Final Report of the Morris Inquiry: The Case for Change

THE CAPACITY TO DELIVER
We recommend that the issue of duty time and other resources for all
representative groups, including staff support associations, is reviewed.
8.99 Whilst it is clear that the senior management of the MPS recognises the need
to consult its people regularly and meaningfully, and the MPS told us that the
overall level of consultation has increased significantly over the past few years, the
evidence we received contained several criticisms about the way the organisation
consults its representative bodies. We have heard that there is often insufficient
consultation and that where consultation does occur, it is sometimes half-hearted
and / or late in the day, after a proposal has become concrete. In addition,
consultees are often given little time to respond.
“Repeatedly the MPS apologises for failing to consult us and then repeats its omission with
unfailing regularity. An example would be the move announced this week to close down and
sell off a number of older police stations and replace them with shared premises at
supermarkets and the like. We have received no details of these proposals.”
(Submission from the Metropolitan Police Federation.)
“… some middle and senior managers will only consult when they believe the issue is noncontentious
… The commitment to consult with a view to reaching agreement is interpreted
by too many MPS managers as a one-way process requiring the Trades Unions to make
significant concessions but not the MPS.” (Submission from the MET-TUS.)
“Effective consultation is of benefit to both the service and members of the Federation. This
is demonstrated by the manner in which the anti-corruption stand was first adopted by the
previous Commissioner and Sir John Stevens after he became Commissioner in February
2000. From the start, the Metropolitan Police Federation were given confidential briefings
about the development of the policy and the reasons as to why it was necessary. This in turn
led to a degree of trust and understanding that allowed us publicly to support the policy.”
(Submission from the Metropolitan Police Federation.)
“Membership of a strategic committee is one thing; ensuring that agenda papers are provided
in good time prior to those meetings another. Too often papers are provided late (and even at
the meeting). This does not allow the Federation to take proper soundings before
responding.” (Submission of the Metropolitan Police Federation.)
“… it perhaps is not surprising in a organisation of this scale and size of the Metropolitan
Police Service, that sometimes consultation arises almost as, if not an after thought, something
that has just occurred at the last moment.” (Evidence of Sir Ronnie Flanagan, HMIC.)
We agree with Sir Ronnie Flanagan’s evidence that “great care needs to be taken that
an organisation does not use its representatives of staff associations just to consult them in
inverted commas or in a token way. I think it has to be a question of real consultation, with
due time to give those representatives the opportunity to go back to the body corporate,
obtain views and then report those views meaningfully.”
(Evidence of Sir Ronnie Flanagan, HMIC.)
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