(Public Pack)Minutes Document for London Assembly (Plenary), 04/02
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
MINUTES Meeting: London Assembly (Plenary) Date: Thursday 4 February 2021 Time: 10.00 am Place: Virtual Meeting Copies of the minutes may be found at: http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor-assembly/london- assembly/whole-assembly Present: Navin Shah AM (Chair) Susan Hall AM Tony Arbour AM (Deputy Chairman) David Kurten AM Jennette Arnold OBE AM Joanne McCartney AM Shaun Bailey AM Dr Alison Moore AM Siân Berry AM Steve O'Connell AM Andrew Boff AM Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM Léonie Cooper AM Keith Prince AM Unmesh Desai AM Murad Qureshi AM Tony Devenish AM Caroline Russell AM Len Duvall AM Dr Onkar Sahota AM Florence Eshalomi AM MP Peter Whittle AM Nicky Gavron AM City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA Enquiries: 020 7983 4100 minicom: 020 7983 4458 www.london.gov.uk v1 2015 Greater London Authority London Assembly (Plenary) Thursday 4 February 2021 1 Apologies for Absence and Chair's Announcements (Item 1) 1.1 The Chair explained that in accordance with Government regulations, the meeting was being held on a virtual basis, with Assembly Members participating remotely. 1.2 The Clerk read the roll-call of Assembly Members who were participating in the meeting. Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Gareth Bacon AM MP and Andrew Dismore AM. 1.3 On behalf the London Assembly the Chair expressed condolences to Captain Sir Tom Moore’s family following his death, noting the hope and happiness he had brought to many during the COVID-19 pandemic. 1.4 The Chair provided an update on recent Assembly activity, including: the London Assembly’s Plenary meeting questioning the Mayor on his draft 2021/22 budget; the COVID-19 and homeworking event held to explore the impact of working from home mental and physical wellbeing; and the Fire, Resilience and Emergency Planning Committee’s meeting with the London Fire Commissioner, on the impacts of COVID-19 on the London Fire Brigade. 2 Declarations of Interests (Item 2) 2.1 The Assembly received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat. 2.2 Resolved: That the list of offices held by Assembly Members, as set out in the table at Item 2, be noted as disclosable pecuniary interests. 3 Minutes (Item 3) 3.1 Resolved: That the minutes of the 12 January 2021 London Assembly Extraordinary (Plenary) meeting be signed by the Chair as a correct record. 2 Greater London Authority London Assembly (Plenary) Thursday 4 February 2021 4 Question and Answer Session: COVID-19 Vaccination Delivery in London (Item 4) Part A: 4.1 The Assembly put questions to the following invited guests, on COVID-19 vaccination delivery in London: Dr Tom Coffey, Mayoral Health Advisor; Martin Machray, Joint Regional Chief Nurse and COVID-19 Incident Director; Dr Farah Jameel, British Medical Association; and Nadhim Zahawi MP, Under-Secretary of State for COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment. 4.2 The record of the questions put by Assembly Members and the answers given is attached as Appendix 1. 4.3 The Deputy Chairman assumed the Chair from 11.29pm to 11.39pm. 4.4 During the course of the question and answer session the Mayoral Health Advisor undertook to: Share the London borough level COVID-19 vaccination data, following the data’s validation by the NHS and the Mayoral Office; Provide details of what action the Mayor and Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) were taking to address social media anti-vaxxers; and Suggest to the Mayor that work be undertaken to investigate the spread and source of vaccine misinformation in London. 4.5 The Under-Secretary of State for COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment agreed to investigate the Government funding, and decision-making for the funding, available to the London boroughs of Enfield, Croydon, Southwark, Newham, Barking and Dagenham, and Tower Hamlets to support them in providing vaccine advice and boosting vaccine take-up. 4.6 The Joint Regional Chief Nurse for London undertook to: Ascertain if data was available regarding vaccine take-up of blind and visually impaired people; and Provide an estimate of the proportion of Londoners not registered with a GP. 3 Greater London Authority London Assembly (Plenary) Thursday 4 February 2021 Part B: 4.7 At the conclusion of the question and answer session, the Chair formally moved the motion in the agenda, namely: “That the Assembly notes the answers to the questions asked.” 4.8 Resolved: That the answers to the questions asked be noted. 4.9 In accordance with Standing Order 2.2D, Agenda Item 6 was considered as the next item of business by the Chair, with Agenda Item 5 to be taken as the last item of business. The remaining business was taken in the order of the agenda. 5 Petitions Update (Item 6) 5.1 The Assembly received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat. 5.2 Resolved: That the response received to a petition presented at the 5 November 2020 Assembly (Plenary) meeting, be noted. 6 Motions (Item 7) 6.1 At the start of the debate on the motions set out on the agenda, the Chair explained that, in accordance with Standing Order 4.2A and following informal discussions with Assembly party Groups, he had agreed to vary the time limits for speeches for the remainder of the meeting so that: the mover of each motion was permitted to speak for up to five minutes; the seconder of each motion was permitted to speak for up to three minutes; and any other Members contributing to the debate were permitted to speak for up to two minutes. 6.2 During the course of Agenda Item 7 the Chair proposed, and it was agreed, that Standing Order 2.9B be suspended to extend the meeting in order to allow motions to be put before the Assembly and for the remaining items of business on the agenda to be considered. 6.3 Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM moved, and Dr Onkar Sahota AM seconded the following motion: “This Assembly notes the campaign for an Emergency Services Cenotaph in London to honour all who have served in the emergency services and National Health Service past, present and future. It will be the first combined memorial of its kind in the UK. 4 Greater London Authority London Assembly (Plenary) Thursday 4 February 2021 This Assembly further notes the two million people that currently work in our emergency services and National Health Service who show huge dedication and believe it is right that we recognise the vital role that they play and pay tribute to the commitment and sacrifice many make in the line of duty. This Assembly also believes that in light of the Covid-19 pandemic the need to honour the dedication, bravery and sacrifice of our emergency service and National Health Service workers and volunteers is more important than ever. An Emergency Services Cenotaph will also ensure there is a place for Londoners and those across the country to come and pay their respects to all of those who have served in our emergency services past and present and to honour those we have lost. This Assembly fully supports the Emergency Services Cenotaph and calls on the Chair of the Assembly, with the Mayor, to write to the Prime Minister expressing this support and asking for Government to provide financial support, alongside the existing voluntary fundraising effort, to the campaign to help ensure such a cenotaph can begin construction as soon as possible.” 6.4 Following debate, and upon being put to a vote, the motion was agreed unanimously. 6.5 Jennette Arnold OBE AM moved, and Dr Onkar Sahota AM seconded, the following motion: “This Assembly is committed to eradicating and ending racial injustice and anti-Black racism. In our pursuit of these aims, the London Assembly is passing this motion to recognise formally and mark the United Nations International Decade for peoples of African Descent running from 2015-2024. This Assembly recognises the work undertaken by the Mayor of London in promoting diversity and inclusion, and celebrating Black Londoners through Black History Month activities, the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm, and working with the Black Curriculum to provide relevant education resources and to review the London Curriculum. This Assembly calls on the Mayor of London to recognise formally and mark the UN’s Decade by embedding in policies where possible, the UN’s General Assembly resolution on the International Decade for People of African Descent. The Mayor’s work should reflect the following requests from the Programme of Activities for the Implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent: Work with schools and community organisations to ensure that the educational histories and narratives of Black people are properly taught and celebrated in schools across London all year round; Work on reviewing and reworking policies that continue to have a discriminatory effect on peoples of African descent across London; 5 Greater London Authority London Assembly (Plenary) Thursday 4 February 2021 Consider establishing policy directives to mainstream equality and nondiscrimination considerations in all policy-making, including measures to ensure the equal enjoyment of rights and opportunities for people of African descent; and Ensure that the end of the decade is marked in 2024, celebrating progress made in moving towards racial justice.” 6.6 Caroline Russell AM moved and Siân Berry AM seconded, the following amendment to the motion: To add the text set out in bold: “This Assembly is committed to eradicating and ending racial injustice and anti-Black racism. In our pursuit of these aims, the London Assembly is passing this motion to recognise formally and mark the United Nations International Decade for peoples of African Descent running from 2015-2024.