discussed the benefits of having a risk checklist available for Area Procurator Fiscals.
Action: Mark Howells
Purpose Led Precognition
19. Scott Pattison updated the meeting on the current position. He advised that guidance to all staff is due to issued in mid September and sessions have been set immediately after, in Aberdeen, Inverness, Edinburgh and Glasgow to allow staff to discuss the new procedures. Roll out of the new procedures is expected to commence in November.
Action: Scott Pattison
Future Provision of High Court Juniors & Noters
20. At the joint AFG/ABM meeting in June a paper (AFG/ABM(10)14) was submitted for discussion at which time it was agreed that further analysis of the resource was required.
21. The meeting considered a further note which has been circulated but agreed that this should be discussed fully by Area Business Managers at their next meeting on 2 September 2010.
Records Management Manual
22. Lesley Thomson welcomed Carol McDivitt to the meeting.
23. Carol introduced paper AFG(10)24 which informed AFG of the newly prepared COPFS Records Management Manual, advised them of the responsibilities as stated within the Manual and sought their agreement for the Manual to be published.
24. Carol advised the meeting that, as per Section 61 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, all public authorities must have a records policy.
25. The meeting discussed the benefits and the current work being done to reduce the off site storage.
26. The contents of the paper were noted and it was agreed for the Manual to be published.
Autumn Management Seminars
27. Lesley Thomson welcomed Bill Comrie to the meeting.
28. Bill introduced paper AFG(10)25 which provided an update on discussion which followed the joint AFG/ABM meeting on 4 August 2010 and sought AFG’s views and approval of the outcomes of those discussions. During discussion:
a) It was agreed that Dumfries and Galloway should be included in the Strathclyde Federation;
b) The meeting agreed that a session on values and behaviours should be included.
Review of Hard Copy Subscriptions – Legal Texts – 2011
29. Lesley Thomson welcomed Sue Sandeman and Debbie Hilton to the meeting.
30. Sue introduced paper AFG(10)26 which sought AFG approval of a subscriptions plan for 2011 legal texts in loose-leaf form, with the aim of reducing costs and staff time spent on updating materials which are easily accessible on-line.
31. The meeting agreed to go for option 3 to reduce copies for essential needs only. The meeting also agreed that further consideration should be given to reducing the number of copies further.
Performance and Workload
32. The meeting noted the usual Performance and Workload papers AFG(10)21 (Healthcheck) and AFG(10)22 (Target Summary) which provided AFG with an overview of the Service’s performance against targets and workload and an overall view of the main performance targets from April 2010. During discussion:
a) Geri Watt advised that, in general, COPFS is performing well against targets;
b) Geri indicated that a note has been included in the paper for the benefit of Area Fiscals in order to extrapolate information in relation to Take and Implement target information;
c) The meeting considered the increase in the number of outstanding unmarked cases in recent weeks, and although this may be partly to do with the holiday period and an increase in the number of cases reported, it was agreed that further work is required to find out each Area’s marking procedures.
d) Peter Collings agreed to discuss this further with Area Business Managers at their meeting on 2 September 2010.
Action: Peter Collings
COPFS Efficiency Programme
33. Geri Watt introduced paper AFG(10) for their consideration and information.
34. Geri informed the meeting that, to deliver the projected expenditure savings, it is proposed Area Efficiency Plans should be posted in the Project Organisation Portal on PF Eye for Area Fiscals and Area Business Managers to share knowledge and experience of initiatives which are underway.
35. Geri advised that, as all of the Area Efficiency Plans have not yet been submitted, she will present this in full to the joint meeting in November.
Action: Geri Watt
Communications
36. Lesley Thomson introduced papers AFG(10)28,29 & 30 which updated AFG members on the Media Planner, Media Cases Planner and the Communications Planner. AFG members noted these papers and identified significant items arising from the meeting for inclusion in the September Bulletin.
AOB
37. The meeting were advised that the Celebrating Success Scheme will be run again this year to recognise the excellent performance of staff in 2009/10.
AFG Secretariat
1 September 2010