Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from County Councillors Lorraine Beavers, Peter Britcliffe, and Sean Serridge.

Members are asked to consider any pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests they may have to disclose to the meeting in relation to matters under consideration on the agenda.

None received.

Resolved: - That the Minutes of the last meeting held on 29 November 2023 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The Director of Corporate Services (DoCS) presented the report. The new three-year Procurement Strategy had been updated to set out the Service’s approach to procurement which built on the success of the previous strategy and supported the vision within the Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) 2022-2027. The future and shape of procurement would change significantly as a result of the Government's paper ‘Transforming Public Procurement’, which aimed to speed up and simplify the procurement process, place value for money at the heart of procurement, and unleash opportunities for small businesses, charities, and social enterprises to innovate in public service delivery.

Effective contract and procurement management would be essential in order to become best in class in a process that involved all aspects of business operation and support. It would have a significant impact on the delivery of value for money and efficient use of resources; therefore, it was vital that all procurement activities that were managed effectively, and procurement personnel were well trained and highly professional.

The delivery of the three-year Procurement Strategy had built on the success of the previous strategy and had provided a firm platform with robust processes and procedures to support the vision within the Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP), supported communities, and ensured the cost-effective use of resources with efficient and effective procurement. The Service was already building on that platform by creating a positive procurement culture founded on sound business ethics. As a key enabler to business success, the Service looked to advance and build upon its procurement activities through the new Procurement Strategy.

The Strategy reflected national and local policies and included the Service’s approach to collaboration and partnerships, suppliers’ fair working practices and ethically, sustainability, climate change, corporate social responsibility, and the development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) and third sector organisations.

The DoCS elaborated on the report by adding that with the envisaged legislation, of which the Service was already mindful, not only would there be a greater focus on contract management in the near future, but that it would be from a risk based perspective. The DoCS added that there would also be opportunities for local businesses to engage in the procurement process, the Service would be able to ensure compliance with the Equality Act 2010 and it would also focus on publicising the chain of progress with project work.

CC O’Toole commented that it was important to get a number of quotations and that it had come to his attention recently that some major suppliers were declining to engage in procurement because the plans stretched so far into the future.

The Chair commented that it would be encouraging to see the procurement of local talent.

CC Mein asked for clarification as to whether this would place any uncertainty on progress or whether this would shorten the terms of procurement, to which the DoCS confirmed there had been a lot of transparency and communication with suppliers.

Resolved: - that Members endorsed the Procurement Strategy 2024 - 2027.

The Director of People and Development (DoPD) presented the report which provided an update on the Lancashire Fire Local Pension Board for the period 1 April 2023 – 31 March 2024.

Members noted that the Public Service Pensions Act (PSPA) 2013 introduced the requirement to have a Local Pension Board to assist in the governance of the Scheme. The Board had no remit as a decision-making body but was established to assist the Scheme Manager to fulfil its functions which covered all aspects of governance and administration of the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (FPS). The Combined Fire Authority had delegated its functions to the Director of People and Development. The Board’s Terms of Reference required that it met approximately twice a year and that the Chair of the Board could call additional meetings as required. It was noted that there were two meetings help per year during the period as planned.

Membership

One new employee representative was appointed to the Board during the year 2023-24. This appointment was carried out in accordance with the Board’s Terms of Reference.

Work Programme during 2023/24

During the period 2023/24, the hard work and commitment of everyone who had contributed to the work activities involved in fire pensions, meant that key activities continued to be delivered and projects progressed. The focus had been on the following major projects: i) the Sargeant/McCloud judgement relating to age discrimination; and ii) Matthews’ judgement affecting on-call members commonly referred to as the ‘Second Options Exercise’.

Significant work had been undertaken during the year to provide legacy and reformed scheme pensionable pay for the seven years of remedy for almost 1,000 members affected by the Sargeant/McCloud age discrimination legislation. Work had started to compile tax and contribution data for the remedy period from which, the data would enable the Local Pensions Partnership Administration (LPPA), the Service’s pension administrators, to roll back member records. During 2024-25 immediate choice members and deferred choice members would receive information to remedy their situation. During the year, the Board had received and considered update reports at key project milestones.

In terms of the Matthews Second Options Exercise, the Service had identified over 600 individuals who were eligible to express an interest in the exercise. Calculations for exercise were complicated and, in a small number of cases, required data going back as far as the 1960s and 1970s. The Service had made efforts to contact all individuals, but for some, address data was not available or out of date, nonetheless, the Service would make all reasonable endeavours to contact members. The challenge of implementing two significant, complex pieces of pension legislation, which affected large numbers of individuals concurrently, was not to be underestimated.

In order to retain knowledge and capacity sufficient for the implementation of the two projects, the Temporary Pensions Advisor, initially appointed in March 2022, was made permanent in September 2023. The role of Temporary Pensions Coordinator was vacant, and the Service was seeking to fill this role in the near future. The postholder  ...  view the full minutes text for item 38/23

The Director of Corporate Services (DoCS) presented the report which set out the current budget position in respect of the 2023/24 revenue and capital budgets.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service’s (LFRS) 2023/24 revenue budget had been set at £68.493m. The forecast outturn position was £68.878m, an overspend of £0.385m that was made up of an overspend of £0.488m on non-pay activities and an underspend of (£0.103m) on pay.

The forecast positions within all department budgets were set out in the report with major forecast variances of note shown separately in the table below: -

Capital Budget

The revised Capital Programme for 2023/24 was £7.6m as approved by the CFA in February 2024. Spend to date was £5.083m, which was predominantly on pumping appliances as set out in the report,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39/23

The next scheduled meeting of the Committee has been agreed for 10:00 hours on 03 July 2024 in the Main Conference Room, at Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service Headquarters, Fulwood.

Further meetings are:         scheduled for 25 September 2024

                                              proposed for 27 November 2024

The next meeting of the Committee would be held on Wednesday, 03 July 2024 at 10:00 hours in the Main Conference Room at Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, Fulwood.

Further meeting dates were noted for 25 September 2024 and agreed for 27 November 2024.

The Committee is asked to consider whether, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, they consider that the public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that there would be a likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the appropriate paragraph of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, indicated under the heading to the item.

Resolved: That the press and members of the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that there would be a likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the appropriate paragraph of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, indicated under the heading to the item.

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Members considered a report regarding three IDRP Stage 2 applications under the Internal Disputes Resolution Procedure. The report outlined the facts of the cases.

Resolved: - that the Committee declined the applications presentedbased on its lawful application of the relevant Pensions Regulations. 

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Members considered a report that provided an update on all contracts for one-off purchases valued in excess of £175,000 and high value procurement projects in excess of £175,000 including: new contract awards, progress of ongoing projects and details of new projects.

Resolved: - that the Committee noted and endorsed the report.

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The Director of People and Development recused himself, as a potentially interested party, and left the Committee meeting.

No other interests were declared.

Only Members and Officers relevant to decision making on this recruitment were present for this item.

Resolved: - that the Committee approved the recommendation outlined in the report.