Agenda: Forest Services board meeting 7 November 2024
Published 17 April 2026
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Forest Services (FS) board 28th meeting, Wednesday 17 July 2024, 10:00–12:30 via MS Teams.
Purpose
To review key management and financial information and risks, including business plan activities, and an update on current Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) issues. Discussions to focus on the spending review; FS results from the 2024 Forestry Commission staff survey, forestry skills sector plan, the proposed Forestry Commission board experience placement scheme and the FS board effectiveness review.
Agenda
Invitees: Sir William Worsley, Hilary Allison, Edward Barker, Anna Brown, John Lockhart, Ross Murray, Derrick Osgood, Steph Rhodes, Richard Stanford and Sandy Storrie
Boardroom Apprentice: Ian Crawford
Presenters: Rose Abbott (item 3.5), Sam Malpass (item 3.6, 4.1), David Bole (item 4.2)
Apologies:
Minutes: Gemma Thomas
1. Welcome and Chair’s Update – Sir William Worsley
10:00 (10 mins)
Chair welcomes members to this 28th meeting of the board, and updates the board on activities across the Forestry Commission and the sector.
2. Minutes of the last meeting, declarations of interest and annual look at the FS board terms of reference – Sir William Worsley
10:10 (10 mins)
Agree minutes, update any recent declarations of interest and discuss matters arising. A look at the FS board terms of reference.
2.1 (Paper) Minutes of the last meeting (17 July 2024)
2.2 FS Register of Interest
2.3 Forest Services board terms of reference
3. Key management and financial information
3.1 Directors’ Update – Anna Brown
10:20 (15 mins)
Consider key issues arising from the Directors’ Update.
3.1 (Paper) Directors’ Update
3.2 Risk Register and Dashboard – Anna Brown
10:35 (10 mins)
Consider key issues arising from the Risks, Issues and Opportunities Register, and from the dashboards, noting the focus for this meeting on the ‘Connecting People’ agenda.
3.2A (Paper) FS Risks and Issues Dashboard
3.2B Risks, Issues and Opportunities Register
3.2C Dashboards
3.3 Defra Update – Edward Barker
10:45 (10 mins)
3.3 (Paper) An update from Defra
3.4 Finance Report – Derrick Osgood
10:55 (10 mins)
A deep dive into FS finances AP12.
3.4 (Paper) Board Finance Report
3.5 Q2 update on FS Business Plan and Spending Review Work – Rose Abott
11:05 (25 mins)
A update on the FS business plan for 2024/25.
3.5 (Paper) FS Business Plan Update November 2024
3.5 Annex 1 – Business Plan Activity Dashboard
3.5 Annex 2 – FS Business Plan 2024/25
3.5 Annex 3 – FS Business Plan Activities
3.6 Spending Review – Sam Malpass
11:15 (20 mins)
An update on the latest position regarding the spending review exercise.
3.6 (Paper) FS Spending Review
4. Items for discussion
4.1 Staff Survey – Sam Malpass
11:35 (15 mins)
An update on the FS results from the 2024 Forestry Commission staff survey and current work to develop action plans in response.
4.1 (Paper) FS Staff Survey Results and Proposed Action Plan
4.1 Annex 1 – Full Forestry Commission Staff Survey Results
4.2 Forestry Sector Skills Plan – David Bole
11:50 (15 mins)
An update on the forestry sector skills plan.
4.2 (Paper) Forestry Sector Skills Plan
4.2 Annex 1 – Draft Forestry Sector Skills Plan
4.3 Internal Board Experience Placement Scheme – Gemma Thomas
12:05 (10 mins)
An update on the proposed internal Forestry Commission board experience placement scheme.
4.3 (Paper) Update on FC Board Experience Placement Scheme
4.4 FS Board Effectiveness Review 2024 – results and suggested action plan – Anna Brown
12:15 (10 mins)
The results of the FS board effectiveness questionnaire 2024, and some initial suggestions for the proposed action plan.
4.4 (Paper) FS Board Effectiveness Review 2024
4.4 Annex 1 – FS Board Effectiveness Review Results
5. Any other business – Sir William Worsley
12:25 (5 mins)
12:30 Close
Anna Brown – Director, Forest Services 31 October 2024.