Press Release: Dismore requests District Auditor Inquiry into Barnet Council Metpro Contract
PRESS RELEASE: IMMEDIATE: 27/9/2011
DISMORE REQUESTS DISTRICT AUDITOR INQUIRY INTO BARNET COUNCIL METPRO CONTRACT
Andrew Dismore, Labour candidate for the London Assembly for Barnet and Camden, has today submitted to Barnet Council’s District Auditor a request that the auditor conducts a section 8 public interest inquiry into the Council’s contracting arrangements, both generally and with specific reference to the MetPro scandal ( copy reference to auditor attached)
Mr Dismore said:
“Like most Barnet taxpayers and residents, I have been following with growing alarm the revelations concerning both MetPro and the underlying lack of proper contracting procedures more generally that the scandal has identified.
Having been at the Council meeting when the Robocop style of security used by MetPro at the request of the Council first came under criticism, the consequent investigations have revealed a catalogue of catastrophic failures by Barnet Council and its leadership.
This poor contracting and lack of financial control is not a one off, as the Iceland investment fiasco and cost overruns of the Aerodrome Rd bridge confirm.
What is especially worrying, is that the internal audit found there were inadequate systems to ensure the same thing did not happen again. The “One Council” initiative will create dozens of opportunities for more to go wrong too, with consequent mammoth losses to Barnet’s long suffering tax payers, if immediate corrective action is not taken.
I therefore believe it is vital that the external district auditor now uses his powers to conduct a full public interest inquiry into Barnet Council’s contract procedures and I have today written to the auditor, seeking such an intervention on his part”.
Note for editors:
Text of request to district auditor:
REQUEST FOR PUBLIC INTEREST INQUIRY UNDER SECTION 8 OF THE AUDIT COMMISSION ACT 1998
As a Barnet Council council tax payer I request Barnet Council’s district auditor to conduct a public interest inquiry into the Council’s procurement processes, with particular reference to the “contract” with MetPro.
After problems at a recent council meeting due to heavy handed security arrangements, local people and journalists stated an investigation into this security company. These investigations revealed major failings both in the company and in the Council’s procurement processes.
There has now been an internal audit of these arrangements, which has found, in summary, that:
- There were no checks that MetPro was licensed with the Security Industry Authority
- There were no checks that MetPro staff had undergone Criminal Records Bureau checks
- There were no checks on MetPro’s insurance and financial status
- The council had not followed basic contract procedure rules
- There is no complete register of all corporate contracts
- Auditors could give no assurance that the same thing wouldn’t happen again
For the full internal audit report see:
http://committeepapers.barnet.gov.uk/democracy/reports/reportdetail.asp?ReportID=10408
Local news coverage of the issue includes:
http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/9091756.Audit_committee__shocked__at_damning_MetPro_report/
External audit is an essential element in the process of accountability for public money and makes an important contribution to the stewardship of public resources and the corporate governance of public services.
Under Section 8 of the Audit Commission Act 1998, the appointed auditor is required to consider whether to issue a report in the public interest on any significant matter coming to his or her notice in the course of an audit, to bring it to the notice of the audited body and the public.
I would ask that you now consider a public interest investigation under S8, not just into the issue of MetPro, but into the wider issues this case has identified, concerning failings in the Council’s contracting systems, controls and recording mechanisms. Without urgent reform, there is a present risk of repeat in relation to contract letting and indeed there may already be as yet unidentified similar problems with other council contracts.
I await to hear from you.
Andrew Dismore
Barnet Council Tax payer.
ends
