Jocelyn Davies AM Chair –Finance Committee National Assembly for Wales Cardiff Bay Cardiff CF99 1NA	Parc Cathays / Cathays Park Caerdydd / Cardiff CF10 3NQ Ein cyf / Our ref Dyddiad / Date      26 February 2013

Dear Jocelyn,

NAW Finance Committee –Asset Management Inquiry

Evidence Hearing – 30^th January 2013

I refer to your letter dated 04 February 2013 in which you requested further information relating to your Inquiry into Asset Management.

I have set out below my responses to the various points raised.

• Number of public buildings which may also be used as accommodation

The information requested is not currently available. No specific residential accommodation has been recorded on ePIMS.

• We would welcome the opportunity to demonstrate the system and its use as a strategic asset management tool to the Committee.

A date is to be established where Sioned Evans, Deputy Director, Property Division and Richard Baker, Head of Estates, Property Division will give the requested demonstration.

• NAWG Pilot Projects - Further information on the 9 Pilot projects and how they were selected/Progress/support provided by the Working Group

Included in the NAWG work programme is the action to ‘support Estates pilot projects aimed at accelerating activities at three levels: corporate asset rationalisation; local area collaboration and opportunities from the use of surplus assets’.  Potential to promote I2S funding was one mechanism identified to support such work, which in many cases would have fallen below the I2S threshold.  Following a sector wide invitation for expressions of interest, 32 proposals were received.

These projects were assessed by NAWG against criteria commensurate with I2S requirements to demonstrate potential for collaboration, cost savings, innovation and best practice and improvement to service delivery.  The 9 projects initially endorsed by NAWG are detailed below -:

Authority	Project
Blaenau Gwent Asset Review	Implementation of a new BGBC strategic asset plan, including development of a single area integrated asset plan and development of a more effective regeneration plan utilising surplus assets.    I2S funding approved - £82k
Cardiff LSB Asset Review and e-PIMS Implementation	Development of a single area integrated assets plan, involving prudent lotting of surplus assets across the whole public estate commencing with Canton Pilot. I2S funding  approved – £34k
Carmarthen County Council	Local Asset Review. Implementation of e-PIMS and single area assets plan. No I2S bid received.
EA/CCW/FC Pan Wales co-location	Development of a single organisation corporate assets plan in advance of new roles.  No I2S bid submitted.  Ambition changed/on hold following Ministerial announcement on the formation of a single environment body. Property Division are working with NRW to determine property options.
Torfaen County Council Relocation	Implementation of TCC approved move to Pontypool, £15m repair liability savings. No I2S bid submitted.
Carmarthenshire County Council – Llandovery Joint Service Centre	Development of single area asset plan, releasing surplus uses to new activity. No I2S bid submitted.
Bridgend County Borough Council and South Wales Police	Joint Vehicle Maintenance Service Project. I2S Funding approved - £30k. Not taken up.
Bridgend County Borough Council  Waterton Framework Master Planning	Waterton Framework Master Planning. Development of integrated single site regeneration plan (public and private assets). No I2S bid received.
Flintshire Single Community Service	Development of local area single asset plan, releasing surplus assets to new activity. No I2S bid received.

Whilst the I2S funding was accessed by a few the projects, others found alternative solutions to achieve a positive way forward without the need to draw upon the I2S support.  In order to ensure that the opportunity to utilise the funding was taken up, two further projects were identified -:

Authority	Project
Cardiff and Vale UHB	UHB Estate Strategy and Space Utilisation Study to explore collaborative solutions, integrated facilities and operational savings. I2S funding approved - £41k
Powys County Council	Brecon Town Regeneration and Asset Review I2S funding approved - £30k

The current progress in respect of the 4 live pilot projects is as follows -:

Cardiff LSB Asset Review and e-PIMS Implementation – Review complete. Potential opportunities identified to generate capital receipts of some £174 million from surplus property and create a running cost saving of at least £7.25 million per annum from non specialist property through a rationalisation of the Administrative Estate. The LSB is seeking to integrate these opportunities alongside their Neighbourhood Management plans.

Cardiff and Vale UHB Estate: UHB Estate Strategy and Space Utilisation Study– Review has been completed and the draft report is currently being considered by the Health Board.

Blaenau Gwent Asset Review – There has been some delay to the progress on the review due to a reorganisation.  A stakeholder engagement workshop was held at the beginning of January 2013 with a view to establishing buy-in and agree membership of partner organisations.  The review will commence shortly.

Powys County Council: Brecon Town Regeneration and Asset Review – The review has been completed and Powys has an ambitious project to deliver major new facilities in Brecon, consolidate its staff, collaborate with partners and rationalise its properties through development of a Local Asset Backed Vehicle (LABV).

A further bid has since been submitted by Powys Council for additional I2S funding.  The initial phase of the LABV is focused on Brecon generating future capital receipts to facilitate the £8M Museum / Library Project that will act as a cultural hub - designed to allow the addition of the PCC Archives, The Military Museum etc. This cultural hub will act as a significant tourism attraction, creating construction jobs and forming a sustainable future for Brecon. By utilising a LABV a potential £7.0m of receipts to Powys CC can be achieved; with high levels of inward investment to follow with employment value to the local economy over 10 years of between £77m to £133m.

This will be the first LABV established in Wales and the NAWG will ensure that the lessons are shared across the wider public sector.

During the summer, the NAWG will contact the original pilot projects that have not sought support to see if there is anything further required and if not, to move them on so that new projects can be identified.

More generally, the NAWG continues to support and monitor projects through the provision of advice on project arrangements and governance, establishing and maintaining stakeholder engagement,  ensuring that lessons are captured and that best practice is shared across the wider public sector,

• PSLG response to PAC Report -A note on how the PSLG is addressing the recommendation made by the Public Accounts Committee in its report ‘A Picture of Public Services’ to identify and promote examples of good practice from the emergency services to deliver services within budget, make good use of collaboration, and deliver transformational change.

The Police and Fire & Rescue Services are strongly engaged in the national work programmes and the regional leadership networks of the Public Service Leadership Group and through the Partnership Council for Wales. Their participation is essential to encourage learning across the public service but also to ensure they contribute when redesigning and integrating services to better meet people’s needs.

To provide an example of this collaborative approach, as part of the Effective Services for Vulnerable Groups national programme Gwent Police have championed a multi-agency project to establish a better way of responding to children and young people who repeatedly go missing.  If the pilot of a multi-agency safeguarding hub (the “HUB”) in Gwent is successful the new approach will be considered for roll out to other parts of Wales and to other areas of Safeguarding and Public Protection.

Furthermore, the police are also using their experiences to play a leading role on the regionalisation of, and development of a multi-agency approach for, emergency planning services across Wales.  The benefits and efficiencies realised by South Wales Police through the application of lean / systems thinking are a particular example that others across public services can and should learn from. To this end, South Wales Police shared these experiences at a pan-public service ‘Lean Practitioners’ network event in April 2012 arranged as part of the work under the PSLG’s Organisational Development and Simpson Implementation work programme.  Further events are planned for 2013.

· Further information on future forecasts of the number of properties in the Welsh Government’s administrative estate.

As at 31 January 2013, there were a total of 38 offices on the administrative estate (plus 8 specialist sites). This compares to a total of 65 offices and 10 specialist sites in April 2010. The estate will continue to reduce in size, and improve in quality, and current plans will see the estate reduce down to a total of 34 offices (plus 8 specialist properties) by April 2013, with further mapped estate rationalisation through to 2015 - as detailed within the original evidence paper.

• e-PIMS -The Committee would be grateful for a note on the proportion of the public sector in Wales which is signed up to and utilising ePIMS, how to access ePIMS, and who can do so.

Statistics identifying the total number of property holdings held by the entire public sector in Wales  are not held centrally. It is therefore not possible to provide an absolute proportion of properties held compared to those registered on e-PIMS.  However, we can provide information by sector based on our engagement.

e-PIMS currently contains circa 15,000 entries for assets held by the public sector in Wales.  All assets held in the name of Welsh Ministers are included along with Welsh Government sponsored bodies. All UK central Government property is included as the UK Government mandates departments to hold data on e-PIMS.  NHS Wales’s assets are captured and the system is used by NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership – Facilities Services (formerly Welsh Health Estates) as their  principal estate management database. Similarly, the emergency services sectors are included covering Police, Fire & Rescue along with the Ambulance trust.  At Annex 1 is a figure showing percentage of property recorded by sector.

All 22 Unitary Authorities are signed up to use e-PIMS. Ceredigion and Caerphilly are the only authorities yet to add any property information on the database.

Annex 2 provides a departmental/organisational summary of the number of holdings recorded on e-PIMS. 

e-PIMS is a web based system available to registered users through the internet. The system is password protected with each user provided with a personalised user ID. There are no plans to give unrestricted access to non registered users or members of the public. Controlled wider access to the meeting room platform can be made available through a public sector organisation’s own internal web (INTRANET).

Organisations that require staff to have access are requested to enter into a user agreement with Welsh Government which mirrors that in place between WG and UK Cabinet Office. Once signed, there is no restriction on the number of users within that organisation that can have access to e-PIMS.

Access is generally set at one of two levels, view only (users can view all e-PIMS “lite” data across Wales) or amend rights - where registered users can make changes to property data within their organisation.

The UK Government has recently extended the FindMeSomeGovernmentSpace (FMSGS) portal to include a stand alone platform for government properties which are “TO LET” or ‘’FOR SALE” which is open to the public to view. While this portal runs alongside ePIMS, it is accessible without having to register to ePIMS.

• Land Transfer Protocol and Standardised documents -In your evidence, you stated that the updated protocol and standard documentation would be completed by April/May 2013. We would be grateful if you could provide the Committee with an update on this, with regard to changes in the protocol - specifically in relation to the financial hurdles that you raised in proceedings

Ø Questionnaires have recently been issued to all those organisations that have used the Land Transfer Protocol, seeking their feedback on the protocol and inviting suggestions for improvements to the process.  We are still analysing the responses and emerging comments indicate that the protocol has, so far, worked well. Comments received acknowledge that this earlier engagement between parties is beneficial, especially when there is clear advice for participants to share their emerging property strategies and service plans. Conversely, it is recognized that  complex valuations may require further investigation before terms can be agreed between the parties and that supplementing the Land Transfer Protocol with some standard documentation  will assist in respect of co-location agreements.

Once our analysis is complete, the intention is to reflect suggestions in a revised protocol and issue new guidance.  This will be disseminated across the wider public sector through the NAWG within the timescales previously indicated. 

I hope that this additional evidence answers any queries you may have.

Yours sincerely,

………………………………………………………………………

Sioned Evans

Deputy Director PPCS

Head of Property Division

Email:  sioned.evans@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Annex 1

DATA CAPTURE

Ø Percentage based on number of organisations within that sector who have recorded data on ePIMS.

Ø The percentage for RSLS, Third Sector and Education can only be considered approximate estimates at this time.

Annex 2

Number of holdings recorded on ePIMS per Department/Organisation

Property Centre Name	Num Holdings
DYFED-POWYS POLICE	85
GWENT POLICE	76
MID & WEST WALES FIRE & RESCUE	76
NORTH WALES FIRE & RESCUE	48
NORTH WALES POLICE	78
SOUTH WALES FIRE & RESCUE	53
SOUTH WALES POLICE	117
	533
Property Centre Name	Num Holdings
ABERTAWE BRO MORGANNWG UNIVERSITY HB	136
ANEURIN BEVAN HB	90
BETSI CADWALADAR UNIVERSITY HB	167
CARDIFF & VALE HB	86
CWM TAF HB	39
HYWEL DDA HB	83
POWYS TEACHING HB	71
PUBLIC HEALTH WALES	27
VELINDRE TRUST	41
WELSH AMBULANCE SERVICE	112
WELSH HEALTH COMMUNITY COUNCILS	17
	869
Property Centre Name	Num Holdings
BANGOR UNIVERSITY	22
CARDIFF UNIVERSITY	264
COLEG MORGANNWG	1
PEMBROKESHIRE COLLEGE	1
UNIVERSITY OF GLAMORGAN	4
CARDIFF METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY	55
	347
Property Centre Name	Num Holdings
ANGLESEY COUNTY COUNCIL	1146
BLAENAU GWENT COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL	429
BRECON BEACONS NATIONAL PARK	0
BRIDGEND COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL	966
CAERPHILLY COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL	1
CARDIFF CITY AND COUNTY COUNCIL	1074
CARMARTHENSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL	1166
CEREDIGION COUNTY COUNCIL	3
CITY & COUNTY OF SWANSEA	596
CONWY COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL	892
DENBIGHSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL	472
FLINTSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL	473
GWYNEDD COUNTY COUNCIL	1075
MERTHYR TYDFIL COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL	715
MONMOUTHSHIRE COUNCIL	391
NEATH PORT TALBOT COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL	398
NEWPORT CITY COUNCIL	292
PEMBROKESHIRE COAST NATIONAL PARK	74
PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL	184
POWYS COUNTY COUNCIL	256
RHONDDA CYNON TAF COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL	544
SNOWDONIA NATIONAL PARK	92
TORFAEN COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL	507
VALE OF GLAMORGAN COUNCIL	396
WREXHAM COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL	293
	12435
Property Centre Name	Num Holdings
WGSB - CONSTRUCTING EXCELLENCE WALES	1
WG - CADW	83
WG - ROYAL COMMISSION FOR HISTORIC MONUMENTS WALES	1
WG - CORE ADMINISTRATIVE ESTATE	48
WG - ESTYN	1
WG - FORESTRY COMMISSION WALES	34
WG - HIGHER EDUCATION FUNDING COUNCIL WALES	1
WG - TRANSPORT WALES	126
WG - LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE	2
WGSB - COUNTRYSIDE COUNCIL FOR WALES	9
WGSB - NATIONAL LIBRARY OF WALES	1
WGSB - ARTS COUNCIL FOR WALES	3
WGSB - CARE COUNCIL FOR WALES	3
WGSB - NATIONAL MUSEUM WALES	9
WGSB - SPORTS COUNCIL FOR WALES	3
WG - BUSINESS ENTERPRISE TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE	252
WGSB - WALES CENTRE FOR HEALTH	1
WGSB - WELSH LANGUAGE COMMISSIONER	3
	581
Property Centre Name	Num Holdings
NAWC - NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FOR WALES COMMISSION	3
	3
Property Centre Name	Num Holdings
WG- Coastal housing	0
WG-RCT Homes	92
	92
Property Centre Name	Num Holdings
BRIDGEND AVO	1
GWENT AVO	0
GWYNEDD VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS	78
POWYS AVO	0
VOLUNTARY ACTION MERTHYR	1
SWANSEA COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY ACTION	0
	80
Town / Community Councils	Num Holdings
DYFFRYN CENNEN COMMUNITY COUNCIL	2
LLANGENNECH COMMUNITY COUNCIL	4
LLANSTEFFAN & LLANYBRI COMMUNITY COUNCIL	1
NEWCHURCH & MERTHYR COMMUNITY COUNCIL	5
PEMBREY & BURRY PORT TOWN COUNCIL	6
	18
TOTAL.	14958