AGENDA
Meeting London Assembly (Plenary) Date Thursday 10 September 2020 Time 10.00 am Place Virtual Meeting Copies of the reports and any attachments may be found at www.london.gov.uk/mayor-assembly/london-assembly/whole-assembly
Most meetings of the London Assembly and its Committees are webcast live at https://www.london.gov.uk/about-us/london-assembly/youtube and/or www.london.gov.uk/mayor-assembly/london-assembly/webcasts where you can also view past meetings.
A meeting of the Assembly will be held to deal with the business listed below.
Navin Shah AM Tony Arbour AM Chair of the London Assembly Deputy Chairman Wednesday 2 September 2020
[Note: This meeting has been called in accordance with the Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020. These regulations permit formal London Assembly meetings to be held on a virtual basis, with Assembly Members participating remotely, subject to certain conditions. The regulations apply notwithstanding any other legislation, current or pre-existing Standing Orders or any other rules of the Authority governing Assembly meetings, and remain valid until 7 May 2021. The meeting will be broadcast live via the web-link set out above. The regulations may be viewed here.]
Further Information If you have questions, would like further information about the meeting or require special facilities please contact: Davena Toyinbo, Principal Committee Manager; Telephone: 07521 266519; Email: [email protected].
For media enquiries please contact: Richard Stokoe, Head of Assembly Communications; Email: [email protected]. If you have any questions about individual items please contact the author whose details are at the end of the report.
Proper Officer: Ed Williams, Executive Director of Secretariat.
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If you, or someone you know, needs a copy of the agenda, minutes or reports in large print or Braille, audio, or in another language, then please call us on 020 7983 4100 or email [email protected].
Certificate Number: FS 80233
Agenda London Assembly (Plenary) Thursday 10 September 2020
1 Apologies for Absence and Chair's Announcements
To receive any apologies for absence and any announcements from the Chair.
2 Declarations of Interests (Pages 1 - 4)
Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat Contact: Davena Toyinbo; [email protected]; 07521 266519
The Assembly is recommended to:
(a) Note the list of offices held by Assembly Members, as set out in the table at Agenda Item 2, as disclosable pecuniary interests;
(b) Note the declaration by any Member(s) of any disclosable pecuniary interests in specific items listed on the agenda and the necessary action taken by the Member(s) regarding withdrawal following such declaration(s); and
(c) Note the declaration by any Member(s) of any other interests deemed to be relevant (including any interests arising from gifts and hospitality received which are not at the time of the meeting reflected on the Authority’s register of gifts and hospitality, and noting also the advice from the GLA’s Monitoring Officer set out at Agenda Item 2) and to note any necessary action taken by the Member(s) following such declaration(s).
3 Minutes (Pages 5 - 290)
The Assembly is recommended to confirm the minutes of the London Assembly (Mayor’s Question Time) meeting held on 16 July 2020 and the London Assembly (Plenary) meeting held on 23 July 2020 to be signed by the Chair as a correct record.
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4 Question and Answer Session: Transport for London (TfL) Finances (Pages 291 - 296)
Part A:
The Chair will put the following question to Sadiq Khan, Chair of Transport for London:
“How confident are you that Transport for London (TfL) will be able to operate effectively over the coming year”
Assembly Members will then put supplementary questions, to the guests listed below, arising from the Chair’s question and the answer received: Sadiq Khan, Chair of Transport London; Heidi Alexander, Deputy Mayor for Transport; and Simon Kilonback, Chief Finance Officer, Transport for London.
Part B:
Motion submitted in the name of the Chair:
“That the Assembly notes the answers to the questions asked”
5 Petitions (Pages 297 - 300)
Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat Contact: Davena Toyinbo; [email protected]; 07521 266519
The Assembly is recommended to note the petition listed in the report and to decide whether to refer the petition, and if so where to, and to seek a response to the points raised.
6 Motions (Pages 301 - 304)
Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat Contact: Davena Toyinbo; [email protected]; 07521 266519
The Assembly is recommended to consider the motions submitted by Assembly Members.
7 Date of Next Meeting
The next scheduled meeting of the London Assembly will be the Mayor’s Question Time meeting which will take place as a hybrid meeting at 10.00am on Thursday 17 September2020. 4
8 Any Other Business the Chair Considers Urgent
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This page is intentionally left blank Agenda Item 2
Subject: Declarations of Interests
Report to: London Assembly (Plenary)
Report of: Executive Director of Secretariat Date: 10 September 2020
This report will be considered in public
1. Summary
1.1 This report sets out details of offices held by Assembly Members for noting as disclosable pecuniary interests and requires additional relevant declarations relating to disclosable pecuniary interests, and gifts and hospitality to be made.
2. Recommendations
2.1 That the list of offices held by Assembly Members, as set out in the table below, be noted as disclosable pecuniary interests1;
2.2 That the declaration by any Member(s) of any disclosable pecuniary interests in specific items listed on the agenda and the necessary action taken by the Member(s) regarding withdrawal following such declaration(s) be noted; and
2.3 That the declaration by any Member(s) of any other interests deemed to be relevant (including any interests arising from gifts and hospitality received which are not at the time of the meeting reflected on the Authority’s register of gifts and hospitality, and noting also the advice from the GLA’s Monitoring Officer set out at below) and any necessary action taken by the Member(s) following such declaration(s) be noted.
3. Issues for Consideration
3.1 Relevant offices held by Assembly Members are listed in the table overleaf:
1 The Monitoring Officer advises that: Paragraph 10 of the Code of Conduct will only preclude a Member from participating in any matter to be considered or being considered at, for example, a meeting of the Assembly, where the Member has a direct Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in that particular matter. The effect of this is that the ‘matter to be considered, or being considered’ must be about the Member’s interest. So, by way of example, if an Assembly Member is also a councillor of London Borough X, that Assembly Member will be precluded from participating in an Assembly meeting where the Assembly is to consider a matter about the Member’s role / employment as a councillor of London Borough X; the Member will not be precluded from participating in a meeting where the Assembly is to consider a matter about an activity or decision of London Borough X.
City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA Enquiries: 020 7983 4100 minicom: 020 7983 4458 www.london.gov.uk v3/2020 Page 1
Member Interest Tony Arbour AM Jennette Arnold OBE AM Gareth Bacon AM MP Member of Parliament, Orpington; Member, LB Bexley Shaun Bailey AM Siân Berry AM Member, LB Camden Andrew Boff AM Congress of Local and Regional Authorities (Council of Europe) Léonie Cooper AM Member, LB Wandsworth Unmesh Desai AM Tony Devenish AM Member, City of Westminster Andrew Dismore AM Len Duvall AM Florence Eshalomi AM MP Member of Parliament, Vauxhall Nicky Gavron AM Susan Hall AM Member, LB Harrow David Kurten AM Joanne McCartney AM Deputy Mayor Dr Alison Moore AM Member, LB Barnet Steve O’Connell AM Member, LB Croydon Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM Keith Prince AM Murad Qureshi AM Caroline Russell AM Member, LB Islington Dr Onkar Sahota AM Navin Shah AM Peter Whittle AM
[Note: LB - London Borough]
3.2 Paragraph 10 of the GLA’s Code of Conduct, which reflects the relevant provisions of the Localism Act 2011, provides that:
- where an Assembly Member has a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in any matter to be considered or being considered or at
(i) a meeting of the Assembly and any of its committees or sub-committees; or
(ii) any formal meeting held by the Mayor in connection with the exercise of the Authority’s functions
- they must disclose that interest to the meeting (or, if it is a sensitive interest, disclose the fact that they have a sensitive interest to the meeting); and
- must not (i) participate, or participate any further, in any discussion of the matter at the meeting; or (ii) participate in any vote, or further vote, taken on the matter at the meeting
UNLESS
- they have obtained a dispensation from the GLA’s Monitoring Officer (in accordance with section 2 of the Procedure for registration and declarations of interests, gifts and hospitality – Appendix 5 to the Code).
3.3 Failure to comply with the above requirements, without reasonable excuse, is a criminal offence; as is knowingly or recklessly providing information about your interests that is false or misleading.
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3.4 In addition, the Monitoring Officer has advised Assembly Members to continue to apply the test that was previously applied to help determine whether a pecuniary / prejudicial interest was arising - namely, that Members rely on a reasonable estimation of whether a member of the public, with knowledge of the relevant facts, could, with justification, regard the matter as so significant that it would be likely to prejudice the Member’s judgement of the public interest.
3.5 Members should then exercise their judgement as to whether or not, in view of their interests and the interests of others close to them, they should participate in any given discussions and/or decisions business of within and by the GLA. It remains the responsibility of individual Members to make further declarations about their actual or apparent interests at formal meetings noting also that a Member’s failure to disclose relevant interest(s) has become a potential criminal offence.
3.6 Members are also required, where considering a matter which relates to or is likely to affect a person from whom they have received a gift or hospitality with an estimated value of at least £50 within the previous three years or from the date of election to the London Assembly, whichever is the later, to disclose the existence and nature of that interest at any meeting of the Authority which they attend at which that business is considered.
3.7 The obligation to declare any gift or hospitality at a meeting is discharged, subject to the proviso set out below, by registering gifts and hospitality received on the Authority’s on-line database. The on- line database may be viewed here: https://www.london.gov.uk/mayor-assembly/gifts-and-hospitality.
3.8 If any gift or hospitality received by a Member is not set out on the on-line database at the time of the meeting, and under consideration is a matter which relates to or is likely to affect a person from whom a Member has received a gift or hospitality with an estimated value of at least £50, Members are asked to disclose these at the meeting, either at the declarations of interest agenda item or when the interest becomes apparent.
3.9 It is for Members to decide, in light of the particular circumstances, whether their receipt of a gift or hospitality, could, on a reasonable estimation of a member of the public with knowledge of the relevant facts, with justification, be regarded as so significant that it would be likely to prejudice the Member’s judgement of the public interest. Where receipt of a gift or hospitality could be so regarded, the Member must exercise their judgement as to whether or not, they should participate in any given discussions and/or decisions business of within and by the GLA.
4. Legal Implications
4.1 The legal implications are as set out in the body of this report.
5. Financial Implications
5.1 There are no financial implications arising directly from this report.
Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 List of Background Papers: None Contact Officer: Davena Toyinbo, Principal Committee Manager Telephone: 07521 266519 E-mail: [email protected]
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Page 4 Agenda Item 3
MINUTES
Meeting: London Assembly (Mayor's Question Time) Date: Thursday 16 July 2020 Time: 10.00 am Place: Virtual Meeting
Copies of the minutes may be found at: www.london.gov.uk/mayor-assembly/london-assembly/whole-assembly
Present:
Navin Shah AM (Chair) Nicky Gavron AM
Tony Arbour AM (Deputy Chairman) Susan Hall AM
Jennette Arnold OBE AM David Kurten AM
Gareth Bacon AM MP 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
Andrew Dismore AM Dr Onkar Sahota AM
Len Duvall AM Peter Whittle AM
Florence Eshalomi AM MP
City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA Enquiries: 020 7983 4100 minicom: 020 7983 4458 www.london.gov.uk v1 2015 Page 5 Greater London Authority London Assembly (Mayor's Question Time) Thursday 16 July 2020
1 Apologies for Absence and Chair's Announcements (Item 1)
1.1 The Chair explained that the meeting was being held on a virtual basis, in accordance with Government regulations, and Assembly Members were participating remotely.
1.2 The Clerk read the roll-call of Assembly Members who were participating remotely. There were no apologies for absence, though apologies for lateness were received from Jennette Arnold OBE AM and Keith Prince AM.
1.3 The Chair provided an update on recent Assembly activity, including: the marking of the 15th anniversary of the 7/7 London bombings where a wreath was laid by the Chair on behalf London Assembly and Londoners to pay tribute to the victims; the Police and Crime Committee wrote to the Mayor of London to ensure that London’s emergency services are prepared for any potential widespread disorder over summer; the Budget and Performance Committee questioned the Mayor of London on the £493 million shortfall facing the GLA over the next 2 years; and the Transport Committee wrote to TfL highlighting a number of issues around safety for transport staff, including the issue of PPE, social distancing and enforcement fines.
1.4 On behalf of the Assembly, the Chair paid tribute to former Assembly Member Richard Tracey who had represented Merton & Wandsworth for eight years from 2008 to 2016 and who had sadly passed away in March. Deputy Chairman Tony Arbour AM, Léonie Cooper AM, Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM and Caroline Russell AM, on behalf of former Assembly Members Jenny Jones and Darren Johnson, also paid tribute to the good humour he brought to his work, his dedication in serving his constituency, and the respectful nature in which he dealt with everyone he encountered, no matter their political views.
2 Declarations of Interests (Item 2)
2.1 Resolved:
That the list of offices held by Assembly Members, as set out in the table at Agenda Item 2, be noted as disclosable pecuniary interests.
3 Minutes (Item 3)
3.1 Resolved:
That the minutes from the London Assembly (Mayor's Question Time) meeting held on 18 June 2020 be signed by the Chair as a correct record.
Page 6 Greater London Authority London Assembly (Mayor's Question Time) Thursday 16 July 2020
4 Mayor's Report (Item 4)
4.1 The Assembly noted the Mayor’s Report covering the period from 5 June to 2 July 2020.
4.2 In accordance with Standing Order 5.4A, the Mayor gave an oral update on matters occurring since the publication of his report. The record of the oral update is attached at Appendix 1.
5 Questions to the Mayor (Item 5)
5.1 The record of the discussion with the Mayor, including oral answers given by the Mayor to Members’ questions, is attached as Appendix 2.
[Note: The Chair adjourned the meeting at 11.37am in order to allow technical issues to be resolved, reconvening at 11.50am.]
5.2 The Deputy Chairman assumed the Chair from 12.07pm to 12.12pm for the duration of question 2020/2422.
5.3 The written answers to those questions not asked or unanswered during the meeting is attached as Appendix 3.
5.4 During the course of the question and answer session the Chair proposed, and it was agreed, that Standing Order 2.9B be suspended to extend the meeting in order to allow the remaining questions on the priority order paper to be put to the Mayor and for the remaining items of business on the agenda to be considered.
5.5 At the conclusion of the question and answer session, the Assembly agreed the motion set out on the agenda in the name of the Chair, namely:
“That the Assembly notes the answers to the questions asked”.
6 Date of Next Meeting (Item 6)
6.1 The next meeting of the London Assembly would be the Plenary meeting which was scheduled to take place at 11.00am on Thursday 23 July 2020 as a virtual meeting.
7 Any Other Business the Chair Considers Urgent (Item 7)
7.1 There were no items of urgent business.
Page 7 Greater London Authority London Assembly (Mayor's Question Time) Thursday 16 July 2020
8 Close of Meeting
8.1 The meeting ended at 1.15pm.
Chair Date
Contact Officer: Fiona Bywaters Committee Services Manager GLA Secretariat, City Hall The Queen’s Walk, London, SE1 2AA Telephone: 020 7983 4425 Email: [email protected]
Page 8 Appendix 1
Mayor’s Question Time – Thursday 16 July 2020
Transcript of Item 4 – Oral update to the Mayor’s Report
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Good morning, Chair. Before I begin, can I echo your comments and your commitment in relation to 7/7 [7 July 2005 terrorist attacks in London]. It was good to see you at the memorial in Hyde Park.
Can I echo what you and also what Tony Arbour [AM], Léonie Cooper [AM], Caroline Pidgeon [MBE AM] and Caroline Russell [AM] said about Dick Tracey [Richard Tracey, former London Assembly Member from 2008- 2016]. I knew Dick over many years and Kathy Tracey and indeed the children. Dick and Kathy were great public servants in the true sense of the words. When I think of Dick, of course I think of him as a Tory, but he was somebody who outside of the council chamber or the Assembly or Parliament, indeed, would engage, would be warm and would be fraternal. I think of him with warmth and with kindness. My thoughts are with Kathy, their children and grandchildren at this difficult time. London has lost an advocate and a champion. Our thoughts and prayers are with Kathy and the family.
Chair, now that the lockdown measures are being eased further and we are past the peak of the immediate health crisis, I am turning more of my focus to the economic recovery in London. Just like local government authorities across the country, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on our city’s public finances. We are facing the perfect storm of increased costs associated with the response to the crisis combined with a near total collapse in revenue. Transport for London’s (TfL) income from fares has dropped by more than 90% and revenue from local business rates and council tax has fallen off a cliff. As a result, the Greater London Authority (GLA), the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and the London Fire Brigade (LFB) will be forced to make £500 million worth of cuts over the next two years to cover the budget shortfall.
It is against this backdrop that I was extremely disappointed that there was no additional support announced for local and regional authorities in the Chancellor’s Summer Statement last week. The Government has a choice: invest in London’s economic recovery, which will help avoid cuts, or introduce a new era of austerity that will hit vital public services, including the police, at the worst possible time. Sadly, it looks like they are taking the wrong path and are punishing Londoners for doing the right thing on COVID-19.
As Mayor, I will continue to stand up for Londoners by putting pressure on the Government to live up to its historic responsibilities to support existing jobs, to help create new ones and to deliver the green and fair recovery Londoners deserve.
Large parts of our incredible city have now opened up for business once again. That is why I have relaunched my #LondonIsOpen campaign to promote and celebrate the businesses that help make London the best city in the world. I will continue to encourage Londoners to go out and support our brilliant local businesses and cultural attractions whilst urging everyone to be safe, to act responsibly and to wear a face covering in enclosed public spaces.
Thank you, Chair. I look forward to answering various questions over the course of the morning.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Thank you, Mr Mayor. I have Assembly Member Hall who has indicated she wants to raise an issue from what she heard. Thank you.
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Susan Hall AM: Good morning, Mr Mayor. Mr Mayor, thank you for mentioning the importance of helping London’s economy through these difficult times.
As you may be aware, the Assembly’s Plenary meeting next week is on the impact of the COVID-19 and the economic recovery in London, which will be helpful for Londoners. Unfortunately, both your relevant Deputy Mayors - for Business and for Planning, Regeneration and Skills - have declined the opportunity to attend the meeting and so there is currently due to be no representation at all from your team at City Hall.
I have written to you about this already, asking if you would consider attending in their absence. As you are the Mayor, that would be the most beneficial, I am sure, to Londoners. Failing that, will you please work to arrange an appropriate representative to attend on your behalf? Thank you.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Thank you very much, Assembly Member Hall, for your question and the way you asked it as well.
Can I look into this and get back to you through the usual channels? You raise a good point in relation to the importance of you hearing from us. What I will do, Chair, is respond to Susan Hall [AM] through my office later on today, if that is OK.
Susan Hall AM: I am very grateful. Thank you.
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Appendix 2
Mayor’s Question Time – Thursday 16 July 2020
Transcript of Item 5 – Questions to the Mayor
2020/2399 - Risk factors for localised COVID-19 outbreaks Dr Onkar Sahota AM
What geographical areas, demographics, and economic sectors have you assessed to be higher risk for renewed coronavirus outbreaks, and what steps are you taking to reduce and prepare for this risk?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): As a category one responder, I have duties under the Civil Contingencies Act [2004] to plan, prepare for and respond to emergencies. At the outset of the crisis I convened the Strategic Coordinating Group (SCG) and I am proud of how partners have collaborated through this unprecedented and challenging period to support Londoners, protect the health and care system, and save lives. I have now established the London Transition Board with the Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government. The Board is responsible for overseeing and co-ordinating the next phase of London’s response as we emerge from lockdown.
Our understanding about the places, people and sectors at greatest risk of outbreaks is developing rapidly. Therefore, it is crucial to have close links with the experts and processes that keep this under review. That is why we have commissioned the University of Manchester to conduct a review of the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on different groups in London.
When early regional and national evidence identified that transport workers may be at greater risk of exposure, I commissioned an urgent review from University College London (UCL) of transport worker deaths in London. The GLA Intelligence Unit has mapped some of the risk factors for coronavirus in London and identified that factors associated with socioeconomic deprivation, including poor living conditions and low-paid insecure work, were associated with an increased risk of contracting coronavirus.
Public Health England (PHE) and London’s boroughs have led preparations to manage coronavirus outbreaks and I will continue to support them with this work. PHE is closely monitoring COVID-19 cases in all London boroughs and putting systems in place to identify any significant changes in numbers. All London boroughs have published their local outbreak management plans and are undertaking a peer review process together with PHE in London.
I meet regularly with my Statutory Health Advisor and National Health Service (NHS) and social care leaders to ensure that they are supported and prepared to deliver for Londoners in case of further outbreaks. I have held meetings with faith organisations, businesses and civic societies in order to hear their experiences, concerns and ideas and support them to reduce the risk of outbreaks.
Dr Onkar Sahota AM: Thank you, Mr Mayor. Thank you for that answer. Is the NHS test and tracing service providing localised data to the GLA so that you can see where there is lower engagement with the programmes that are on offer? Are you getting localised data from the NHS?
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Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Yes and no. We are working closely with PHE’s London Coronavirus Response Centre, which provides data to London’s Directors of Public Health, who work for the councils. We have information from there.
Separately, we do not yet have information from the new online regional dashboard and we are working with the Department of Health to try to give us access to this because this will help us in relation to patterns across London and characteristics of those who have taken the test and those who have tested positive. We hope to have access shortly, which will really help going forward.
Dr Onkar Sahota AM: Of course, Mr Mayor, that is very important, particularly, as we have seen in Leicester, we can get areas. Even data on a ward level will be very helpful, but hopefully the NHS will provide you with the data.
The other thing that will happen is that it has been predicted that the second wave will come at the same time as the as the flu virus comes in the community. As you know, we in London do worse than the rest of the country on vaccination rates.
Will you be working on a programme to push the flu vaccination so that we are well prepared to meet the second wave when it comes on?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Onkar, you will know from your work as a doctor about the difference having the flu jab can make to alleviating the pressure and taking the pressure off the NHS and also helping those of us who should be having a flu jab avoid the misery of getting the flu. It is really important that the Assembly does what it can, bearing in mind you have huge contacts, and I will make sure I provide support as well to encourage everyone to get the flu jab. It is really important to vaccinate against getting the flu because that will take the pressure off the NHS at a time when it could be under pressure because of a second wave of COVID-19.
Dr Onkar Sahota AM: Great. Thank you, Mr Mayor.
2020/2145 - Systemic bias in the Metropolitan Police Service Siân Berry AM
Are Londoners right to be concerned about bias in the Metropolitan Police Service?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Police officers in London are doing a vital job during extremely challenging times to keep our community safe. This includes working tirelessly to tackle and reduce the level of violent crime in our city.
I take all allegations of bias and racial profiling extremely seriously and have raised the issue with the MPS. It is clear that far too many Londoners still feel that they do not have full trust and confidence in our police service, particularly when it comes to the use of stop and search. As Mayor, I am committed to making the police truly representative of our city and ensuring that it gains the trust and confidence of all communities it exists to serve so that every Londoner, regardless of background or postcode, can feel safe and protected.
On the issue of stop and search, I am aware that when it is done the right way many Londoners are in favour of its use in order to keep us safe. However, I also know full well the negative impact that the widespread use of
Page 12 stop and search can have. Done badly, it makes it much harder to tackle crime by reducing community trust in the police and by discouraging key witnesses from reporting crime and providing evidence, let alone joining the police service.
Growing up in south London, I lost track of the number of times I was stopped and searched. I remember the anger and humiliation I felt when, yet again, I was stopped for seemingly nothing other than the colour of my skin. I know this experience is shared by many black Londoners.
As a result of these personal experiences, I have been working with the police since I became Mayor to improve transparency and accountability. We have rolled out body-worn video so that both the police and communities can have more confidence in their interactions. We will ensure that stop and search should always be intelligence-led and carried out fairly and with respect.
I want to assure Londoners that I am committed to closely scrutinising any disproportionality. That is why I have commissioned the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime [Sophie Linden] and the Deputy Mayor for Communities [Social Integration, Social Mobility and Community Engagement, Debbie Weekes-Bernard] to work with the police and communities to draw up an action plan for improving transparency and accountability, which will help there to be better trust and confidence.
Siân Berry AM: Thank you very much, Mr Mayor. I am really grateful for everything you have just said. We are being briefed by the Deputy Mayors on their action plan as well. I am glad this problem is being taken seriously by you and the Deputy Mayors.
However, I am concerned it will still not be taken seriously enough by the Commissioner [of Police of the Metropolis, Dame Cressida Dick DBE QPM]. When I questioned her about the disproportionate use of coronavirus penalties issued to black Londoners, she essentially said that she did not accept the problem and would not be going back to officers to train them to address any unconscious biases they might have. This does not seem like someone who is open to adopting the actions that come out of the action plan.
Do you agree that the key to winning back public confidence is going to be admitting and accepting the problem and taking responsibility within the police?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Different Londoners and different communities have different levels of trust and confidence in the police service. The point I am trying to get across to all Londoners is that it affects the ability of the police to keep our city safe and it affects our city’s safety if one part of London does not have confidence in the police. As I said, if you are stopped and searched in a way you think is unfair today and you then go home and tell your family, how can we expect tomorrow or next week you to be a witness, report a crime or even join the police service? That is why it is really important for us to understand that all of us benefit from there being improved levels of trust and confidence.
We have to accept that for some Londoners one of the reasons for lower levels of trust and confidence is their view that there has been a disproportionate use of stop and search, but the empirical data confirms, as you are aware, that if you are black Londoner you are more likely to be stopped and searched than if you are from a different ethnic background. That should be a source of concern.
Siân Berry AM: Thank you very much. One thing I have noticed is that quite often when we ask the Commissioner about the problems with stop and search, she relies quite heavily on there being what she says is a very low number of complaints. Through talking to constituents as part of my case work, I have seen
Page 13 evidence of young black men who are repeatedly stopped by police, treated badly or rudely, and who are very reluctant to make any formal reports or complaints about this. They do not want to prolong contact with the police and that is completely understandable, but it means that we do not get this full picture.
Would you now today send a message that encourages more young people to come forward to register complaints when they feel mistreated?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Yes. I would say to all Londoners: if you are unhappy with the experience that you receive from the police or actually any other public servant - it could be a politician, it could be a doctor, it could be a teacher or a police officer or others - please report it. Unless you report it, no action can be taken.
The reason why it is important in the context of the police is that all police officers have more powers over citizens than other members of society. With that power comes a responsibility in relation to checks and balances. It leads to better policing but also better trust and confidence. How we police the police is very important.
I would encourage any Londoner who feels aggrieved about the way they have been treated in their interaction to report it, if for no other reason that it can help us see if there is an issue that needs to be dealt with through training or what some people call ‘customer practice’. It is really important that you report that. You may think it is trivial or you may think it is not going to be taken seriously. The police do take complaints made seriously, as indeed does the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Siân Berry AM: Thank you very much. I am sure that will help Londoners and give them the confidence to come forward and raise these issues because it is important we get the full picture. Thank you very much, Mr Mayor. That is all of my time today.
2020/2194 - Electric vehicles David Kurten AM
Given the United Nations’ recent warning about the devastating environmental and social effects of mining minerals for electric vehicle batteries, how have you modified your transport policies?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Can I thank the Assembly Member for raising this important question as well? I am very concerned about the reported social, ethical and environmental impacts of making lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles.
Motorised traffic is overwhelmingly responsible for the greatest environmental challenges we face as a city. Diesel and petrol vehicles have a devastating impact on Londoners and our planet, stunting their children’s lungs, leading to thousands of premature deaths and changing our climate. I want 80% of our trips to made by walking, cycling and public transport by 2041, but some essential journeys will still need to be made by private vehicles and my ambition is that all new cars and vans registered in London will be zero-emission by 2030.
While London is leading the way in its ambitious plans to switch to zero-emission vehicles, we need to make sure that the transition is ethical and sustainable. I agree with the recommendations of the United Nations
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(UN) report that has been referred to. The battery industry must diversify the range of materials it uses. It must use more sustainable mining techniques and recycle raw materials used in spent lithium-ion batteries.
I have written to the Chief Executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders asking him to urgently explain what steps the United Kingdom (UK) automotive industry is taking to address these concerns and implement the UN recommendations. I have also written to Government Ministers.
I am aware progress has already been made with significant reductions in the amount of cobalt used in some lithium-ion batteries and certain types of batteries use no cobalt at all. Research is underway to identify alternative means of extracting lithium, for example, from seawater. The recycling industry is engaged in developing ways to recover as much of the raw materials from spent batteries as possible.
For GLA-procured vehicles, I have committed to ethical procurement in line with the Ethical Trading Initiative Base Code. TfL is a founding member of Electronics Watch, an independent monitoring organisation improving working conditions and preventing exploitation in the global electronics industry.
However, the battery and automotive industries must do more and act faster. I am pushing to ensure that lower-impact electric vehicle battery technology becomes available as quickly as possible. We must run our economic stimulus packages through a green lens and attach green string to bailouts. Any bailout for the automotive industry should require that the UN recommendations are met.
David Kurten AM: Thank you, Mr Mayor, for your answer. I know we may disagree on petrol vehicles and policy on that, but I do welcome what you said. Thank you for writing to the Government and some of the bodies that are in charge of this because it is something that does concern me, particularly a couple of things that were in the report like the use of child slave labour to mine cobalt in [The Democratic Republic of] the Congo. Much of the cobalt that is used in electric batteries does come from the Congo and 20% of it is produced in artisanal mines that use child slave labour.
I do welcome the fact that you say you are going to make sure and you have made sure that TfL does not procure any vehicles using cobalt or lithium that is sourced unethically, but if you are aiming to ensure that all new vehicles in London are electric by 2030 - I do not personally agree with that as an aim but that is what you say you want to do - how are you going to make sure that vehicles outside TfL do not use child slave labour to mine cobalt and do not take lithium from the area in Chile where most lithium is produced? It takes up huge amounts of water and has displaced local subsistence farmers from that area.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Can I just say, Chair, through you that I agree with a lot of what has been said. This is a good example of where we can work together and there are things we share common ground with.
One of the reasons, Assembly Member Kurten, why I have written to the Government is to see if the Government and City Hall can work together because you are right. Even if, let us assume the best-case scenario, and all the vehicles we procure are made in a way that is humane for the reasons you have said, the current system is inhumane in relation to the way the cobalt is dealt with, there are still those vehicles outside of our control that will clearly have used child labour and other breaches of human rights. That is why I want to work with the Government to see if we can impact the entire market. That is why I am saying, for example, are there strings we can attach to Government bailouts in relation to the automotive industry and are there other things we can do?
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Some of it, I suspect, will be cross-border, working with countries across Europe and across the world. Where we may disagree is that I think the European Union (EU) will have a role to play. I know everything the EU does you think is not good, but this is a good example where the EU could have a role to play in relation to its procurement power.
Any ideas that you have I am really happy to listen to, but you pose a real challenge to me. How can I on the one hand say I want ethical electric vehicles and other reasons why it is good but on the other hand the source of these batteries is one that is inhumane? That is why, working with you and others, we are going to address this issue and take it seriously.
David Kurten AM: Thank you very much, Mr Mayor.
2020/2440 - Pandemic Preparation Andrew Boff AM
Are you confident you did all you could to prepare London for a pandemic?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): London’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has seen the best elements of partnership working in the most difficult circumstances. The response by health services, local authorities, emergency services and the public has been truly inspiring and I am sure the Assembly will join me in thanking all those involved. We have seen a temporary hospital built within weeks, over 1 million pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) delivered, London firefighters supporting the London Ambulance Service, and a huge effort through the voluntary sector and local authorities to maintain supplies of food to the most vulnerable during the lockdown.
It is important to acknowledge that the pandemic has been truly unprecedented. No one has ever seen anything like it before. In these circumstances, it is not possible to be completely prepared and many elements of the response have been totally new, but London made thorough preparations for its pandemic response. London was one of eight resilience forums to take part in Exercise Cygnus in 2016 and borough resilience forums were exercising for a pandemic as recently as late 2019. The London [Resilience Partnership] Pandemic Influenza Framework was updated in 2018 despite no new national pandemic response strategy having been published since 2011. The preparation that London puts in place to deal with emergencies is tested time and time again through exercises and also, sadly, through incidents. The extensive work undertaken by the London Resilience Forum in preparation for a no-deal Brexit proved some of the most useful preparations to deal with the response to COVID-19.
In London we prepared for all eventualities as far as we could. Sadly, this has been done with limited guidance. Many aspects of the London response have had to be set up at extremely short notice. The London SCG often heard about major policy changes from Number 10’s daily media briefings at the same time as the general public it is there to protect. This clearly made our job in London much harder.
There are always lessons to be learned by everyone involved in events like this and the London Resilience Forum has already undertaken an interim review of the first wave of the pandemic in preparation for any future waves. I would encourage the Government to take our lead and review its response strategy as a matter of urgency, too.
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Andrew Boff AM: Thank you. Why did you not listen to the warnings in the [Lara] Goscé and [Anders] Johansson report published in 2018, which suggested a clear link between public transport use and infectious disease transmission?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Hopefully, you will be aware that what TfL did was to respond by ensuring that we were undertaking the most enhanced cleaning regimes on public transport undertaken across the country but also learning lessons from around the world as well. The advice we had as a consequence of the work we did after the University of Bristol report shows that the enhanced cleaning we were doing was making a big difference. Also, as recently as 18 March this year, the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group [for Emergencies] (SAGE) confirmed the transport measures would have a minimal impact on reducing transmission in London.
Andrew Boff AM: Are you saying that you did respond to that report?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): TfL always responds to reports. In fact, one of the things we did as a result of the report was not simply to enhance the cleaning regime but, in advance of lockdown, we were undertaking antibiotic cleaning on our estate. That was not undertaken anywhere else across the country. We were the first transport authority to test the longer-lasting 30-day antiviral regime, which is now being used across the country. The rest of the country is learning from London.
Andrew Boff AM: If that is the case, Mr Mayor, why on 3 March did you say, “There is no risk in using the Tube or buses or other forms of public transport or going to a concert”? Why did you say that if the information had been taken into account?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): You will be aware, hopefully, that on 18 March, after what I said, SAGE confirmed, “Transport measures such as restricting public transport, taxis and private hire facilities would have minimal impact on reducing transmission in London”. The reason is because the advice from the Government and its experts up until the first COBRA I attended, which was in the middle of March, was that the risk of community transmission was very low.
In fact, you will be aware that community transmission only became an issue in middle to late March. As soon as I went to the first COBRA on 15 or 16 March and discovered the higher levels of transmissions, I straight away changed the advice to Londoners in advance of the Government’s lockdown measures because I was cognisant for the first time of the level of infections in London. At that stage, half of the infections were in London and, because of the good work done by Londoners, that went from a third to a quarter to a fifth and now to a sixth.
Andrew Boff AM: Mr Mayor, you are talking a lot about your response. I am talking about the preparation. Absolutely, the response was that you increased cleaning on the Underground once we knew the virus had taken hold. Why was cleaning not increased on the Underground as a result of academic information that told us that infectious disease transmission was highly likely on the Tube?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): It was. There has been increased cleaning on the Underground for some time now, professionally cleaning through the day and during the night. We also commissioned King’s College [London] to do some further work because there was some concern about particulate matter on the Underground. Some of the improvements we have made on the Underground in advance of COVID-19 are way ahead of other transport authorities not just in the country but around the world. In fact, you will be aware one of the concerns that we ascertained from further undertaking was because the Underground in
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London is the oldest in the world, some of the dust in our Underground is not available in other undergrounds across the world and so we are going above and beyond. It was enhanced even further at the beginning of March ahead of the Government’s lockdown.
Andrew Boff AM: Mr Mayor, Londoners will listen to your complacent responses and wonder what kind of preparation --
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): That is your interpretation, not mine.
Andrew Boff AM: -- there will be for the next public health emergency. Thank you very much.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): All right. I have two indications that Members want to follow up on this question. Can I bring in Assembly Member Dr Sahota first, please?
Dr Onkar Sahota AM: Mr Mayor, first of all I want to echo the thanks you gave to all the frontline people who work hard for us.
Of course, as London, we were in the hands of the Government also and the Government educated the whole of the country on the reproduction (R) number and the COVID-19 curve, but what it did not mention was the curve for preparedness. This Government was behind the curve in declaring a national emergency. It was behind the curve in the lockdown. It was behind the curve in getting nursing homes already. It was behind the curve in providing PPE. It was behind the curve in wearing masks on TfL. It has also been behind the curve in making masks compulsory in confined places.
Your hands have been tied. Would you agree with this, Mr Mayor?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): I would, absolutely, but also it is the height of chutzpah for a Conservative to accuse anybody but his Prime Minister of complacency.
Dr Onkar Sahota AM: Great. What else can the Government be doing to help London now, Mr Mayor?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): It is very important that we get a number of things sorted out now and only the Government can do that. It has to make sure, as you alluded to in your first question, that the test, trace and isolate system is fully operational and is working properly. The app was promised to us two months ago and it has to do further work in relation to that.
It has to provide clarity of messaging in relation to issues like face coverings. It is quite remarkable. The Government has changed the rules in relation to wearing face coverings in takeaway shops to protect [The Rt Hon] Michael Gove [MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster]. It just beggars belief.
It has to make sure that the information we talked about in relation to the micro levels of data is shared with City Hall as well as boroughs. It has to make sure there are proper rules, powers and resources in relation to what we do in relation to a local lockdown. We have still not been given information from the Joint Biosecurity Centre or by the Government about what we would do if there was a need to geographically lock down a part of London.
I could go on. The point I want to make is one that you made, which is that because of the way we have a centralised democracy in this country, the powers that we have in City Hall and indeed in boroughs are very
Page 18 limited. We rely upon central Government. I do not have an independent chief political officer or an independent chief scientific advisor. I rely upon the Government.
Dr Onkar Sahota AM: Thank you, Mr Mayor. I have one more final question. They have made wearing a mask compulsory in confined spaces from 24 July. Why wait for these 10 days?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): What a good question. It is, again, a good example of mixed messages and confused communications from members of this Government. The Government finally, months after I started lobbying more than three months ago, has agreed that face coverings should be made mandatory in shops. Rather than doing it the day they made the announcement of this U-turn, they will wait 14 days. It is inexplicable.
Dr Onkar Sahota AM: Thank you, Mr Mayor. Thank you.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): I have an indication from Assembly Member Cooper?
Léonie Cooper AM: Thank you very much, Chair. Mr Mayor, we know that you have been calling on the Government for public health interventions from very early on in this pandemic whilst the Government has been frankly playing catch-up with you.
Now that the focus has moved on to preparing for the resulting economic downfall - and everything we hear tells us exactly how bad that is going to be - do you feel that the Government’s mini budget last week went far enough in supporting London’s economy following lockdown as we start to open up? Is it enough to prepare the economy for further waves of COVID, which sadly may happen?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): The Government just does not understand the scale of the challenge facing us. The Summer Statement went nowhere near addressing the concerns that many businesses have across London. I fear, just like the Government was slow to respond to the health consequences of COVID-19, it has been slow to respond to the economic consequences of COVID-19.
You have seen, as I have, the alarming unemployment figures to date. I am afraid that is not the worst of it. Once the furlough scheme ends - and it is ending prematurely for some sectors - we will see some of those who are furloughed, I am afraid, being made unemployed. We could have a situation where a health crisis is turning into a really severe economic crisis on top of the social crisis that we know about.
Léonie Cooper AM: Thank you. Thank you, Mr Mayor. That is my great concern as well. Thank you, Chair.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Thank you. Can I apologise to viewers for the frame of the Mayor, which has frozen, unfortunately? Thankfully, we can hear him very clearly. We are trying to resolve this issue but, if we cannot, please bear with us. We will certainly, for the next session, make sure that we look at other options that may be open to us. We are trying our best but, currently, unfortunately, the frame is frozen and so an apology for that.
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2020/2347 - Policing and the easing of lockdown regulations Len Duvall OBE AM
How are you working with the Metropolitan Police Service to put strategies in place to tackle an increase in crime, particularly violent crime, as lockdown continues to ease in London?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Chair, I feared for a second you were going to say that a frozen frame of me is an improvement on the alternative!
Can I thank the Assembly Member for his question. While crime fell by almost a third during lockdown, we have begun to see crime levels begin to increase as lockdown measures are eased. Across City Hall and the MPS we are focused on doing everything we can to suppress crime and maintain the momentum we were building in the fight against violence. Before lockdown we saw a reduction of 15% over the last financial year for knife crime involving under-25s and 23% from its high point in 2017.
The MPS has been using lockdown to focus on identifying and targeting offenders responsible for the most serious crimes. Since 13 March [2020] officers have recovered more than 450 knives, 320 offensive weapons and 115 firearms and have made 2,500 other seizures, mostly drugs. Officers have been targeting up to 1,000 of London’s most prolific violent offenders, visiting them personally and, alongside local authorities and other partners, offering them support to turn their lives around. The MPS has also launched its new Violence Suppression Units, with more than 600 officers dedicated to tackling violence at a local level.
Work also continues to address the underlying causes of crime. Through our Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), we have invested £1 million across two programmes, one to fund an intensive leadership programme for 100 youth workers and the other to extend a police custody diversion scheme, which uses youth coaches to divert young people away from crime towards positive opportunities.
However, as I have long maintained, violent crime is a national problem that needs national solutions. I have written to the Prime Minister to urge him to lead a multiagency effort to prevent a rise in violent crime across the country. I have also written to the Home Secretary seeking assurances about the current financial situation, which could see City Hall forced to make £500 million in savings, which could jeopardise plans to recruit more police officers and our ability to tackle violent crime at this critical juncture.
Len Duvall AM: Thank you, Mr Mayor. Can I just say how grateful I am for the way that you answered the question earlier on to Assembly Member Berry? The key issue that I thought that was missing is that in any new plan that comes forward in terms of engagement, it cannot be just about engagement. It has to be a discussion about some of the tactics that are open to the police in suppressing violent crime. The trends, as you have said, are already there. Academics are monitoring gang activity and are predicting a tsunami of gang-related violence. It is not just that that we have in our communities. There are other forms of violence.
Much that we have an economic development plan, should we use this opportunity when there is a real conversation going on about trust and confidence in the police not just in certain sections of our society but across our society? People are pretty aghast at some issues they see in a limited form on social media.
I am surprised you did not mention body-worn cameras as a bit of a gamechanger in some of those issues and, when we do discover something has gone terribly wrong, we take some fast action.
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In terms of a policing plan you have your strategy, but should we have a post-COVID-19 issue about priorities and get buy-in from all communities of London? Here are my starters for the plan about that.
On the economic downturn, yesterday the Police and Crime Committee returned to the issues of modern-day slavery. You put it on the agenda, Mr Mayor, and people started taking it seriously. It is alive and well in our communities, sadly. The question is: it is going to get worse with the economic downturn and so can we use this period to push on and buy in the support of communities? The police alone cannot deal with slavery in its modern forms. They need the help of others.
Secondly, can I thank you for the work you have done on supporting the domestic violence register in terms of the Assembly’s asks? There are now two amendments in Parliament, one from [The Rt Hon] Yvette Cooper [MP] amending the way the multiagency public protection arrangement (MAPPA) adviser system works in dealing and perpetuating sexual offenders. Then there is [The Rt Hon] Liz Saville Roberts’ [MP] amendment, which is a straightforward amendment to the register. They give us the same outcome in some ways about monitoring the most serial perpetrators of domestic violence.
Can you write to every London Member of Parliament (MP) asking them to look at those amendments and see whether they would support those amendments? Those who are against the abuse register are really saying, “More of the same, thank you”. We cannot go with more of the same on domestic violence. We need another kickstart in this area to push us on to trying to drive down this aspect of violent crime in our communities.
Finally, going back to the work that you outlined around the [Violence] Suppression Units, it is important that we take communities with us. It is important that we make a difference. There is an issue of over-policing and under-policing that needs a mature discussion about why certain things are taking place. We seem to have lost that somewhere in terms of that sort of issue. Engagement and oversight and scrutiny is important in policing, but actually how we are policed is more important.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): As ever, Assembly Member Duvall raises lots of really good points in his question. He has the art of asking 17 questions in one, Chair. I do not know whether there is a special standing order for Len. Let me deal with his three points.
On modern slavery and domestic abuse, the core of what the Assembly Member was saying is absolutely right. We cannot have a situation where a lot of society’s ills are put on the police’s doorstep for them to solve. It is a bit unfair to expect the police to solve the issue of modern slavery by themselves, as Assembly Member Duvall alluded to, or the issue of domestic abuse. The police do a good job, but there is a role for me to play from City Hall and also other members of society. When you are a customer going into a place where there could be workers who are abused and could be modern slaves ask yourself the question, “Are there alarm bells that need to be reporting this to the authorities?”
There is an issue, though, I have to say, with local authorities having their budgets cut. Their ability to monitor this is going to be affected as well. It is a good question that we should be asking ourselves and a responsibility we have.
In relation to domestic abuse, as ever, a good idea. What would be even more powerful - and I will ask my office to liaise with you and also with the various groups - is if I could write to the MPs and say, “This is a cross-party view of City Hall”. It makes it much more powerful. What I will do is, through the usual channels, speak to the various Group leaders to see if they are agreeable to me saying, “This is the view of City Hall”.
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That would really make the letter more powerful. You are right about the importance and the difference that a register can make.
In relation to violence suppression, you raised a number of interesting points there. There is this balance we have to strike between on the one hand we have some communities who suffer higher levels of violent crime than other communities and are asking for additional policing and on the other hand we do not want to be accused of over-policing a community, which can lead to targeting and concerns of disproportionality.
That is why we are doing a combination of approaches. The Violent Crime Taskforce is targeting those areas where there is high violent crime. The Violence Suppression Units are across London. They are pan-London. They are in all 12 Basic Command Units (BCUs) and the importance of them is to get a real feel of the area, get under the skin of the community, be the eyes and ears and work well with the BCUs because they are part of the BCUs as well. You are right that there is a challenge to be struck there.
One of our roles as leading politicians in London is to use the platform we have to educate people about the important role the police have. We have policing by consent. The police cannot do it by themselves. They are far more effective if Londoners are the eyes of the police and that trust and confidence is so important.
Len Duvall OBE AM: Thank you.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Assembly Member Bailey wanted to come in on this.
Shaun Bailey AM: Thank you, Chair. Firstly, can I commend Assembly Member Duvall for his tenacious pursuit around this domestic violence piece and serial offenders. It is really important and I want to congratulate him and encourage him to keep going.
Mr Mayor, to pick up on the points, what work is City Hall doing and what work is your office doing around helping the police do more focused work in recovering from this outbreak of COVID-19? I speak to many people in the community who are absolutely worried about outbreaks in gang crime and individuals making threats across the internet. Is City Hall asking the police to do specific things to combat this rise in violent crime?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Firstly, can I welcome your comments on the cross-party approach to domestic abuse and you commending Len Duvall [AM]. A lot of us will be impressed by the way we are working across parties on this issue that affects too many Londoners.
For the information of the Assembly, data from the MPS shows that more than 4,000 domestic violence arrests were made in London in the first six weeks of lockdown, which shows that the police do take this very seriously. Just like in answer to a previous question asked about complaints, I would encourage any Londoners who are victims of domestic abuse to please report it. Do not suffer in silence.
On the second point you raise also I am really pleased there is cross-party support to see what is happening below the radar during the lockdown, particularly organised criminals but also potential gang members using social media to do the sort of stuff they did out in the open when there was not a lockdown taking place. To reassure the Assembly Member, the MPS spent a lot of time during the lockdown - and is still doing so - monitoring social media to see if there are any threats being made or any criminal activity taking place. You will have seen some of the work of the National Crime Agency (NCA) on a much bigger organised crime operation. I reassure you that the MPS - and indeed police forces around the country because of county lines
Page 22 concerns - do see what is going on in relation to criminals using the lockdown as an opportunity to plan, to organise and to do more crime. We are trying to make sure that as we ease lockdown the police suppress that move to more criminality and more violence.
Shaun Bailey AM: Thank you for your answer. What I am trying to push at here is that the last four years have been characterised by record amounts of knife crime and an 11-year high for homicides. I really want to focus on what your office is doing to ask the police to do more and to be smarter around how they tackle these forms of crime. Of course lockdown has suppressed these things but the real worry now is that we will have an explosion of pent-up criminal activity. It is the job of your office to provide leadership on this. I want some idea of what you are doing in particular to help the police think through what they will do next to suppress crime moving forward, particularly violent crime.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): We have seen violent crime going up since 2014 across the country, including London, but also youth violence going up across London and across the country since 2014.
What we have done since I have become Mayor is to try to address the massive cuts that we have had in London. To date we have lost £850 million and the Government wants us to cut a further £236 million over the next two years. What I am doing from City Hall is increasing council tax precepts and diverting business rates to address that cliff-edge fall we have coming from the Government.
Secondly, from City Hall, we have been investing in the Young Londoners Fund with more than £70 million, diverting young people away from unconstructive things to constructive things. We have also set up England’s first VRU. The Home Office has helped us with the VRU in the first two years. What City Hall has done during the lockdown because we are worried about an increase in violent crime or what you call an explosion of violent crime is to say to the Government that it is really important we have certainty about funding in years two and three of the Government’s announcement for more police. You will be aware of the uncertainty in relation to that.
Secondly, you will be aware that because of the reduction in council tax, down 7%, and business rates, down 11%, we could be losing £5 million over the next two years. We want to avoid having to lag the increase in police officers numbers we have had and so we are asking the Government to support us financially there.
The third big thing we are doing, which is new during the lockdown, is the new Violence Suppression Units. This is on top of the Violent Crime Taskforce that we helped to fund. The Violence Suppression Units are more than 600 police officers placed across the 12 BCUs. One Inspector, two Sergeants and a number of officers will work in each BCU and they are based in that geographical area. One of the reasons for that, as the name suggests, is violence suppression, targeting the micro hotspots if we can work out to the right level of detail which parts of a ward have high levels of criminality, being proactive and targeting those areas as well. Any help that you can give lobbying the Government to help us in relation to the resources we need not to make any further cuts would be really appreciated, I am sure, by all Londoners.
Shaun Bailey AM: There is no doubt that all of the GLA Group and the MPS particularly faces a financial mountain to climb here, but most of what you have said is historic activity. What I want to focus on is what your office is doing to deal with what is coming down the pipe. It is your job to keep Londoners safe. You could characterise much of what is happened beforehand as a failure because we have had record levels of knife crime and an 11-year high in homicide.
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My point here is: what are you going to do to help the MPS think about what they do coming down the line so that we do not have the level of failure and the level of death on our streets that we have had previously? That is my motivation here. What are we going to do next? We do not want the result of lockdown to be that criminal activity was just pent up. We want it to be that the police are able to do something active, which it sounds like they have, but your office must be able to provide leadership so that we can keep those gains going into the future.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Chair, to be fair, in the answer I gave - I appreciate he may not have been listening - the things that I have said are all new things. The Violence Suppression Units are new. The Violent Crime Taskforce did not exist before I was Mayor. The Young Londoners Fund did not exist. The work we are doing around the violence hotspots is new. The work we are doing in relation to domestic abuse and the support I am giving to secure accommodation is new. The work the police have been doing over the last few weeks during lockdown to help the 4,000 victims after April [2020] is new. The work we are doing in relation to lobbying the Home Secretary not to make further cuts is new. The 7% cut in council tax is new. The 11% cut in business rates is new. The concern about a new era of austerity is new.
I am surprised that you do not seem to recognise that we face a real issue in London with a new era of austerity caused by the Government not supporting our city at a time when we need support.
The impact this has is also on the economy. We contribute between a quarter and a third of our economic output and so the Government has to both support us in relation to the issue of crime - it is really important to get a grip on violent crime, as you and I both agree, since it has been going up since 2014 - and also support our city economically because that is linked with the ability of regional and local government to provide the public services we so desperately need.
Shaun Bailey AM: What you have said is at best a mix of old and new measures and of course it is your job to keep us safe. Ultimately you have failed because we have a record level of knife crime and an 11-year high in --
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Chair, I am happy to answer questions, but what you cannot do is have speeches. Otherwise, I need to have equal time to respond to a speech.
Shaun Bailey AM: You have spoken a lot more than I have, Mr Mayor. Chair, that is --
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Can we stick to --
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Are you asking questions?
Navin Shah AM (Chair): -- measures post-lockdown, which is what the main question is?
Shaun Bailey AM: I wish that the Mayor had done that as well. That is enough from me, Chair.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): The advantage of turning one’s video screen on is you can read a question without listening to the answer, but the way Mayor’s Question Time works has to be using some intelligence to ask questions and respond to the answer I give.
Shaun Bailey AM: Chair, if the Mayor is going to refer to me like that, I ought to be able to reply.
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Navin Shah AM (Chair): Let us stop here. Look, let us stop here because we are going around a bit in circles here.
Shaun Bailey AM: Chair, the Mayor consistently behaves --
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): He has been for four years, Chair.
Shaun Bailey AM: He wastes our time and he is being supported in that. That is all I have, Chair.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Shaun, what are you reading? Whose script are you are reading, Shaun?
Shaun Bailey AM: He should be a bit more collegiate in the way he answers, Chair.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): He should stop reading questions and become a responsible Assembly Member.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): All right --
Tony Arbour AM (Deputy Chairman): This is outrageous.
Shaun Bailey AM: Mr Mayor, are you suggesting that you do not read your notes, that huge folder in front of you?
Navin Shah AM (Chair): This is not taking us forward at all. Let us --
Shaun Bailey AM: Chair, I agree with you --
Navin Shah AM (Chair): We have got to a stage where we would like to move on. Thank you. We are stopping here.
Shaun Bailey AM: Chair, I agree with you but I am sorry. The Mayor is rude. He is --
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Where is the question, Shaun? Where is the question?
Shaun Bailey AM: We can all see that, Chair, and you need to say something to him about his childish behaviour. It is ridiculous.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Can you please stop here? Thank you very much. Please do respect the position and the justice to questions that we require from all sides.
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2020/2525 - Filling the public transport capacity gap Keith Prince AM
With lockdown rules reducing public transport capacity by around 80%, to what extent do you anticipate different transport modes filling the gap?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): TfL is now running transport services at near-normal levels, but even with recent changes to social distancing guidelines, the number of people that London’s transport network can safely carry continues to be significantly constrained and capacity should still be prioritised for those who must use public transport.
As more people return to their physical places of work and more businesses and venues reopen, millions of journeys a day will need to be made by alternative means. London’s road to recovery cannot be clogged up by cars. If we allow journeys that were previously taken on public transport to be replaced with car trips, we risk London grinding to a halt. Potential deliveries and emergency services will be slowed down, air pollution levels will rise and road danger will increase.
That is why we have introduced our Streetspace for London plan, which is creating more space on the streets to enable those who can safely walk or cycle. TfL is working with boroughs to deliver over 850 schemes across the capital, helping people to safely walk and cycle while relieving pressure on our roads and public transport networks.
We have already seen big increases in the number of people using Santander Cycles. June [2020] saw the first ever normal weekday experiencing over 50,000 hires and more cycles and docking stations are being added to keep up with the unprecedented demand. To support those using their own bikes TfL has also added an initial 1,000 extra cycle parking spaces across London, focused around busy areas like high streets and transport hubs, over 500 of which have now been delivered.
It is essential that we do not replace one health crisis with another, fuelled by toxic air pollution. I am determined that our recovery is clean, green and sustainable with as many trips as possible walked or cycled.
Keith Prince AM: Thank you. I cannot see you, Mr Mayor. I do not know why that is. I just have a big ‘SK’ coming up. Is everyone else having that problem? Maybe it is just me.
First of all, can I start by thanking you and your team for the help you have been giving me in relation to Buses 4 Homeless? It has been quite helpful. I appreciate that. Credit where it is due. Thank you.
The other thing is on the Congestion Charge, Mr Mayor. I am wondering. I get why you have had to do it and why you do it, but I have had some questions from the logistics companies. Clearly, what they used to do is they used to avoid as much as possible the hours of the Congestion Charge and then deliver so that they were not contributing to congestion. These logistics businesses are vital to our London economy. By expanding the Congestion Charge in the way that you have, you have encapsulated them as well.
Do you want to comment on that or think on that, Mr Mayor?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Firstly, can I thank Assembly Member Prince for his kind comments about the work we are doing for rough sleepers. He referred to the buses.
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In relation to the level and scope of the Congestion Charge, unfortunately one of the conditions attached to us receiving a grant from the Government was to both reintroduce immediately the Congestion Charge, which I had suspended because of COVID, and secondly increase the level and scope of the Charge to £15, as you are aware, and up to 10.00pm.
This is a temporary measure, Keith, and so what we are going to do is make sure we address some of the concerns you have talked about. You are right. There are issues in relation to delivery to stores and food to supermarkets, which, as you will be aware, was previously delivered after the evening time to avoid paying the Congestion Charge, which can have a real impact on profit margins. During this temporary phase when the level and scope have been increased, we will be taking on board some of those points when it comes to us going from the temporary increase to, in inverted commas, ‘business as usual’.
Any other comments like that please do feed into TfL because it is really important that we recognise any unintended consequences.
Keith Prince AM: I am very short on time, Mr Mayor, but I want to make one more plea again with you around motorbikes and how essential they are for getting things around London, how important they are to people on low wages, how important they are to reducing congestion and how important they are to keeping people off other forms of public transport, which we need for essential workers. The fact is that some essential workers use motorbikes, Mr Mayor.
Is there any way that you could, even just during this difficult period that all Londoners are going through, waive the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charge on older bikes for a short period so that people can get around while we do not have the capacity on the public transport system, Mr Mayor?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): I should probably share with you that one of the representations I received on the options as part of increasing the level of charges and widening the scope was to include motorcycles in the Congestion Charge. I rejected that choice --
Keith Prince AM: Very wise.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): -- and what I have not done is to require motorcycles to pay the Congestion Charge. I am trying to share with you some of the challenges we have.
In relation to the ULEZ, 94% of motorbikes are ULEZ-compliant. It is a very small minority that are not. At the moment, we still have an air quality crisis and so we are not going to change the ULEZ policy.
What we are trying to do, though - and I know you care about this passionately - is to make sure our motorcyclists are safe. I am really keen to work with you, bearing in mind your influence, to make sure we address that issue. The bad news is that the number of motorcyclists injured or who lost their lives during this period is heart-breaking.
Keith Prince AM: Exactly. I have run out of time. Thank you very much, Mr Mayor.
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2020/2518 - London Leadership Tony Devenish AM
On 21st June 2020 you told the Sunday Times that you had “not been providing proper leadership” as Mayor of London. While you have our sympathies, do you not think you should have notified the London Assembly and shared this with the GLA Leadership and Londoners?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Thank you, Chair. As Mayor of London, it is important for me to set an example. That includes being open and honest about my mental health because it can encourage others who might be struggling to seek out the help and support they need. I have done this in the past and throughout the crisis.
None of us is superhuman. We all have our good days and our bad days. This is especially true in the middle of a pandemic when we are all finding it tough and have all been asked to make huge sacrifices to help save lives, from staying indoors and working at home to limiting outdoor exercise and our interactions with friends, family members and loved ones. I make no apology for acknowledging the toll lockdown has had on Londoners’ mental health, including my own. It would be irresponsible and dishonest to pretend that this period has been easy for people living in our city.
I am pleased to say that many Londoners, including City Hall staff as well, have thanked me for speaking so openly about this issue. I will continue to do so because real leadership is about representing people and giving voice to their feelings, not being some kind of alpha male who constantly seeks to parade their virility. I am really proud of my work supporting Thrive London and the Good Thinking app.
We are all human. We all have days when we are not firing on all cylinders, as I am sure even Assembly Member Devenish can confirm, but I can say with confidence that there has not been a single day during this crisis when this administration and my team have not provided the leadership London needs.
Tony Devenish AM: Thank you, Mr Mayor, for the way you answered that question. I respect you for that, sir, but I do have to ask you. This is the biggest crisis our country has faced since World War Two and you told The Sunday Times what you said. You did not tell the London Assembly. Why was that, please?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): I am quite surprised at this question because all of us will have days or periods when we have physical ill health. We will all have periods when we have family bereavements or other issues. Similarly, we all have periods when we are not 100%. There has been no criticism in the past in relation to those, which is human nature. There appears to be a criticism based upon me being honest about how I am feeling.
I will make this point respectfully. This is one of the reasons that there is stigma around mental health and people talking about mental health. One of my roles, I believe, as a politician is to follow the advice of a previous Prime Minister, which is to use our role to educate people. I am not hesitating in my role in talking about mental health in relation to how I feel.
The reality is I have not taken time off because I have not needed to. None of us needs to always medicalise our physical ailments and similarly we do not need to always medicalise our mental ailments but talking about them can be a big way of addressing them. I am not sure whether the criticism is that I should be sharing with the Assembly every day I am feeling a bit poorly. The reality is that me talking about it has encouraged others to talk about it and I will continue to do so, even if it leads to criticism from Conservatives.
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Tony Devenish AM: For clarity, Mr Mayor, I am not criticising you for having the guts to talk about it. I am congratulating you, but what I am asking you is that during the largest crisis since World War Two you would inform the Assembly rather than The Sunday Times in a piece. Frankly, many people have approached me and said that they were amazed by the way you broached this subject, sir. It is the way you have done it, not the fact that you have done it.
Can I finally ask you: do you feel that if you were clearly unwell at times, you should have stood down temporarily, put your Deputy Mayor in charge and informed the Assembly?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): You see, what you do not understand is that your question illustrates one of the reasons why people are scared to talk about their mental health. You assume that it automatically makes someone unfit to do the job they are doing. One of the reasons why people in places of work across our city and across our country do not talk about it with their line managers or their other colleagues is because people like you say that it means you are unfit to work.
All of us have periods when we are not firing on all cylinders. All of us, if we are honest, are not always at 100%. I will not stop being honest with Londoners about the fact that we should talk about mental health.
I make this point, Tony. My age cohort, those aged between 25 and 49, is the largest group of people who, I am afraid, kill themselves because of mental ill health. It is the sort of attitude that leads to the question being asked and leads to men not having the confidence to do so. Three quarters of people who kill themselves are men. I am talking about it - albeit there are people who would criticise me - and I am going to carry on doing so.
Tony Devenish AM: I will leave it there, Chair. By the way, I did not criticise you, Mr Mayor. I asked a question. Thank you.
2020/2098 - Crossrail Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM
When will the central section of Crossrail be open for passengers?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): We are doing everything we can to get this railway open as soon as it is safe to do so. This is a top priority for our new Commissioner Andy Byford along with the safe re-emergence of London’s transport system from the impact of COVID-19.
As with all big construction projects, physical work in the stations and the tunnels had to stop for a period during the height of the pandemic. Crossrail Ltd is still working through all the implications of this and is reprogramming the remaining work given the continued need for some social distancing in what is a constrained working environment. The Chair of the Crossrail project Tony Meggs [CB] and the Chief Executive Mark Wild are resolutely focused on opening the central operating section as soon as possible whilst also mitigating the challenges posed by coronavirus. The Crossrail Ltd executive have made it clear to me that safety remains paramount across the entire project. Social distancing protocols are being observed across all sites now that physical works have resumed. Dynamic testing of the train control systems in the tunnels has also restarted, which will allow multiple trains to operate in the tunnels to simulate the Elizabeth line timetable.
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There is clearly a significant way to go until we are able to fully transition Crossrail into the Elizabeth line. The major implications of the global pandemic means that the project team is currently undertaking a rigorous review of the project schedule. They are seeking to optimise works and recover time lost. It is important this work is done properly and receives the appropriate validation, including by the Crossrail board, to ensure it is accurate ahead of any public commitments. I expect Crossrail Ltd to provide an update on this work and any subsequent updates on its finances to sponsors at the July and August [2020] meetings of the Crossrail board.
Along with the joint sponsor of this project, the Department for Transport (DfT), I remain determined to keep Londoners and Assembly Members up to date as much as possible regarding the impact on project timelines and costs. As soon as it is possible to share accurate assessment of the impact, Crossrail and the sponsors will do so.
Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM: Thank you for your response. I am sure you will agree with me that after such huge delays and the previous promises that the central section would open in December 2018, everyone wants some clear answers.
Do you agree with a statement from Tony Meggs, Chair of Crossrail, just six weeks ago at a TfL Board meeting when he publicly made the claim to “meet or beat” the revised opening date of the summer of 2021?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): First of all, I want to thank you for your role as a critical friend of Crossrail in relation to scrutiny.
What Tony was doing was illustrating the can-do attitude that the Crossrail team has. My concern, as is yours, is that that optimism bias does not lead to expectations that cannot be met. Tony was not doing that, to be fair to him. He was just trying to make the point that they want to make up lost ground.
We will have a clearer idea, Caroline, in the July Crossrail board meeting. I will share with you - and indeed the Assembly and Londoners - as soon as I have that information what that is. We will have a better idea after the July and August Crossrail board meetings. You will be aware that at the TfL Board meeting in July we will have a new budget, which will hopefully reflect some of the stuff we learn from Crossrail.
Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM: Do you agree - because this is since COVID had happened - that he said not only to meet but to potentially beat the opening of summer next year, yet we know there have been delays in the works? Do you agree with him? It is a simple question.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): I am not quite sure how we get to beat that target, bearing in mind the delay in dynamic testing. It started, COVID happened, it stopped and it has restarted. You will be aware of the dynamic testing that leads to a trial opening and that needs to run in for some time. I am not quite clear how we beat it, Caroline, but that is one of the reasons why we are waiting to see what the July Crossrail board tells us.
Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM: Mr Mayor, when you dig down and look at possible opening dates for Crossrail, the real issue is the progress on key milestones. Trial running still has to take place. When do you think trial running will start?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): That is a good question. The advice I have received is that some of the reliability that the trial running is testing can be done during dynamic testing, which means it is possible
Page 30 theoretically - I am not saying this will happen - for there to be sufficiently good dynamic testing to shorten the period of trial running before opening.
I want it to be this year. It was originally going to be around September. That may be pushed back because of the delay in dynamic testing. We will know more after the July board meeting. We will definitely know more after the August board meeting. As soon as I know, I will share that with the Assembly.
Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM: Thank you. The most recent independent consultant’s report on Crossrail, which was published only last week on TfL’s website says, I quote, “Crossrail Ltd has failed to achieve a programme that has achievable milestones and dependable forecast dates”. With experts making such claims - and these are your independent experts - I believe it is vital that we have some full answers.
You have said several times you have a July board meeting. Perhaps after that meeting you will be able to write to me and confirm when trial running will commence, how long you anticipate it taking and when down to the actual month Crossrail will finally open. That is what Londoners want and that is what we all want: to get this railway open. Will you agree to write to me after the July board meeting with that information so that we can get this railway back on track?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Chair, I am very happy to write to not just Caroline but the entire Assembly after the July board meeting to give a summary of what we have been told at that board meeting and, similarly, I also undertake to write to the Assembly after the August board meeting as well to make sure you are fully sighted on what we are being told by the Crossrail team.
Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM: And with a month when the railway will open, please. Thank you very much.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Yes, thank you, Mr Mayor, for that commitment. Please do write to Assembly Members following the board meeting as just indicated.
Colleagues, there is a change of running order now. We are going to swap places, so to say, in terms of questions.
2020/2348 - Support for Small Businesses Re-opening After Lockdown Florence Eshalomi AM MP
Many small businesses need immediate support to safely re-open post lockdown –for example in sourcing protective equipment such as visors, gloves and putting up ‘social distancing’ signage, which could take weeks. There is also a need for clearer guidance for instances where social distancing is almost impossible. What can the Mayor do to support these businesses to open up quickly and safely?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): It has been great to see so many shops, cafés and restaurants open in recent weeks. I welcome the fact that thousands of businesses that have seen their turnover hit during this crisis are now up and running again.
However, the short notice provided by the Government in confirming the reopening date for restaurants, cafés and pubs and the late issue of guidance and legislation created difficulties for many - especially small, independent - businesses who simply did not have the time or resources to put in place the safety measures you mentioned in your question.
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With London Councils, I established a High Street Reopening Task and Finish Group, chaired by the Night Czar [Amy Lamé], with representatives from a range of local authorities, the MPS, licensing experts and business bodies to help co-ordinate action and additional guidance in the run-up to the reopening of restaurants, bars and pubs on 4 July [2020].
We have directly supported small businesses to reopen safely through providing free access to business support advisors and webinars through the London Growth Hub and particularly the COVID-19 support hub on the Growth Hub website. I continue to encourage Londoners to start rediscovering their reopened high streets and of course to do so safely by following social distancing guidance. We relaunched the #LondonIsOpen campaign to support the reopening of the hospitality sector and London & Partners have built an alliance around the Because I Am a Londoner campaign to support consumer confidence.
Nevertheless, many businesses will continue to struggle, which is why I have called for a targeted extension of the furlough scheme to the most affected sectors. To help, I have provided £1 million to support businesses to sustain or accelerate via the Growth Hub, where the vast majority are small businesses that have been supported, and a £2.3 million Culture at Risk Fund to support cultural businesses, where the vast majority of businesses supported are small businesses. We are also continuing to support businesses through Pay It Forward London, which has already seen over 170 businesses, mainly small ones, receive £250,000 with the help of more than 4,000 Londoners.
Florence Eshalomi AM MP: Thank you, Mr Mayor, and thank you for your support in championing those small businesses, which are the lifeblood of London in terms of their employment to so many Londoners.
I have been out about my constituency just visiting some of those businesses and the key thing that comes back is that lack of guidance coming from central Government. They do welcome the approach now on face masks but, again, there are still some concerns.
You mentioned the Growth Hub and you have mentioned the Culture at Risk Fund. Is there anything more that you think City Hall could be doing - I totally appreciate that funding is tight - to really help those small, independent businesses get back on their feet quickly and safely?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Firstly, thank you for your leadership in your constituency. I have seen on social media some of your pictures outside the various shops on your high streets. You going back shows confidence to your constituents that the shops and businesses are safe. That is really good stuff and all of us are doing that in our own communities as well.
In addition to the various measures I have announced, another measure that may help businesses in your constituency but across London is that we are now reprioritising some of the Greater London Investment Fund towards a resilience loan, which will help businesses in your patch. It will help with cashflow in particular. It is £4.3 million of this and it is being repurposed to help businesses at 0% interest. It will help in relation to the first year of the businesses that you are talking about.
I am concerned about businesses falling through the cracks and so I continue to lobby the Government. What I want to do is to target some of the furlough schemes in those sectors that will not be able to recover as quickly. Any ideas that the Assembly has I am in the business of listening to. I want to see if we can target some of the help to these small businesses, which, as you say, are the lifeline of our economy.
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Florence Eshalomi AM MP: Thank you, Mr Mayor. Finally, at the first meeting of the London Recovery Board on 4 June, attendees noted that the fact that London’s businesses are diverse and they serve a range of different residents. We know that COVID and the lockdown restrictions have had a disproportionate impact on female and black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) led businesses, some of them who were not able to trade online.
Can you assure that any additional support going forward from City Hall offered to these businesses does not take a one-size-fits-all approach, instead that we have a more tailored approach to help these businesses?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): You raise such an important point. One of the things that we discovered in relation to our business programmes when I became Mayor is there was no thinking about, when it came to entrepreneurship, black Londoners, BAME Londoners, women entrepreneurs. They could not get access from the usual places like banks and so what we have done under my leadership is make sure we are targeting support. When it comes to international business, we target the sort of diverse entrepreneurs you are talking about, women-only trips or BAME trips, but also we have given loan facilities and capital to these sorts of business who cannot access traditional ways of going in.
We have now, Assembly Member Eshalomi, the Growth Hub giving bespoke advice to some of these businesses, including signposting. My message through you is any of your businesses in your community can now get one-to-one advice from our advisers. We have seen that really makes a difference. It does not necessarily mean money. We can often advise about Government schemes that businesses are unaware of, so please signpost them to our Growth Hub and we will make sure we give individual advice to in particular some of those entrepreneurs you are talking about, who have made so many sacrifices to launch and are now having the heart-breaking possibility of their businesses going bust because of this global pandemic.
Florence Eshalomi AM MP: Great. Thank you, Mr Mayor. Thank you, Chair.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): The next question in the running order that we have, which is from Assembly Member Bailey, has been withdrawn.
2020/2297 - LFB budget situation Andrew Dismore AM
What impact on LFB’s post-Grenfell and post-HMICFRS transformation plans will the shortfall in GLA group funding have?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on our city and you will be aware that the GLA Group faces a forecast £493 million budget shortfall for the next two years. Ministers have so far failed to provide special additional funding to local and regional authorities across the UK to compensate for lost funding. I therefore put in a place a proposal that will allow the GLA Group to make the savings required should the Government not stand up and provide us with the support we need.
I am acting to protect the budgets of our most important frontline services, including the LFB, which together with the MPS will be asked to make the smallest percentage of savings across the GLA Group. I have asked the LFB to find £10 million of savings in 2020/21 and £15 million in 2021/22, but finding the savings in a way that will not affect the frontline services they provide to Londoners. I am well aware that the LFB has been living with a legacy of more than £100 million of cuts made by the previous Mayor, which did affect frontline services.
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The London Fire Commissioner is working through how those savings could be made and the impact this will have on our efforts to transform the LFB in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire. The Commissioner has been clear that he needs to ensure that he can continue to improve training and equipment and make other changes to the way London’s fire and rescue service operates. This includes improving the fire safety in more buildings, including high-rise property, and preparing for major incidents such as acts of terrorism. It is vital this work continues to ensure the recommendations from Phase 1 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and the findings of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) report are properly implemented.
Andrew Dismore AM: Thank you for that, Mr Mayor. Coming hard on the heels of the highly critical Grenfell Inquiry first report, last autumn you said:
“The results of the LFB HMICFRS inspection was simply not good enough and it is important that changes are made to address the issues raised as quickly as possible. The London Fire Commissioner has identified what needs to be done, including new equipment such as radios, breathing apparatus, specialist vehicles, including 64-metre aerial ladders, urgent training to raise standards on incident command and blue light appliance driving, new pursuit of tactics in training for high-rise firefighting, community outreach, improved fire safety work and youth engagement.”
A long list. In a mayoral decision last month, the cost of this vital Fire Brigade Transformation Delivery Plan was reported as being a £4.1 million estimated ongoing cost of delivery. How is this money going to be found with the proposed £25 million cut in LFB’s budget?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): I think your question has articulated the perfect storm, as I say, in terms of negative connotations that the LFB could face. It has been asked to make savings, it has been asked to transform itself and it also has to fulfil the requirements of not just Grenfell part 1 of the inquiry, but also the HMICFRS report and also future Government legislation. The Commissioner is right to alert you and others of some of the concerns he has. We are going to work closely with the LFB and lobby the Government so these savings do not need to be made. It is important to make sure that the new Transformation Director is given the support she needs to make the changes and improvements they have got to make. I think your question articulates the real challenge there is going to be. What your question did not mention was this comes on top of the £100 million of cuts made before I became Mayor.
Andrew Dismore AM: Thank you for that, because I was going to come on to that next. In 2016 you commissioned the Anthony Mayer independent review to the LFB’s funding after [The Rt Hon] Boris Johnson’s [MP, former Mayor of London] draconian cuts to fire stations, fire engines and firefighters. Mr Mayer’s report was unequivocal. He said the LFB could not shoulder any further funding reductions, “if it is to have sufficient resources to meet the challenges of the future and to keep Londoners safe”. Since then, of course we have seen the post-Grenfell legislation as well as the two reports, which will expand the LFB’s enforcement role. The new regulations are already bringing more buildings into the regulatory and enforcement regime, yet this expansion is barely funded.
The LFB already had a significant budget gap before this latest crisis and cuts of this magnitude cannot be achieved without affecting the frontline response, can they, as Mayer indicated? Are the average London- wide six and eight-minute response times for first and second fire engines now going to be at risk, jeopardising the lives and property of Londoners?
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Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Thanks for your question. You have been scrutinising some of these cuts made by the previous Mayor, so you know about them very well. There are no plans to change those standards you referred to, but you are right to remind me and remind Londoners about the challenges the LFB faces simply in the context of more than 7,000 tall buildings in London. There are only 11,000 across the country; most of them are in London. Bearing in mind the lack of confidence in the building environment because of Grenfell and what it has shown, these are big challenges. What we cannot afford to have is front line reductions in services, so there are no plans to change the standard, but also one of the reasons why I have said that the smallest amount of savings should be made in the LFB is for the reasons that you have said.
Andrew Dismore AM: OK, thank you.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Members, I have a question for you and Mr Mayor. We still have a problem of the Mayor’s image frozen on the screen. The option we have to sort this out is to have a small adjournment and then come back after, hopefully, sorting the problem out or we say tough luck and carry on and then try to resolve this for future meetings. I am entirely in your hands what you want me to do.
Florence Eshalomi AM MP: Restart.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Shall we adjourn for a while?
Léonie Cooper AM: Yes, let us restart, because it is just a real shame. Some of us can see a frozen Mayor and some of us can only see ‘SK’ as the initials.
Keith Prince AM: Chair, he is on the live feed. You can see him on the live feed, but I cannot see him on my laptop. I suggest a five-minute break, Mr Mayor.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Let us see what we can do in five minutes and we will come back again. Thank you.
[Note: The Chair adjourned the meeting at 11.37am in order to allow technical issues to be resolved, reconvening at 11.50am.]
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Apologies, it has taken a bit longer than we thought, but we are back in action. Thank you very much.
2020/2354 - GLA Finances Joanne McCartney AM
Local and regional authorities across the country are in financial difficulty due to the COVID-19 crisis. Your budget guidance estimates that without government assistance the GLA group will have to find savings of up to £500 million. What will this mean for Londoners?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Can I apologise to those for whom I am now not frozen? They will be able to see me and so I cannot please everyone.
Thank you for the question. COVID-19 and the resulting economic downturn is having a massive impact on finances across the GLA Group and also across all 33 local authorities in London. Unless the Government provides additional grant support for the reduction in revenues from TfL fares, sales, fees and charges as well
Page 35 as business rates and council tax it could have a devastating impact across local services in London and indeed elsewhere in England. London boroughs have estimated revenue shortfalls and spending pressures approaching £1.9 billion this year according to analysis by London Councils.
In terms of the GLA, the current best estimate is that the reductions in revenues compared to our budgeted allocations will be around £493 million across this financial year and the next, as set out in my budget guidance published on 26 June. The Communities Secretary announced some additional support for local authorities on 2 July, covering a proportion of their revenue losses from sales, fees and charges and also allowing authorities to spread their 2020/21 business rates and council tax deficits over the following three budget years. While we still await more details, these new proposals will not be anywhere near sufficient. I have asked for the GLA functional bodies to come up with their plans to deliver the savings required through their formal budget submissions for 2020/21 in late November. This includes savings in both this financial year and next. Extensive discussions will also take place before then, including how best to use the reserves I have prudently established to help reduce the impact on Londoners. I will set out the final details of my plans to deliver savings required in my 2021/22 budget consultation document in December.
Joanne McCartney AM: Thank you, Mr Mayor. As you have rightly said, this is not a party-political issue, councils and authorities of all political persuasions are similarly affected. You have touched on this already, but were you happy with the Chancellor’s statement last week and do you think it delivered what London needed?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): I do not want to breach confidences of who they were, but I know colleagues across the Metro Nine, but also council leaders from different parties were hoping that the Chancellor would announce some support either regionally or locally to authorities to support them. He did not do so, which is a real source of concern, because we are being told to wait for the spending review, until December, hoping he announces something then. The problem is the council tax that all of us use to provide services has fallen off a cliff edge, as indeed have business rates. It demonstrates the Government not understanding the sheer scale of the challenge facing us and it will inevitably lead to what I call a new era of austerity.
Joanne McCartney AM: Thank you. Of course the Chancellor did announce some financial programmes. He announced, for example, the Kickstart scheme to help young people into employment, but it strikes me that both schemes are best delivered at regional and local level, perhaps with the GLA co-ordinating those schemes. Do you think this crisis highlights the need for further devolution to London? You, as Mayor, with your links to employers and local communities are really best placed to direct a lot of that funding and those new schemes.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): I think if you speak to leaders of councils, local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) and mayoralties, combined authorities across the country, they all agree in relation to the issue of skills - which is what this is about - are best designed and delivered locally rather than civil servants in Whitehall, with the best will in the world. Actually, councils in London know their communities far better than civil servants in Whitehall, as indeed do leaders across Greater Manchester, Liverpool, Tees Valley, West Midlands, etc. I think this is a missed opportunity from the Government. The Government should be letting go far more. Government politicians get the devolution agenda. I worry civil servants, particularly in the Treasury and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), do not. What I say generally - it is not a party-political point - to the Government is to make sure that civil servants understand that actually devolution leads to better results across the country.
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Joanne McCartney AM: Thank you.
2020/2360 - Keeping the Transport Network Safe Dr Alison Moore AM
Is TfL maintaining a two-metre social distancing rule on the network or will they move to one-metre plus?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Thank you, Chair. The number of people that can safely use London’s transport network continues to be constrained and ensuring the safety of customers and staff on the transport is my priority. TfL has done significant work to help facilitate social distancing on the public transport network. It has been in close contact with the DfT, PHE and other bodies throughout the pandemic to ensure that the correct advice is being given to customers. The current Government guidance is that whether on the transport network or elsewhere, people should maintain a social distance of two metres, if possible. If this is not possible, they should then take a one-metre plus distance. There are clearly some occasions on the transport network, as in other settings, where maintaining a two-metre social distance is going to be impossible. This is why customers must wear a face covering unless they are exempt. Face coverings should cover the nose and the mouth and be used for the entirety of the journey, including on platforms and in ticket halls.
On buses, drivers can control entry and therefore can limit the number of customers on board at any one time. Controlling passenger boarding is more difficult on the Underground, but TfL’s data suggests that as services increase to near pre-pandemic levels, Tube services have been able to meet demand and support social distancing. There is even available capacity outside of peak hours. I am pleased that TfL has been able to run services at nearly 100% and to help customers maintain social distancing as much as possible. To enhance safety, TfL has placed 1,000 hand sanitising points across the transport network for people to use. There is also social distancing signage and posters across the network and one-way systems have been introduced to help passengers keep their distance. TfL will continue to closely monitor public transport usage and will take all steps necessary and practical to keep customers and staff safe on the network.
Dr Alison Moore AM: Thank you very much, Mr Mayor. This is all crucial to public confidence in using the public transport system when they need to. When I have had to do so recently, I have to say I have noticed a mixed picture around face coverings. Mr Mayor, on 25 June TfL said 90% of passengers on the network were using a face mask, but as I said, I see a mixed picture.
Can you update me on that figure and confirm the percentages of those passengers who are not wearing a mask who were exempt and those who were not exempt and therefore liable to enforcement action?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Sure. Thank you for your intelligence in relation to your experience, I suspect in outer London. That is really useful to know. The figures I have got are figures from TfL commissioned research and by their nature, they are averages. TfL commissioned research shows that around 90% of customers are wearing a face covering on our public transport network at all times. Of the remaining 10% who are not wearing a covering or at any other time, around half say they had an exemption, and that is 5% of our customers saying they have an exemption to the rules and regulations, which means 5% have not. We will continue to enforce going forward.
Dr Alison Moore AM: In the context of that enforcement, Mr Mayor, I appreciate that the legal position, the statutory position for TfL enforcement officers to be able to act came out at the beginning of July. When did
Page 37 enforcement action actually start against those not wearing face coverings and how many fines have been issued to date? It would be really helpful, because of that mixed picture, to understand the breakdown of fines across mode of transport, whether it is buses, Tubes, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) or surface rail.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Thanks for your question. It is on buses where we tend to have not as many people using a face covering. On Tubes and the DLR it tends to be higher. The focus in the 30 weeks has been British Transport Police and TfL enforcement officers on buses, so there are three tools that they have. One is to stop somebody getting on public transport if they are not wearing a face covering or to ask them to put them on; secondly, to ask them to leave the network or put on a face covering if they have got one and they are willing to do so and they are not exempt; thirdly, to issue a fixed penalty notice. The figures that I have got are that 18,500 people were stopped as of Monday or had a conversation with. That figure has now increased from Monday to today and there have been 20,168 interactions - and they were primarily on the buses - to enforce face coverings. A lot of these people, by the way, will put on a face covering when challenged. On fixed penalty notices, as of yesterday, 61 fixed penalty notices have been issued to people for refusing to wearing a face covering when travelling.
Dr Alison Moore AM: Thank you, Mr Mayor. I will leave it there, other than to urge you to look at some of the hotspots around the Tube network. Thank you, Chair, and thank you, Mr Mayor.
2020/2474 - Police Safety Susan Hall AM
Are you satisfied that police officers were given appropriate protections during recent protests?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): I absolutely condemn the scenes of violence and disorder we have witnessed on our streets over recent weeks, whether it has been due to people hijacking protests or the unlicensed music events we have seen across the capital. The MPS will continue to investigate these unacceptable crimes, including violence against police officers, and to bring offenders to justice. I am pleased that more than 250 arrests have already been made. I also want to pay tribute to those officers on the front line, who have been working long hours in often challenging conditions to prevent disorder and to keep Londoners safe. Policing large crowds can be complex and potentially dangerous work, but officers are well- trained for these situations and are appropriately equipped. The MPS is one of the most experienced police forces in the world at dealing with disorder and are some of the best public order commanders in the country.
There is no-one-size-fits-all response to public disorder. Police strategy and tactics are determined by the highly trained public order commanders and their decisions are based on the specific situation they face and the intelligence available to them. These decisions include which officers to deploy, what protective equipment they should wear and when. Not every situation requires officers to respond with full public order equipment and tactics from the beginning and often early engagement can prevent an escalation of disorder. There is a clear chain of command and accountability put in place for public order incidents, whether they are planned or spontaneous gatherings. These are judgments for experienced police leaders to make and I trust their knowledge and training to ensure officers are appropriately equipped for any given situation. I have discussed these issues with the Commissioner and her team and I take professional advice on how best to protect officers from her and her team. I support these operational decisions and those of the senior team in making sure officers have the tools they need to keep themselves and the public safe.
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Susan Hall AM: Thank you, Mr Mayor. I agree with you. I applaud these frontline officers. I really do. I do not know if you heard that yesterday in the Police and Crime Committee it was explained that attacks on the police had been on the rise, unfortunately, in recent months and indeed black officers were attacked apparently more vociferously during the recent protests. Sir Stephen House [QPM, Deputy Commissioner, MPS] was very clear that a portion of these attacks came from the Black Lives Matter protestors themselves.
You mentioned earlier in your responses to Assembly Members Berry and Duvall that you want Londoners to have trust and confidence in the police, but do such attacks not suggest that there is a long way to go to achieve this? Would you commit to look into why these officers are attacked in such a way and provide them with the support that they need?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Thanks for your question and the way you raised it and what you are concerned about. I was really distressed when I spoke to black officers during the first Black Lives Matter protest - it was midweek - and what was distressing, in addition to the abuse and violence that officers faced, was when I was told that black officers were being verbally abused and attacked by those on the Black Lives Matter movement protest. We are doing all this hard work to recruit black officers, to keep them, to progress them and yet members of the community are giving them a hard time for joining the police service. It is really difficult.
One of the things that the MPS is doing - as you are a big advocate of, I know - is the welfare of our police. What the police have done is to make sure these BAME officers are given additional support and welfare support in real time, because it really is distressing. You are right that we have to learn the lessons from this, but also by talking about it, we have to make sure Londoners appreciate it is unacceptable to attack officers either verbally or doing other things, and that includes our BAME officers.
Susan Hall AM: Absolutely right. I would ask you, as Mayor, to please make it clear that our police and the police in the United States are very different in terms of approach, tactics and actually their general relationship with the public. We all need to do everything we can to stop the police being regarded as the enemy in many communities. As our leader, Mr Mayor, I would beg you to actually make that clear.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): There is not much of what you said that I disagree with. I think we have got to recognise that in our city, in our society, our police are very different from American police officers, not least in relation to the vast majority of officers being unarmed; we police by consent. We do not have the sort of examples, thankfully, of the brutality you see in the United States, but there are examples of disproportionality and the police take them very seriously, the concerns the public have.
You have heard me answer in a previous question talking about the steps we are taking to address concerns that Londoners have around disproportionality. I would not say, and nor do senior police officers, that we are perfect, but we are a million miles away from some of the police force examples you see in the United States. That does not mean I am trivialising this concern people have around racism, inequality and discrimination. What I am trying to say is that our police work really hard to earn the trust and confidence of Londoners and will continue to do so. Our action plan is where we can rebuild some of that trust and confidence, particularly in some communities.
Susan Hall AM: I hope so, Mr Mayor. Thank you very much, Chair.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Can I request Deputy Chairman Arbour to take charge of the next question, which is from me?
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Tony Arbour AM (Deputy Chairman in the Chair): Yes, of course, Chair. Please go ahead with your question.
2020/2422 - London’s Cultural and Creative Industries Navin Shah AM
Even before the pandemic crisis there were concerns about the decline in some elements of the cultural sector in London. Now, the culture and creative sectors are clinging on worried for their very survival. How do you propose to bring about a revival of London’s cultural and creative industry which is facing unprecedented turmoil?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): COVID-19 has been catastrophic for London’s creative sector. Research shows that the pandemic could cost London’s creative economy up to £16.3 billion this year alone, risking 151,000 jobs. Culture must play a crucial role in London’s economic and social recovery. I am pleased to see the Government has acknowledged the importance of culture with an announcement of £1.7 billion. I have written to the Secretary of State urging him to ensure that this funding benefits the creative ecosystem as a whole, helping individuals as well as institutions, from grassroots organisations and creative supply chain businesses, from freelancers to artists to major venues, artists’ studios and nightclubs. It is also imperative that this funding does not amplify the inequality that already exists within the arts. I am doing everything I can to support the creative economy in London.
I have expanded my Culture at Risk office and provided £2.3 million of emergency grants, helping more than 500 organisations and 11,000 artists so far. The London Growth Hub and Pay It Forward London are also supporting those creative businesses, many of these in outer London. Our flagship programmes will be key to recovery: East Bank, the Museum of London and the Thames Estuary Production Corridor will create jobs and empower local communities. The Schools Programme in my Creative Enterprise Zones will increase diversity in the industry, not least the young people in Brent, who benefit from being the London Borough of Culture.
Navin Shah AM: Thank you, Mr Mayor. What resources are you able to make available and what are your expectations from Government lobbying to finance artists and creative workers, who tend to work on a freelance basis and are really struggling?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Thank you for your question and raising this issue, because I worry that just like in relation to some of the Chancellor’s announcements in relation to supporting business, I worry that the Secretary of State’s announcement in relation to £1.57 billion could lead to some people missing out who need help. You referred to two groups, freelance artists and others. When lobbying the Government to make sure these individuals do not miss out - they are vulnerable, if they do not work, they do not get paid - we are trying to make sure that the Government targets them separately. We are giving support from the Culture at Risk work we are doing that I have already mentioned, but also the Culture at Risk business support to help these areas as well. A lot of this is helping freelancers and other artists who otherwise would miss out.
Navin Shah AM: There are particular concerns about viability of theatres, where box office takings have dried up virtually overnight. Reopening with social distancing will not make much financial sense and there are warnings of dire consequences if income and funding do dry up. The future of small grassroot venues also looks very bleak, particularly in outer London boroughs, who face financial meltdown unless some intervention
Page 40 takes place. Should a special case be made to extend the furlough scheme for these industries to protect them and their employees?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Absolutely. One of the things I am lobbying the Government to do is to extend the furlough scheme in a flexible way for those sectors, hospitality, culture, the creative industries, where it is simply not possible in the short to medium term to have the numbers for these businesses to reopen. The choice the Government has is targeted support for these sectors or if it will not give targeted support, these businesses will go bust, those theatres or other cultural businesses, people become unemployed and the Government has got to step in to give benefits and other support. We are lobbying the Government to do so. In the meantime, we are targeting the work that we are able to do with the Culture at Risk work, the £2.3 million and other support to outer London, but also to those theatres and places of business that cannot reopen in the short to medium term.
I am afraid the bad news is it is not just the small theatres and those in outer London. You will be hearing, I am afraid, over the next few days and weeks announcements for some of the big cultural institutions, who will be consulting and they will be making redundancies in the short to medium term.
Navin Shah AM: Thank you, Mr Mayor. That is all from me.
Tony Arbour AM (Deputy Chairman in the Chair): Thank you, Chair. Back to you.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Thank you very much.
2020/2283 - Action plan on community policing Unmesh Desai AM
I welcome the action plan you have said is being drawn up to help improve transparency, accountability and trust in the Met Police. Are you able to provide more details of what this work will entail?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): It is vital that our police service retains the trust and confidence of the communities it serves so that every Londoner, regardless of background or postcode, can feel safe, protected and supported. I am not complacent about this. I have heard concerns and the strength of feeling from some Londoners about a range of issue and the need for urgent action. I know that a lack of trust in the police particularly among black communities is a concern. In spite of the progress that has been made, the disproportionate impact of some police tactics, such as stop and search and the user of tasers, is a significant concern for many Londoners. The action plan will focus on securing greater trust and confidence in policing and how police tactics are used to enable safer communities as well as considering how we deliver a more representative workforce with a proportionate response of London’s black communities.
The action plan has been developed with communities, police and other stakeholders. I would not want to pre-empt the outcome of those discussions. The themes that have emerged from the discussions so far focus on improving cultural awareness and representation in the MPS, holding the MPS to account and strengthening scrutiny at a local level. I expect to release further details in the coming weeks. I want to be clear though, the action plan alone will not solve the systemic issues faced by black communities in our city or indeed our country. Work to tackle structural inequality needs to happen across the public sector in London and in the UK. I have had a longstanding commitment to tackling inequality, for example, through our
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Workforce Integration Network, aiming to tackle inequality in the labour market and through our COVID-19 recovery work, which puts equality and inclusion at the centre of this approach.
Unmesh Desai AM: Thank you for that answer, Mr Mayor. I am glad that you have said you are not complacent. Look, there are two issues here. One is London of course needs more police, but as Assembly Member Len Duvall said earlier, it is about how we are policed. My supplementary questions really are on the issues of how Londoners are policed. Mr Mayor, you talked about a more representative police force in London. Whilst the situation has considerably improved over the last few decades, our police office remains significantly unrepresentative of the police itself. As part of the work to improve confidence in the MPS, how are you seeking to increase BAME representation in the force, particularly black African Londoners and black African Caribbean Londoners in the force, especially given the current police officer recruitment drive? Equally important is attention being paid to ensuring that the force retains its officers once they have been recruited and also holds on to existing officers.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Chair, can I thank the Assembly Member for his really important points and questions? There is some good news, which is we have record numbers of black officers in the MPS. There is some good news in relation to the new recruits; there is a high percentage of BAME officers coming through. Overall we have 15% of our officers who are BAME. Of the new recruits, it is a higher percentage. A key thing there is not just to recruit, but as you said, to retain and for them to progress. It is how we manage that talent, and actually it is in all of our interests for our police service to better reflect the city that it seeks to police.
There are a number of things we are doing. The way we recruit is very important, how we look after our officers, the welfare. Susan Hall [AM] referred to the abuse received by black officers. That cannot be allowed to be tolerated, so the welfare is really important. I take it very seriously, as does the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, as indeed do the MPS. Any ideas that the Assembly Member has from his long experience in this area, I am more than happy to listen.
Unmesh Desai AM: Thank you, Mr Mayor. You also talked about police tactics as part of the review that is going to be undertaken. I think it should be acknowledged that stop and search can be an important tool in tackling violent crime, which is one of - if not the most - the most significant issues facing us in our city. However, there appears to be an ongoing community and engagement issue with the MPS, who have been conducting stop and searches and employing certain tactics in specific areas. Is improving the way the MPS communicates and connects positively with the communities it is here to serve something you are seeking to address as part of this work?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Yes, it is. Part of this is talking candidly with Londoners about some of the concerns they have and how we seek to address them. A big concern from Londoners is the high levels of violent crime we have seen over the last six or seven years. There are some communities that suffer that more. There are complex causes of violent crime: deprivation, poverty, lack of opportunity. These are all some of the reasons why violent crime can increase, so tackling the causes, but also the consequences, which is why these parts of London with high levels of violent crime are seeing greater police activity from the Violent Crime Task Force and other policing as well. That has a knock-on consequence which you can see in these parts of London, high levels of Londoners being stopped and searched and there being an interventionist approach from the police. That can lead to problems if, for example, the tools that police have are seen to be being used in a disproportionate way. That is why the police have got to be cognisant of always being alert to concerns around disproportionality. You have highlighted some of them, stop and search, another one is tasers. That is one of the things we hope the action plan will look into.
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Unmesh Desai AM: Mr Mayor, finally I know that you will, as I do, appreciate that there have been a number of landmark reports and reviews into racism in the police service and the criminal justice system over the years, Scarman in 1981, Macpherson in 1991, the Holyrood inquiry in Hackney that I had some involvement with. There has been progress. It would be churlish to deny that there has been no progress, but I hope you will agree that there is still a lot more work to do.
What I want to know from you, Mr Mayor, is how will the action plan make a tangible difference to improve relations between the MPS and London’s black communities? What is going to be new about this action plan? People have had all these inquiries in the past. As [The Rt Hon] David Lammy [MP] said in Parliament, at least eight to ten reviews in the last few years, some 70 to 100 recommendations waiting to be implemented. Mr Mayor, we need a sense of urgency here.
On one hand - and this is an important point for me to make - you have the Commissioner of the MPS, Cressida Dick, saying that there is no institutional racism within the MPS. She said that in a House of Commons Select Committee the other day. On the other hand, you have got the Chief Constable of the West Midlands apologising to the black communities of the West Midlands for the way that they have been policed. He could only have done so with the knowledge and authority of the Police and Crime Commissioner, your counterpart in the West Midlands, David Jamieson.
What is your thinking about this situation, the message being put out by the MPS, the message being put out by the West Midlands? Where is the sense of urgency that I hope you will inject into this debate and what is going to be new about this review that will impart confidence in Londoners, black, white, brown, no matter what colour or nationality they are?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): I think over the last few years you said 70. There has been more than 200 recommendations made by the four reviews, the Lammy review being just one of four reviews. We wait to hear details of the Government’s commission announced by Boris Johnson [Prime Minister] recently. I am not clear who the chair of that commission is going to be, what the terms of reference are going to be or who the members are. We cannot wait for the Government to implement recommendations made or to undertake their commission, so we are having to go alone and go fast. We have already undertaken many of the workshops that I know Sophie [Linden, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime] and Debbie [Weekes-Bernard, Deputy Mayor for Social integration, Social Mobility and Community Engagement] have talked about with the Assembly. They have agreed to come and talk to the Assembly about some of the action plan.
It would be wrong for me to pre-empt the recommendations from the action plan, so I think the challenge you pose is a good challenge. It is one that you pose from your experience as a Londoner, as somebody who works with some of the communities who lack confidence. One of the things we will have to do is to ensure that the action plan can address the issue of trust and confidence that you so articulately highlighted.
Unmesh Desai AM: Thank you, Mr Mayor.
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2020/2473 - Volume Crime Steve O’Connell AM
Is Volume Crime one of your priorities?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): While tackling volume crime is not my number one priority, I am still committed to do everything in my power to reduce volume crime. The approaches set out in the Police and Crime Plan have been to empower local police and councils to work together to solve the most significant crime problems in their area, whilst ensuring high harm crime, as child sexual exploitation, violence and knife crime are part of the everyday business for local policing. Whilst crime has been increasing across the country and in London, some volume crime priorities such as burglary and criminal damage have started to come down over the last financial year. The decrease in crime during the lockdown has also allowed the MPS to capitalise on this unprecedented shift and target offenders responsible for the most serious crimes.
The MPS and I are focusing on trying to ensure that levels of crime do not return to previous levels and the good work that was underway before pandemic is not lost. Prior to lockdown, my principal focus was attacking violence. This has been challenging against a backdrop of limited resources and officers and I have to prioritise this work, but progress was being made, with a 15% reduction in knife crime in under-25s over the last financial year. The MPS has also had success in tackling volume crime. For example, MetTrace, which we fund, is the flagship burglary prevention programme, which has seen residents provided with detailed prevention advice and a MetTrace kit to help deter criminals. You will remember the significant concern about moped crime a couple of years ago. Through effective policing and working with manufacturers and other partners, the figures have plummeted by more than 22.4%.
Steve O’Connell AM: Thank you very much, Mr Mayor. Good afternoon to you.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): You too.
Steve O’Connell AM: Thank you for your comments. I appreciate fully the number one priority of serious violence in London, but of course it is a blessing that many Londoners do not experience serious violence, but they experience what I would prefer to call neighbourhood crimes, burglary, robbery and vehicle crimes.
There has recently been a report by HMICFRS about sanction detections and I would like your comments on these figures for London. This is sanction detections. If you had a vehicle damaged or a crime against you, you have a one in 100 chance of that being taken to court. If indeed you are burgled in London, it is something like one in 20. If you have the misfortunate of being robbed in London, you have something like a one in 30 chance of that crime being fully investigated and taken to court and you given satisfaction. What do you think about those figures, Mr Mayor?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Those figures are not good enough. The sanction detection rates on those volume crimes need to be higher. The police get that. Explaining it is one thing, excusing it is something else. I can explain it, but that is no excuse. You will be aware of the explanation in relation to a few of these officers, they have got to triage and that has an impact on the sanction and detection rates. We are now increasing police officer numbers thanks to contributions from City Hall. The Government has said it will help over the next couple of years, so we should expect to see an improvement to those detection rates.
Steve O’Connell AM: OK. I have spoken to you about confidence in the police and that has been the theme of today’s meeting up to now, which I fully support. When you took office, confidence in the MPS was around
Page 44 about 68%, 69%. The latest figures I have, it has dropped by 10%. The confidence across London - and we are talking about the neighbourhood - is dropping and that has a direct link with perhaps the crimes that you experience. What are your thoughts around the effect on confidence with Londoners, the fact that their crimes are not being solved?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Actually, if you look at figures - and I have seen the most recent ones - the big dip comes after George Floyd’s brutal killing actually in relation to confidence in our police. A point Susan Hall [AM] made was people are extrapolating the experience of American police forces on our police services, which I think is unfair. The big dip you saw in the confidence of Londoners happened actually quite recently, but you are right, in a general sense confidence has been going down, not the dip we have seen recently. One of the reasons why it is going down is people see fewer officers. Why do they see fewer officers? Because there are fewer officers over the last few years and that leads to fewer officers being able to investigate fewer crimes and there being less detection rates. It is a vicious circle.
I am really pleased the Government has finally accepted the point that cuts have consequences and one of the reasons why violent crime has gone up is fewer police officers; one of the reasons why sanction and detection rates has gone down is fewer police officers. We are investing from City Hall record sums in policing and we now have 32,400 police officers, there or thereabouts, so I am hoping to see both an improvement in detection rates, a reduction in violent crime, but also increased confidence from Londoners.
Steve O’Connell AM: Keeping Londoners safe, I believe - and I think you believe - is your number one priority. When you took over four years ago, you scrapped the volume crime priorities under the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), which is a fair thing to do perhaps, and shifted that emphasis to serious violent crime and others. The unfortunate fact of the matter, Mr Mayor, is that after four years, serious violence, homicide rates are at all-time high, and equally, the volume crime sanction and detection is still an issue. Basically, Londoners will judge perhaps that you have failed on both of those sections of crime, Mr Mayor. I am sure you would not agree with me, but what would your comment be to that?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): You have always been a fair bloke, and I think if you were being fair would accept that both volume crime and violent crime started going up in 2014, not 2016. It is quite convenient for people in your party to assume that crime only began going up on 8 May 2016. Not true. You will also be aware that one of the unintended consequences of MOPAC 7 was serious crime was neglected. That was one of the conclusions of the Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) report in relation to child protection issues. We have tried to have a blend of both high-volume crime, which can be addressed by the local priorities that boroughs have, but also the pan-London issues of priority to serious crime. That is seen, for example, in those boroughs that have as their crime priorities burglary or vehicle-related crime, those going down, and across London you have seen pre-COVID, for example, violent crime, knife crime, those effective under-25 going down, which shows the progress we are making with limited help from central Government, plus from City Hall investing in the Violent Crime Task Force, us investing the VRU and us investing in the Young Londoners Fund, which are starting to pay dividends.
Steve O’Connell AM: I understand. Just finally, I understand fully the issue of the priority of violent crime, but I would ask you very much keep some prioritising on neighbourhood crime and particularly this appalling level of sanction detections. Thank you very much, Chair. That is enough from me.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): I have an indication from Assembly Member Desai.
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Unmesh Desai AM: Chair, as I said earlier the issue is one of both more police for London, but also how Londoners are policed. I want to particularly ask about police resources in the capital, Mr Mayor, to tackle volume crime and indeed other crimes that Londoners face. It helps to have more police officers. Before COVID, the Government had pledged an extra 1,367 officers to the MPS in a bid to repair the damage that it had caused with the £850 million fund cut since 2010. This is far less than the 6,000 yourself and the Commissioner called for and the Assembly called for 5,000 extra officers. You already talked about £500 million of savings to be made. Cuts have consequences; cuts kill. How important is it that the Government delivers a full 6,000 officers the MPS needs to tackle crime as lockdown continues to ease?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Thank you for your question and for reminding colleagues in the Assembly the reality of the last ten years. There are a number of things. One is the certainty about police numbers over the next two years from the Government. We need a full complement of 6,000, of course, but also the Government asked us to make a further £263 million of additional cuts on top of the £850 million we have made over the last ten years, caused by Government austerity. But now we are facing the possibility of a new era of austerity, which requires us to make a further £100 million cuts potentially of the police service over the next two years. That is why it is really important for us to, as Team London, lobby the Government to give us a fair share of the resources we need to keep our city safe. You are right, cuts have consequences.
Unmesh Desai AM: Thank you, Mr Mayor.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Colleagues, it is 12.30 pm. Will the Assembly agree to suspend Standing Order 2.9(b) in accordance with the provision of Standing Order 1.1(h) in order to allow the remaining business on the agenda to be completed?
All: Agreed.
2020/2524 - Appropriate adults Keith Prince AM
Please can you provide an update on appropriate adults?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Appropriate adults have an important role to play in police custody by ensuring that the detained person they are assisting, whether a child or a vulnerable adult, understands what is happening to them and why. I pay tribute to all of London’s appropriate adults, who have continued to deliver services vital to the delivery of safe and humane justice even during the COVID pandemic. Their services are essential to the delivery of safe, efficient and effective custody suites, yet we know that service provision across London varies considerably. The services do not always provide 24-hour coverage, some provided by volunteers and others by paid agency staff. In addition, local authorities are only obliged to provide services to children, although some do provide support to vulnerable adults, while others do not. It cannot be right that such inconsistencies in the safeguarding of vulnerable detainees persists, delaying interview and charging processes and lengthening the time that the most vulnerable detainees remain in custody.
Whilst MOPAC has no statutory duty to provide appropriate adult services, as responsibility mostly falls to local authorities, I have taken action beyond my remit to enhance service provision to the benefit of the most vulnerable detainees. We have provided the MPS with £240,000 per year, which has been match-funded by NHS England to develop over three years a new joint approach to the provision of appropriate adult services for both children and adults at risk. The new approach provides 24-hour appropriate adult services for both
Page 46 children and vulnerable adults. The MPS is working hard to encourage all local authorities to sign up to the new joint approach. New arrangements are being put in place with several boroughs, taking lead commissioning roles across a group of boroughs. As of now, 11 boroughs have 24-hour services for both adults and children. This has increased by eight due to the joint approach and the investment we have made. Another three boroughs are expected to come on board shortly.
Keith Prince AM: Thank you, Mr Mayor. I am very short on time. I do not want to have a row with you on this, I just want to bring to your attention that for many years the volunteers - and they are the people who lobby me - have been asking for simply £20 a visit for out of pocket expenses, which they have not been given. That is why we are seeing a massive reduction in volunteers, but more importantly, Mr Mayor, this is a legal requirement that these appropriate adults are independent.
My question to you is if MOPAC, which employs the MPS, is putting money into this scheme, will there be a legal challenge as to its independence? I am very happy to take this offline, Mr Mayor.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Chair, what the Assembly Member refers to is the role of the appropriate adult, but also one of the reasons why we have stepped in to support the system is concerns raised by the independent custody visitors, who were concerned some detainees are waiting hours and hours and hours for the appropriate adult to turn up, which means vulnerable people are often in police custody longer than they should be. You will be aware that the police are not able to interview somebody sometimes unless there is an appropriate adult present. The obligations and the duties are on councils and we are trying to step in, with the NHS and councils, to try to provide a system that gives detainees who are vulnerable the support they need, but if there are other things that can be done that are cost-effective, we will deal with the issue.
Keith Prince AM: Thank you, Mr Mayor. I appreciate that. I appreciate what you are trying to do. There are more. Perhaps we could discuss it offline. Thank you.
2020/2250 - London’s green recovery Léonie Cooper AM
How will you ensure that London’s recovery from COVID-19 has environmental sustainability and fairness at its heart?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): A strong economic recovery and a green recovery are not mutually exclusive. As part of our plans for London’s recovery, I am committed to a Green New Deal for Londoners. This has the potential to combat the challenges of the climate emergency, ecological emergency and our pollution crisis, but it also boosts the economy whilst tackling inequalities. Social justice and environmental justice go hand in hand. Our London Recovery Board has set guiding principles to support a sustainable and fair recovery. These include promoting a fairer London that supports the most vulnerable and delivering sustainability, mitigating climate change and improving London’s resilience, but Government too must also play a part in supporting London, along with the rest of country, with a far-reaching and sustained programme that tackles the climate emergency, improves air quality and improves our green spaces, stimulates economic activity and delivers green jobs. This should involve running economic development packages through a green lens and attaching green strings to bids, channelling public spending into green energy projects, infrastructure and job creation schemes and devolving greater powers to enable cities to implement targeted local green recovery packages.
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Léonie Cooper AM: Thank you very much, Mr Mayor. I just want to focus in on the green stimulus package. France has implemented a £13 billion package and Germany a £36 billion package. Unfortunately, I think the Government’s £3 billion green stimulus package is going to put us a long way behind our neighbours in terms of decarbonisation and we are going to miss out on crucial economic opportunities in the green sectors. I am particularly concerned about the fact that we have got the leakiest buildings in Europe in this country. The £2 billion Green Homes Fund is a start, but it is really small compared to other countries’ investment in retrofitting. Will you be looking at the potential for carbon savings and long-term savings on bills for Londoners if all our homes were taken up to scratch? How can we lobby the Government for this? It is absolutely crucial that we move forward, because the savings are going to outweigh the costs of such a programme, are they not?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Absolutely, and retrofit is central to delivering a green recovery. Also this is a great way to create jobs at a time when unemployment is going to go through the roof. In answer to a question raised by Joanne McCartney [AM], we talked about the importance of devolving skills to cities and regions. If we were in charge in skills, the skills agenda, we could be saying to the Government, “There are potentially a large number of people who are going to be unemployed. They want to be skilled up. There is an opportunity here to create jobs in the future. Give us the budget and the powers and resources” and we can create this green army which, as you said, will not just help with climate change and air quality issues, but also economic prosperity could be a green recovery. It is an opportunity missed. By the way, our partners and competitors, France and Germany, are investing huge amounts to this and in a few years’ time we will be asking the question why they are so ahead and this is the reason why.
Léonie Cooper AM: I could not agree more, Mr Mayor, because the kind of jobs that we would be talking about would range, would they not, from the more professional jobs, managing building sites, architects, surveyors, through to the more manual roles that we really need to be investing in, because we have an absolute lack of people who can do the sparkie and brickie roles on the building site, do we not?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Absolutely. It is also about diversifying this industry. You think of the sort of modular stuff you can be doing offsite, I think of the stuff we can do in relation to the built environment, so there are huge opportunities here, but also to a better quality of life for Londoners. That is why the Government should have some imagination, but also not be scared to copy ideas that colleagues across Europe are doing, which I think is the way forward.
Léonie Cooper AM: Thank you very much, Mr Mayor. It is great that we are addressing this agenda and I really hope that you are able to press the Government to allow both City Hall but also housing associations to have proper access to the pots of funding that are available, because if we can only get access to the £50 million pot, that is just really not going to help the 12% of Londoners who live in fuel poverty right now.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Hear, hear.
Léonie Cooper AM: Thank you, Chair.
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2020/2146 - Fifteen-minute neighbourhoods as part of London’s recovery Caroline Russell AM
Recovering with a greener economy depends on making London work in a different, more local way. What are you doing to plan for 15-minute neighbourhoods where Londoners can live, work and access services within an easy walk of their home?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): My London Plan sets out a framework for the growth. I want Londoners to be able to access thriving high streets, attractive open spaces and good quality jobs and to be able to get there safely and easily by sustainable means, including walking and cycling. I want all parts of our city, not just central London, to have successful economies and to see the benefits of growth. This approach will be even more important as we recover from the devastating impacts of COVID-19. Londoners are spending more time closer to home. They want their neighbourhoods to be welcoming, healthy and sustainable, not clogged up with traffic and pollution. London’s recovery must be an inclusive green recovery that enables all Londoners to walk and cycle around greener neighbourhoods and support their local high streets.
I am taking bold steps to make this a reality. So far our Streetspace programme has funded over 200 town centre improvements, over 450 school streets and nearly 65 cycling schemes alongside over 175 low traffic neighbourhoods. This is alongside our Low Emission Neighbourhoods, which have invested over £10 million into local areas. We have also provided funding and support for local partnerships to prepare high street recovery plans, existing Good Growth Fund projects and reorienting their £35 million investment to foster recovery in key locations and our Greener City Fund is supporting over 200 of the green projects to approved local neighbourhoods. At its inaugural meeting, the London Recovery Board agreed to deliver a greener, cleaner London, to address economic growth and support London’s economies whilst tackling the climate emergency.
Caroline Russell AM: Thank you, Mr Mayor. I particularly appreciate the fact that you are talking about these Streetspace measures to help Londoners living in all parts of our city. Fifteen-minute neighbourhoods, with everything you need for daily life within a 15-minute of home, will make Londoners’ lives better, but it needs space, especially with the ongoing need for physical distancing. First of all thinking about space for work, London has the highest rate of home working in the country and people have done really well in providing offices in their bedrooms or at their kitchen tables, but sometimes workers need spaces they can go to when, for instance, the building work outside is too noisy or their internet fails.
Will you work with boroughs to provide local bookable quiet spaces for working while people are still having to keep working from home?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Yes, thank you. You raise a really important point. The short answer is yes. Just to give you some good news, we are already out working with the boroughs to do this. One of the reasons I was keen for the Chair of London Councils, Peter John [OBE, leader of Southwark Council], to co- chair the recovery work was because councils have a huge role to play. We are also using TfL to see if we are able to provide local office space because, you are right, if you live in a shared home, it is difficult for your bedroom to be an office as well. There are opportunities here as well, which we want to take advantage of.
Caroline Russell AM: That is really good to hear, Mr Mayor, thank you. Londoners are not going to be rushing back to those tall lift-dependent glass towers in central London anytime soon and that ongoing need for distancing is going to mean a lot of us are going to be working from home for a while yet.
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What about space for the local economy? Having space to expand into the road will help restaurants, pubs, cafes, and even community spaces, to open up. It is really good to see Northcote Road in Battersea open to people and covered in tables and chairs at weekends and I understand TfL supported this. Are you planning anything similar for other roads that you control?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Firstly, can I just put my thanks to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), and [The Rt Hon] Robert Jenrick [MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government], on this issue has worked very closely with us. I spoke to him a number of weeks ago, I explained to him the issues around licensing and planning rules and to give him credit he listened and the flexibility you talked about has enabled these businesses, who desperately need custom to open outdoors, which is just frankly lovely in summer, and both Léonie Cooper [AM] and myself know Northcote Road very well, so we are grateful for the name check. Yes, we are working with councils and businesses to find more of these openings. It is really important we use the opportunity of summer to allow these businesses to again flourish and thrive safely. Any ideas you have I am always happy to listen to and one of the reasons again why it is important to have the Chair of London Councils, Peter John, co-chairing with me this work on recovery, is to work with councils who are crucial as part of the partnership.
Caroline Russell AM: Finally, what about space for growing? Access to green space has been so important to Londoners all through the lockdown. Many Londoners live in flats without access to a garden. Will you support communities who want to set up green growing spaces in parking bays, like parklets?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): I am going to have a look at other communities and how they funded little communities in relation to some of their tree-planting programmes and plant programmes. Some of the ugly concrete parking spaces can be greener quite easily and quite cheaply, which is good for the environment but also pleasant for those of us who walk past these sites and I am more than happy to support, where we can, community groups to do this great work. By the way, it is a really good way of neighbours getting to know each other who otherwise would not. The benefits are huge. You will have been to many of these groups where friendships are formed between people from different socioeconomic backgrounds, different ethnic groups, become mates and they have a common purpose and it creates a sense of civic pride as well as the basic benefits in relation to photosynthesis with more green as well, therefore I am more than happy to do this piece of work. Again often small sums of money can have a huge impact.
Caroline Russell AM: Thank you, yes, and certainly recognising that it is that community organising, a street getting together to organise a planter or a street event is what brings everyone together more than the end result; kind of that community activity. Thank you, Mr Mayor, I am out of time.
2020/2195 - Public Order in London Peter Whittle AM
Over the last month, I, like many other Londoners, have been increasingly concerned by images on social media of Metropolitan Police officers retreating from scenes of public disorder. Is the Mayor satisfied with the response of the Metropolitan Police to recent events on London’s streets?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): The past few months have presented massive challenges to the MPS. This includes the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and dealing with largescale gatherings during this time such as protests and unlicensed music events. Police officers have done a good job during these extremely difficult public order situations and I want to pay tribute to the officers who have been working so hard often in
Page 50 dangerous conditions to prevent disorder and to keep Londoners safe, all at a time when COVID-19 still presents such a serious threat. I am appalled that around 150 officers have been injured during this difficult period. These are the same officers who are in our communities day in and day out, tackling violence, protecting the vulnerable, and keeping the public safe. I have said it many times before but I must say it again now: violence against police officers will not be tolerated and the perpetrators will feel the full force of the law. I should say that policing large crowds can be complex and dangerous work but the officers are well trained for these situations. Public order commanders plan for each individual event based on the specific situation they are faced with and the available alternatives.
Peter Whittle AM: I take it from your answer that you are perfectly happy, then, with the situation?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): What situation?
Peter Whittle AM: Can I give you maybe two instances?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Yes, please.
Peter Whittle AM: They were very widely shared on social media and then reported in the press, there was an incident just during the early June protests in London where there were two policemen running away from protesters down Buckingham Palace Road, they looked to be quite young protesters, but the police were actively running away from them. Then much more recently the White City Estate block party, as it is known, the police there en masse retreated. We have been talking this morning about confidence in the police and how it is declining, however we have been looking at it entirely through this prism of diversity in the police force. Surely you can see, Mr Mayor, that if you see police running away en masse or individually that does not inspire public confidence in them.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): What, with respect, you are in danger of doing is forming a conclusion based upon a snapshot of a short clip. What I do not want is our police officers being assaulted. What I do not want is our police officers in all situations going in fully kitted up in relation to an incident.
What the police do is rely upon experienced public order commanders, who are on the ground, and have operational independence to make decisions based upon individual circumstances. That means, for example, they will retreat if their personal safety is compromised and then return fully kitted up if need be. We are in danger of inadvertently becoming armchair commanders and what I would do is trust the police to have the right expertise to deal with each situation.
Peter Whittle AM: It is not just me, Mr Mayor. It was reported in the press. It is not just me being an armchair commander. If you see two policemen running away from teenagers you have to ask what have they been told to do, what have their commands been, maybe they are the wrong ones, because at the very time when we are possibly facing more social disorder there is a real sense among the public that the police simply are in retreat. The morale among many of the ordinary officers is very low. It is aimed very much at the upper echelon of the police. When we see this sort of thing, Mr Mayor, this is exactly the kind of thing that does not instil confidence.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Your question highlighted the contradictions in your thinking. On the one hand you are criticising police officers and on the other hand complaining about low morale among police officers. The point I am trying to make to you --
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Peter Whittle AM: No.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): You are. Your question quite clearly did.
Peter Whittle AM: No, it is not a contradiction. They are told what to do presumably by their seniors, right, they have to do it, they have to do those things, but they are told that might lead to what is obviously a real lowering of morale. The fact is the police appear now to much of the public to be frightened of their own shadows. This is the problem. Do you not even accept that, Mr Mayor?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): I do not agree with your diagnosis that the police are scared of their own shadow. My experience of the police is that the public order commanders we have in the MPS are some of the best in the country. The Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner and the senior team, even their experience, they do not second-question what the operational command is doing on the ground because they realise that the commander on the ground is fully seized of all the information rather than senior police officers. Yet we have, in City Hall, Assembly Members who think they know more than the Commissioner and public order commanders. I respect your point of view; I just disagree with you that I, as the Mayor, can second-guess what an individual commander may be measuring up when it comes to an individual case.
Peter Whittle AM: No, because, Mr Mayor, it is not a question, of course I am not in the police, I do not have police experience, and this is ridiculous, but you are effectively the chief policeman in this city and the truth is that the culture now of the police appears apologetic, whether it is, for example, the Commissioner apologising to Bianca Williams [British athlete] after having said that her officers did nothing wrong or police officers taking the knee and this kind of thing. This is the sort of thing that basically makes people feel uncertain that they can be protected and that the police are effectively doing their jobs.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Just during the course of the last two hours, we have had assertions that the police can sometimes be too aggressive and we have had assertions from you that they sometimes are running away. It is clear the police cannot please the Assembly on either flank. I am quite clear that public order is what the question was about. Our commanders do a job where they have operational independence often in difficult situations where they are making split-second decisions.
Peter Whittle AM: No, Mr Mayor, you are --
Navin Shah AM (Chair): You are out of time now.
Peter Whittle AM: You are playing one Assembly Member off against the other --
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Assembly Member Whittle, you are out of time now.
Peter Whittle AM: A question: were you happy to see the retreat?
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Sorry, you are out of time. Thank you very much.
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2020/2210 - Education summer schemes Jennette Arnold OBE AM
Given the insufficient funding coming from Government, how will your funds and projects be supporting children across London over the summer to help them catch up on learning and support mental wellbeing?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Our £70 million Young Londoners Fund has already benefited over 110,000 young people and will continue to do so over the summer. Examples include in June I launched a socially distanced community support pilot in Hackney enabling young people from diverse backgrounds to reengage with physical activity while keeping safe. The London Legacy Development Corporation has moved its popular East Summer School online, 12 to 17-year-olds can learn creative skills with courses run by East Bank partners, including the BBC and UCL. Our Stepping Stones programme continues to support vulnerable young people in the transition from primary to secondary school. From September we will be expanding our London Lemon Buses programme to engage with Pupil Referral Units (PRU). As part of my commitment to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, I am providing funding to help expand the London Good Thinking digital mental health and wellbeing services to young people aged between 13 and 18.
Jennette Arnold OBE AM: Thank you, Mr Mayor, for that very informative answer. It is great to see all that is going on.
I have two follow-up questions for you, but before I put them can I, through you, Mr Mayor, thank Deputy and Statutory Mayor, Assembly Member McCartney for her very able leadership in support of children and young people, especially during the coronavirus lockdown, and the initiatives that she has led. Specifically, I am thinking of the London Learning at Home initiative and the use of the excellent London curriculum, which, if you do not know, you must get on there if you have any children at home. That has reached across the city to bring together free learning and cultural offers that children can access from home.
As ever, as an Assembly Member, what I am doing is I am going to ask for more. Given your statement this morning about the huge challenges we as a city are going to face because of unemployment, the pandemic continues, will you assure me that you will continue to lobby Government and to work with our colleagues in local government with educational institutions, you cannot take your foot off the pedal?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): First, thank you very much for the recognition of Joanne McCartney [AM] and the brilliant work she does for the Assembly, but also as the Statutory Deputy Mayor, particularly with young people and particularly in this difficult time. You have hit the head on the nail in relation to the potential of Londoners, in relation to helping them fulfil that potential by providing a helping hand. That has to be the mission of City Hall and we should not take our foot off the gas, both in terms of lobbying the Government, but also finding the resources where we can in City Hall to support these young Londoners, particularly when we know, we have talked about it in this Mayor’s Question Time, the potential of a massive increase in, not just unemployment, but youth unemployment. That is why it is really important to give young people constructive things to do, to give them hope rather than the alternative, and I will continue to do what I can as the Mayor as long as I am the Mayor.
Jennette Arnold OBE AM: Thank you, Mr Mayor, and now I am going to make a segue and I am going to say that Mayor’s Question Time (MQT) for me is an educational tool, so I do really want anything that is said to be as correct as possible. While I would agree with much of what my colleague Assembly Member Hall said earlier in terms of the total unacceptable nature of any abuse, particularly racial abuse, and I was at the
Page 53 meeting with her and shared with her that 45 years ago as a nurse, and I am sure most black professionals will have been there at some time or the other, have experienced racial abuse and that I would agree with her, we absolutely need to support officers. What I disagree with her about is the comment that she made and attributed to the Deputy Commissioner. He did not say that all the racial abuse that was hurled at black officers came from Black Lives Matter protestors. I have checked it out, he said that the officers received abuse from across the piece, right wing and Black Lives Matter activists, so this was not confined solely to Black Lives Matter protestors. It is important, this issue is so important, we do not need any more misinformation about it. Thank you.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): All right. The next question on housing from Assembly Member Boff has been withdrawn.
2020/2381 - Impact of COVID-19 on housing completions Murad Qureshi AM
What has been the impact of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on your housing completions, and how will that impact the current Homes for Londoners funding programme?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Since becoming Mayor, I have made significant progress in delivering genuinely affordable homes with record-breaking numbers of homes started. In my first term, we started over 40% more than my predecessor managed in his entire second term. I will ensure that the COVID-19 crisis does not jeopardise this progress. Early indications suggest that completions are only at a quarter of the levels expected since lockdown as sites have had to close and critical social-distancing measures were put in place. I called on the Government to extend the affordable homes programme and am pleased the Government have listened to my calls and granted a one-year extension. However, those who claim the additional funding from the Government beyond that £4.8 billion settlement is not necessary could not be more wrong. Generally forecasts suggest that construction output could fall 34% in 2020 compared with 2019 while Build UK found that almost 60% of construction suppliers suspended operations due to COVID-19. These are cross-sector challenges, which is why I am calling on the Government to heed the Housing Delivery Taskforce call for a rapid £5 million cash injection to kickstart London’s housing sector.
Murad Qureshi AM: Thank you, Mr Mayor, for your response. What prompted my question was the Financial Times (FT) report that London housebuilders were expecting completions down by about 30% and that they will only be halfway to recovery in 2021. I am also glad that the Government has extended the deadline for the affordable housing programme and provided some flexibility to housing providers, without any further action at all.
Can you set out the risks to the affordable housing delivery in London if Government does not meet your asks from your Housing Taskforce?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Thank you for your question and you get these issues from your economic experience, but basically even though the Government has changed the order on stamp duty, which may help some people buy properties, what they are not doing is helping the developers, the construction industry, housing associations and Londoners, with new home building. Because the market has slowed down for obvious reasons and we are now facing huge unemployment and potentially recession that could have an impact on the market. The way the cross-subsidy model works for housing associations is, because the grant is small, for them to build sufficient numbers of affordable homes they need to build market-value homes for sale
Page 54 to subsidise the affordable homes. That cross-subsidy model will not work when we have a slowdown in the housing market and a recession.
However, it is a good opportunity for the Government to help house building, to help Londoners to be able to get their foot on the ladder, whether it is social housing, affordable housing, affordable rents or market value rents, and so I am asking the Government to look at the recommendations made by the taskforce, give us the support we need financially, which will support the construction industry, will create jobs, will reduce the housing benefit bill, and it will provide houses for Londoners. There is no downside to them doing so. By the way, the Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, [Sir] John Armitt [CBE], agrees we need more social housing. [Sir] Oliver Letwin, when he did a report for DeHavilland agrees, that it is a good way to support the housing market during this difficult time.
Murad Qureshi AM: Indeed. In addition to your proposals, would you consider more intervention on sites with planning permission that have not yet begun where developments are at risk of stalling or becoming unviable? You have covered some of the ground there already but I do think with sites with planning permission for office blocks, for example, working with partners to convert them into affordable housing schemes is something we need to entertain.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Absolutely. We went into the details relating to the Government’s plans around speeding up homes. We are concerned it could lead to poor quality development homes, you will be aware of some of the examples, the conversions have been awful, so we have to make sure that we do not use the opportunities for poor quality housing. At the same time it is really important for us to use the opportunity to pivot potential permissions that will not be actioned because of the market, but also homes that are built for sale that cannot be sold, if it is possible for us to buy them at cost and to make them available to Londoners who need them as well. There are opportunities there if the Treasury and MHCLG work with us. By the way the taskforce had representatives from across London’s housing sector, it was not simply City Hall and housing associations, it was others involved in this area as well.
Murad Qureshi AM: Thank you very much, Mr Mayor.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Next question is from Assembly Member --
Susan Hall AM: Chair, I am sorry to interrupt. My name was mentioned by Assembly Member Arnold. Can I just make a correction, please? I said that a portion of these attacks came from the Black Lives Matter protesters themselves. I have had my office check this out. We had a very good exchange, the Mayor and I, we both agree on the situation and it is very unhelpful when another Assembly Member comes in and misquotes me. Thank you very much.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Thank you. Your comment is noted.
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2020/2520 - Temporary Changes to Road Layouts Tony Devenish AM
How will you ensure that where temporary changes to London’s road layouts prove to be mistakes they can be swiftly adapted or removed?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): With social distancing limiting the numbers of customers who can safely be carried on public transport, our Streetspace programme is roughly transforming our streets to enable a massive increase in journeys both on foot and by bike. We are reallocating road space to make walking and cycling easier and safer for millions more Londoners. This programme of work is vital to minimise the risk to the public of transmission of the coronavirus. TfL has been working closely with borough partners to design and build Streetspace schemes with over 800 separate interventions already approved. While speed is of the essence to ensure we do not see a spike in car use, TfL is continually reviewing the performance of Streetspace schemes, both to protect essential journeys and make changes following feedback from Londoners. Tweaks have already been made at several of the 29 sites where changes have been made on the Transport for London road network. We will continue to monitor and adjust schemes and have set up a dedicated page on the TfL consultation hub to facilitate this.
Tony Devenish AM: Thank you, Mr Mayor, for your answer. You will appreciate road surface use is always contentious and we all want more cycling and more walking, but at a time when we are trying to get people to keep their one-metre distance we do need people to be able to drive as well. Would you be able to get your Deputy Mayor to meet me before September for a site visit to Park Lane and Edgware Road because, it is not the principle of the schemes we object to, it is the way they have been designed, and it is causing real congestion already when at the moment obviously we do not have that much traffic in London. If Heidi [Alexander, Deputy Mayor for Transport] had the time I would be very grateful to meet her on Park Lane and then take her to Edgware Road. Thank you.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Thank you, Chair, I would be happy to do so, just to reassure the Assembly Member. The local MP also raised an issue, which we have addressed, but I am more than happy to facilitate that.
Tony Devenish AM: Thank you very much.
2020/2349 - TfL land Nicky Gavron AM
Do you think that selling off Transport for London’s land and other assets would be a good response to the financial pressures of the COVID-19 crisis?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): As one of London’s largest landowners, TfL is uniquely placed to generate long-term income by retaining and developing its property assets rather than selling them off for short-term financial gain. TfL’s property development programme has grown extensively during my Mayoralty and has formed a partnership with over 20 developers and has more than 50 sites ready for development with 1,200 homes under construction and planning permission in place for 3,000 more. TfL has submitted proposals for a further 4,500 homes to London boroughs and plans to submit another 4,500 in the coming months. These homes, half of which will be genuinely affordable, are desperately needed. TfL has also a large tenanted commercial property estate, which is home to more than 2,000 businesses, of which 86% are small and
Page 56 medium-sized enterprises. This provides steady long-term revenue and contributes to the vibrancy of their communities. TfL will consider targeted disposals where appropriate. Just last year, TfL sold a long leasehold interest in 55 Broadway as part of its long-term estate management strategy to reduce office costs and generate revenue. However, it would be short-sighted for TfL to sell off its estate now, especially when COVID-19 has had such a well-documented impact on the property market.
Nicky Gavron AM: Thank you very much, Mr Mayor, for that response. You made it very clear that, if TfL were to sell land, once sold you have no control over it, you have no prospects of further income, and you do not have the ways of meeting your strategic objectives.
Do you think, because you have a phenomenal number of affordable homes on TfL land, the number of affordable homes on TfL-owned land, which have been built and will be built, would be there if you sell to private developers?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): There is no chance. We know this because of the evidence of the previous eight years, and so it is possible to sell of what I call the crown jewels to maximise monies, but it is a one-off hit, once they are sold they are sold. Often they are sold at a price that means that a person who purchases that, the company, needs to build market-value/luxury properties to get their money back. It is far better in the long term for us to keep the freehold, work with a developer, a joint venture, they can make profit, but we can ensure that at least some of the homes that are built, we are asking for half, should be affordable. I call it a win-win, keep the assets, we spread them better, but get something that Londoners desperately need, which are affordable homes.
Nicky Gavron AM: It is great to hear about housing, the way housing land is being used to deliver public benefit. Here is an idea that could extend the amount of land TfL has to control, which is to pool TfL land with adjacent sites. That was one of the ideas that came out of your absolutely excellent, you commissioned it a couple of years ago, capital gains report. They suggested that.
I am wondering now that if you would be prepared to lobby the Government, with a devolution white paper coming up, for the ability to have powers to be able to use adjacent land as well as further powers, the Land Assembly, because you have been asked by the Secretary of State to find new sources of housing supply and this would be an answer.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): That is a question, and I know you have long expertise in this area, the good news is, in the conversations we have had with not just MHCLG but other Ministries in Government, is they appreciate the ability we have to bring together often small plots of land next to a bigger plot of land, which can improve the scale of the development on that piece of land. We are already talking to Network Rail, local authorities, Government departments. The NHS has been fantastic, and so we have London Estates Group, which is doing some work in this area, and the approach from the Department of Health and Social Care, as it is called now, has been very good. I am hoping this sort of collegiate working is really good. Often, Nicky, we can be the ringmaster bringing together different partners to maximise the potential of our land. That is what is really important working with councils too. Councils often have landholdings, could be next to a general practice, it could be next to a TfL site, next to a Network Rail site, which we can do a huge amount. One example where we are doing this now is the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation and we are hoping to see more examples of that.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Mr Mayor, we are out of time, thank you very much. I have an indication from Assembly Member Boff who wants to follow up. Assembly Member Boff.
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Andrew Boff AM: Mr Mayor, in 2016 you committed to starting 10,000 homes on TfL land by May 2020. How many have you started?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): It is 2021, but it is unlike you to get things wrong, is it not, Andrew? The answer I gave to Nicky Gavron [AM] - I am not sure if you were listening - was 1,200 homes under construction, planning permission in place for 3,000, with a further 4,500 homes submitted plans for the coming months.
Andrew Boff AM: Bearing in mind you have been quite slow to develop those homes, do you not think it is about time you stopped treating this as a marathon and start treating it as a sprint?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): We have still started far more homes on TfL land than the previous Mayor did. We have made huge progress, we are sprinting a marathon is in fact what we are doing, because we have already in my first four years started 40% more than the previous Mayor did in the last four years overall on TfL land rather than selling off the crown jewels, the family silver, we are keeping the freehold. We started more genuinely affordable homes on TfL land. We have plans in place to start even more. I have said it is a marathon but we are sprinting the marathon rather than the casual pace that the previous Mayor exhibited.
Andrew Boff AM: Mr Mayor, your only solution on TfL is to build on the carparks on underground stations, which will result in forcing more people on to public transport, which, as you have now accepted, is liable to increase infection of COVID-19. Do you think your programme should be a bit more joined up?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Let us be clear, Chair, the Assembly Member does not want people using public transport; it is quite clear from his question. He would rather Londoners in the future --
Andrew Boff AM: Mr Mayor, please.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): I was just criticised for encouraging people to use public transport. COVID-19 happened this year. Our plans for housing over the last four years, what is quite clear though is that we would encourage more people to, not just walk and cycle, but use public transport. My target is to have that up to 80% by 2041. Before COVID-19 it was about 64%. We are going to continue to see more active travel in London and that includes more people cycling.
Andrew Boff AM: Sorry, is that an admission from you, Mr Mayor, that you will review your housing plans because of the experiences of the pandemic?
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Sorry, Chair, there must be a problem with the IT from Andrew Boff because he did not hear my last answer clearly. If one of your team could sort that out now, I am sure he would be grateful.
Andrew Boff AM: Would you like to answer the question, Mr Mayor, rather than evading it pathetically.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): It is quite clear, abuse will only get you so far, Andrew. The way it works is we have a target for the agreement we have with the Government, which is the starts we have in a year. For the last three years we have exceeded the target and broken records for --
Andrew Boff AM: That is not the answer to the question.
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Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Chair, I have to be able to answer the question. Last year we began more than 7,500 starts, the year before more than 14,000 starts, the year before 12,500 starts, each year --
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Mr Mayor, we are out of time now. Thank you, Mr Mayor. We are out of time, Assembly Member Boff.
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): We have targets, we have exceeded them, and I know it is a disappointment to the Conservatives but Londoners appreciate the starts of more genuinely affordable homes.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Thank you, Mr Mayor.
Andrew Boff AM: The Mayor is out of time.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Thank you, colleagues, we are --
Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): Andrew is trying to filibuster. Andrew, stop filibustering.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Can we please stop? We are out of time in any case. Thank you very much. That brings us to the close to our question time today.
Mr Mayor, I thank you very much for you answering the questions. Hopefully, when we resume in September, we will have none of the sort of problems like we faced today as, all being well, we will be having face-to-face meetings here at City Hall with most of the Assembly Members and you present in the Chamber here. On that note, thanks very much.
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Page 60 Biometric searches by BCU Jun-20 May-20 Apr-20 Mar-20 Feb-20 Jan-20 Dec-19 Nov-19 Oct-19 Sep-19 Aug-19 Jul-19 AW - Area West 284 353 140 128 181 196 180 208 309 229 232 222 CE - Central East 144 225 288 94 140 114 95 97 98 129 204 196 AS - Central South 116 190 165 103 203 96 99 170 72 72 123 112 NW - North West 97 126 140 79 152 131 68 62 104 89 71 87 NE - North East 90 152 117 88 168 116 99 98 97 111 162 227 EA - East Area 86 144 84 89 108 101 34 68 82 59 82 78 WA - West Area 82 185 139 76 132 146 84 162 119 130 248 228 SE - South East 74 124 88 86 131 93 108 93 79 53 25 67 SN - South Area 51 128 84 73 102 70 59 59 57 45 138 130 NA - North Area 46 76 23 39 49 51 23 88 36 48 91 109 SW - South West 40 92 38 37 32 52 20 31 31 44 46 62 CN - Central North 34 69 96 72 58 70 61 67 56 46 72 104 Page 61 Page Station 1 Acton Town 2 Barking 3 Bermondsey 4 Blackfriars 5 Bond Street 6 Brixton 7 Bromley by Bow 8 Buckhurst Hill 9 Caledonian Road 10 Canada Water 11 Canary Wharf 12 Canning Town 13 Chalfont & Latimer 14 Chesham 15 Chorleywood 16 Dagenham Heathway 17 Earl's Court 18 East Ham 19 Edgware 20 Elm Park 21 Epping 22 Farringdon 23 Finchley Central 24 Finsbury Park 25 Fulham Broadway 26 Golders Green 27 Green Park 28 Greenford 29 Hainault 30 Hammersmith (D&P) 31 Hammersmith (H&C) 32 Harrow & Wealdstone 33 Heathrow Terminal 4 34 Heathrow Terminal 5 35 Heathrow Terminals 1 2 3 36 Hendon Central 37 High Barnet 38 Hillingdon 39 Hounslow East 40 Hounslow West 41 Kensington (Olympia) 42 Kew Gardens 43 Kilburn 44 King's Cross St. Pancras 45 Kingsbury 46 London Bridge 47 Mill Hill East 48 Morden
Page 62 49 Newbury Park 50 North Greenwich 51 Oakwood 52 Paddington Suburban (H&C and Circle) 53 Pinner 54 Richmond 55 Roding Valley 56 South Woodford 57 Southfields 58 Southwark 59 Stanmore 60 Stratford 61 Sudbury Town 62 Tottenham Court Road 63 Tottenham Hale 64 Tower Hill 65 Upminster 66 Upney 67 Uxbridge 68 Vauxhall 69 Victoria 70 Wembley Central 71 Wembley Park 72 West Finchley 73 West Ham 74 Westminster 75 Willesden Junction 76 Wimbledon 77 Wood Lane 78 Woodford 79 Woodside Park
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Page 64 Appendix 3
Questions to the Mayor
16 July, 2020
ANSWERED QUESTIONS PAPER
Subject: MQT on 16 July, 2020 Report of: Executive Director of Secretariat
Lockdown Crime Question No: 2020/2467 Shaun Bailey Please can you tell us what crime has increased under lockdown, and what are you doing to bring it down? Answer for Lockdown Crime The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Housing Question No: 2020/2437 Andrew Boff How will housing help London’s recovery? Answer for Housing The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Coach services Question No: 2020/2099 Caroline Pidgeon Please set out what progress has been made in relation to adopting your Transport Strategy recommendations relating to coach services, in particular the specific commitment of “Continuing to work with the coach industry to enable the provision of adequate on-street
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and off street coach infrastructure in appropriate locations across London for scheduled and tourist coach services, and to allow for their safe and efficient operation.” Answer for Coach services The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Possible connection between air pollution and transmission of Covid- 19 Question No: 2020/2100 Caroline Pidgeon On 24 June 2020 an article by Science of the Total Environment (Reference: STOTEN 140515) stated: “Our analysis shows that short-term exposure to air pollution (both NO 2 and PM2.5) is significantly correlated with an increased risk of contracting and dying from COVID -19, expanding on previous evidence linking high mortality rates in England (Travaglio, Popovic, Yu, Leal, & Martins, 2020), Northern Italy (Ogen, 2020 ) and USA (Xiao, Rachel C, Benjamin M, Danielle, & Francesca, 2020)”. What steps are you taking in response to this growing body of scientific evidence connecting air pollution and the transmission of Covid-19. Possible connection between air pollution and transmission of Covid-19 The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The World Health Organization (WHO) have identified air pollution the biggest environmental risk to health and millions of Londoners breathe in air that harms our lungs and worsens chronic illness, such as asthma, lung and heart disease. Now there is emerging evidence of potential links between air pollution and an increased risk of death from COVID-19. This makes my plans to clean up London’s air, including the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone next year, more important than ever. The UK Government’s Air Quality Expert Group (AQEG) have now published a summary of the submissions for their rapid call for evidence. They concluded “it would not be surprising if there was a link between exposure to air pollution (past or present) and the occurrence or severity of COVID-19 infection”. However, they also cautioned “studies require very careful control for confounding influences, and further work is needed before there can be confidence in their findings.” My officers are carefully monitoring this field of research as it evolves, and I will continue to be led by the best available science. In the meantime I continue to call on the Government to act on the current overwhelming evidence we have on the harm that air pollution does to health and use the new Environment Bill to adopt the WHO recommended limit for PM2.5
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as a legally binding target. They should also give London the powers and funding we need to clean up our toxic air.
Air pollution on the London Underground Question No: 2020/2101 Caroline Pidgeon On 24 June 2020 an article by Science of the Total Environment (Reference: STOTEN 140515) stated “the PM2.5 and NO2 levels, potential contributors to COVID-19 transmission and fatalities, are relatively higher in LU stations than other transport environments. E.g. the median level of airborne PM2.5 in LU stations is several times higher than cycling”. Please provide a detailed statement on the actions being taken to tackle air pollution throughout the London Underground to reduce exposure for both passengers and staff. Please also state what evaluation has been undertaken as to whether there should be controls on access to specific London Underground stations which are known to have high levels of air pollution and poor circulation of air. Answer for Air pollution on the London Underground The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Richard Desmond Question No: 2020/2102 Caroline Pidgeon An article in the Sunday Times on the 21 June 2020 contains the following quote from Richard Desmond “I’ve been to dinner with Sadiq Khan and his wife.” However, any examination of your diary since 2016 does not appear to show such an event taking place. Due to the seriousness of the issues relating to the planning process for the Westferry Printworks will you clarify whether this statement made by Richard Desmond is correct and if so please provide the date and other details about when this event took place and for what purpose. Answer for Richard Desmond The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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GLA planning process Question No: 2020/2103 Caroline Pidgeon Following the extensive media reports relating to the planning process for the proposed development on the former Westferry Printworks site raising concerns about undue influence being sought in the planning process, are you satisfied with (a) current GLA processes of assessing developments, (b) that there is full transparency relating to meetings that you, Mayoral appointees and senior GLA officers undertake with property developers and (c) the hospitality that they offer or seek to offer to you, Mayoral appointees and to senior GLA officers. GLA planning process The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I am confident that we have appropriate processes in place to ensure that all our work is carried out with the utmost transparency, public scrutiny and accountability. My Mayoral team and GLA officers are all familiar and comply with the GLA Gifts and Hospitality Policy and Procedure and Guidelines on Representation (Lobbying), as well as assessing the merits or otherwise of a proposed development and conducting meetings with property developers in line with the GLA Unified Planning Code of Conduct. As you will appreciate, engagement with the development industry is a necessity of any planning service and vital to ensuring that development across London delivers Good Growth. Discussions between GLA officers and developers prior to the submission of planning applications are documented and recorded. We publish all our planning decisions and should a planning application be called in by me, there is a clear procedure setting out the decision making process. I, along with my deputies and GLA officers, are fully aware of the principles around lawfulness, transparency and fairness when making planning decisions and all our decisions are made in the public interest without any undue influence from other parties.
Cycle Hire Scheme (1) Question No: 2020/2104 Caroline Pidgeon Please publish a table showing separately for each month since July 2019 the average time per day that each docking station had: a) no available bikes, b) no available docking spaces for bike. Answer for Cycle Hire Scheme (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Cycle Hire Scheme (2) Question No: 2020/2105 Caroline Pidgeon Ten years after the start of the cycle hire scheme please set out what plans you have to extend the scheme over the next year? Further to your answer to 2019/11987 where you stated “I have asked TfL to work with the London Borough of Southwark to develop detailed plans on the extension of the scheme into the Rotherhithe Peninsula” please set out what progress has been made since then and what progress is expected in the next 12 months. Answer for Cycle Hire Scheme (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Cycle Hire Scheme (3) Question No: 2020/2106 Caroline Pidgeon Mayoral Decision 2648 on temporary changes to the Congestion Charge proposes to only suspend the Congestion Charge for Christmas Day this year, compared to a suspension over the whole Christmas period (from Christmas Day to New Year) in previous years. As a measure to encourage people to take up cycling over the Christmas period will you consider complementing the operation of the Congestion Charge over the Christmas period with a repeat of last year’s 24 hours’ free access to Santander Cycles throughout the month December and in addition consider the provision of unlimited use of Santander Cycles on specific days in this month? Answer for Cycle Hire Scheme (3) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Cycle to Work scheme (1) Question No: 2020/2107 Caroline Pidgeon What is TfL’s estimate of (a) the number of employers based in London, and (b) the number of employees working in London, who are covered by the Cycle to Work scheme? Answer for Cycle to Work scheme (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020
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Officers are drafting a response
Cycle to Work scheme (2) Question No: 2020/2108 Caroline Pidgeon What steps have you taken to promote the increase in take up of the Cycle to Work scheme since May 2016? Will you consider directly writing to a large number of London employers to encourage them to take part in the scheme and to promote participation amongst their employees? Answer for Cycle to Work scheme (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Motorbike parking in central London Question No: 2020/2109 Caroline Pidgeon To help prevent a growth in private car journeys in central London in the months ahead will you undertake a review of the provision of motorbike parking and if necessary ensure provision is increased? Answer for Motorbike parking in central London The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Royal Mail concerns about Streetspace programme Question No: 2020/2110 Caroline Pidgeon I understand that on the 29 May 2020 Nicholas Dunn, National Distribution Director of Royal Mail, wrote to you setting out concerns the Royal Mail has about the possible impact of the Streetspace programme on collection from postboxes. Will you give an assurance that any reported disruption to collections from postboxes or Post Offices from the Streetspace programme are fully investigated and addressed as a matter of urgency, especially due to Royal Mail’s key role in delivering and collecting Covid-19 home testing kits? Answer for Royal Mail concerns about Streetspace programme The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020
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Officers are drafting a response
Use of Ethylene glycol Question No: 2020/2111 Caroline Pidgeon Does TfL consider the use of Ethylene glycol a suitable chemical for TfL contractors to use if they are undertaking maintenance work along London Underground lines? If it is considered a suitable chemical what measures would be expected in terms of storage and disposal of unused amounts of the chemical? Answer for Use of Ethylene glycol The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Protecting biodiversity alongside London Underground lines Question No: 2020/2112 Caroline Pidgeon Further to your reply to 2020/1652 where you stated in relation to the trimming of grass verges “More wildlife-friendly management of all green spaces adds natural sound and colour that provides health and well-being benefits for many Londoners. I shall be publishing guidance later this year highlighting ways in which all green spaces can be enhanced for biodiversity.” Will you ensure such guidance also covers land alongside London Underground lines? Protecting biodiversity alongside London Underground lines The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The guidance I shall be publishing later this year will include habitat management and habitat creation principles and practice which will be applicable to all areas where there are opportunities to enhance biodiversity, including land alongside London Underground lines. Transport for London officers have contributed to drafting the guidance, but it will not include specific instructions for the management of London Underground lines because of the specific operational and health and safety considerations which govern the management of land along London Underground lines. As a functional body, Transport for London will use this guidance when developing and implementing their corporate environment plans relating to biodiversity conservation.
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Leisure and Hospitality Grant Scheme Question No: 2020/2113 Caroline Pidgeon I understand that a social enterprise or business occupying a listed building with no business rates is not entitled to any support from the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund. Will you make representations to the Treasury to ensure this exemption is lifted? Leisure and Hospitality Grant Scheme The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 On 7 May 2020, I wrote to the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Business calling for these grants to be extended to businesses that are excluded from receiving funding. Whilst the Government have provided some additional resources in the form of discretionary grants to support such businesses, the levels of funding provided are wholly inadequate to meet demand. This issue is particularly acute in London, where a much higher percentage of businesses are excluded from the grants as a result of high rateable values. In order to simplify the process for accessing the various local discretionary grants schemes made available by Local Authorities, we have developed a grant finder tool on the London Growth Hub which can be accessed at: https://www.growthhub.london/discretionary- local-business-grants/. Our London Growth Hub business advisers are also able to help businesses identify grants and funding opportunities.
TfL Board meetings Question No: 2020/2114 Caroline Pidgeon With TfL Board meetings being held remotely will you give an assurance that these meetings will in future always be webcast in real time and not at a later time as was the case with the recent meeting of TfL’s remuneration committee? Answer for TfL Board meetings The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Electric charging points Question No: 2020/2115 Caroline Pidgeon Further to question 2020/0933 has there been any progress in TfL assessing whether the 43 charging points that have been installed for charging electric buses at the Waterloo bus garage on Cornwall Road could be used for taxis as well?
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Answer for Electric charging points The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Dedicated charging points for electric taxis Question No: 2020/2116 Caroline Pidgeon In answer to question 2019/20160 you stated “TfL is currently looking at the process of utilising CCTV enforcement for EV bays.” Please provide an update. Answer for Dedicated charging points for electric taxis The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
The London Plan and electric charging points Question No: 2020/2117 Caroline Pidgeon In answer to question 2019/19622 you stated “In order to effectively monitor the implementation of draft London Plan Policy T6.1, the London Development Database (LDD) is updating its technical planning data standard to include the number and type of charge points proposed for a development. This is currently out for agreement by Borough Leaders. Subject to this agreement, the ongoing LDD automation project will automate the collection of this data and allow it to be more accessible to all Londoners from spring 2020.” Please provide an update on progress in making this data more accessible to Londoners. The London Plan and electric charging points The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 This project has delayed its delivery in part due to the need to minimise change and pressures on Local Planning Authorities during the current public health crisis. The aims, however, remain the same and it will help provide more accessible data for Londoners. During this time the team have focussed on facilitating the data flow ready for the data collection to launch and be fully automated at the appropriate time. Officers are in discussions with Planning Authorities across London when that appropriate time may be. For further more detailed information on the project please visit https://sway.office.com/PCbVYR7X9hbgdKJD?ref=email
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Screens in private hire vehicles Question No: 2020/2118 Caroline Pidgeon What steps are TfL taking to ensure robust guidance is available that responsible private hire operators can realistically adopt as quickly as possible to enable the installation of screens in existing cars to separate drivers from passengers? Answer for Screens in private hire vehicles The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
TfL’s Monitoring of its Bus Contractors’ Covid-19 Risk Reduction Actions Question No: 2020/2119 Caroline Pidgeon Based on your response to 2020/1623, can I assume that no TfL employees are carrying out on-site monitoring of bus contractors Covid-19 risk reduction actions? Answer for TfL’s Monitoring of its Bus Contractors’ Covid-19 Risk Reduction Actions The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Agency Bus Drivers and Safety Performance Question No: 2020/2120 Caroline Pidgeon Section 1.11 in Mayor Decision 2562 states “around 3 per cent of drivers are agency staff on any given day.” Does TfL have any time series data which analyses the safety performance of these agency drivers and how it compares to drivers who work directly for bus operators? Answer for Agency Bus Drivers and Safety Performance The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Equality Impact Statement and Bus Driver Retention Payment Question No: 2020/2121 Caroline Pidgeon Paragraph 3.4 of Mayoral Decision 2562 states “TfL will now work with bus operators to complete a full Equality Impact Assessment to ensure there are no discriminatory impacts from the implementation of the retention payment scheme” yet paragraph 3.3 clearly identifies that there are clear impacts based on age, disability, gender and maternity. Why was the retention payment allowed without a full Equality Impact Assessment being conducted before it was approved in March and when is one expected to be completed? Answer for Equality Impact Statement and Bus Driver Retention Payment The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
International Bus Benchmarking Group and Covid-19 Question No: 2020/2122 Caroline Pidgeon Will you commission Imperial College’s International Bus Benchmarking Group (IBBG) to produce a study looking at how London compared to all other IBBG members for Deaths and Hospitalisations of Bus Drivers from Covid-19 in the first half of 2020? International Bus Benchmarking Group and Covid-19 The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Transport for London (TfL) continues working with the International Bus Benchmarking Group run by Imperial College London to understand and share knowledge with other members. Imperial College London continues to collate and analyse data provided by TfL and other members and these are summarised within a regularly updated report entitled, “How is the global transport sector responding to the Coronavirus (COVID-19)?”. This can found here: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/transport-studies/transport-strategy- centre/applied-research/covid-19/. TfL has commissioned University College London’s Institute of Health Equity to undertake a study of coronavirus infections and deaths in London’s bus workers and to provide further learnings. The first part of this report is expected to be published in July. TfL has no plans to separately ask Imperial College to undertake a study into deaths and hospitalisations of bus drivers from coronavirus.
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Step free access at London Underground stations Question No: 2020/2123 Caroline Pidgeon Please state the reasons why step free access was not completed at Cockfosters, Amersham, Ickenham, Wimbledon Park, Debden, Osterley, Hanger Lane, Northolt, Sudbury Hill, Harrow-on-the Hill and Burnt Oak London Underground stations by the end of 2019/2020 despite TfL website stating as recently as February 2020 that they would become step free by the end of 2019/2020. Further to your answer in 2020/0359 please also state the current revised dates, by month, that these stations will finally become step free. Answer for Step free access at London Underground stations The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Representations about bringing forward step free access scheme on Network Rail services. Question No: 2020/2124 Caroline Pidgeon Further to the Prime Minister’s speech on the 30 June 2020 which announced bringing forward capital investment projects will you consider making representations to the Prime Minister to prioritise bringing forward railway step free access projects under the Network Rail Access to All scheme? Answer for Representations about bringing forward step free access scheme on Network Rail services. The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Hammersmith Bridge Question No: 2020/2125 Caroline Pidgeon Please provide an update on TfL’s negotiations over securing extra funding for the full repair and strengthening of this bridge. What is TfL’s latest estimated date that the bridge will re-open to take single decker buses? Answer for Hammersmith Bridge The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020
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Officers are drafting a response
Lavender Hill Junction Question No: 2020/2126 Caroline Pidgeon Further to your answer to Question 2019/14171 where you stated TfL “will set out next steps by December 2019, including dates for public consultation. Subject to the consultation responses, necessary approvals and available funding, construction could begin in 2020.” Please state when the consultation on improvements to the junction will now commence and by what date the improvements to the junction are expected to be completed. Answer for Lavender Hill Junction The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Screening Out Crimes without Suspect Being Identified Question No: 2020/2127 Caroline Pidgeon How many cases have been closed by the Met in the last five years without a suspect being identified? Please provide this information broken down by a) year and b) type of crime. Answer for Screening Out Crimes without Suspect Being Identified The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Use of Fingerprint Scanners in the Met (1) Question No: 2020/2128 Caroline Pidgeon Please confirm whether officers in the Met continue to carry biometric fingerprint scanners? If yes, is it correct that any officer is able to scan someone’s fingerprints off the street and check their immigration status against the Home Office’s records? Following the Windrush Scandal, in which there were clear errors in Home Office data, are you comfortable with this taking place on London’s streets? Answer for Use of Fingerprint Scanners in the Met (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020
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Officers are drafting a response
Use of Fingerprint Scanners in the Met (2) Question No: 2020/2129 Caroline Pidgeon Please provide a breakdown of those who had their fingerprints scanned by Met officers in the last year broken down by: a) month, b) BCU, and c) ethnicity. Use of Fingerprint Scanners in the Met (2) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The attached documents the volume of fingerprint searches by BCU for each calendar month over the past year. There is no legal requirement to record the ethnicity of a person whose fingerprints are captured. The MPS does not currently record the ethnicity on the device. This is recorded by officers when completing stop forms.
Ethnic Diversity in the Met Question No: 2020/2130 Caroline Pidgeon Recent figures on ethnic diversity in UK police forces showed that although black individuals make up 13.3% of London’s population only 3.5% of Met Police officers are black. Furthermore, those of Asian heritage make up 17% of London’s population, but only make up 5.9% of Met officers. What will you be doing to make the Met more reflective of the city it serves? Ethnic Diversity in the Met The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The Commissioner and I share a commitment to make the Met truly representative of the city it serves, and improving the trust and confidence of all Londoners. The ethnic diversity of all officers and staff in the Met is published every month on the Met’s website: https://www.met.police.uk/sd/stats-and-data/met/workforce-data- report/ Transparency of data is important, but I accept that progress is not fast enough. And it’s why I have commissioned my Deputy Mayor for Communities and Deputy Mayor for Policing to work with police and communities to draw up an action plan for improving trust and confidence, transparency and accountability and will be looking at enacting it as quickly as possible while understanding we are dealing with very deep rooted issues. The police have come a long way but there is more that needs to be done.
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Recruitment of Police Officers from Outside of London (1) Question No: 2020/2131 Caroline Pidgeon Can you please provide details of the number of police recruits to the Met since the re- introduction of recruiting officers from outside of London in November 2018, broken down by a) month, and b) recruits from within London and outside. Answer for Recruitment of Police Officers from Outside of London (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Recruitment of Police Officers from Outside of London (2) Question No: 2020/2132 Caroline Pidgeon Following the concerning statistics showing that the Met still has a very long way to go before it becomes reflective of London’s diverse communities, do you think the decision in November 2018 to re-introduce the recruitment of Met officers from outside London has further impacted on the lack of diversity within the Met? Do you regret this change in policy? Answer for Recruitment of Police Officers from Outside of London (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Leaver Rates and Vacancies in the London Fire Brigade Question No: 2020/2133 Caroline Pidgeon In the Q4 2019-20 People Services Performance Report the LFB made clear that they had 72 more operational vacancies than expected due to an unanticipated number of leavers. However, the report does not adequately explain how the LFB plans to avoid such a significant underestimation in future. What are you doing to work with the LFB and make sure this does not happen again given the potential impact on operational effectiveness? Answer for Leaver Rates and Vacancies in the London Fire Brigade The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Diversity in the London Fire Brigade (1) Question No: 2020/2134 Caroline Pidgeon The Q4 2019-20 People Services Performance Report states that in the last 12 months there has been no overall increase in the numbers of BAME or female individuals in operational senior management in the LFB. Do you think this is acceptable, and what are you doing to address this? Diversity in the London Fire Brigade (1) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The underrepresentation of women and BAME individuals in operational senior management roles is a serious concern for me and for the London Fire Brigade (LFB). This issue is being explicitly addressed in the Brigade’s new Togetherness Strategy, which was launched on 1st July. Specific actions include: a full review of recruitment and promotions processes, including new training for assessors; support for hiring managers; and a review of advertising and materials to ensure they reflect the new LFB behavioural framework. LFB will also introduce targeted leadership development for underrepresented groups of employees, including BAME groups and women, to support them in progressing through the promotions process. The Brigade will be publishing recruitment and promotions dashboards externally to ensure transparency in this process.
Diversity in the London Fire Brigade (2) Question No: 2020/2135 Caroline Pidgeon The Q4 2019-20 People Services Performance Report shows that LFB Control currently has no BAME staff in senior management roles. Do you think this is acceptable and how will you be working to address this moving forward? Answer for Diversity in the London Fire Brigade (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Mental Health Support for Young People (1) Question No: 2020/2136 Caroline Pidgeon How are you working to ensure that there are enough resources to cope with the number of young people requiring mental health support in London, especially since there will inevitably be an increase in those needing help post-lockdown? Mental Health Support for Young People (1)
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The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 As part of my commitment to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people I will be providing funding to help expand the Good Thinking digital mental health and wellbeing service to young Londoners aged 13 to 18. My Healthy Schools London programme provides frequent updates to all of London’s borough-based Healthy Schools Teams and has a dedicated mental health section on their website. I continue to work closely with health and care partners. Healthy London Partnership has been making changes to the online Mental Health in Schools Toolkit through the addition of tailored COVID-19 content. The toolkit, originally developed in partnership with the GLA, aims to provide a range of information and links to relevant guidance and support for schools and commissioners on promoting emotional wellbeing and mental health within schools. I will also continue to lobby the government to increase expenditure for mental health.
Mental Health Support for Young People (2) Question No: 2020/2137 Caroline Pidgeon Research shows that young people are experiencing worse mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic than their older counterparts. What work are you undertaking with boroughs and other partners to prevent a mental health crisis in London post-lockdown, including supporting teachers who have the challenge of dealing with pupils returning to school who may be suffering from mental ill-health? Mental Health Support for Young People (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 In April I chaired a meeting of mental health leaders where we discussed the impact on Londoners’ mental health and wellbeing. This highlighted three clear areas of focus in London and a Task and Finish Group was formed to take forward an action plan based around three work programmes; signposting to help people access support; planning and surveillance of mental health need and data; and harnessing innovation for the future. Addressing the mental health impact of COVID-19 is a high priority and the London Science and Technical Advisory Cell is supporting pan-London work assessing current and future mental health needs to define action to prevent poor mental health developing. My Healthy Schools London Team is working with partners to identify how best to support the mental health of school communities including providing webinars, toolkits, training and other resources. The HSL Borough Leads are already trained in Mental Health First Aid. I will also continue to lobby the government to increase expenditure for mental health.
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No Consideration of Temporary Redeployment for Furloughed TfL Staff Question No: 2020/2138 Caroline Pidgeon Why was consideration not given to temporarily redeploying the 7,000 TfL staff who were furloughed to other parts of the GLA Group? Many of these staff could have helped relieve pressure on the GLA throughout this crisis, avoiding the need for the GLA to contract out certain elements of its COVID-19 response. Answer for No Consideration of Temporary Redeployment for Furloughed TfL Staff The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
The Need for More Social Housing in London Post-Coronavirus Question No: 2020/2139 Caroline Pidgeon The COVID-19 crisis makes the case for more social housing in London, with its secure tenancy and relative cheap rent, more important than ever. Underpaid keyworkers including nurses, shop staff and bus drivers, amongst many others, must be able to live affordably and securely in the capital. How are you working to further increase the amount of social housing in London following the crisis using your levers and powers as Mayor of London? The Need for More Social Housing in London Post-Coronavirus The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I have always been clear that my top housing priority as Mayor was to build more council, social rented, and other genuinely affordable homes and the record shows my approach is working. Last year we started more than 7,000 new homes for social rent – more than were started in the whole of my predecessor’s second term. I’m also proud that more than 3,300 new council homes were started in London last year, the most in any year since 1985. It is clear that demand for social housing is only expected to grow as we emerge from the current crisis. My Deputy Mayor for Residential Development has called for a recovery package of £5 billion from Government, which puts social housing at the heart of London’s recovery. The package would fund a ‘buyer of last resort’ scheme to allow councils and housing associations to buy unsold private homes at cost price, and turn them into social housing if a buyer cannot be found in the open market. The fund would also support a programme to convert housing currently planned for low-cost ownership and sale into homes for social and low-cost rent, where there is a risk to delivery.
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National Housing Federation’s ‘Homes at the Heart’ Campaign Question No: 2020/2140 Caroline Pidgeon The National Housing Federation has launched the ‘Homes at Heart’ campaign, urging the government to put building more social housing at the centre of the economic and social recovery from COVID-19. Not only would this boost the economy, but it will ensure everyone has a safe, secure and comfortable place to live, which this pandemic has highlighted the importance of more than ever. Can you confirm whether you will support the campaign and add your voice to those lobbying the Government on behalf of this campaign? National Housing Federation’s ‘Homes at the Heart’ Campaign The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the extent of the housing crisis and underscored the need for all Londoners to have access to a safe, good quality and genuinely affordable home. I welcome the launch of the “Home at the Heart” campaign and I wholeheartedly agree with the need for Government to put social housing at the centre of recovery from Covid-19. My Deputy Mayor for Housing convened the Housing Delivery Taskforce to focus on exactly this. The Taskforce have agreed that a £5bn emergency investment package is needed from Government to keep London building, protect construction jobs in the capital and increase the supply of new social homes. I will continue to make this case to Government, along with others in the sector.
Changing Careers and Adult Education Post-Coronavirus Question No: 2020/2141 Caroline Pidgeon The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting our economy in unprecedented ways, with many people losing their jobs. How are you working to use your adult education budget to best support those who are having to change careers during this difficult period? Changing Careers and Adult Education Post-Coronavirus The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I have recently increased funding for the Skills for Londoners COVID-19 Response Fund to £11 million (from an initial £9 million) to help adult education providers create more learning and training opportunities for their learners during the pandemic. Strand 1 of this fund will support additional provision meeting the immediate demand for learning and skills in light of COVID-19 and will specifically support:
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• Furloughed workers and the self-employed whose incomes fall below the London Living Wage as a result of COVID-19; and • Those made redundant as a result of COVID-19 I am also taking steps to give providers more flexibility within their budgets to deliver tailored provision targeted at meeting labour market needs, so learners are better equipped to access new employment opportunities or support their career progression. Further details on these measures will be published in the GLA’s forthcoming Adult Education Budget Funding and Performance Management Rules 2020/21.
Making Sure Accurate and Up to Date COVID-19 Case and Testing Data is Available to Local Authorities in London Question No: 2020/2142 Caroline Pidgeon It has been widely reported that the spike in COVID-19 cases in Leicester, resulting in a ‘local lockdown’, has been partly due to the speed at which the Government and Public Health England passed over COVID-19 data to the local authority. How are you working with boroughs to insist the Government passes this information over more quickly to ensure boroughs in London, alongside the London Transition Board, can act against such spikes quickly and effectively as and when they arise? Making Sure Accurate and Up to Date COVID-19 Case and Testing Data is Available to Local Authorities in London The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I have written to Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, asking for London region data which shows a comprehensive picture across the different areas of testing and contact tracing activity. I think it is important to publish the London region data to build public confidence and will continue to press for this. I have met with senior Government representatives including: Professor John Newton, National Testing Coordinator; Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England; Sir Patrick Vallance, Chief Scientific Adviser; Lord Bethell, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Innovation; and Baroness Harding, Chair of the NHS Test and Trace Programme; to ensure the specific needs of London are considered as part of the Government’s national system. I have weekly meetings with my statutory Health Advisor and Regional Director for Public Health England (PHE) London, Professor Kevin Fenton. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Public Health England’s London Coronavirus Response Centre has been providing data to London Directors of Public Health on a daily basis to keep them informed of any new cases in their borough, across all pillars of testing. This active surveillance has helped detect local clusters of cases and enable swift action to stop further spread.
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Support for Grassroot Music Venues Question No: 2020/2143 Caroline Pidgeon In London, grassroot music venues hold huge cultural and economic importance. Will you support the Music Venue Trust’s campaign to government for support for grassroots music venues during this difficult time, and what will you be doing as Mayor to support these grassroots venues? Support for Grassroot Music Venues The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I’m a great supporter of the work of Music Venue Trust, who are a key partner in our work to support grassroots music venues. I’m pleased that the Government has listened to their call to support music venues as part of its £1.57bn investment package for the arts. This announcement follows the £450,000 I provided through my Culture at Risk Business Support Fund for London’s grassroots music venues, which Music Venue Trust is administering. This funding is offering dedicated advice to venues, as well as cash grants to those most at risk of closure now due to COVID-19. While the Government’s announcement is welcome news for venues, it must also support the thousands of freelancers who work across the sector and vital creative businesses in the creative supply chain. It is crucial this money is distributed fast and that it addresses inequality. Prior to COVID-19, our work, including planning protections such as Agent of Change and our Culture at Risk Office, helped to stabilise grassroots music venue numbers after more than a decade of decline.
Funding of schemes under the Streetspace programme Question No: 2020/2144 Caroline Pidgeon The Guardian journalist Laura Laker has been publishing details of the rounds of funding that London Boroughs have received from Streetspace funding initiatives, but this detailed information appears to not be publicly available. Please set out how TfL has disseminated information about the rounds of funding for the Streetspace programme and provide an explanation as to why this information was not routinely published on TfL’s website? Answer for Funding of schemes under the Streetspace programme The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Green New Deal funding Question No: 2020/2147 Caroline Russell In the final GLA budget for 2020-2021 you allocated £50 million towards a Green New Deal. Could you now share what plans you have to spend this money? Green New Deal funding The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 As you will be aware, the GLA is currently undergoing budget reviews in light of the coronavirus crisis and so it is not possible to comment on the specifics of this at present. However, I would like to reassure you that while we have to take into account the financial challenges presented by COVID-19, a cleaner, greener recovery for London needs to support the transition of the economy to one that is inclusive, resilient, low carbon and circular. I remain committed to the Green New Deal as a way of tackling the climate emergency and delivering this recovery. It will be achieved not only through the work that the GLA does and the work of the London Recovery Board, but also through calling on London’s businesses, communities and the UK Government to play a role.
Waste reduction and recycling targets during coronavirus Question No: 2020/2148 Caroline Russell Could you provide an update on the effect coronavirus has had on meeting your waste reduction and recycling targets? Waste reduction and recycling targets during coronavirus The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I have now approved all 33 borough waste Reduction and Recycling Plans (RRPs). Taken together, if implemented in full by the boroughs, the RRPs are expected to increase London’s household waste recycling rate from 33% today to 40% in 2022. After lockdown, some boroughs raised concerns that implementation of their RRPs may be delayed due to capacity issues. I responded to say that we recognise and agree that responding to the pandemic and maintaining waste services was a priority, but hoped that efforts to reduce waste and increase recycling through activities set out in RRPs could continue where possible and where it is safe to do so. My officers are regularly engaging with boroughs to understand the impact of the pandemic on the programme of work set out in their RRPs and to agree any new timelines and courses of action that may be needed. It is too early to fully understand the full impact coronavirus will have on my targets but early discussions have shown there have been delays to some RRP actions from the boroughs, particularly those focussing on commercial
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waste, communications and events. Budget uncertainties are also impacting some plans and we will work with boroughs to help find efficiencies, from measures such as sharing resources or service reviews to help reduce costs and better incentivise recycling. I have called on government in implementing their Resources and Waste Strategy to bring forward their support for boroughs to ensure London gets its fair share of support for waste and recycling services.
Concentrated flight path review Question No: 2020/2149 Caroline Russell Residents have written to me to express their concerns that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) concentrated flightpath review is being pushed back indefinitely. Will you ask the CAA for more transparency and clarity about the consultation to show support for overflown Londoners whose lives are blighted by the noise and disturbance? Answer for Concentrated flight path review The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Incinerator use in London Question No: 2020/2150 Caroline Russell Your Environment Strategy states that by 2030, 65 per cent of London’s municipal waste will be recycled. Yet, London sends 58 per cent of local authority collected waste to incineration while recycling just 33 per cent. I met with the North London Waste Authority on 25 June 2020 to ask them to pause and review their incinerator expansion plans before they put the construction contract out to tender. Will you join me in this request? Incinerator use in London The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 All boroughs have now agreed Reduction and Recyling Plans. The RRPs set out commitments and targets for cutting waste and boosting local recycling performance that will collectively make an effective contribution to meeting my 65 per cent municipal waste recycling target and divert more waste from incineration and landfill. I have been clear that London is facing a climate emergency and does not need more waste incinerators and that London does not need any further waste incinerator capacity to manage the city’s non-recyclable waste. I am proceeding with a legal challenge to judicially review the government’s decision to grant a development consent order for a new waste incinerator in Bexley.
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The Edmonton replacement incineration facility was approved by the Secretary of State in February 2017 and supported by my predecessor. An attempt for a judicial review on the Government’s decision was unsuccessful in November of last year and NLWA have already started their procurement. NLWA’s replacement plans include a detailed specification for the facility to operate in combined heat and power mode to make it as efficient as possible. My focus now is to ensure that NLWA facility manages truly non-recyclable waste, operates to the most stringent air quality standards possible and maximises the use of both the heat and electricity generated. With respect to the latter this includes ensuring the identified heat off-take provision is built out meeting my carbon intensity floor emissions performance level, and used to supply a strategic area-wide heat network for decarbonising heat in this part of North London. Please see also Mayor’s Question 2020/1836
Building in net zero emissions to London’s coronavirus recovery Question No: 2020/2151 Caroline Russell At the final meeting of the Climate Assembly UK in May 2020, members discussed the changed context for reaching net zero created by the coronavirus pandemic and overwhelmingly agreed that: “steps taken by the government to help the economy recover should be designed to help achieve net zero.” As the London Recovery Board begins to navigate London’s future in a post-crisis world, will you commit to ensuring that any steps taken meet this statement? Building in net zero emissions to London’s coronavirus recovery The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The London Recovery Board, co-chaired by the Chair of London Councils, Cllr Peter John, and me, co-ordinates the planning for London’s long-term recovery effort and I have always emphasised that the recovery needs to be a green one. This will be a recovery that must catalyse and accelerate a just transition to a low carbon circular economy in London. I have been advocating for this since becoming Mayor and have enshrined this goal into my strategies, including the Economic Development and London Environment Strategies. The nature of London’s recovery will form an integral part of accelerating my commitment to making London a zero carbon city by 2030 and tackling the climate emergency. Central to the London Recovery Board’s remit will be how we can decarbonise our economy, modernise our public transport and support green innovation, skills and crucially, job creation. As an example, my Green New Deal for London – announced prior to the pandemic – is all about growing our economy whilst tackling our environmental challenges, creating the jobs of the future for Londoners and supporting the green industries that are crucial to meeting our city’s climate targets.
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Free toilets on the Transport for London network Question No: 2020/2152 Caroline Russell When will you make all toilets at Transport for London (TfL) stations free to use? Answer for Free toilets on the Transport for London network The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Green Dale pitch and playing fields Question No: 2020/2153 Caroline Russell Constituents have contacted me regarding your decision that special circumstances warrant relocating the Green Dale playing pitch onto Green Dale Playing Fields, which is designated as Metropolitan Open Land (MOL). Moving the pitch onto the MOL will mean loss of free, open access sports facilities for a dense urban area. During the coronavirus lockdown, the fields and the path alongside have been used much more extensively than before and the loss of open-access space would hit local people hard. Will you reconsider your decision given the new awareness of the need for open space for exercise and leisure? Green Dale pitch and playing fields The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Policies in my London Plan recognise the importance of open space for exercise and leisure. With respect to the particular application you refer to, the stadium building is located outside of the MOL designation, as such the development located on the MOL includes only the enhanced playing surface and associated infrastructure. The proposed pitch replaces an artificial pitch currently in situ but currently in an unusable and unsafe condition. The provision of a replacement pitch is an appropriate facility in terms of the existing use for outdoor sport and recreation which preserves openness and does not conflict with the purpose of the designation. Very Special Circumstances must, however, be demonstrated for the pitch enclosure, floodlighting and associated infrastructure. The Mayor’s Stage 1 response set out the view that Very Special Circumstances exist for the boundary enclosure, floodlighting and associated infrastructure on the basis that the club is required by the FA to include those measures for this facility. It was also noted that through this application there would be enhanced routes from within the residential site towards the MOL. The Mayor was clear in his response to Southwark Council that a full community use agreement to allow users of the existing playing fields to benefit from the enhanced facilities (including facilities such as the changing rooms) must be robustly secured as part of any future permission. Once the application is referred to the Mayor for his Stage 2 decision, he will have an opportunity to review the community use agreement, along with other matters.
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Expanding the ULEZ to reduce coronavirus infections Question No: 2020/2154 Caroline Russell In the June 2020 DEFRA report, Estimation of changes in air pollution emissions, concentrations and exposure during the COVID-19 outbreak in the UK, experts said that: “it would not be surprising if there was a link between exposure to air pollution (past or present) and the occurrence or severity of COVID-19 infection.” Given this, will you look at extending the boundaries of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) out to the existing Low Emission Zone boundary to improve and expand the reduction in NO2 already seen within the current ULEZ borders? Expanding the ULEZ to reduce coronavirus infections The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The COVID-19 outbreak has highlighted the way air pollution affects health; not only is there emerging evidence of a potential link between exposure and the severity of the illness but long term exposure to high levels of air pollution has long been known to contribute to the underlying conditions that exacerbate COVID-19 symptoms. The expanded ULEZ boundary includes inner London where the air pollution problem is most acute. However, due to the way many vehicles travel across London, this will deliver air quality benefits for the whole of London. After ULEZ is expanded and tighter standards for buses, coaches and lorries are introduced Londonwide, just 4 per cent of roads in outer London will be exceeding legal limits in 2021. These will be addressed by a variety of measures including Low Emission Neighbourhoods, reducing pollution from other sources such as construction, and supporting the transition to Electric Vehicles. These are equally effective, and quicker, ways of improving those remaining small areas in outer London which exceed legal limits. Expanding the ULEZ, however, is not the only way I am seeking to improve air quality. As London moves beyond mere compliance with existing legal limits toward a zero emission transport network I remain committed to achieving the best air quality of any major world city and meeting the World Health Organization targets for PM2.5 no later than 2030. To meet this ambition I will be working with the boroughs to roll out Zero Emission Zones, fully electrifying London’s bus fleet by 2037 at the latest and using the planning system ensure that new development is not only low emission but also contributes to creating liveable spaces that encourage walking and cycling and the first choice for transport. Not all air pollution in London is generated locally, or from transport, which is why I am asking the Government not only to match my ambition by enshrining the WHO target in law but also to delegate the powers I need to effectively tackle emissions from non-transport sources.
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Streetspace speed of delivery Question No: 2020/2155 Caroline Russell Constituents have raised concerns with me about the slow pace of progress on the Streetspace programme. Why is it taking so long to award money and deliver these schemes on the streets: is it the availability of money to invest, equipment to deliver change on the ground, or political commitment? Answer for Streetspace speed of delivery The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Coordination of low traffic neighbourhoods Question No: 2020/2156 Caroline Russell Constituents have raised concerns with me that low traffic neighbourhoods are not being coordinated well between boroughs. Could Transport for London (TfL) provide more coordination to help boroughs devise plans that work across borough boundaries? Answer for Coordination of low traffic neighbourhoods The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Data on use of transport by mode Question No: 2020/2157 Caroline Russell In your press release of 6 May 2020, you said that London risks grinding to a halt if even a small proportion of people switch from using public transport to cars. Could you provide data on the use in London of car, taxi, cycle, tube, tram and bus each day from 1 March 2020. Answer for Data on use of transport by mode The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Monitoring of the Streetspace programme Question No: 2020/2158 Caroline Russell How are you and London boroughs monitoring outcomes of the Streetspace programme? Answer for Monitoring of the Streetspace programme The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Details on completion of the Streetspace programme Question No: 2020/2159 Caroline Russell When Streetspace was announced, you said it would include a range of measures including: “creating sections of temporary segregation from Merton to Elephant and Castle, and Pimlico to Putney. Space for cycling will be created between Catford town centre and Lewisham via the A21, and on the A23 between Oval and Streatham Hill.” I understand now that you intend to complete this programme by the end of this summer, so could you provide planned completion dates and lengths in km for each section of the temporary separated cycle lanes you are building? Answer for Details on completion of the Streetspace programme The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Detailed data on children’s journeys to school Question No: 2020/2160 Caroline Russell The regular Travel in London reports do not provide detailed data on children’s journeys to school. Will you provide data since 2010 for journeys to school by mode of transport, broken down by borough and school stage (primary or secondary)? Answer for Detailed data on children’s journeys to school The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Equality data on businesses given support grants by your Growth Hub Question No: 2020/2161 Caroline Russell Could you share any equality data you hold on the owners of businesses who are applying for support through your Growth Hub? Equality data on businesses given support grants by your Growth Hub The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The Growth Hub does not currently provide support grants. However, it has supported businesses access government support schemes including the small business grants distributed by local authorities. Of the businesses supported by through the London Growth Hub’s core business support programme since the start of the Pandemic (mid-March), 38% % were BAME owned businesses, of which 10% from Black African origins, 7% Black Caribbean, 5% Asian Indian and 5% other Asian. 38% of businesses indicated to have a majority female ownership in their business, compared to 33% male owned businesses. In terms of disability, 3% of businesses reported to have a disability in comparison with 65% who stated not to have a disability, and 30% who preferred not to say. Our “Navigating the Crisis Webinar Series” supported 326 businesses, of which 30% described themselves from BAME background, the majority of whom were of Asian ethnicity. 44% were female and 6% of participants considered themselves to have a disability. Our ‘Start Up Step Up London’ programme specifically aims to support BAME, women and disabled founders and employees. The programme provided support to 55 businesses since its starts in Dec 2019. 63.5% of these businesses were from BAME background, particularly from Black/African/ Caribbean origins; 63.6% were female, and 14.5% reported to have a disability or health condition.
Peer-to-peer support for businesses in London Question No: 2020/2162 Caroline Russell At the meeting of the London Assembly Economy Committee on 17 June 2020, Richard Burge of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry said he wanted your Growth Hub to do more to enable peer-to-peer support between businesses. Will you instruct your Growth Hub to enable more peer-to-peer support in future? Peer-to-peer support for businesses in London The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020
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In response to the new demands for business support that have arisen as a result of the pandemic my officers are developing new programmes to help London’s businesses. This will include a significant programme of facilitated peer-to-peer support which is currently in development. Our engagement with businesses has told us that businesses rely on their peers for advice and guidance, but not all businesses have the same access to this support. We therefore see a clear role for the Growth hub to facilitate these relationships. In the Autumn, I will be launching a programme delivered with City’s Business School, that will work with a cohort of 20 businesses per month for a period of a year to promote peer- to-peer learning and shared learning in preparing for economic recovery.
Support for microbusinesses (1) Question No: 2020/2163 Caroline Russell At the meeting of the London Assembly Economy Committee on 17 June 2020. Rowena Howie, London Policy Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses said there were 885,000 microbusinesses in London. She highlighted the diversity of people involved in small business and stressed that support needs are varied. How are you targeting support for microbusinesses to recognise that one type will not fit all? Support for microbusinesses (1) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The business support offer provided by the London Growth Hub responds to the individual needs of businesses. Each business that engages with the Growth Hub’s business advisers has access to a one-to-one meeting to identify specific business needs and support available to address them. This support is available to all established micro-businesses as well as small and medium enterprises, regardless of sector or turnover. My officers hold regular meetings with business representatives and community organisations to understand their requirements and where possible develop specific support. An example of this is a targeted intervention that will be delivered in July to support early years care providers such as childminders to ensure that they are fully compliant with the new requirements caused COVID-19.
Support for microbusinesses (2) Question No: 2020/2164 Caroline Russell The Central Activities Zone is unlikely to see a full return of its workforce in the near future due to the ongoing need for physical distancing and limited safe lift and public transport capacity. Many microbusinesses in the centre of our city are dependent on daily flows of office-based workers. What will you do for these businesses to support them to adjust or relocate?
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Support for microbusinesses (2) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The Covid-19 related challenges faced by micro-businesses in the Central Activity Zone are particularly acute, and whilst many of these businesses have demonstrated their ingenuity by moving their business to online sales or diversifying their activity, they are likely to need support for some time to come. I want to do everything I can to help more businesses adapt and survive the economic shocks of the pandemic. That is why I have launched the Pay It Forward London initiative which has already seen over 170 businesses raise £250,000 with the help of more than 4,000 Londoners. I have also called on the government to implement a targeted extension of furlough scheme which will help some microbusiness. My team are now looking at how we can further support these businesses as they start to reopen and adapt their business model. The London Growth Hub business support initiative is also offering free support to businesses during the current crisis in the form of one-to-one advice and a programme of webinars. This support is enabling businesses to access grants and loans to support them through the crisis.
Impact of the coronavirus crisis on young people Question No: 2020/2165 Siân Berry The GLA Economics Labour Market Analysis, released on 27 May 2020, reported that across the UK one-third of 18 to 24-year-old employees (excluding students) have lost jobs or been furloughed, compared to one-in-six 35 to 49-year-olds. Could you provide me with data on the number of job losses, furloughs and pay cuts affecting 18 to 24-years-olds in London? Impact of the coronavirus crisis on young people The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Official data on regional job losses by age is not timely or readily available, however we can use claimant count[1] data as a rough indication. The latest claimant count data for London reveals that there were 70,190 claimants who were aged 18-24-year olds in May 2020 and 43,840 claimants in April 2020. Official statistics show there were 1.07 million furlough employment in London by 31st May 2020. Regional breakdown of this data by age is not available. However, the Resolution Foundation (which is also the source of the data referenced in the question) report some insightful statistics[2] on (1) job losses, (2) furlough and (3) pay cuts for the UK: (1) 9% of 18-24-year-olds reported having lost their job (2) 24% of 18-24 year olds were furloughed and (3) one-in-three 18-24-year-old employees have seen their pay reduced.
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[1] Claimant count data is to be interpreted with caution as not all claimants will be unemployed [2] RF analysis YouGov, Adults aged 18 to 65 and the coronavirus (COVID-19) 6-11 May
Support for young people in the wake of the coronavirus crisis Question No: 2020/2166 Siân Berry As a result of the coronavirus crisis we are already seeing jobs losses in the hospitality and retail sectors which are likely to be predominately affecting 18-24-year-olds. What action will you take to support this cohort of young people to prevent them becoming a ‘lost generation’? Support for young people in the wake of the coronavirus crisis The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Since the outbreak of COVID-19, I have been extremely concerned about the impact that this virus is having on London’s young people. Initially, financial flexibilities that London quickly put in place ensured the stability of the further education sector, through which I fund thousands of training courses for young people. My Skills for Londoners COVID-19 Response Fund allowed many providers to access additional funds to increase the number of courses available, as well as to support the digital means through which much learning is now taking place. I am supportive of the increased funding announced by the Chancellor for the National Careers Service as well as for the Kickstart scheme, however my officials are still working with the colleagues in the Department for Education and Department for Work and Pensions to gain a better understanding of what this will mean on the ground for the young people of London.
Communication with national Government Question No: 2020/2167 Siân Berry On your regular LBC phone-in on 12 June 2020, you said you are no longer attending COBR meetings and were learning what was going on from Government press conferences. Now that these have ceased, how do you hear about changes in policy and guidance from national Government? Answer for Communication with national Government The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Police use of excessive force on disabled Londoners Question No: 2020/2168 Siân Berry A constituent has raised an incident in which a young Black Londoner with brittle bone disease, Oliver Charles-Christian, spent five days in hospital following contact with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), where it appears an officer tipped them out of their wheelchair. Will you look into this case as a matter of urgency? Answer for Police use of excessive force on disabled Londoners The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Arrests for publication of drill music Question No: 2020/2169 Siân Berry Could you tell me: a) the number of arrests the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has carried out for the publication of drill music, b) the reasons for these arrests by appropriate crime category, c) the number of charges brought forward for the publication of drill music, and d) the number of on-going investigations into the publication of drill music? Answer for Arrests for publication of drill music The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Policy on removal of drill music videos Question No: 2020/2170 Siân Berry Could you tell me: a) how many drill music videos the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has removed, or successfully requested be removed, from social media sites, and b) what the policy (formal or informal) is that the MPS uses to determine whether or not a drill music video should be removed? Answer for Policy on removal of drill music videos The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Londoners released under investigation after protests Question No: 2020/2171 Siân Berry After the section 14 order issued by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), which covered the time from 9 pm on Monday 14 October to 6 pm on Friday 18 October, was ruled unlawful, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) acted immediately to drop the cases of people arrested under the order. Have all the people the MPS released under investigation (RUI) following arrest under the unlawful order now: a) had this status rescinded, and b) been contacted to tell them that their status has been rescinded? Answer for Londoners released under investigation after protests The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Stop and search during lockdown (1) Question No: 2020/2172 Siân Berry The latest data from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) shows the highest level of stop and search in more than eight years according to an article in The Times (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/metropolitan-police-stop-and-search-at-8-year- high-g6hwmqz59). How was such a high level of stop and search reached while we are all in lockdown, and what was MPS policy regarding conducting stop and search in lockdown? Answer for Stop and search during lockdown (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Stop and search during lockdown (2) Question No: 2020/2173 Siân Berry Regarding the high level of stop and search evident during lockdown, what personal protective equipment (PPE) do Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers employ to protect themselves and the people they are searching during this pandemic? Answer for Stop and search during lockdown (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Stop and search during lockdown (3) Question No: 2020/2174 Siân Berry What evaluation of the risks to public health was obtained by senior officers in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) before deciding to continue and accelerate high rates of stop and search during lockdown? Answer for Stop and search during lockdown (3) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Police officer training in mental health Question No: 2020/2175 Siân Berry I understand that during the Certificate of Knowledge in Policing (CKP) course, students complete a mandatory one-hour National Centre for Applied Learning Technologies (NCALT) training session on mental health. Is a one-hour training session enough to learn how to respond to Londoners with complex needs, learning difficulties or autism? Answer for Police officer training in mental health The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Police officer training in de-escalation tactics (1) Question No: 2020/2176 Siân Berry What training do Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers complete in de-escalation tactics? Could you detail: a) all the training courses available related to this topic, b) the time taken to complete this training, c) how many officers have completed this training, and d) how often officers are expected to attend refresher courses on these tactics? Answer for Police officer training in de-escalation tactics (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Police officer training in de-escalation tactics (2) Question No: 2020/2177 Siân Berry Has every Metropolitan Police (MPS) officer who has been equipped with a taser also been trained in methods and tactics to de-escalate any confrontational situation? Answer for Police officer training in de-escalation tactics (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Stop and Search Community Monitoring Group reviews of body worn video (2) Question No: 2020/2178 Siân Berry Currently there is no independent oversight of footage of stops and search incidents captured on Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) body worn video (BWV) cameras, since Community Monitoring Groups are no longer provided with viewings. In January 2020 you said: “I want to see this problem sorted as quickly as possible.” Given it is now July 2020, when will Community Monitoring Groups be able to resume viewings of BWV footage? Answer for Stop and Search Community Monitoring Group reviews of body worn video (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Bringing unoccupied homes into use during the coronavirus crisis (2) Question No: 2020/2179 Siân Berry Thank you for your answer to my question 2020/1471. Could you now provide any details of the work you have done, or are doing, to bring unoccupied homes into use for Londoners who are in temporary housing during the coronavirus crisis? Bringing unoccupied homes into use during the coronavirus crisis (2) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Through London’s new £67 million Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme, I am looking to fund a range of schemes and initiatives to provide homes for rough sleepers, particularly those accommodated in hotels as part of the Covid-19 response. This will
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include schemes that involve unsold/ unlet homes. I am similarly keen to fund such homes for victims of domestic abuse, through my £50 million Move On Programme . In addition, the Housing Delivery Taskforce, convened by Tom Copley, has called on the Government to provide £5 billion to help meet London’s housing needs. This includes a tenure conversions programme to switch low-cost ownership and private sale homes into social and low-cost rent, and a ‘buyer of last resort scheme’ which would allow councils and housing associations to buy unsold private homes at cost price and turn them into social housing. These measures would provide confidence to secure delivery, and ensure that new homes which are built do not lie empty.
London Borough Private Rented Sector Partnership Question No: 2020/2180 Siân Berry In April 2017, you established the London Borough Private Rented Sector Partnership aiming to: “improve coordination, joint working and information sharing to drive forward improvements in private rented sector enforcement across the capital.” What specific new initiatives have been developed by the Partnership to improve local enforcement? London Borough Private Rented Sector Partnership The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 My Private Rented Sector Partnership brings together the 33 London boroughs to share intelligence and best practice. It has been pivotal in supporting local enforcement by promoting priorities that help improve conditions for renters, such as property licensing schemes, and encouraging partnership working with Trading Standards, the Metropolitan Police and the London Fire Brigade. The Partnership has been instrumental in the delivery of my key manifesto commitments to renters, including the Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker. To date, over 2,000 records of prosecutions or penalties have been added to the system, and these have been viewed on 200,000 times. The need for my Better Renting programme of training and capacity- building for boroughs was originally identified by the Partnership. It is overseeing that programme, as well as improvements to Setting the Standard, which will improve standards of temporary accommodation across London.
Emergency decision-making during the coronavirus crisis (2) Question No: 2020/2181 Siân Berry Could you release all documents, including emails, relating to the decision on 20 March 2020 and implemented on 23 March, to suspend the ULEZ, Congestion Charge and Low Emission Zone.
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Answer for Emergency decision-making during the coronavirus crisis (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Silvertown Road Tunnel continuation in light of the coronavirus crisis Question No: 2020/2182 Siân Berry In light of the coronavirus crisis leading to changes in travel patterns in London, and the increased need to diversify Transport for London (TfL) income by taking steps to plan for London-wide smart, fair privacy-friendly road charging, will you now consider cancelling the Silvertown Road Tunnel project, and if not why not? Answer for Silvertown Road Tunnel continuation in light of the coronavirus crisis The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Creative Land Trust funding Question No: 2020/2183 Siân Berry Further to MD2362, MD2363, ADD2043, ADD2194 and the new Culture at Risk Business Support Fund, could you provide data on the total funding that has been made available by the GLA for the administration of the Creative Land Trust between 2016 and 2020, and the amount that has been funded by other donors? Creative Land Trust funding The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The Creative Land Trust is an independent charity set up to protect London’s world-leading artists and workspace providers from the pressure of unstable leases and rising rents. This is yet more urgent following the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. I invested £4 million capital funding in the Creative Land Trust. An additional £150,000 of revenue funding was provided from the GLA’s Strategic Investment Fund to support set up administration costs. This has been matched by £3.5 million in partner funding. The Creative Land Trust is a charity and will publish its accounts annually to the Charity Commission. My Culture at Risk Business Support Fund provided £1.6 million to 82 studios, across 18 London Borough, benefitting more than 11,500 artists. It was administered through the
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Creative Land Trust so that workspace operators could access emergency funding fast and fairly. 4.3 per cent (£65,084) was allocated to cover the costs of administration.
Securing the future of artist studio organisations Question No: 2020/2184 Siân Berry During the coronavirus crisis, arts organisations have needed emergency funding to meet their rent obligations. A major long-term problem, outlined in MD2362, has been that these organisations need to purchase workspaces or secure long-term leases, but lack the large deposits required upfront, even if they have funding to support operating costs. Will you help these organisations invest in their futures by making affordable loans and grants available for these deposits? Securing the future of artist studio organisations The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I am committed to supporting artist studios in London, a vital part of our cultural infrastructure. I initiated the new Creative Land Trust to help address a crisis in affordable creative workspace in the capital. Prior to COVID-19, 24 per cent (57) of current sites providing artists’ workspace were at risk of closure within the next 5 years. This position has likely worsened due to COVID-19, devastating small creative businesses and self-employed artists. The Trust will secure affordable permanent space, which can then be managed by established workspace providers on long term leases. It is modelled in this way following extensive research and learnings from a similar organisation set up in San Francisco. In its set up period, it will focus on direct acquisition of buildings. The Creative Land Trust is part of a wider strategy to secure affordable workspace. This includes planning protections in the London Plan, investment through my Creative Enterprise Zones and grants to workspace providers through Good Growth and Strategic Investment Funds. The Trust’s unique model sits strategically alongside funding opportunities for affordable studios including these grants through my programmes, and affordable loans available through the Arts Impact Fund.
Creative Land Trust fundraising Question No: 2020/2185 Siân Berry What is the total amount of money the Creative Land Trust has so far succeeded in raising, from sources external to the GLA, to purchase buildings to provide affordable workspace in perpetuity across the capital, in each financial year since 2018? Could you provide the answer in a table format? Creative Land Trust fundraising The Mayor
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Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The Creative Land Trust was launched in February 2019 with an in-principle commitment of £3.5m funding from Arts Council England and Bloomberg Philanthropies, and a £4m commitment from the Mayor. This funding was subsequently secured through grant agreements by the Trust’s interim delivery team, once set up of the organisation was completed. In December 2019 a Board was appointed and the Trustees include individuals with extensive fundraising experience in property and financial markets as well as philanthropy. A CEO, Gordon Seabright, was appointed in March 2020 and he, together with the Trustees, is now taking forward the Trust’s fundraising plan. The GLA will continue to monitor and support fundraising as part of the its grant agreement with the Creative Land Trust. External funding raised Amount 2019-20 £3.5m 2020-21 to date -
Creative Land Trust governance (1) Question No: 2020/2186 Siân Berry Why has no artist or creative beneficiary, or existing studio sector body, been included in the governance, board or staffing of the Creative Land Trust? Creative Land Trust governance (1) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The Creative Land Trust is an independent charity set up to protect London’s world-leading artists and workspace providers from the pressure of unstable leases and rising rents. The representative voices of artists and studio providers will be essential to its success, and the Creative Land Trust has appointed two artists to its board. The Creative Land Trust was set up by a steering group which included studio representatives (Naomi Dines, Occupation Studios and Pru Robey, Artscape Toronto) as well as artists. The interim CEO is experienced in managing affordable workspace for social enterprises and artists and is a member of the Workspace Advisory Group, a specialist advisory body reporting to the Deputy Mayor and the London Economic Action Partnership (LEAP). Consultations with studio providers were held throughout the development of the Trust, and it will continue to consult with these important organisations regularly.
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Creative Land Trust governance (2) Question No: 2020/2187 Siân Berry What governance or oversight arrangements are now in place for the Creative Land Trust’s use of GLA administrative and capital funding, in order to ensure it delivers its intended outcomes within the planned timeframe? Creative Land Trust governance (2) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The Creative Land Trust is an independent charity set up to protect London’s world-leading artists and workspace providers from the pressure of unstable leases and rising rents. The representative voices of artists and studio providers will be essential to its success, and the Creative Land Trust has appointed two artists to its board. Our capital grant of £4m is governed by a GLA grant agreement with clear milestones and payment conditions. Progress against deliverables is reported to the Assembly on a quarterly basis through the dashboard process. A GLA Officer is an observer on the Creative Land Trust board and monthly meetings happen with co-funders Arts Council England and Bloomberg Philanthropies. Separately, my Culture at Risk Business Support Fund grants to creative workspaces are being administered by Creative Land Trust. This is being monitored through a separate grant agreement with milestones. I was pleased to announce on 9 July that £1.6m from this Fund has benefitted 82 artist studios across 18 London boroughs, supporting more than 11,500 creatives.
Competition and the Creative Land Trust Question No: 2020/2188 Siân Berry How does the Creative Land Trust ensure its work does not unduly affect the artist studio sector by competing with existing community and charitable providers to purchase buildings or, because of this competition, that it causes price inflation? Competition and the Creative Land Trust The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The Creative Land Trust is an independent charity set up to protect London’s artists and workspace providers from the pressure of unstable leases and rising rents. The representative voices of artists and studio providers is essential to the Creative Land Trust’s successes, and the it has appointed two artists to its board.
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Prior to COVID-19, 24 per cent (57) of sites providing artists’ workspace were at risk of closure within 5 years. This position has likely worsened due to COVID-19, devastating small creative businesses and self-employed artists. The Trust will secure buildings permanently but not manage them or compete with providers – it will lease buildings to existing providers, helping to stabilise an ecosystem in a fast-paced market. Its Board is committed to working with existing providers on every purchase and will avoid competing when other providers are bidding. My strategy to support affordable creative workspace is multi-faceted. I have funded a number of studios including Second Floor Studios in Deptford and Studio Voltaire in Clapham, provided protection through the London Plan, supported studios through my Creative Enterprise Zones and have funded many studios at risk due to COVID-19 through my Culture at Risk Business Support Fund. This has provided £1.6m to 82 providers, supporting more than 11,500 artists.
Future of the Creative Land Trust Question No: 2020/2189 Siân Berry If the Creative Land Trust does not meet its objectives and performance targets envisaged in MD2362, will you consider wrapping up the project and redirecting funding to existing established bodies, which may better be able to deliver the planned 1000 studios within five years’? Future of the Creative Land Trust The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The Creative Land Trust is an independent charity set up to protect London’s world-leading artists and workspace providers from the pressure of unstable leases and rising rents. This is more urgent following the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Creative Land Trust is a new model in the UK, designed to support existing affordable workspace providers by creating a new model for raising investment for their benefit. It is filling a gap not provided for by other bodies. It has already raised £3.5m from Arts Council England and Bloomberg Philanthropies which would otherwise not have gone to workspace provision. The GLA has a grant agreement with the Creative Land Trust and reports progress on a quarterly basis to the London Assembly. My team also meets monthly with Creative Land Trust’s other funders to discuss progress against targets.
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Access to car-free bridges for LPG taxis Question No: 2020/2190 Siân Berry In your press release on 15 May 2020 you said: “TfL is looking into providing Zero Emission Capable taxis with access to both these bridges, and other areas where traffic is restricted.” Could you update us on the progress of this decision? I have also been asked whether the small number of taxis converted to liquid petroleum gas (LPG) would also be able to be included in any potential exemption, so will you also be considering this? Answer for Access to car-free bridges for LPG taxis The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Helping private renters facing arrears debt Question No: 2020/2191 Siân Berry In your statement on 22 April 2020, calling for measures to solve the problems faced by private renters due to the coronavirus crisis, you included a call to: “restore Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates to median market rents, and cover any shortfall in rental payments of private tenants unable to pay them due to COVID-19.” With new figures showing that nationally over 120,000 private renting families are now in debt due to rent arrears built up over the coronavirus crisis, could you clarify whether your call for housing benefit changes includes backdating it to clear rent debts, so they are no longer owed by affected renters? Helping private renters facing arrears debt The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Almost a third of Londoners rent privately, and COVID-19 has underlined the precariousness of their situation. Measures put in place by the Government to date fall short of what is required to properly protect renters from financial hardship and eviction. My ‘triple lock’ protection for renters would ensure that the welfare benefits system covers any shortfall in rental payments of private tenants unable to pay them due to COVID-19, including arrears accumulated. I have made clear that these protections should be available to all renters, including those with no recourse to public funds and European Economic Area (EEA) nationals not currently entitled to welfare benefits. I have just written again to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to reiterate these points.
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People facing street homelessness in London (2) Question No: 2020/2192 Siân Berry In your answer to my question 2020/1467, you told me that between 400 and 800 people are still sleeping rough each night in London. Could you provide an update of this estimate? People facing street homelessness in London (2) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 According to CHAIN data, the weekly number has ranged between 369 to 554 for the last four weeks - an average of 414 people each week.
Breach of human right to adequate housing Question No: 2020/2193 Siân Berry A constituent has made me aware of a report from the UN https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gI d=25199 on a private lettings company operating in London, which has breached its tenants’ human right to adequate housing. Will you consider expanding the criteria for including rogue or unlicensed landlords on your database to include cases like these? Breach of human right to adequate housing The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 My Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker contains information about private landlords and letting agents who have been fined or convicted of a housing-related offence, and its content is governed by strict legal principles. In consultation with my Private Rented Sector Partnership with boroughs, my team will continue to explore options to expand the Checker to further empower renters and support local enforcement against rogue landlords and letting agents. More widely, I support the UN Special Rapporteur’s conclusions that the Government should urgently reform the private rented sector regulatory framework to ensure renters can access good-quality, secure and affordable accommodation. My blueprint for the private rented sector sets out the steps that the Government needs to take to achieve this.
Copper Hand Rails in Tube Stations Question No: 2020/2196 David Kurten Given that there is a body of evidence which demonstrates that copper handrails, which are present in metro stations in New York and Santiago in Chile, have anti-microbial properties
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which can kill bacteria and viruses, will the Mayor consider installing copper handrails in TfL stations? Answer for Copper Hand Rails in Tube Stations The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Taxis and Bus Routes Question No: 2020/2197 David Kurten The 507 and 521 bus routes are the only bus routes which cross either London Bridge or Waterloo Bridge which are zero emissions. However, there are plans to ban diesel London taxis from using both of these bridges. Could the Mayor explain why diesel buses can use both of these bridges, but a diesel taxi can’t? Answer for Taxis and Bus Routes The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Taxis and Safety Question No: 2020/2198 David Kurten Transport for London has mandated that all public transport workers, including taxi and private hire drivers must wear a face covering. Could the Mayor explain why bus drivers are exempt from this instruction and why this same exemption is not granted to taxi drivers, who are also protected by a perspex screen - the same as bus drivers. Answer for Taxis and Safety The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Marble Arch Underground Station Question No: 2020/2199 David Kurten I note that the only down escalator at Marble Arch Underground Station has now been out of service for some six months and this is not the first time in recent years that travellers
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from that locality have been inconvenienced by its unavailability. When is it likely to be working again? Answer for Marble Arch Underground Station The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Brexit Question No: 2020/2200 Peter Whittle On 23 June 2020, you tweeted: ‘Four years ago, the UK voted to leave the EU. Four years on, we still have no sign of a deal. The PM needs to put politics aside and extend the Brexit transition period so that our businesses and public services aren’t forced to face yet another cliff edge.’ Why is it you still find yourself unable to accept the will of the British People, as expressed in the democratic outcome of the referendum vote in 2016? Answer for Brexit The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
The Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm Question No: 2020/2201 Peter Whittle As I stated at the last Mayor’s Question Time, I am perturbed by your decision to establish a Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm, thus making City Hall the arbiter of history in London. This should make us all deeply uncomfortable - no politician should take it upon themselves to become judge, jury, and executioner of a country’s history. In a liberal democracy, history should be debated and discussed, but never hidden or erased. Whether we like it or not, there are good, bad and ugly elements of Britain’s past. London is the site of many national memorials and these reflect Great Britain as a nation, rather than the values of Londoners. How will your Commission address this issue? The Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The Commission is not seeking to ‘erase’ or be an ‘arbiter of history’. It will open up a debate and work to ensure that we celebrate the achievements and diversity of all in our city.
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It is an uncomfortable truth that our nation and city owes a large part of its wealth to its role in the slave trade. While this is reflected in our public realm, the contribution of many of our communities has been ignored. So it is important that as a society we are able to question which legacies are being celebrated. We will recruit independent Commissioners, work in partnership with boroughs and communities to ensure our street names, squares and statues properly reflect our city’s achievements. The terms of reference, including the scope for the Commission, are being drafted in consultation with councils and key stakeholders. I expect the Commission will review what currently constitutes London’s public realm, hold discussions and make recommendations as part of its work to establish best practice in public commissioning.
Black Lives Matter (1) Question No: 2020/2202 Peter Whittle I understand that one of the declared aims of Black Lives Matter UK is to ‘defund’ the Police. Given the scale of the funding problems facing the GLA at the moment, do you think this would be a good idea? Answer for Black Lives Matter (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Black Lives Matter (2) Question No: 2020/2203 Peter Whittle On 10 June 2020, Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu the Metropolitan Police’s head of counter-terrorism issued a statement through Scotland Yard’s Press Office - condemning the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and bemoaning: ‘the racial bias built into the very fabric of our institutions and society’. Regardless of whether you share or endorse that particular opinion, is it ever appropriate for a senior officer of the Metropolitan Police to make a personal statement of this kind? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-52989109 Answer for Black Lives Matter (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Panorama (1) Question No: 2020/2204 Peter Whittle In the BBC Panorama TV programme broadcast on 22 June 2020, the Metropolitan Police’s head of counter-terrorism, Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu explained that far right activity has jumped from around 5% to 10% of the police time in terror related cases. Probably due to time limitations, he did not explain where the other 90% comes from. Do you have these figures? Answer for Panorama (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Panorama (2) Question No: 2020/2205 Peter Whittle In the BBC Panorama TV programme broadcast on 22 June 2020, counter-terrorism chief Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu explained the threat level of terrorism from the far right this country currently faces. How many far right terror plots have been detected by the Metropolitan Police over the last five calendar years and of that number, how many custodial sentences have been handed down by the courts? Answer for Panorama (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Disorder in Brixton (1) Question No: 2020/2206 Peter Whittle I have seen on social media the scenes of violent disorder in Brixton on the night of 24/25 June 2020 (unreported by the MSM for 12 hours) following the ‘Brixton Black Lives Matter live music protest’. How many police officers were injured during the course of that evening’s events? Answer for Disorder in Brixton (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Disorder in Brixton (2) Question No: 2020/2207 Peter Whittle In the scenes of violent disorder in Brixton on the night of 24/25 June 2020, following the Brixton Black Lives Matter live music protest’, how many people were arrested and charged by the Metropolitan Police? Answer for Disorder in Brixton (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
The Westferry Scheme (1) Question No: 2020/2208 David Kurten I, along with many other Londoners have been surprised at recent press revelations about the Isle of Dogs Westferry Scheme and the roles played by developer Richard Desmond and Secretary of State Robert Jenrick. What has been your involvement in the Westferry Scheme? The Westferry Scheme (1) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Tower Hamlets Council formally consulted our office on the recent application on the 12 September 2018. I issued comments to the Council on 17 December 2018, raising a number of concerns relating to the impact on open space; the height of the proposed buildings and their impact on the setting of Tower of London; and the failure of the developer to demonstrate that they were providing the maximum reasonable amount of affordable housing. Following the applicant’s decision to go to appeal, GLA officers set out these concerns at a Public Inquiry in August 2019.
The Westferry Scheme (2) Question No: 2020/2209 David Kurten I note a report in the Times of 27 June 2020, which stated: ‘Mr Desmond said that he had revised his original plan from 772 to 1,524 homes in east London after being encouraged by Sadiq Khan during a celebration for the Queen’s birthday at the Royal Albert Hall in April 2018.’ I would be grateful if you could set this press report in context for me. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/khan-offered-to-fast-track-development-p2bfxnlf6 The Westferry Scheme (2)
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The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I have no recollection of meeting Richard Desmond at the Royal Albert Hall. Transparency, accountability and public scrutiny are really important in all that we do, and that includes planning applications. I have asked, since I have been Mayor, GLA officers to include specific reference in our planning reports to any request for or against call-ins or a direction to refuse, whether formal or informal. I take my quasi-judicial function seriously, and it is really important there is maximum transparency. The Westferry application went through the early stage of the GLA planning process following all appropriate rules and guidelines, before being taken over by the Secretary of State. The GLA’s public stage one report makes it clear that the application was unacceptable, particularly its lack of affordable housing.
School exclusions (1) Question No: 2020/2211 Jennette Arnold OBE Given the known link between children being excluded from school and becoming involved in the drugs trade, will you consider allocating greater resource to supporting those children made even more vulnerable by COVID-19 to remain in mainstream education? School exclusions (1) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The evidence of the correlation between being exclusion from school and involvement in drugs or serious youth violence continues to grow. My Supporting Inclusive School programme is currently working with 200 schools in London to create more inclusive environments to support vulnerable young people to stay in school and out of trouble. Delivery partners are adapting support to help students and teachers deal with emerging issues like bereavement and an increase in declarations of domestic abuse, both of which impact directly on a child’s social and emotional well-being and ability to learn. In response to the increased vulnerability caused by the COVID19 emergency my officers are looking at how we can further support London’s most vulnerable young learners through this crisis. For example, the GLA is a co-funder of the London Community Response Fund and the current funding round is focused on supporting children and young people in the capital during the summer and into the new academic year.
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School exclusions (2) Question No: 2020/2212 Jennette Arnold OBE In Lib Peck’s letter to the Police and Crime Committee on May 18th, she specifically identified the Stepping Stones and Nurturing London programmes as making a difference for children and young people at risk of exclusion. How much funding is allocated to each of these projects and what metrics are used to monitor their effectiveness? Can you share any metrics on progress so far? School exclusions (2) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The VRU has allocated £700,000 to fund Stepping Stones in 14 priority boroughs and £345,000 to fund Nurturing London in 15 boroughs. Both programmes were scheduled to begin in participating schools in April but have had to adapt or delay delivery due to school closures. Both projects will be measured through teacher and parent evaluations, pupil self- evaluation and school data metrics on attendance, attainment and behaviour. In the three Stepping Stones pilot schools, 74% of students made satisfactory progress in Maths (compared to 54% of the previous year). In English, 83% of students made satisfactory progress (versus 67% of the previous year). Economic modelling from the pilot indicates that the impact on the net budget over 10 years is £515,836 with a return on investment of 212%. A full evaluation of the last two years of the programme will be available in the new year.
School exclusions (3) Question No: 2020/2213 Jennette Arnold OBE While I understand that school closures due to COVID-19 make it more challenging, I am sure you will agree with me that it is vital work continues to reach vulnerable young people via all available channels. Can you provide examples of how your team and/or partner organisations have adapted in order to keep providing vital services for young people at risk of school exclusion or who have already been excluded? School exclusions (3) The Mayor Last updated: 15 July, 2020 I completely agree that the well-being of vulnerable young people should be a priority as lockdown measures ease. Safe spaces and positive opportunities for those most at risk is key to this, that is why I am investing £2m in summer and autumn activities for young people.
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This builds on my £45m Young Londoners Fund (YLF) which has benefited over 50,000 young people to date and includes projects focusing on pupils who are at risk of school exclusion or who have been excluded; as well as the support provided through the Violence Reduction Unit’s School Inclusion programme. Most projects have been able to continue working with young people over the past few months and have adapted their services. Examples from three YLF projects delivered by or in partnership with a Pupil Referral Unit are: Southwark’s Inclusive Learning Service which delivered online sessions and issued food vouchers; the School for Change project, delivered by Saffron Valley College, which has worked with young people and their families to help them access vital services and address their well-being needs; and Volunteer It Yourself which is supporting young people to acquire vocational skills and has amended their services to support participants virtually.
School exclusions (4) Question No: 2020/2214 Jennette Arnold OBE How many young people have been reached through Violence Reduction Unit run programmes during the lockdown period? School exclusions (4) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The VRU are working with over 200 schools and Pupil Referral Units across London though the Supporting Inclusive Schools programme, which was due to start delivery in April. Many of these have schools stayed open through the COVID emergency and all of the PRUs have. The VRU has supported the PRUs in 13 priority boroughs to hold afterschool and Easter and Mid-term holiday activities where possible. However, attendance has been low due to public health advice and public concern. Figures are currently unavailable as providers focused on immediate and flexible service delivery. External delivery partners of the VRU and the education settings the VRU supports have adapted their delivery to reach as many vulnerable young people as they can during the lockdown restrictions, primarily via online delivery or other digital adaptations and will continue to do so over the summer.
Londoners with insecure immigration status (1) Question No: 2020/2215 Jennette Arnold OBE As London marks another Windrush Day, can you provide an update on your programme to provide legal advice for Londoners with insecure immigration status? How many Londoners have benefited so far? Answer for Londoners with insecure immigration status (1)
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The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Londoners with insecure immigration status (2) Question No: 2020/2216 Jennette Arnold OBE How specifically are you supporting the 133,000 young Londoners who risk not being able to access further and higher education? Answer for Londoners with insecure immigration status (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
COVID-19 Adult Education Budget (AEB) response fund (1) Question No: 2020/2217 Jennette Arnold OBE Thank you for your answer to question 2020/1875. Can you confirm how many applicants there were to Strand 1 of the COVID-19 AEB response fund, and when successful applicants will be announced? COVID-19 Adult Education Budget (AEB) response fund (1) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The COVID-19 Adult Education Budget (AEB) Response Fund Strand 1 received 26 applications, of which 20 were approved for funding support. The list of successful applicants will be published on 31 July 2020.
COVID-19 Adult Education Budget (AEB) response fund (2) Question No: 2020/2218 Jennette Arnold OBE How will you monitor the success of funding awarded under both strands of the response fund, to ensure it is working for providers during this highly volatile time? COVID-19 Adult Education Budget (AEB) response fund (2) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 For the COVID-19 AEB Response Fund Strand 1, providers are required to record learners through the Individualised Learner Record (ILR) data returns that are provided to the GLA
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from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). The GLA will monitor participation under Strand 1 through this data. For Strand 2 capacity building, the GLA will monitor progress through the autumn term progress meeting with each provider.
Digital divide Question No: 2020/2219 Jennette Arnold OBE As many Londoners shift to working from home for an extended period, there will be large quantities of unused IT equipment in offices across the city. Could you explore the possibility of setting up loan programmes for offices to provide essential tech to London’s schools until all children can return on a full-time basis? Digital divide The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated the long-standing problem of digital exclusion. I wrote to the Secretary of State for Education in May asking that the government’s digital access scheme be extended to all secondary school students, and not only disadvantaged pupils in Year 10, care leavers and those supported by a social worker. We are developing a longer-term response to combatting digital exclusion and will consider the possibility of linking up unused business IT equipment with students without access to devices. We have also taken steps to support adult learners by enabling Further Education providers the opportunity to buy IT equipment for learners out of their Learner Support funding. We will be exploring opportunities to collaborate with industry in the coming months to ensure that London’s students do not go without the devices needed to continue their learning.
Relationships and sex education Question No: 2020/2220 Jennette Arnold OBE In February, I was proud to propose a motion to the Assembly in support of LGBT+ inclusive relationships and sex education. However, in the context of COVID-19, the Government is allowing schools to delay introducing this new element of the curriculum for a year. This makes the Assembly’s call for you to provide strategic support even more crucial. Can you provide an update on how you will be supporting schools to deliver this crucial education even during these challenging times? Relationships and sex education The Mayor Last updated: 15 July, 2020
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I was heartened to see the Assembly pass this motion, having written last year to the Secretary of State for Education and all London head teachers to express my full support for statutory LGBTQ+-inclusive relationships education. On 9 July 2020, the Government updated its FAQs for Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education. These state that schools should start teaching the new curriculum in September 2020, and those not yet ready must start by the summer term in 2021. My officers will liaise with schools and borough leads to understand their concerns regarding this and explore how we can support curriculum roll-out in London. I will also continue to take every opportunity to demonstrate my public support for LGBTQ+-inclusive relationships education.
Tutoring Question No: 2020/2221 Jennette Arnold OBE Thank you for your answer to question 2020/1876. Can you provide an update on the tutoring pilot? Will this scheme link in with the Government’s recently announced National Tutoring Service? Tutoring The Mayor Last updated: 15 July, 2020 The Government has announced £350 million for the establishment of a National Tutoring Programme (NTP) which will run for the duration of the next academic year and give schools access to subsidised tutoring sessions and free coaches for their most disadvantaged pupils. The findings from the previously announced tutoring pilots launched in June by the Education Endowment Foundation, Sutton Trust, Impetus and Nesta will feed into the evidence underpinning this new programme. The NTP was created through a collaboration between the four charities, with support from the Department for Education and funders including KPMG Foundation.
Health Equity group (1) Question No: 2020/2222 Jennette Arnold OBE How is the membership of the Health Equity working group, to form part of the London Recovery Board, being decided? Health Equity group (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020
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I understand the details of the newly agreed Health Equity Group are still being agreed by the senior health and care leaders who have proposed it, with a draft terms of reference under development. At the time of writing, some initial decisions had been made, including that the group will be co-chaired by my statutory health adviser and Regional Director of PHE London – Professor Kevin Fenton, and a senior colleague from a London local authorities. My health policy advisor, Dr Tom Coffey, will sit as a member, alongside other senior representatives of London’s local authorities, public health community and the NHS. The Group will report into the London Health Board, as well as reporting into the London Recovery Board. We will update the London Assembly with further details when they are agreed, and of course welcome colleagues’ input.
Health Equity group (2) Question No: 2020/2223 Jennette Arnold OBE What are the terms of reference for the Health Equity group and will you publish its meetings and papers in future? Health Equity group (2) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 As outlined in the response to the previous question, the details are still being finalised, and it is not for me to pre-empt this work. I can confirm however that the group will be looking at the items outlined in Professor Kevin Fenton’s recent London Health Board paper, including the implementation in London of the recommendations of the report that Professor Fenton led for national government regarding the disproportionate impact on Black, Asian and minority ethnic populations. We will update the London Assembly with further details when they are agreed, including regarding the publication of meeting papers.
Social integration refocus Question No: 2020/2224 Jennette Arnold OBE Will you be reviewing your Social Integration strategy in light of the inequalities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic? Answer for Social integration refocus The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Building on the coronavirus volunteer effort Question No: 2020/2225 Jennette Arnold OBE What efforts are you making to build on the mutual aid and NHS volunteering programmes that have seen so many Londoners active in their communities through this pandemic? Building on the coronavirus volunteer effort The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I am working with key partners, through the Recovery board and Funders Communities and Voluntary Sector sub-group to the Strategic Coordination Group to plan ongoing support for volunteering. My team carried out research with Mutual Aid groups to explore their experience of volunteering through the pandemic, gaining insights from 50 individuals across the network, across18 London boroughs. This will help plan targeted support for local groups to continue their vital work. During Volunteers’ Week, I provided £25,000 of small grants to grassroots groups for for volunteering expenses and resources connected with the pandemic, and I contributed to the London Community Response Fund which supported organisations with volunteering costs . The Team London website advertises volunteering roles, emphasising safe volunteering, and promoting opportunities for Londoners. Through Team London, my volunteers have contributed some 8000 hours of volunteering as part of Covid response and recovery including opportunities at NHS Nightingale and distributing face masks to commuters and shoppers.
Resources for reconfiguration Question No: 2020/2226 Jennette Arnold OBE Are you concerned that small businesses, concentrated in poorer areas of London, will not have the resources to adhere to COVID-secure guidance? Resources for reconfiguration The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I am concerned about the future of London businesses, including those in parts of London that may be disproportionately affected and less able to shoulder the financial cost of becoming COVID-secure. I share the frustration of many hospitality businesses that Government did not give them enough time to prepare for reopening, potentially adding costs to the changes required to restart. My London Growth Hub established an online Covid-19 support hub and pivoted to deliver support virtually so all businesses can benefit. It includes a section on reopening with
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advice and information to help businesses navigate the COVID-19 outbreak and prepare to reopen safely. Those businesses hardest hit, including SMEs in the hospitality, leisure and retail sectors still desperately need financial support to continue to adhere to guidance and bridge the gap in reduced capacity and business viability. I have called on Government to extend further financial support to businesses to reopen safely.
ESOL Plus and COVID-19 Question No: 2020/2227 Jennette Arnold OBE What impact has COVID-19 had on your ESOL-Plus programme? Answer for ESOL Plus and COVID-19 The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Workforce Integration Network and COVID-19 (1) Question No: 2020/2228 Jennette Arnold OBE What impact has COVID-19 had on your Workforce Integration Network Answer for Workforce Integration Network and COVID-19 (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Workforce Integration Network and COVID-19 (2) Question No: 2020/2229 Jennette Arnold OBE How will your WIN help address the unequal impact of unemployment and low pay as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic? Answer for Workforce Integration Network and COVID-19 (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Encouraging London’s Women to Cycle Question No: 2020/2230 Jennette Arnold OBE Please provide details of how the Cycle Your City campaign launched by TfL at the beginning of March has been adapted in the light of the lockdown and changes imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic? Answer for Encouraging London’s Women to Cycle The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Uptake on the Cycle Your City Campaign Question No: 2020/2231 Jennette Arnold OBE Please provide details of the number of women who have taken up the ‘Cycle Your City’ offer. Please provide a month by month breakdown for March -June 2020. Answer for Uptake on the Cycle Your City Campaign The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Cycle Your City Campaign and North East Constituency Question No: 2020/2232 Jennette Arnold OBE Please provide the number of women who have taken up the ‘Cycle Your City’ offer in Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest. Please provide a borough by borough breakdown. Answer for Cycle Your City Campaign and North East Constituency The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Supporting Londoners in Need During Lockdown Question No: 2020/2233 Jennette Arnold OBE How have you been filling the gaps in the Government’s furlough scheme and supporting Londoners whose employers (such EPayMe) have refused to put them onto this scheme?
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Supporting Londoners in Need During Lockdown The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The Government’s support packages have helped many employees through the lockdown so far. But there are still many who are not receiving the support they need, or lack adequate workplace rights. I have called on the Government to provide long-term investment to support the capital’s economic recovery. This follows my representations to government to allow part-time furloughing, support workers for whom furloughing has lowered their income to below minimum wage, ensure support for those with mixed PAYE and self-employed income, and a targeted extension to the scheme beyond October for the hardest hit sectors. Since the start of the pandemic, my officers have developed a new £1m business support programme and pivoting our existing support to respond to the needs of London’s businesses. I have also set up a £2.3m ‘Culture at risk business support fund’ for grassroots music venues, LGBTQ+ venues and artist studios. It’s important that workers understand their rights and how to enforce them. My Employment Rights Hub is being regularly updated with the latest information about how workers’ rights pertain to the current situation. It is available in more than 20 languages, in written and video format, including guidance about income support schemes.
Stop and Search Question No: 2020/2234 Jennette Arnold OBE 43644 stop and searches were conducted in May. This is a 41.6% increase on the number of searches conducted in April and 83.2% rise on the number in March, when only 23,820 searches took place. Can you provide reassurances that the number of searches being conducted is not going to continue rising? Answer for Stop and Search The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Use of taser Question No: 2020/2235 Jennette Arnold OBE Please provide the demographic breakdown of those suspects who have had taser tactics deployed on them by the MPS in each of the following years: 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 to date.
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Answer for Use of taser The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Use of taser (2) Question No: 2020/2236 Jennette Arnold OBE Please provide the demographic breakdown of those suspects who have had tasers fired at them by the MPS (fired, drive stun or angle drive stun) in each of the following years: 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 to date. Answer for Use of taser (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Irritant Spray Question No: 2020/2237 Jennette Arnold OBE Please provide the demographic breakdown of suspects who have had irritant spray used on them by the MPS in each of the following years: 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 to date. Answer for Irritant Spray The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Dog bites Question No: 2020/2238 Jennette Arnold OBE Please provide the demographic breakdown of suspects who have been bitten by a police dog in each of the following years: 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 to date. Answer for Dog bites The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Spit Guards Question No: 2020/2239 Jennette Arnold OBE Please provide the demographic breakdown of suspects who have been placed in a spit hood by the MPS in each of the following years: 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 to date. Answer for Spit Guards The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
IOPC investigations Question No: 2020/2240 Jennette Arnold OBE Please provide details of how many incidents the Met Police have referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) where it has been determined that the Met officer involved racially discriminated against another party in each of the following years: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 to date. Answer for IOPC investigations The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
IOPC investigations Question No: 2020/2241 Jennette Arnold OBE Please provide details of how many incidents the Met Police have referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and provide a percentage breakdown of the category or type of incidents that have been referred in each of the following years 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 to date. Answer for IOPC investigations The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Body worn video Question No: 2020/2242 Jennette Arnold OBE What sanctions are in place if an officer is found to be contravening the College of Police Guidance on the use of Body Worn Video (BWV)? Answer for Body worn video The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Body worn video (2) Question No: 2020/2243 Jennette Arnold OBE Under what circumstances is it acceptable for an officer to refuse to switch on their Body Worn Video Camera when requested by a member of the public to do so? Answer for Body worn video (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Helping People to stay mobile and StreetSpace (1) Question No: 2020/2244 Jennette Arnold OBE Elderly and less mobile constituents reliant on cars to stay mobile are finding themselves cut off from services due to changes resulting from your StreetSpace scheme. Can you please provide details of Equalities Impact Assessments or other assessments that have been made to understand the impact of StreetSpace on groups such as these? Answer for Helping People to stay mobile and StreetSpace (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Helping People to stay mobile and StreetSpace (2) Question No: 2020/2245 Jennette Arnold OBE What mitigations have been made to the SteetSpace scheme to allow those with less mobility and unable to walk or cycle to access local services?
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Answer for Helping People to stay mobile and StreetSpace (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Charities and the Congestion Charge Question No: 2020/2246 Jennette Arnold OBE Rhythms of Life are a charity that are based outside the congestion charging zone but working within the zone to deliver food to homeless people. The cost of driving in the zone is making this work more challenging. What exemptions are currently offered to charities such as this who are based outside the zone but work primarily within the congestion charging zone? Answer for Charities and the Congestion Charge The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Encouraging Good Practice on public transport Question No: 2020/2247 Jennette Arnold OBE Has the Mayor had a discussion with National Rail about incentivising good behaviour by providing face masks for users? Answer for Encouraging Good Practice on public transport The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Travel Concessions for Key Workers aged 60 and Above. Question No: 2020/2248 Jennette Arnold OBE Key workers aged 60+ will shortly lose the transport concession. Are you aware of the impact this could have on key workers such as Nurses, Health Care Assistants, Classroom Assistants and others? What are you doing to support these key workers against the financial impact of the changes to the 60+ Freedom Pass? Answer for Travel Concessions for Key Workers aged 60 and Above. The Mayor
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Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
School closures Question No: 2020/2249 Jennette Arnold OBE What action is the Mayor taking to understand the effect of school closures on different groups of children and young people, and how will he support those children and young people who have been most affected? School closures The Mayor Last updated: 15 July, 2020 There are huge concerns over the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and young people. An Institute for Fiscal Studies report shows that school closures have almost certainly increased educational inequalities. Pupils from better-off families are spending longer on home learning and the Education Endowment Foundation says progress over the past decade to reduce the attainment gap will be entirely reversed. We know that some groups of children and young people, including black Caribbean boys and white boys eligible for Free School Meal eligible boys, were already disadvantaged and I am very concerned that closures will make matters worse. UNICEF have also highlighted how essential school-based services such as immunisation, school feeding, and mental health and psychosocial support have been disrupted. I am committed to supporting young Londoners, especially those who have been disproportionally impacted by the crisis. I am investing £2m into additional positive activities over the months ahead, including mental health and wellbeing support and educational catch-up. Drawing on good practice from my Stepping Stones secondary school transition programme, I have published advice for running summer schools to help prepare vulnerable pupils for a positive start in September http://www.london.gov.uk/summer- schools. My Getting Ahead London programme has been adapted to support school leaders overcome the challenges following closures, and it continues to make progress in supporting BAME teachers into leadership positions. It supports our priorities to raise attainment, through creating role models and helping teachers benefit from a network of experienced coaches. Addressing the unequal impact of COVID-19 will continue to be a key priority for the London Recovery Board.
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Risks to London’s Economic Recovery Question No: 2020/2251 Leonie Cooper What are the main risks to London’s economic recovery that have been identified by the Recovery Board? Risks to London’s Economic Recovery The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 At the inaugural Recovery Board meeting some of the key risks to economic recovery were identified as: the need to improve confidence in the city, the need to protect young people from the worst impacts of the economic shock, the challenges of digital inclusion, the challenges to the viability of the creative and cultural sector and London’s transport sector with social distancing in place. More detail can be found in the minutes of the meeting - https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/20200604-lrb-minutes-final-apps.pdf
Low interest Rates and London’s Businesses Question No: 2020/2252 Leonie Cooper How are you encouraging businesses to take advantage of historically low interest rates which could provide a boost to businesses? Low interest Rates and London’s Businesses The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 My London Growth Hub business support programme delivers regular webinars on Access to Finance, where attendees are equipped with invaluable information about the different types of finance available for their business, advice on raising equity, innovation funding and the availability of emergency loan support packages. All London businesses can access free one-to-one advice through the London Growth Hub’s team of advisers, who can support them to identify and apply for funding. The London Growth Hub also signposts users to finance finder tools which scour the market for the most suitable type of finance for their business. Last May, I launched a new £100 million fund, the Greater London Investment Fund (GLIF) which provides loans to small and mature businesses that are seeking finance. This now includes £4.3 million of funding that has been repurposed to provide Coronavirus Resilience Loans (CRLs), using the Government’s CBILs guarantee. This means the loans will be provided at 0 per cent interest for the first year.
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Sector Specific Business Support following COVID-19 Question No: 2020/2253 Leonie Cooper The economic impact from COVID-19 will hit some sectors harder than others with construction and manufacturing hit particularly hard at the start of the virus and hospitality and cultural and creative industries likely to be hit particularly hard in the coming months. How can we offer specialised support to different sectors? Sector Specific Business Support following COVID-19 The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Since the start of the pandemic, my officers have been developing new business support programmes and pivoting our existing support to respond to the needs of London’s businesses. In April 2020, my Construction Academy team pivoted to support the London Growth Hub address queries and identify support for the sector. I have also set up a £2.3m ‘Culture at risk business support fund’ for grassroots music venues, LGBTQ+ venues and artist studios. My culture at risk team has set up a new casework management system to allow for effective collaboration within the GLA and with local authorities that enables distribution of information to stakeholders about funding resources, gather intelligence and also to track, categorise and prioritise casework. Additionally, the London Growth Hub is developing a peer to peer business support offer that will be delivered through a sectorial approach, that will help us understand in more detail the impact caused by the pandemic and the requirements of various sectors.
Digital Support for Businesses following COVID-19 Question No: 2020/2254 Leonie Cooper The crisis has accelerated and intensified the shift towards a digital economy. How will you be working with your Deputy Mayor for Business and your Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and Skills to ensure that all Londoners are able to thrive in a more digital economy? Digital Support for Businesses following COVID-19 The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 My forthcoming Technology Adoption Service will offer an information and signposting service which will support London’s businesses to access the technologies they need to continue business activity during these challenging trading conditions, and support recovery from the impacts of COVID-19. My Digital Talent Programme is a £7m investment to help women and BAME Londoners aged 16-24 years get the skills to fill digital, creative and technology occupations across London’s economy.
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We also know that digital skills are increasingly important in the world of work. An estimated 90% of all jobs in the next 20 years will require some form of digital skills. From September the GLA will deliver the national basic digital skills entitlement (BDSE) for all adults over the age of 19. The BDSE will be funded through the Adult Education Budget and allow learners to gain the entry and level 1 digital skills essential for work and life. As we move into the recovery phase of covid-19, we will be working closely with London Councils to combat digital exclusion through our ‘missions-based approach’.
Support to the Voluntary Sector following COVID-19 Question No: 2020/2255 Leonie Cooper How are you supporting the voluntary sector to deal with the economic impact of the coronavirus? Support to the Voluntary Sector following COVID-19 The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I recognise the immense financial implications of the Covid crisis on our Voluntary sector in London and continue work on mitigating the impact. Early in the pandemic I worked with London Funders and City Bridge Trust to build the London Community Response Fund. I donated £5 million to the fund, which has reached over £23 million with contributions from 61 other funders. To date the Fund has supported 951 organisations across 32 London boroughs, meeting both immediate crisis needs and new ways of delivering services. Recognising that local authorities and the charity and voluntary sector play a key role in responding to coronavirus, I launched a new scheme with TFL to reimburse the Congestion Charge for coronavirus response work. I have worked with partners such as Google to provide free training on digital skills to charities and matched corporate offers of support with the needs of third sector organisations.
Re-opening of Retail and Hospitality Question No: 2020/2256 Leonie Cooper How is the London Transition Board coordinating the safe re-opening of further retail and hospitality outlets in London? Re-opening of Retail and Hospitality The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020
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The Transition Board has a wide remit providing strategic direction for the pan-London response to COVID-19 as London begins to reopen its economy while still controlling the virus. At the meeting of the Board on 1 July, issues around a safe reopening of hospitality and supporting retail to trade viably were discussed including an in-depth discussion on the challenges related to licensing and planning. To support reopening, I established a High Streets Reopening Task and Finish group with representatives from a range of local authority services, the Met, licencing experts and business bodies to help coordinate action and additional guidance in the run up to the reopening of restaurants, cafes and bars. I have also directly supported small businesses to reopen safely through providing free access to business support advisers and webinars through the London Growth Hub, and particularly the Covid-19 Support Hub on the Growth Hub website.
EU Settlement Scheme and COVID-19 (1) Question No: 2020/2257 Leonie Cooper Across the UK applications to the EU Settlement Scheme fell significantly in May (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics-may-2020). At the time of submitting this question, regional data covering this period is not yet available. However, it is almost certain that applications in London will have mirrored those across the UK and will have fallen. Do you share my concerns that the coronavirus appears to have led to a decrease in applications to the EU Settlement Scheme in London? Answer for EU Settlement Scheme and COVID-19 (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
EU Settlement Scheme and COVID-19 (2) Question No: 2020/2258 Leonie Cooper Do you agree that the continuous residency requirement of the EU Settlement for those with pre-settled status, awaiting settled status, should be modified to ensure that no Londoner is denied settled status as a result of quarantining or being stranded abroad due to the coronavirus? Answer for EU Settlement Scheme and COVID-19 (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Sunday trading Question No: 2020/2259 Leonie Cooper What is your view on the relaxation of Sunday trading laws and the potential impact in London? Sunday trading The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The current Sunday trading laws, which only permit larger shops to open for a maximum of six consecutive hours between 10am and 6pm whilst allowing smaller shops longer opening hours to maintain their economic viability, have proven to be a good compromise. I understand the concerns of unions, small shops and business, family groups and religious groups about the possible relaxation of Sunday trading laws. I also understand extended opening hours could potentially increase annual sales for large retailers in areas of London where tourists make up a large proportion of the customers and could help to secure retail jobs in those areas in the future. I will continue to work with trade unions and businesses to support the retail sector and protect workers’ rights as we move forward with the important task of recovering London’s economy.
Working conditions Question No: 2020/2260 Leonie Cooper How are you working with businesses to protect working conditions and employee’s wellbeing during the economic downturn? Working conditions The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The Government’s support packages have helped many employees through the lockdown so far. But there are still many who are not receiving the support they need, or lack adequate workplace rights. I have repeatedly called on government to ensure no one is left without support as a result of gaps in the their COVID-19 support schemes. Since the start of the pandemic, my officers have developed a new £1m business support programme and pivoting our existing support to respond to the needs of London’s businesses. I have also set up a £2.3m ‘Culture at risk business support fund’ for grassroots music venues, LGBTQ+ venues and artist studios. My Good Work Standard sets the standard for employment practice in workplace dialogue, fair pay and contracts. It also promotes steps employers can take to support the financial wellbeing of their workforce.
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Wellbeing is also a key pillar of my Good Work Standard and London Healthy Workplace Award. My teams promote best practice resources provided by Thrive LDN on mental health. The Growth Hub (London’s business advice service) and the Employment Rights Hub both include Covid-related information and resources in 20 languages, including maternity leave and pay, health and safety, whistleblowing, workplace safety and time off work.
Future financial support during future waves Question No: 2020/2261 Leonie Cooper What conversations are you or the London Transition Board having regarding Government financial intervention for workers and businesses if there were to be a second or third wave of COVID-19 infections? Future financial support during future waves The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 My priority is to ensure we do not have a second or third wave of COVID-19 infections. Londoners have worked hard and made huge sacrifices to drive down the virus to low levels, but as we open again, we must not be complacent about the importance of following public health guidelines. We cannot afford a resurgence in our city. I have repeatedly urged Ministers to address the continuing problems with the test and trace system and bring about rapid improvements. The Government is already failing to rise to the scale of the challenge needed to protect workers and businesses. Despite repeated promises from Ministers, the Government actions to prevent a historic rise in unemployment are simply insufficient and will be even more so if there were to be a second or third wave of infections. I will continue to raise the importance of adequate financial intervention for those workers and businesses that have been the hardest hit across London.
London’s tourism industry Question No: 2020/2262 Leonie Cooper How will you support London’s tourism industry during this period of lockdown and into recovery from COVID-19? London’s tourism industry The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 London’s tourism industry has been very significantly affected by the pandemic and I have been doing everything I can to support its recovery.
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I launched Pay It Forward to help Londoner’s buy goods and services in advance and increased support to business through my Growth Hub. I set up £2.3 million emergency fund to support the capitals cultural sector - a major driver of London’s tourism industry. I have lobbied on the extension to the furlough scheme for culture, hospitality and leisure. London & Partners have launched “Because I’m A Londoner”, backed by an alliance of London business organisations, to drive consumer confidence. They have also supported the tourism sector’s virtual activities through the “Virtually London” campaign. They have hosted expert webinars providing training and support, and created a specific cohort on a free Business Growth Programme for tourism and business event start-ups. I will continue to make the case to Government to do more to support a strong and sustainable recovery of the industry and ongoing support for the sectors worst affected by Covid-19.
Skills Question No: 2020/2263 Leonie Cooper How can your Skills for Londoners programme support those Londoners who have lost their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic? Skills The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I have moved quickly to adapt GLA’s skills and employment programmes in order to support the newly unemployed. We have introduced more flexibility in the Adult Education Budget and extended entitlements so that more Londoners can access level 3 courses, upskill, retrain and find work. We are also developing new European Social Fund projects to support the newly unemployed and those most at risk of redundancy. The London Progression Collaboration’s ‘Reskilling the Recovery’ Fund has secured over £1 million (and growing) in pledges from large business partners to create apprenticeships for Londoners in small businesses. Meanwhile, the London Enterprise Advisor Network is keeping businesses and education institutions actively engaged to ensure impacted young people are aware of available opportunities. My new London Recovery Board will allow us to create new opportunities, strengthen partnerships (for example with Job Centres) and influence national government. We will share its outcomes in due course.
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Working from home (1) Question No: 2020/2264 Leonie Cooper How will you work with London’s businesses to ensure that they are protecting their employee’s health and wellbeing if they are now working from home? Working from home (1) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Working from home has helped to suppress the virus in London and save lives. But it has also brought about challenges for workers and for their employers, and for some, can be detrimental to their mental health or wider wellbeing. London’s Growth Hub has information for employers on homeworking including collaboration tools and information on managing physical and mental health. And through Thrive LDN we are working together with partner organisations to support the mental health of Londoners and ensure it remains a priority for employers. Wellbeing is a key pillar in my Good Work Standard, which also signposts employers to the key Health and Safety Executive guidance documents and standards. It encourages organisations to make reasonable adjustments to ensure workers with disabilities or physical or mental health conditions are not disadvantaged. Through my Good Work Standard and London Healthy Workplace Award, we are working with employers to highlight good practice and learning opportunities. I and my Deputy Mayors regularly promote these schemes directly through our engagements with business leaders and organisations.
Working from home (2) Question No: 2020/2265 Leonie Cooper Will your Good Work Standard look into best practice for London’s employers that now have more employees working from home than pre-COVID-19? Working from home (2) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Working from home has helped to suppress the virus. However, the Pandemic has bought forward new challenges and questions about the nature of good work and the support provided to employees. My Good Work Standard outlines a range of measures and resources to help employers adopt flexible working practices for their employees. As we come to understand the longer-term impact on Londoner’s working lives of the pandemic and the changes it has brought about, my officers will work with employers, unions, HR
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professionals and colleagues in other city regions to understand best practice and to see what changes will need to be made to the Standard to ensure it remains relevant. My team will continue to engage, encourage and support employers in sharing and developing best practices for their workforce whilst they work from home. My teams promote the Good Work Standard side by side with the London Healthy Workplace Award. London’s Growth Hub also includes information for employers on working from home including collaboration tools.
Working from home (3) Question No: 2020/2266 Leonie Cooper In your opinion, does London’s housing market, particularly private rented accommodation and house shares, provide Londoners with suitable working from home conditions and what can we do to support those Londoners who may struggle working from home for these reasons? Working from home (3) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Working from home has helped limit the spread of COVID-19 in London and thereby saved lives. But some Londoners live in situations where working from home is a real struggle. Overcrowding is worst in the social rented sector, but worse for all renters then for owner- occupiers. It can also be especially difficult for the growing numbers of single people and couples who share accommodation, usually in the private rented sector, to work from home. The London Growth Hub provides information for employers on tools and approaches that help with working from home. My Housing team has also been working closely with local authorities to help them identify and address the worst, unlawful housing conditions during lockdown. Longer term, shortages of space can best be tackled by building enough new homes to meet London’s needs, particularly social housing for households who are homeless or overcrowded.
Cultural and sporting events Question No: 2020/2267 Leonie Cooper What has been the total financial impact on London of not hosting cultural and sporting events this year? Cultural and sporting events The Mayor
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Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The financial impact that COVID-19 has had on cultural and sporting events is not yet fully clear. Work is underway to understand the true impact that cancelling these events has had on the capital as well as specifically the events sector, including event organisers, suppliers and artists to name just a few. Culture is in London’s DNA; it is worth £58.4 billion a year and provides one in six jobs across the capital. COVID-19 has had a catastrophic impact on London’s creative sector, with research showing that the pandemic could cost London’s economy up to £16.3 billion this year, risking 151,000 jobs. We know that cancelled cultural events, supported by the Events for London team alone, would have brought in approximately £75m to London’s economy based on additional visitor spend. I’m pleased to see that Government has finally acknowledged the role of culture with a £1.57 billion national investment package. Whilst it is difficult to attribute a figure to the overall financial impact of sporting event cancellations, we know from the evaluation of previous events hosted in London that they generate huge sums for the economy. For example, an event like the NFL International Series generates around £58m a year and the Major League Baseball, which had their inaugural London games in Summer 2019, generated £47m, with two more games scheduled for June 2020. Some of the sporting events due to be hosted in London during 2020, for example the UEFA Men’s European Championship, have been postponed. When these events return to the capital, there will be the opportunity to capitalise on them, but it should be highlighted that the events may not take place on the same scale. Many event owners will be operating with tighter budgets and social distancing restrictions may still apply, which will impact the number of spectators at events for some time. London & Partners will shortly be publishing a report about event impacts on London between 2017 and 2020 as a follow on to a previous report looking at the four years after the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The report isn’t yet finalised, but early figures estimate that major events in 2017-19 injected £1.36 billion into the London economy, with a further £384.2 million expected for 2020.
Easing of lockdown restrictions Question No: 2020/2268 Leonie Cooper How important is clear messaging on the easing of lockdown restrictions for supporting London’s economy? Easing of lockdown restrictions The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Clear messaging is critical as the easing of lockdown restrictions continue. London faces the unprecedented challenge of recovering from the economic impacts of COVID-19, whilst
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also stopping the spread of this deadly virus. While many London businesses are now allowed to open, the safety of Londoners must continue to come first, and I have made this message clear. Whilst enjoying these new opportunities and supporting our local businesses, it is vital that we all take responsibility for staying safe and protecting the people around us. With London Councils, I established a High Streets Reopening Task and Finish group which is tasked with helping coordinate communication activity across London, with support from a range of agencies including local authorities, Transport for London, the Met, and business bodies. I also relaunched my London is Open campaign to safely support the reopening of the hospitality sector.
London Recovery Board Question No: 2020/2269 Leonie Cooper The Recovery Board has just one representative from the environmental sector. How will you as co-Chair ensure that environmental improvements are central to the Board’s decisions? Answer for London Recovery Board The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Air pollution after lockdown (1) Question No: 2020/2270 Leonie Cooper I am concerned at the recent rises in air pollution as London leaves lockdown. Are you considering bringing forward the ULEZ expansion and strengthening of the LEZ in order to urgently address this? Answer for Air pollution after lockdown (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Air pollution after lockdown (2) Question No: 2020/2271 Leonie Cooper What work will be undertaken this year to continue reducing pollution from London’s bus fleet? Could this be accelerated?
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Answer for Air pollution after lockdown (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Net zero-carbon target Question No: 2020/2272 Leonie Cooper Can you reassure me and my constituents that you will retain your ambitious target for London to be net zero-carbon by 2030, even in the face of our budget challenges? Net zero-carbon target The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 My ambition is still for London to be a zero carbon city by 2030. I am committed to accelerating climate action, going further and faster than previously. My vision for London’s recovery includes a “renewed drive to address the climate emergency” which will be a springboard for ambitious climate action in the capital. As we move to the recovery phase of the pandemic, there is an important opportunity to build in action that will allow this acceleration to take place, including through the creation of new green jobs and green skills programmes for Londoners. My Green New Deal will help create the jobs that the city needs and support the green industries that are crucial to meeting our city’s climate targets. We will also work with businesses, local authorities and the millions of Londoners who want to see change. However, I still only have the powers and resources to deliver less than half the carbon emissions required to reach zero carbon. We still require urgent action by Government on the other half where they have levers as well as devolving powers and resources to London that let us take the bold climate action needed to achieve the target.
Plastic waste Question No: 2020/2273 Leonie Cooper COVID-19 has caused an increase in plastic waste due to customers’ understandable concerns about reusable shopping bags and hot drinks cups. What incentives will you offer to London’s businesses and shoppers to safely get back to using reusable bags and cups? Plastic waste The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020
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It is my ambition to make London a zero-waste city through driving resource efficiency to significantly reduce waste, with a focus on reducing food waste and single-use packaging waste. Over 115 health experts from eighteen countries have also signed a statement assuring retailers and consumers that reusables are safe to use during COVID-19. The health experts emphasize that disposable products are not inherently safer than reusables and that reusable systems can be utilized safely during the pandemic by employing basic hygiene. Government have issued guidance on reusable cups and containers. This guidance states that it is up to the individual business to decide whether they allow the use of reusable cups or containers during this period. If reusable cups or containers are used, they should be washed thoroughly in hot, soapy water, or in a dishwasher, where suitable. Government have not published any guidance to suggest using reusable shopping bags is unsafe during COVID-19. Over 115 health experts from eighteen countries have also signed a statement assuring retailers and consumers that reusables are safe to use during COVID-19. The health experts emphasize that disposable products are not inherently safer than reusables and that reusable systems can be utilized safely during the pandemic by employing basic hygiene.
Committee on Climate Change Question No: 2020/2274 Leonie Cooper The Committee on Climate Change’s Annual Report has warned that Government needs to act now to prevent a post-lockdown surge in carbon emissions. How are your officers lobbying Government to have the ambition necessary to prevent a climate catastrophe, which could hit Londoners especially hard due to the urban heat island effect? Committee on Climate Change The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 As I outlined in my address at the Centre for London recently, it is imperative that we grasp the opportunity to stimulate a green, fair and prosperous recovery from COVID-19. A strong recovery and a ‘green recovery’ are not mutually exclusive, but one and the same. We are working hard to develop our programmes to help stimulate the economy and job creation whilst supporting our environment and climate goals including reducing emissions and building resilience to climate impacts. For example, my Streets Space programme is encouraging low carbon transport such as walking and cycling that will help reduce emissions. My officers have given evidence to the Environmental Audit Committee setting out the actions London is taking to reduce overheating and I have asked Government to update the building regulations to tackle overheating risk in buildings and manage the Urban Heat Island. With the powers I have in place I am only able to achieve up to half of the emissions reductions required to achieve my net zero ambition. One of the key areas to achieving this
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is the decarbonisation of London’s buildings which account for 74 per cent of London’s emissions. Government recently announced funding for energy efficiency measures in existing buildings as part of their recovery package and although the funds are welcome, they are insufficient to match the scale of investment required in London, let alone the UK. Government must commit sustained, long-term funds with a fair allocation to London and regulated standards, with effective enforcement to put all buildings on a trajectory to net zero. If not, it should devolve the powers and funding to allow us to set and enforce energy efficiency targets in London.
Waste self-sufficiency Question No: 2020/2275 Leonie Cooper A recent BBC investigation found that waste exported to Turkey for recycling was often being dumped or burned, which highlights the importance of your goal for London to be waste self-sufficient. What progress has been made towards this target? Waste self-sufficiency The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 There is no official data for how much of London’s or the UK’s waste is exported internationally for onward management. In developing my new London Plan, analysis showed that London manages around 7.5 million tonnes of its own waste and exports around 11.4 million tonnes per year. The majority of exported waste (around 10 million tonnes) goes to waste facilities in the East and South East of England. London exports the remaining estimated 1.3 million tonnes of waste internationally, mostly to Europe and China, for recycling or for incineration. It is illegal to export waste for landfill. London also imports and manages around 3.6 million tonnes of waste. This gives a current waste net self-sufficiency figure of approximately 60 per cent – 14 per cent higher than when the current London Plan was published. My new London Plan Policy SI8 requires boroughs to plan for and deliver the capacity needed to manage their apportioned amounts of waste in order to reach my London-wide target of 100 per cent net waste self-sufficiency by 2026. This, coupled with my new circular economy Policy SI7, will help boroughs and major development schemes to cut waste, boost recycling rates, manage more waste locally and transition to a circular economy.
Crowding in green spaces (1) Question No: 2020/2276 Leonie Cooper According to the Fields in Trust green spaces index, London has the lowest level of green space access in the country, with just 18.96 square metres per person compared to a national average of 32.94. Do you agree with me that attacks on Londoners for seeking out
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green spaces during lockdown are totally wrong, and that instead we should all be working together, including with support from Government, to increase green space provision in London? Crowding in green spaces (1) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The Fields in Trust Green Space Index is a useful tool but it is based on national data which underestimates the amount of green space in urban areas. More granular data compiled by Green Space Information for Greater London (see https://www.gigl.org.uk/keyfigures/) indicates that London has over 28,000 ha of accessible green space rather than 17,000ha identified in the national data. On this basis London’s provision is nearer the national average. Nevertheless, there are areas of London deficient in accessible green space and clearly it is wrong if Londoners with limited access to green space do not feel free to seek out places to visit or exercise away from their immediate neighbourhood. The pandemic has demonstrated the need for greater provision of green space and greener public realm in London in areas deficient in open space. My new London Plan policies on Open Space and Urban Greening require additional provision through new development, and my Greener City Fund has supported over 250 green space improvement projects for local neighbourhoods. My Transport Strategy aims to deliver many more Liveable Neighbourhoods were streets are transformed into public spaces that favour walking and cycling. My Streetspaces programme will also create opportunities to help deliver this ambition, although further financial support from Government will be essential to accelerate delivery.
Crowding in green spaces (2) Question No: 2020/2277 Leonie Cooper Your Streetspace programme is already making a huge difference for social distancing on streets. Will you consider adding pocket parks and other forms of local green space to the programme? Crowding in green spaces (2) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The Streetspace programme has been implemented to ensure social distancing as Londoners return to work and the high street. By necessity, the initial interventions have been implemented rapidly and are temporary (implemented through Emergency Traffic Orders). Many boroughs have introduced planters, including an prototype ‘concrete jungle block’ (https://airqualitynews.com/2020/06/22/green-roadblocks-to-hep-prevent-a-
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surge-in-post-lockdown-traffic/) as modal filters to prevent or limit vehicle access to pedestrianised streets. Many of these interventions, it is hoped, will become permanent over time, especially where current Streetspace interventions coincide with Low Traffic Neighbourhoods which were already being planned. As the designs for the permanent solutions come forward, they will, in consultation with local stakeholders,and where appropriate, include pocket parks, street trees, sustainable drainage or other environmental measures in line with the objectives in my Environment Strategy and Transport Strategy.
Crowding in green spaces (3) Question No: 2020/2278 Leonie Cooper Much of London’s green space currently is private gardens, which is why I appeared at the Examination in Public for the London Plan to argue for increased provision for accessible green space in housing developments. Given how the need for green space has become so obvious in recent weeks, will you consider looking again at my suggestions to improve the Urban Greening Factor? Crowding in green spaces (3) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Policy G5 ‘Urban Greening’ in my new London Plan requires the integration of features such as pocket parks, green roofs and walls, sustainable drainage, and other environmental features, in order to meet an Urban Greening Factor score. G5 sits alongside and complements other London Plan policies that protect open space and encourage new provision. This is a new and ambitious policy which sets challenging but achievable targets that are beginning to be implemented by developers. The preparation of the new London Plan is subject to a statutory process which is now waiting for final sign off from the Secretary of State (SoS). As such, there are no further opportunities to amend plan policy outside of those policies that were subject to direction by the SoS. However, we will continue to monitor the implementation of this policy once the London Plan is finally published to ensure its effectiveness and, ultimately, inform any future revisions to secure appropriate urban greening measures.
Sustainable waste management (1) Question No: 2020/2279 Leonie Cooper During the London Plan Examination in Public, I highlighted that your target for all Energy from Waste facilities to have a carbon intensity of 400g of CO2 per kilowatt hour of energy
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produced is far higher than the Grid intensity, which is as low as 200g. What options are you exploring to bring this target down for all existing incinerators? Sustainable waste management (1) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 In my London Environment Strategy I committed to review the carbon intensity floor (CIF) level that waste incinerators need to meet in 2025, or earlier if appropriate, once London’s waste composition, heat networks and demand are better understood. This review will be performed with a view to tighten the CIF to around 300 grams per kWh (g/kWh) of electricity produced. I will continue to keep the CIF level under review. It is however practically challenging to reduce the CIF level down to 200g/kWh due to non-recycled waste (especially plastic) used in incineration having a higher carbon intensity than alternative renewable energy generation sources like wind, solar, and biogas (produced from anaerobic digestion of food waste). Through my consultation responses on Defra’s Resources and Waste Strategy I have called on the government to put tighter obligations on new energy from waste facilities to operate in combined heat and power mode to improve their efficiency and overall performance. The government has responded to my call to introduce a national minimum recycling service level to help boost recycling, and to introduce a carbon-based waste metric to sit alongside traditional weight-based recycling targets. These measures will be further consulted on and are expected to be in place by 2024. Please see my answer to Mayor’s Question 2019/1387.
Sustainable waste management (2) Question No: 2020/2280 Leonie Cooper Residents near incinerators report harmful air pollution and respiratory issues, which is particularly concerning right now, during COVID-19. What are you doing to help mitigate the impact of this air pollution on Londoners? Sustainable waste management (2) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The Environment Agency is responsible for issuing, and regulating compliance with, Environmental Permits for all energy from waste plants. The permits make sure that these plants operate to the best available techniques for reducing pollution. I have recently published a review into the evidence on specific impacts on health from living in close proximity to an energy from waste plant. This report shows that the permitting regime overseen by the Environment Agency has been successful in eliminating many of the impacts, such as cancer clusters, that used to occur with traditional “mass burn” incinerators.
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That is no reason, however, for complacency. London does not need any further waste incinerator capacity to manage the city’s non-recyclable waste, which is why I am continuing to oppose the granting of planning permission for a new waste incinerator in South East London. I want to make sure that the Environment Agency continues to hold the existing facilities to the highest possible environmental standards, and my officers have been lobbying Defra for continued alignment between UK and EU best practice after Brexit.
Sustainable waste management (3) Question No: 2020/2281 Leonie Cooper I recently published a reporton London’s food waste which showed that we could power 75,000 homes by sending all London’s food waste for anaerobic digestion. I asked you to consider introducing a planning requirement for all large developments to include anaerobic digestion capacity. What discussions have you had with Boroughs and developers to make progress on this? Sustainable waste management (3) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 My new London Plan Policy SI8 D(3) encourages development proposals which “contribute towards renewable energy generation, especially renewable gas technologies from organic/biomass waste”. This includes anaerobic digestion. My officers work with waste authorities to ensure they include anaerobic digestion solutions into their new waste service contract tender documents where appropriate. I have also now signed off all 33 boroughs’ Reduction and Recycling Plans that include commitments for all boroughs to meet my minimum recycling service level including separate food waste collection. Meeting this service level will help drive demand for more anaerobic digestion capacity treating separate food waste. Policy SI7 A(6) of the new London Plan describes the minimum design requirements for developments to support household recycling and my officers look to encourage applications to go beyond these requirements on appropriate sites. Developers and boroughs can also use the London Waste Map to help identify opportunities for growing anaerobic capacity on existing and new waste sites.
Support and advocacy for self-employed Londoners Question No: 2020/2282 Leonie Cooper How is the Mayor supporting, and advocating for, Londoners who are self-employed (particularly freelancers), who have fallen through the cracks of government financial support measures? Support and advocacy for self-employed Londoners
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The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 In April, I wrote to the Chancellor to call for additional support for self-employed Londoners. The extension of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme until August is welcome. However, between a quarter and a third of London’s 869,000 self-employed remain excluded from support and I continue to urge the Government to act. Sectors with high numbers of freelancers, such as culture and hospitality, will be unable to fully reopen for months. I welcome the Government’s announcement of £1.6bn of support for the arts, but I’m concerned that the support reaches the thousands of freelancers or businesses in the creative supply chain. I’ll continue to do what I can to support creatives through my Culture at Risk Office and Pay It Forward programme.
Met Police disciplinary action Question No: 2020/2284 Unmesh Desai How many Met officers were a) disciplined or b) dismissed as a result of racially discriminatory behaviour in each of the following years? 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 to date. Answer for Met Police disciplinary action The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
BAME officer attrition Question No: 2020/2285 Unmesh Desai What was the BAME officer attrition rate in each of the following years: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 so far? Workforce data reports on the Met’s website only cover from mid- 2019. Answer for BAME officer attrition The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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BAME officer dismissal Question No: 2020/2286 Unmesh Desai Please provide the number and percentage breakdown by ethnicity of officers dismissed by the Met in each of the following years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 so far? Workforce data reports on the Met’s website only cover from mid-2019. Answer for BAME officer dismissal The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Met police social media complaints Question No: 2020/2287 Unmesh Desai Please provide data on how many complaints the Met has received regarding its posts on social media in 2017,2018,2019 and 2020 to date? Met police social media complaints The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Please see the table below: Number of Public Complaint Allegations – regarding posts on MPS social media forums
2017 2018 2019 2020 Number of Allegations 3 6 1 2
Coronavirus social media Met Police Question No: 2020/2288 Unmesh Desai Across the Met Police’s social media accounts (including Borough Command Unit accounts) how many posts were made relating to the policing of the Coronavirus crisis in each of the last 6 months? Answer for Coronavirus social media Met Police The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Stop and search social media Met Police Question No: 2020/2289 Unmesh Desai Across the Met Police’s social media accounts (including Borough Command Unit accounts) how many posts were made relating to stop and search operations being carried out in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 so far? Answer for Stop and search social media Met Police The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Domestic abuse social media Met Police Question No: 2020/2290 Unmesh Desai Across the Met Police’s social media accounts (including Borough Command Unit accounts) how many posts were made relating to domestic abuse in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 so far? Answer for Domestic abuse social media Met Police The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Force management statement Question No: 2020/2291 Unmesh Desai When will the Met be releasing their force management statement for 2020/2021? Force management statement The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Because of COVID-19, HMICFRS paused inspections and the FMS requirement across forces. There was therefore no FMS produced for May 2020. However, the process will start again in the autumn, with a timetable to be confirmed. As in previous years, the MPS does intend to publish the next Force Management Statement.
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Officer assaults Question No: 2020/2292 Unmesh Desai Please provide the total number of assaults on officers in May and June 2020, including any related to COVID-19 offences. Answer for Officer assaults The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Stop and search restraints Question No: 2020/2293 Unmesh Desai Please provide the percentage breakdown of the number of people who have been restrained using handcuffs whilst being stop and searched, by ethnicity, in each of the following years 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Answer for Stop and search restraints The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Face masks stop and search Question No: 2020/2294 Unmesh Desai Are officers required to wear face masks when conducting stop and searches? Answer for Face masks stop and search The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Met police social media accounts Question No: 2020/2295 Unmesh Desai How many separate social media accounts are affiliated to the Metropolitan Police Service? Please provide the details of each of these. Answer for Met police social media accounts
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The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Violence suppression units social media posts Question No: 2020/2296 Unmesh Desai How many posts on social media have the Met made regarding the new ‘Violence Suppression Units’ and the work they have been doing in the last six months? Answer for Violence suppression units social media posts The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
City Hall proposed move [1] Question No: 2020/2298 Andrew Dismore What discussions have you had with City Hall’s landlord to negotiate a rent reduction, in spite of the terms of the lease, in light of the impact of COVID-19 in reducing demand for office space in London? Answer for City Hall proposed move [1] The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
City Hall proposed move [2] Question No: 2020/2299 Andrew Dismore In the event of the GLA, Mayoralty and Assembly moving from City Hall to The Crystal, what assessment have you made of the impact on Londoners who live in north, west and north west London, especially those with disabilities, wishing to visit events or their representatives at the new ‘City Hall’? Answer for City Hall proposed move [2] The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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City Hall proposed move [3] Question No: 2020/2300 Andrew Dismore In the event of City Hall moving to The Crystal, what is the estimated loss of annual income from lettings at The Crystal? Answer for City Hall proposed move [3] The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
City Hall proposed move [4] Question No: 2020/2301 Andrew Dismore What was the income generated by The Crystal for each of the last 4 years? Answer for City Hall proposed move [4] The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Students in London [1] Question No: 2020/2302 Andrew Dismore Middlesex University tell me that many of their students don’t have laptops or a calm home environment in which to study. Do you agree that a package of direct means-tested support for disadvantaged London students is needed, which could include subsidised broadband access for students in households who are not yet connected and large-scale schemes for access to equipment, such as laptops, negotiated with commercial providers, with loan schemes or re-conditioned/second-hand equipment offers? Students in London [1] The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Universities have done an excellent job of moving teaching online as a result of COVID-19, and I know there are many examples of universities across London stepping in to provide laptops, Wi-Fi dongles and other much needed equipment. Many broadband providers also offer student deals with competitive pricing and shorter contracts. Digital exclusion remains a major issue across London and initiatives such as DevicesDotNow have been providing support and equipment to offline households around the country.
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From September, the GLA will fund people over the age of 19 with little to no experience in using tech devices and the internet to gain entry and level 1 digital skills. This basic digital skills entitlement will be delivered through London’s Adult Education Budget by local skills providers, supporting Londoners to thrive online. We continue to monitor the levels of digital exclusion in London and develop our approach to better align to areas of need.
Students in London [2] Question No: 2020/2303 Andrew Dismore Government is prioritising elite universities through student number controls and measures to create additional places, as well as in research policy development and funding. Do you agree that support is also needed to provide stability to those London based universities who support widening participation and practice-based research, to ensure a healthy recovery which harnesses the potential of disadvantaged learners? Students in London [2] The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Universities across London play a vital role in creating opportunities for Londoners from all backgrounds and it is essential that London’s relative success at widening participation is not diminished as a result of COVID-19, especially as institutions face financial uncertainty. London’s higher education sector will play a key role in our social and economic recovery from COVID-19 and Government interventions should be designed to support the stability of the sector as a whole. This is also a time of great uncertainty for prospective students. In my letter to the sector on 22 April 2020, I encouraged all institutions to consider how disruption to this year’s assessments will have affected learner outcomes, particularly learners from disadvantaged backgrounds. Arguably, now more than ever, it is crucial that contextual data around learners is considered when making decisions on admissions.
Students in London [3] Question No: 2020/2304 Andrew Dismore Given the importance of overseas students to London’s economy, do you agree that measures are needed to demonstrate that not only is the UK open to international students, but that it is more open and more welcoming than any other competitor market. Such measures could include, in addition to a major international recruitment campaign, a faster more streamlined visa turnaround time and process. Students in London [3] The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020
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International students are an important part of our universities, society and economy. That is why London & Partners will be running a major international student attraction campaign in Autumn 2020 / Spring 2021, through the Study London channel and in collaboration with London Higher. The campaign will restate London’s core values as a destination for world-class higher education, while reassuring prospective students that London is safe, open and welcoming. I am also pleased the Government has confirmed the reintroduction of a two year post- study work visa - the Graduate Immigration Route which will launch in the summer of 2021. I have consistently made the case for this as it is an important part of international student recruitment and will make a real difference to students wishing to study in London.
Colin Close Question No: 2020/2305 Andrew Dismore I have been receiving reports of gatherings of dozens of people at Colin Close, Colindale breaking rules on the size of gatherings and social distancing and committing anti-social behaviour, most evenings from 7:30 pm. What action can you take to disperse this group and stop them from doing this again? Answer for Colin Close The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
West Hampstead step-free access Question No: 2020/2306 Andrew Dismore Following on from question 2020/1985, what are the preferred plans, and how much do they cost? Answer for West Hampstead step-free access The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Desmond House Question No: 2020/2307 Andrew Dismore I recently had to write to Metropolitan Housing with East Barnet Councillors after seeing videos posted to twitter
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(https://twitter.com/DesmondHouseEN4/status/1273377207554060294) about the state of Desmond House, which showed severe leakages inside properties during recent storms. Do you agree that the condition that residents were left in was unacceptable, and will you write to Metropolitan Housing to layout your expectations of basic maintenance? Desmond House The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 My Housing & Land team meet regularly with Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing Association as part of the Homes for Londoners 16-22 programme. Building management and safety is a standing item on the agenda for these meetings. I am happy to ask my team to raise the issue of Desmond House with them directly to understand what action has been taken.
Food for vulnerable people Question No: 2020/2308 Andrew Dismore The Government appears to be ending its programme to provide food to vulnerable people, will you be working with voluntary organisations to take up this challenge? Answer for Food for vulnerable people The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Furloughing Scheme Question No: 2020/2309 Andrew Dismore The Government is indicating that it intends on ending the furloughing scheme, have you made representations to the Government asking them not to do this? Answer for Furloughing Scheme The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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State of London Council finances Question No: 2020/2310 Andrew Dismore What has each London Borough reported as being its expenditure due to Coronavirus, what additional funding has been provided to each of them to cover the costs of Coronavirus by the Government, and what is each council’s funding gap? State of London Council finances The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Based on the data collated by London Councils and reported to its Leaders Committee on 7 July the total estimated impact of COVID-19 across the capital’s 33 local authorities is at least £1.8 billion. This is based on the returns submitted to the Government in May – and this is understood to have increased to around £1.9 billion in June. This data is not publicly available at an individual authority level at this time. This £1.8 billion reported lost comprises an estimated £1.1 billion in lost revenues through sales, fees and charges as well as expected shortfalls in council tax and business rates income and just over £700 million in increased expenditure. The additional expenditure includes £200 million on adult social care and £50 million on homelessness and rough sleepers along with a similar amount on children’s services. Taking account of the £500 million in emergency funding the Government provided for London boroughs which has been confirmed so far, the estimated remaining funding gap remains at around £1.4 billion for 2020-21. Of this, around £600 million relates to the period from March to May 2020 alone. The Communities Secretary announced some additional support for local authorities on 1 July in terms of covering a proportion of their revenue losses from sales, fees and charges, providing an additional £500 million of funding and also allowing authorities to spread their 2020-21 business rates and council tax deficits over the following three budget years. However, at the date of writing we still await more details about how these proposals will work in practice and some elements of the additional package will not be confirmed until the Spending Review later this year. It is evident, however, that these new proposals will not be sufficient to cover local government funding shortfalls across London and England and the Government therefore needs to provide further support to avoid significant cuts in front line services and job losses.
Government plans for the future of Councils in London Question No: 2020/2311 Andrew Dismore Has the Government indicated to you whether they are considering the reform or merger of councils in London?
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Answer for Government plans for the future of Councils in London The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Future of the GLA Question No: 2020/2312 Andrew Dismore Are you aware of any plans by the Government to abolish the GLA, the Mayoralty and/or the Assembly as press reports suggest? Answer for Future of the GLA The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Measuring the success of LFB’s transformation Question No: 2020/2313 Andrew Dismore When will London Fire Brigade publish a suite of measures to track the impact of its transformation plan? Measuring the success of LFB’s transformation The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Officers at London Fire Brigade (LFB) are currently considering a number of draft measures to track the progress of the transformation plan against the programme and to understand the impact of the plan’s interventions on LFB outcomes. This work was delayed by the reallocation of resources to help support the response to COVID-19, but is now progressing under the guidance of the newly appointed Director of Transformation. Final agreement and presentation of the measures will go through the normal governance route and should be available by the autumn.
LFB transformation plan updates Question No: 2020/2314 Andrew Dismore Will you publish quarterly updates on progress of the programmes in LFB’s transformation plan? LFB transformation plan updates
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The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Yes, updates on progress against the transformation plan will feature as a new section in London Fire Brigade’s normal quarterly performance report.
LFB incident command training operator Question No: 2020/2315 Andrew Dismore Will all incident commander training be delivered under the Babcock contract, rather than requiring Fire Service College supplements, after this year? LFB incident command training operator The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 By the end of this financial year it is anticipated that all level 1 and 2 incident command training will be delivered through Babcock via new incident command training courses that have been developed with London Fire Brigade (LFB). These levels of command encompass the vast majority of LFB’s training requirements. LFB and Babcock are also in the process of developing new courses for level 3 and 4 incident command. It is anticipated that these courses will come online early in the next financial year. LFB is therefore currently not intending to use the Fire Service College to supplement incident command training in the 2021/22 training year.
LFB incident command training recommencement Question No: 2020/2316 Andrew Dismore What delay to acquisition, refresher and revalidation IC training has been caused by the suspension of most in person training owing to the coronavirus pandemic? LFB incident command training recommencement The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Incident command acquisition, refresher and revalidation training was suspended between 23 March and 8 June due to the pandemic. Level 1 acquisition training for Sub Officer/Station Officers continued throughout this period as suitable control measures were implemented to minimise risks to delegates. A recovery training plan was implemented from 8 June 2020 to ensure that all incident commanders receive the appropriate training. The forecast delivery dates to meet the HMI action plan and Transformation Plan remain unchanged.
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LFB Togetherness strategy Question No: 2020/2317 Andrew Dismore What will the Togetherness strategy add to efforts to remove barriers to people from underrepresented demographics joining the Brigade? Answer for LFB Togetherness strategy The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
LFB independent audit committee Question No: 2020/2318 Andrew Dismore When will the Independent Audit Committee be set up and will its membership and papers be published? LFB independent audit committee The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Interviews for Audit Committee membership are due to take place at the end of August 2020 and the timetable for the first meeting will be scheduled thereafter. The membership of the committee will be in the public domain and governance arrangements, including the publication of reports, are being considered as part of the preparation of the establishment of the committee.
LFB decarbonisation progress Question No: 2020/2319 Andrew Dismore What impact has the coronavirus pandemic had on LFB’s works to achieve a 60% reduction on 1990 emission levels by 2025 and become carbon neutral by 2050? LFB decarbonisation progress The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Preparatory work is underway to deliver London Fire Brigade’s (LFB) carbon strategy actions to achieve the 2025 target. This includes installing LED lighting, photovoltaics, and improving heating controls. There have been minor delays in taking forward some preparatory works due to limitations on access to fire stations due to the risk of COVID-19. This is reviewed regularly and LFB is looking at ways to move this work forward as soon as it is safe to do so. It is too early to identify any impact on the carbon neutral aims for 2050.
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Budget cuts at LFB Question No: 2020/2320 Andrew Dismore What impact on transformation at LFB will its forecast £25m share of GLA group savings have? Budget cuts at LFB The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The London Fire Commissioner has been clear that he needs to ensure that he can continue to improve training, equipment and make other changes to the way that London’s fire and rescue service operates. This includes improving fire safety in all buildings, including high rise property, and preparing for major incidents, such as acts of terrorism. It is vital that this work continues, to ensure that the recommendations from Phase 1 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and the findings of the HMI report are properly implemented. I will continue to discuss these matters with the Commissioner as he prepares his response to my budget guidance.
Costs of extra training for revised LFB policy notes Question No: 2020/2321 Andrew Dismore How much extra spending will be required on training for the policy notes LFB has reviewed in light of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and HMICFRS reports? Answer for Costs of extra training for revised LFB policy notes The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Fire Safety Bill Question No: 2020/2322 Andrew Dismore What extra staffing requirement will LFB have to meet the demands of the expanded powers in the Fire Safety Bill? Fire Safety Bill The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The Fire Safety Bill is described by government as a clarification of the existing law, rather than the creation of new powers. London Fire Brigade (LFB) is evaluating what the clarification of responsible persons duties may bring for its workloads in terms of fire safety
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audits, requests for advice and statutory consultations. That includes all reasonable options to ensure adequate staffing by fully competent officers in line with national guidance and the competency framework. However, the evaluation also needs to take into account the Government’s proposals for new regulations to implement the Grenfell Tower Phase 1 recommendations and the forthcoming Building Safety Bill. Consultation documents about these proposals are expected to be published by Government in the near future. One important principle we will be clear on as we take this forward is that any new responsibilities must be accompanied by additional funding to deliver on them.
30cm tolerance on clad buildings Question No: 2020/2323 Andrew Dismore How many a) ACM clad and b) other forms of dangerously clad buildings would be added to the total yet to be remediated in London if the height threshold had a 30cm tolerance flexibility (i.e. buildings 17.97m were counted)? 30cm tolerance on clad buildings The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The GLA does not hold this information. The GLA’s role is to administer the Social and Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Funds in London on behalf of the Government. The Government is responsible for collecting information on buildings of the appropriate height with unsafe ACM. Eligible buildings are then passed to the GLA to progress the application.
Collecting data on buildings of varying heights Question No: 2020/2324 Andrew Dismore What preparations is the GLA making for MHCLG’s planned summer 2020 data collection exercise on buildings of 11m to 18m height? Collecting data on buildings of varying heights The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The current data collection exercise on external wall systems, commissioned by MHCLG and carried out by local authorities, is only undertaken for buildings of 18m or above in height. There is no such exercise for buildings below 18m.
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GLA role in £1bn Building Safety Fund Question No: 2020/2325 Andrew Dismore What role will the GLA have in administering the new £1bn Building Safety Fund? GLA role in £1bn Building Safety Fund The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 As with the Social Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund and the Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund, the Building Safety Fund will be administered by the GLA for eligible buildings in London. All substantive decisions regarding the scope of the fund and approval of applications will be carried out by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). MHCLG is managing the registration process and, through it, will determine whether buildings registered are over 18 metres and have eligible external wall systems. Only those that are eligible may then submit an application for funding. The application process is expected to open at the end of July 2020. The GLA will administer this application process for buildings in London.
Assessing the damage of the limits on social sector applications to the Building Safety Fund Question No: 2020/2326 Andrew Dismore In response to my question 2020/1999, you said: “registered providers and councils may have to divert resources away from building the new genuinely affordable homes that London desperately needs towards the cost of remediating unsafe buildings. Additionally, social landlords will have fewer resources available for general repairs and maintenance on existing homes and may increase rents”. So that we may judge the consequences of the Government’s decision to limit the support for social sector providers from the Building Safety Fund, will you begin surveying the GLA’s social sector housing partners to track the extent of these negative outcomes? Assessing the damage of the limits on social sector applications to the Building Safety Fund The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The Government has not made the Building Safety Fund accessible to all social sector buildings and I continue to lobby against this. The Government’s decision will limit some social landlords’ abilities to remediate unsafe cladding in line with the pace required by Government, without diverting resources from other workstreams. My team meets with social sector partners regularly and will continue to discuss issues related to building safety with them.
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Completion of non-ACM dangerous cladding survey Question No: 2020/2327 Andrew Dismore In response to my question 2020/1992, you said the data collection exercise for 11m+ buildings with non-ACM dangerous cladding will not finish until summer 2020. Please will you write to me once that exercise is complete to notify me of the publication of the results? Completion of non-ACM dangerous cladding survey The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I would like to clarify that the MHCLG’s data collection exercise on non-ACM external wall systems is only undertaken for buildings above 18m in height. I will inform your office if and when the results, for buildings over 18m, are published by the Government.
Competition and Markets Authority oversight of state aid rules Question No: 2020/2328 Andrew Dismore In response to my question 2020/1994, you said that five leaseholders had received a reduced share of the cladding remediation fund owing to state aid restrictions. Given the relatively low level of potential breaches found so far, will you write to the CMA and ask them to consider lifting the considerable bureaucratic burden of administrating state aid forms once they take over management of the process in December 2020? Competition and Markets Authority oversight of state aid rules The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The GLA’s role in the Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund is purely administrative. The Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government is responsible for setting the design of and policies for the programme.
Hoteliers refusing to accept ACM must go Question No: 2020/2329 Andrew Dismore The National Audit Office report into ACM cladding removal noted that some hotel operators dispute their ACM clad buildings need remediating. How many hotel operators in London does this apply to? Hoteliers refusing to accept ACM must go The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020
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The Greater London Authority administers both the Social Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund (SSCRF) and the Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund (PSCRF). Hotels are not eligible for either fund. Information on hotels refusing to remediate is held by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
Joint Inspection Team activity Question No: 2020/2330 Andrew Dismore How many buildings in London has the Joint Inspection Team a) visited and b) supported visits for? Joint Inspection Team activity The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 As of beginning of July 2020, the Joint Inspection Team has carried out five full inspections in buildings over 18m with unsafe ACM cladding in London.
Underspend in cladding remediation funds Question No: 2020/2331 Andrew Dismore The National Audit Office report into ACM cladding removal noted the social sector and private sector cladding remediation funds will underspend by the time all remediation is complete. Does this forecast apply to the share of the funds allocated to London, and if so how much is the projected underspend (or overspend)? Underspend in cladding remediation funds The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 There is no formal allocation of funds to London - allocation is carried out on a project by project basis. It should be noted that, until all buildings are remediated, total spending within the Social and Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Funds will not be finalised. Cladding remediation is complex, with the full scope of works not always known until works begin onsite. Allocations for SSCRF were also based estimates – any variation in costs will only be reconciled at the completion payment.
Build to let buildings Question No: 2020/2332 Andrew Dismore The National Audit Office report into ACM cladding removal noted build to let buildings have no recourse to the remediation funds and this is stalling works. How many build to let
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buildings are affected by this in London, how many dwellings do they contain, and what efforts is the GLA taking to enforce remediation? Build to let buildings The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Data on the number of buildings with unsafe ACM that are outside of the scope of the Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund is not available to the GLA and is held by Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Primary responsibility for enforcement sits with local authorities, supported by the Joint Inspection Team.
Heat resilience (1) Question No: 2020/2333 Andrew Dismore Will your post-coronavirus recovery work provide new funding to make existing buildings, particularly domestic dwellings, more heat resilient? Heat resilience (1) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I have been clear that London’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic must be a green recovery. The London Recovery Board will take an overview of the city’s recovery, including his Green New Deal. The principles of the Green New Deal include tackling climate change, creating green jobs, supporting a just transition and addressing inequalities are embedded within this board and will influence all activity we undertake as part of our recovery, including improving the resilience of London’s buildings. These issues are already being addressed to some extent through existing programmes. My Retrofit Accelerator programme is reducing energy use and cutting carbon emissions through retrofitting buildings. It also covers reducing indoor overheating in both domestic and non-residential buildings. I will shortly be publishing guidance on adapting schools to climate change and guidance on how to assess and manage overheating risk in care homes. New strengthened policies in my new London Plan’ will also contribute to reducing risk of overheating in new buildings in future.
Heat resilience (2) Question No: 2020/2334 Andrew Dismore Will your post-coronavirus recovery work provide new funding to make existing streets, public spaces and public buildings more heat resilient? Heat resilience (2)
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The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The Mayor has been clear that London’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic must be a green recovery. He has set up and co-chairs the London Recovery Board which will take an overview of the city’s recovery, including his Green New Deal. The principles of the Green New Deal include tackling climate change, creating green jobs, supporting a just transition and addressing inequalities are embedded within this board and will influence all activity we undertake as part of our recovery, including improving the resilience of London’s buildings. My Greener City Fund is already providing funding for projects taking place this year that will deliver climate adaption in public spaces, including planting thousands of street trees, and neighbourhood greening led by communities. The aspiration of my ‘Cool Spaces project’, which includes working with boroughs, will identify sites of open outdoor areas and green spaces across London’s boroughs where Londoners can take refuge during hot weather. This will also complement the advice by Public Health England on what Londoners can do during a heat wave. My Retrofit Accelerator programme (see Mayor’s Question 2020/2333) includes building retrofit measures which address indoor overheating in non- residential buildings New strengthened policies in my new London Plan will also contribute to reducing overheating risk in new buildings and reducing intensification of UHI effect. Policies encourage greening, using for example green walls and green and blue roofs to mitigate overheating.
LFB notices to social sector housing providers Question No: 2020/2335 Andrew Dismore London Fire Brigade has served public notices on high-rise buildings owned by Peabody Housing, London and Quadrant, A2 Dominion, One Housing Group, Tower Hamlet Homes Limited, Lancaster Gate Housing. What efforts is the Mayor making to persuade the owners to comply with these notices? Answer for LFB notices to social sector housing providers The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Review of statues, street names, and other memorials Question No: 2020/2336 Andrew Dismore When will you commence recruitment of the panel charged with the review of statues, street names, and other memorials; how many people do you intend to recruit; what will be
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the recruitment process; where will the recruitment be advertised; when do you expect the panel to commence work; and when do you expect it to complete its work? Review of statues, street names, and other memorials The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 My Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries, Justine Simons OBE, and Deputy Mayor for Social Integration, Social Mobility and Community Engagement, Debbie Weekes- Bernard are currently developing and consulting on the terms of reference for the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm. We will recruit up to 15 independent members of the Commission, working in partnership with councils, communities and stakeholders across the capital. Recruitment for Commissioners will be advertised widely, and outreach will be undertaken in conjunction with our partners and key stakeholders to ensure the widest reach. It is expected that the Commission will first meet in Autumn 2020 at which point its precise scope and work programme will be set out.
ACM cladding and building insurance Question No: 2020/2337 Andrew Dismore Residents in Paddington Walk are affected by the ACM cladding crisis which has meant their building insurance has been critically compromised. The management company has struggled to secure terms to renew the policy, and they risk having no cover or see premiums raised by a truly shocking 1000% which puts even more strain on their overburdened finances due to the cost of interim fire safety measures and is a huge cause of anxiety. What can you do to persuade the Government of the scale and urgency of finding a solution for these residents and others affected by insurance difficulties? ACM cladding and building insurance The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Though this problem is felt acutely in London, it can only be solved by nationwide action from central Government. My team has raised concerns about the insurance industry, both for industry professionals and for buildings, with Government in the past. My Deputy Mayor has been meeting with affected leaseholder groups and they have once again raised concerns on this. As such, my team will redouble efforts to ensure the Government are taking concerted action on this issue.
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Coronavirus and planning Question No: 2020/2338 Andrew Dismore Do you expect planning rules and guidance to start including social distancing measures and pandemic prevention measures as part of the planning process? If so, in what way? Coronavirus and planning The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 My draft London Plan already provides a flexible framework that can work effectively in many different circumstances. The policies are forward thinking, and are able to address many of the priorities emerging as a result of the pandemic, including a number of prevention measures as well as measures to support a green recovery - for example encouraging more walking and cycling, the protection and enhancement of green open space, responding to the climate emergency, the delivery of good quality homes, ensuring minimum space standards, the promotion of town centre strategies and the use of design codes. Guidance can be changed more rapidly to respond to specific circumstances to provide advice and leadership for London as a whole, although it is unlikely that it will contain specific details on issues such as social distancing, as the advice around this is continuing to evolve. I will keep the situation under review, particularly in light of the Government’s announcements about changes to permitted development rights and planning reforms, which have the potential to impact adversely on our high streets and employment areas as well as the ability to secure funding to provide the infrastructure needed for new development.
Encouraging recycling [1] Question No: 2020/2339 Andrew Dismore Do you agree with me that encouraging more recycling is a vital component of London’s environmental and waste management challenges? Recently, I came across a case of a residents association in East Finchley which is being charged £1000 to swap two waste bins for two recycling bins. Do you agree that this is a disincentive to recycle, and that Barnet Council should amend their policies to remove such a charge? Encouraging recycling [1] The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Reducing waste and increasing recycling is a key part of my London Environment Strategy (LES). I have set a target of 50 per cent of household waste recycled by 2025. One of the interventions described in the LES to achieve this is for all properties to receive a collection of, at a minimum, the six main dry recycling materials, i.e. glass, cans, paper, card, plastic bottles and mixed rigid plastics.
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The charging for containers for waste and recycling remains at the discretion of individual boroughs and some choose to charge as a mechanism to help cover the costs they incur. The charge for communal bins is higher than for bins for individual properties as they are larger. Requests for new or additional containers in Barnet are chargeable, however the cost of household recycling bins is lower than the cost of refuse bins to incentivise recycling. Requests made for changes from one type of container to another in Barnet are considered on their own merits but I would expect that the borough would act to incentivise recycling wherever possible. I estimate that London requires a minimum of £100m of investment in local recycling services to reach my targets and have requested this money from the Chancellor and the Secretary of State. They have not provided London with this money, but I will continue engaging with the Government to make sure that London gets its fair share of funding for investment in local authority services to drive up recycling performance.
Encouraging recycling [2] Question No: 2020/2340 Andrew Dismore Is Barnet Council’s policy of charging residents who wish to swap waste bins for recycling bins compliant with your waste plan? If you agree with me that it is not in the spirit of the plan, will you write to Barnet Council and ask them to remove this charge? Encouraging recycling [2] The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The charging for containers for waste and recycling remains at the discretion of individual boroughs and some choose to charge as a mechanism to help cover the costs they incur. Requests for new or additional containers in Barnet are chargeable, however the cost of household recycling bins is lower than the cost of refuse bins to incentivise recycling. Requests made for changes from one type of container to another in Barnet are considered on their own merits but I would expect that the borough would act to incentivise recycling wherever possible. I estimate that London requires a minimum of £100m of investment in local recycling services to reach my targets and have requested this money from the Chancellor and the Secretary of State. They have not provided London with this money, but I will continue engaging with the Government to make sure that London gets its fair share of funding for investment in local authority services to drive up recycling performance. Please see my answer to Mayor’s Question 2020/2339.
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Borough lockdowns Question No: 2020/2341 Andrew Dismore If the Government bring in specific borough lockdowns to deal with areas of high infections, how will this be effectively enforced, especially along borough borders? Borough lockdowns The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I wrote to the Government on 29 June to seek urgent clarification of the powers at our disposal in London. We need clarification on devolved powers that are available to enforce local measures and the ability to locally diverge from central legislation, additional resources that would be made available to support managing local outbreaks and the flexibility of the furlough and job support schemes to support local responses. A range of action is underway in London to ensure we are well prepared to respond to local outbreaks with the aim of controlling the spread and preventing further outbreaks. To inform local borough responses, each local authority has now published its Local Outbreak Control Plan and these are being tested through peer review. These plans set out a number of scenarios, and recognise that people’s movements are not limited to borough boundaries. At a regional level, an outbreak simulation exercise was undertaken on 9 July and the learning from this exercise will further inform regional and borough level responses to large and smaller outbreaks.
Face coverings on tube Question No: 2020/2342 Andrew Dismore You have rightly required tube users to wear face coverings; however, many passengers are not obeying this instruction, especially in ticket halls and on platforms, as well as in carriages. Will you improve your messaging in posters and by public address, to make clear that the face coverings rule applies throughout, specifically referring to ticket halls and platforms, not just carriages; and what steps will you take to beef up enforcement? Face coverings on tube The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 City Hall and Transport for London (TfL) have been clear that everyone should be wearing a face covering on public transport unless they are exempt. TfL is running an extensive communications campaign telling customers that they must wear a face covering. This has focused on informing customers that they must wear a covering for their entire journey and that it must cover their nose and mouth. This has included a major advertising campaign, posters at all stations, PA announcements, social media and emails to TfL’s customer
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database. My office is promoting these messages daily via social media, reminding them of the importance of wearing face coverings on public transport and in situations where social distancing can’t be maintained. The police and TfL’s enforcement officers are deployed to priority locations across the bus and Tube network to encourage compliance, refusing entry to the network and asking people to leave if they are not wearing a face covering. Enforcement officers have the powers to issue fines with the possibility of prosecution if people don’t wear face coverings and they will use them, if necessary. This is expected to be a last resort as enforcement officers deploy other tactics to drive up compliance first and as Londoners will want to do the right thing and keep themselves and others safe. 90 per cent of passengers during the morning peak are complying with the requirement. As of 14 July, over 20,000 customers have been stopped and 61 Fixed penalty notices have been issued by TfL officers to those refusing to comply with face covering requirements.
384 bus Question No: 2020/2343 Andrew Dismore The Mayoral response to the Victoria Quarter planning application (GLA/5034/AB/01, 20/1719/FUL, page 75 para 72) asks for a contribution of £90,000 pa for 5 years to strengthen the 384 service. This would alter the viability of the existing route and provide a valid reason to at least postpone route changes until the outcome of the planning application is known. Will you consider this? Answer for 384 bus The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Hampstead Heath Ponds Question No: 2020/2344 Andrew Dismore In 2005 The City of London, who run Hampstead Heath introduced a ‘self-policed’ charging system at the bathing ponds which had hitherto always been free to use in much the same way as beaches are available for swimming. In the fifteen years that ‘voluntary’ payment has been required, many swimmers have either not been aware of the charges or assumed that they weren’t taken seriously by the City, who failed to communicate the charges clearly and proved unsuccessful at collecting them. In January of this year the City announced a consultation on managing the ponds, which was responded to by the Kenwood Ladies’ Pond Association, the Highgate Men’s Pond Association, the Mixed Pond Association and the United Swimmers’ Association. At the end
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of the review the Corporation’s Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood and Queen’s Park Committee decided to enforce payment and double charges, disregarding not only the representations, but also the recommendations of its own Hampstead Heath Consultative Committee (a statutory committee) which backed encouraging a ‘culture of compliance’ and making payment easier. Will you write to the City of London and ask them to reconsider their plans, and to comply with the recommendations of their consultative committee? Hampstead Heath Ponds The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I have no direct responsibility for the management of any outdoor swimming venues in London, including the ponds at Hampstead Heath. This lies with the owners and managers of these sites, in consultation with users and local residents, to determine their safe operation. I would expect them to fully consider the implications of any new management measures on users and ensure they do not disadvantage any sectors of society who would want to use these facilities I understand the City of London have put these new arrangements in place to ensure the site can operate safely given the increased popularity of outdoor swimming. I also understand they have agreed that a support fund will be developed to support swimmers who may require further financial assistance beyond an agreed package of concessions already in place. Through my programmes I have supported projects to provide Londoners with more opportunities for outdoor recreation, including open water swimming. Last year my Green Capital grants helped fund the transformation of Beckenham Place Park, which includes an outdoor swimming lake; and the National Park City Festival included London’s first multi- site outdoor swimming and paddle sports event. This event provided Londoners with opportunities to try paddle boarding and outdoor swimming at venues such as Walthamstow Wetlands and the Royal Docks.
Diesel trains in Gospel Oak Question No: 2020/2345 Andrew Dismore Residents inform me that diesel powered freight trains at night run on the Overground Line around Gospel Oak, which causes pollution and extremely disturbing noise. Can TfL take action to prevent these diesel engines being used, and what options are feasible, such as overhead electrification, that might end the necessity of freight trains on the line here at night? Answer for Diesel trains in Gospel Oak The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020
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Officers are drafting a response
Architecture Design and Urbanism Panel Question No: 2020/2350 Nicky Gavron How many of the 92 companies appointed to your Architecture Design and Urbanism Panel are led by people from a) Black; b) Asian and c) other minority ethnic groups? Architecture Design and Urbanism Panel The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The procurement process for my Architecture Design and Urbanism Panel (ADUP) reduced the pre-qualification criteria to enable greater access to smaller and less established practices. However, at the time TfL procurement had no facility to carry out diversity monitoring as part of the assessment process. As such, we do not have a confirmed data set for the diversity of ownership in practices on the framework. We have subsequently taken remedial action to promote the development of exemplary equality diversity and inclusion policies across the current framework with the ambition that this will lead to more diversity within practices operating in London. This has fostered good practice including collaborations between established framework consultants and younger more diverse architectural businesses. The framework uses mandatory award criteria for the assessment of tenders, which include an assessment of diversity and inclusion principles within project resourcing and design approaches. Best practice usage of the framework to date has informed the development of specific guidance on how to implement the award criteria, as well as the development of a dedicated Process Note in the ‘Commissioning Quality Design Quality Management Report’ which will be published as part my Good Growth by Design Programme. My Good Growth by Design programme has also been developing broader best practice approaches to supporting the diversity of the architecture and design professions and launched the ‘Supporting Diversity Handbook’ in 2019, which offers a roadmap for built environment professionals to think about diversity at every stage of a career. It sets out the barriers and challenges faced by underrepresented groups and showcases steps already being taken by committed individuals and organisations, demonstrating how to take leadership on the issue at various levels. The report also highlighted my commitment to supporting diversity and inclusion through the procurement of services, and this is something my Regeneration team are progressing with TfL and the GLA Responsible Procurement team in relation to future procurement processes. With the existing ADUP framework due to expire in 2021, my Regeneration team are working closely with TfL Procurement to ensure the replacement panel demonstrates best practice procurement processes and takes appropriate steps to address the diversity of the profession and equality of opportunity in accessing public sector work. This will include a
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clear strategy and commitment to measure and monitor the diversity of the framework across multiple protected characteristics at different stages of the application process.
New Permitted Development Rights Question No: 2020/2351 Nicky Gavron Do you support the Government’s introduction next month of a new permitted development right for the two-storey upward extension of blocks of flats? How can you assist boroughs in mitigating their impacts? New Permitted Development Rights The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Along with many boroughs and others, I still have concerns about these new rights, despite some additional restrictions which have now been applied to a number of PDRs such as the wider requirement for adequate natural light in all habitable rooms. As I set out in my most recent consultation response on this issue (18 January 2019), the PDR may result in poor quality homes, and the new flats created will not be subject to minimum space standards or affordable housing contributions. It is also noted that while there is provision for collection of Community Infrastructure Levy from such schemes, in practice this has been difficult because of the lack of notification procedures. I would support boroughs in their use of Article 4 Directions, supplemented by the use of design codes as set out in the new London Plan and draft planning guidance (Good Quality Homes for All Londoners), which would achieve the same certainty but with better quality housing and accompanying affordable housing where that applies.
Westferry Printworks decision Question No: 2020/2352 Nicky Gavron Could you provide copies of all emails, agendas, minutes and notes associated with the planning decision for the Former Westferry Printworks that was made on 27 April 2016, GLA case number 3363. Please include internal GLA emails as well as external emails with personal information redacted where appropriate. Westferry Printworks decision The Mayor Last updated: 19 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response. Please be advised that there may be some delay as there is a large amount of paperwork to collate.
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Mayoral meetings and hospitality Question No: 2020/2353 Nicky Gavron Could you provide a list of engagements, hospitality and gifts received by the Mayor of London and/or his Chief of Staff between 1 July 2015 and 1 May 2016? Mayoral meetings and hospitality The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The previous Mayor’s engagements between 1 July 2015 and 1 May 2016 can be found in the GLA’s FOI disclosure log (page 3 onwards of this response contains the previous mayor’s diary of engagement from 2008 to 2016). The GLA no longer holds a list of the previous Chief of Staff’s engagements. The previous Mayor’s gifts and hospitality declarations can be found on here on London.gov.uk. The previous Chief of Staff’s gifts and hospitality declarations can be found here on London.gov.uk.
Culture at Risk Office Question No: 2020/2355 Joanne McCartney How many organisations and individuals has your Culture at Risk Office helped since the start of the COVID-19 crisis? Culture at Risk Office The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Prior to COVID-19, London’s creative economy was worth £58bn a year, accounting for 1 in 6 jobs. The devasting impact of COVID-19 on London’s culture and creative industries could cost London’s economy up to £16.3bn this year alone, putting 151,000 jobs at risk. My expanded Culture at Risk Office has helped over 560 new organisations and individuals since April, including 91 non-premises-based organisations and 98 self-employed individuals. This represents a significant increase in support needed from across the cultural sector. Prior to this the Office had supported 350 cases in total over three years. I have provided further emergency support through a £2.3m Culture at Risk Business Support Fund that to date has given grants to 110 organisations, supporting more than 11,500 artists. I welcome the Government’s recent announcement of £1.57bn of funding for the arts. I have written to the Secretary of State for Culture to express that funding must reach
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organisations fast, support freelancers, who make up 50 per cent of the creative workforce, address inequality and include essential creative supply chain businesses.
Theatre Closures Question No: 2020/2356 Joanne McCartney Are you aware of any theatres that have closed in London as a direct result of the COVID- 19 pandemic? Theatre Closures The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Prior to COVID-19, London’s creative economy was worth £58bn a year, accounting for 1 in 6 jobs. The capital’s renowned theatre industry helps make London a world-leading global city. The devastating impact of COVID-19 on London’s culture and creative industries could cost London’s economy up to £16.3bn this year alone, putting 151,000 jobs at risk. Most theatres cannot viably open with social distancing in place until at least 2021, with many forced to close for good without emergency funding. My Culture at Risk Office is working with the Theatres Trust, supporting 43 theatre cases. Of those, 8 reported a serious risk of closure without immediate support now. I welcome the Government’s recent announcement of £1.57bn of funding for the arts. I have written to the Secretary of State for Culture to express that it is vital this funding reach organisations fast, reach freelancers, who are the backbone of the theatre industry, address inequality and support essential businesses in the creative supply chain.
TfL Cycling Map Question No: 2020/2357 Joanne McCartney Are there any plans to add local and national cycle routes to the TfL Cycling Map? Answer for TfL Cycling Map The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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A406 Between Bounds Green Road and Green Lanes (1) Question No: 2020/2358 Joanne McCartney Will you explore the possibility of installing speed cameras on the A406 between Bounds Green Road and Green Lanes? Answer for A406 Between Bounds Green Road and Green Lanes (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
A406 Between Bounds Green Road and Green Lanes (2) Question No: 2020/2359 Joanne McCartney Will you ensure there is sufficient signage for the 30mph stretch of the A406 between Bounds Green Road and Green Lanes? Residents have raised concerns that there are insufficient traffic calming measures in place. Answer for A406 Between Bounds Green Road and Green Lanes (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
ABM Cleaning Contract Question No: 2020/2361 Dr Alison Moore Will the Mayor agree to publish figures showing what payments have been made to ABM in each year of its London Underground cleaning contract, together with figures showing the number and Full-Time Equivalence of cleaners employed in each year of the contract? ABM Cleaning Contract The Mayor Last updated: 15 July, 2020 The table below sets out the number of full-time cleaners employed in each year of the contract to date.
ABM contract year FTE 17 September 2017 - 31 March 2018 2,314 1 April 2018 – 31 March 2019 2,245 1 April 2019 - 31 March 2020 2,175
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1 April 2020 - 31 March 2021* 2,175 *Forecast Payments made to ABM under the London Underground cleaning contact is commercially sensitive and therefore cannot be published.
Bus Lane Hours Question No: 2020/2362 Dr Alison Moore Bus lanes are vital to maintain reliable and quick journeys and they provide good facilities for cycling. Will the Mayor consider extending the hours of operation of bus lanes and the Red Routes on the streets it controls where appropriate and encourage the London boroughs to do the same on their roads? Answer for Bus Lane Hours The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Pavement Obstructions Question No: 2020/2363 Dr Alison Moore TfL and the London boroughs have a duty and the powers to keep London’s pavements clear of obstructions. This is especially important at this time when Londoners are being asked to keep a distance. Will the Mayor expand the number of streets on which it actively enforces against unlawful highways obstructions and encourage the London boroughs to do the same on their streets? Answer for Pavement Obstructions The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Roads Policing Question No: 2020/2364 Dr Alison Moore It’s important that users of London’s streets follow the rules. There is evidence from the Metropolitan Police of more speeding offences. We know this will concern vulnerable road users. Will the Mayor use his influence with the Roads Policing Command to increase roads policing in London?
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Roads Policing The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Compared to last year, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has increased its on-street enforcement activity against speeding, which has resulted in an additional 8,841 Traffic Offence Reports being issued on-street for speeding offences. This is an increase of 214 per cent when comparing 24th March to 30thJune 2020 with last year. Tackling speeding offences is a shared priority for the MPS and Transport for London (TfL). The speed at which people are driving or riding is the single most important determinant of both the likelihood of a collision occurring and the severity of the outcome. TfL and the MPS both reported an increase in speeding offences during the initial stages on lockdown when traffic levels were lower. Current reports indicate that that speeding offences have subsequently decreased. The MPS Roads and Transport Policing Command (RTPC), which is jointly funded by TfL, is making significant progress on its Vision Zero plans, removing dangerous drivers and vehicles from the roads. Together with TfL, the RTPC is also progressing plans to significantly increase the levels of both on-street and safety camera speed enforcement activity. The scale and range of RTPC roads policing activity is unparalleled and is recognised as being one of the best roads policing teams in the country.
Abandoned Cycles Question No: 2020/2365 Dr Alison Moore Cycle parking will be at a premium as we all take to our bikes. TfL, local highway authorities and the railway industry should ensure cycle parking is available by clearing abandoned cycles and other things off cycle stands. Will the Mayor step up TfL’s activity to remove abandoned cycles from street furniture and ask London’s local councils and the rail industry to do the same? Answer for Abandoned Cycles The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Overhanging Vegetation Question No: 2020/2366 Dr Alison Moore Overhanging vegetation can be a real problem to pedestrians. TfL and the local highway authorities have a duty and powers to clear away overhanging vegetation. This is especially
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important at this time when Londoners are being asked to keep a distance. Will the Mayor ensure overhanging vegetation is cut back from the pavements it controls and encourage the London boroughs to do the same on their streets? Answer for Overhanging Vegetation The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Cycle Training Question No: 2020/2367 Dr Alison Moore Those new to cycling should consider cycle training. It will give them confidence to cycle and properly position themselves on the road so they are as safe as they can be. Cycle training can be free from local councils. Training ceased during lockdown. Will the Mayor commit to enabling everyone who wants cycle training to be able to get it locally at reasonable cost when it is safe to do so? Answer for Cycle Training The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Cycle Parking Question No: 2020/2368 Dr Alison Moore There will be higher demand for cycle parking, especially in town centres. Will the Mayor consider installing cycle stands on the carriageway, not the pavement, where it is safe to do so, so as not to inconvenience pedestrians and encourage the London’s boroughs to do the same? Answer for Cycle Parking The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Step-Free Journey Planner Question No: 2020/2369 Dr Alison Moore Both London Bridge and West Norwood Stations are step-free. However, when trying to plan a step-free journey using TfL’s Journey Planner it does not offer a step-free National Rail journey. Instead it offers a journey via London Underground and the #2 bus. Can you explain why such step-free national rail journeys are not being suggested by TfL’s Journey Planner and whether you will rectify the situation? Answer for Step-Free Journey Planner The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Route Results for London Bus Services Question No: 2020/2370 Dr Alison Moore Can you provide me with a copy of the data in excel format? Can you commit to publishing the data in excel format in the future so the data can be interrogated? Answer for Route Results for London Bus Services The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
79 Step Free Tube Stations Question No: 2020/2371 Dr Alison Moore Mill Hill East is the 79th station to become step-free on the London Underground network. Can you provide me with a list in excel format of all 79 step-free London Underground Stations? 79 Step Free Tube Stations The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Please find attached a list of all 79 step-free London Underground stations in alphabetical order.
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popularity of the Bus Hopper fare since launch Question No: 2020/2372 Dr Alison Moore Your September 2019 Press Release says, “A table of the figures associated with the graph of Hopper journeys by borough is available from the TfL Press Office”. Are you able to place the latest figures on the TfL website and keep those figures updated? Answer for popularity of the Bus Hopper fare since launch The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Metropolitan Line Extension Question No: 2020/2373 Dr Alison Moore In February 2018 City AM reported on an exchange of letters between yourself and Chris Grayling MP/Sajid Javid MP. Can you provide me with a copy of those letters and any further correspondence between you, or the Deputy Mayor for Transport, and the Secretary of State for Transport, relating to the Metropolitan Line Extension? Answer for Metropolitan Line Extension The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Electrical Vehicle Charging Points within Staff & Company Car Parks Question No: 2020/2374 Dr Alison Moore According to FOI-0975-1819 there were no Electrical Vehicle Charging Points for staff across TfL sites and just 31 Electrical Vehicle Charging Points for the support fleet. Can you provide an update on the figures and confirm what plans, if any, you have to install Electrical Vehicle Charging Points for staff use? Answer for Electrical Vehicle Charging Points within Staff & Company Car Parks The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf Ferry Question No: 2020/2375 Dr Alison Moore Given an all-electric ferry has been operating in Turku, Finland since April 2017 will you ensure that the new Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf ferry is all-electric? Answer for Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf Ferry The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Road Safety Data (1) Question No: 2020/2376 Dr Alison Moore Transport for London – Casualties in Greater London during 2017 factsheet says, “Figures in italics show estimated percentage change in casualties which take into account changes in the reporting of collisions by the police and the introduction of online collision self- reporting. The shaded areas show back estimated figures for the number of serious, slight and all casualties during 2016 and the 2005-09 baseline. Back estimates contain a level of uncertainty and will be refined as more collision data collected using new reporting systems becomes available from the police.” What are the latest back estimates for the 2005-09 average, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2016? Answer for Road Safety Data (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Road Safety Data (2) Question No: 2020/2377 Dr Alison Moore When will you publish the Collisions and casualties on London’s roads (tables) 2018? And the Collisions and casualties on London’s roads (tables) 2019? Answer for Road Safety Data (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Road Safety Data (3) Question No: 2020/2378 Dr Alison Moore The Quarterly provisional figures that have been published cover Q1-Q3 2014, Q1-Q3 2015, Q1-Q2 2016, Q1-Q3 2017, Q1-Q2 2018 and Q1-Q2 2019. Why were Q3 figures not published in 2016, 2018 or 2019? Answer for Road Safety Data (3) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Road Safety Data (4) Question No: 2020/2379 Dr Alison Moore TfL publishes Provisional Road Fatalities data covering 2019 and 2020. Why do they not also publish data covering serious and slight injuries as well? Answer for Road Safety Data (4) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
London Datastore Question No: 2020/2380 Dr Alison Moore Please can you update the London Datastore with the latest data regarding; Killed or Seriously Injured (KSI) and KSI by Road User Type https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/road-casualties-severity-borough Last updated in 2014 Cycle Flows on the TFL Road Network https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/cycle-flows-tfl- road-network Last updated in 2016 Journey Time Reliability https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/key-performance-indicators- tfl-road-network Last updated in 2018 Serious and Severe Disruption on the Roads https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/key- performance-indicators-tfl-road-network Last updated in 2018 Answer for London Datastore The Mayor
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Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Supporting housing Question No: 2020/2382 Murad Qureshi With domestic violence up dramatically after the enforced lockdown in response to the global pandemic, what can we expect for the supported housing sector in the foreseeable future? Supporting housing The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Services for victims of violence against women and girls have worked tirelessly so that victims can continue to be helped throughout lockdown, and my emergency funding of £1.5 million has ensured safe accommodation and support for those forced to flee their homes during the pandemic. Demand for specialist supported accommodation such as refuges – already in short supply before COVID-19 - is likely to increase as lockdown eases, so it is essential that more funding is directed to this sector. The Government’s Domestic Abuse Bill provides a great and timely opportunity to increase provision. But the Government must provide sufficient resources both for new provision and to enable authorities tasked with new responsibilities to carry them out. In the meantime, my £50 million Move On Programme is helping to free up much-needed refuge spaces. In addition, I have also made funding available through my £40 million Homelessness Change Programme for the remodelling of refuges to make them Covid-safe.
London housing market and crime Question No: 2020/2383 Murad Qureshi Are you concerned about reports that a London property, 60 Sloane Avenue, has allegedly been involved in a £40m money-laundering scheme involving the Catholic Church and an Italian businessman whose dealings have been subject to many criminal investigations? Is enough being done to stop the lucrative London property market from being used as part of money-laundering, corruption and other forms of international white-collar crime? London housing market and crime The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I will not comment on this specific case, which is subject to ongoing investigation. But yes, I am concerned about investment of corrupt money in London’s property market –
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something documented by Transparency International. And there is clear evidence that Londoners share my concern. That is why I believe that, where property is purchased by a company registered abroad, the beneficial ownership of that company should be in the public domain - as is the case when UK-registered companies buy property. I have repeatedly made my view clear to the Government. I am disappointed that it did not follow up its 2017 call for evidence on this issue and will continue to urge it to act to make the property market more transparent.
Working with English Heritage Question No: 2020/2385 Murad Qureshi On the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm, how do you intend to work with English Heritage who are responsible for many of the disputed statues in Central London boroughs, for example City of Westminster? Also, have we identified a place to move statues for example the new premises of the London Museum in Smithfield Market, Farringdon? Working with English Heritage The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I have asked my Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries, Justine Simons OBE, and Deputy Mayor for Social Integration, Social Mobility and Community Engagement, Debbie Weekes-Bernard, to create a Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm to consider how we can create a public realm which properly reflects our city’s achievements and diversity. The Commission will work in partnership with boroughs, communities and the many stakeholders who manage the capital’s heritage, public and private spaces. My Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries, Justine Simons OBE, has already been in touch with Historic England and English Heritage who will be partners in this programme. My Culture Officers are in touch with many of London’s boroughs as we move forward with this programme including Westminster City Council.
Housing Start on Site & length of contracts Question No: 2020/2386 Murad Qureshi What is the average length of building contracts started on sites in 2018, 2019 & 2020 and the extensions of time given on these contracts on the various sites? Housing Start on Site & length of contracts The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020
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The GLA does not hold information on specific build contracts and extensions of time granted on specific schemes. This is a matter for housing providers and their contractors.
Trees along Park Lane Cycle lane Question No: 2020/2387 Murad Qureshi Congratulations on building the cycle lane along Park lane but would it be possible to add some trees between the new bus stops to improve the environment? I am sure your environment programmes could work with those behind the cycle lanes to accomplish this. Answer for Trees along Park Lane Cycle lane The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Diesel consumption at TfL Question No: 2020/2388 Murad Qureshi How much diesel is TfL consuming annually to keep London moving? Could you please give me the figures for the past 5 years. Answer for Diesel consumption at TfL The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Maida Vale Tube station & social distancing Question No: 2020/2389 Murad Qureshi With social distancing being practised throughout the Tube system in response to COVID- 19, is it not time to open up the old street exit of Maida Vale Tube station? Answer for Maida Vale Tube station & social distancing The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Plastic Recycling Question No: 2020/2390 Murad Qureshi How much of London’s plastic waste is going to Turkey right now? Plastic Recycling The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 There is no official data on how much of London’s waste is exported internationally. Analysis used to inform my London Plan showed that London exports around 1.3 million tonnes of waste internationally each year, mostly to Europe and China for recycling and incineration. It is illegal to export waste for landfill. Specific amounts and types of waste by final destination are not known or robustly quantified as waste can first travel through a number of treatment facilities and there is no requirement to report it. The Government in developing its Resources and Waste Strategy has responded to my call to put in place a more robust national waste data and monitoring framework. More details from the government are expected over the next year. Please see also Mayor’s Question 2020/2275.
Congestion Charge exemptions for patients of Western Eye hospital, Marylebone Rd Question No: 2020/2391 Murad Qureshi With the new congestion charging regime now in place, there are concerns for the patients of the Western Eye Hospital on the Marylebone Rd. Patients are required to self-isolate prior to surgery, but also need to attend the hospital for a swab to test for COVID-19. There is no patient parking facility outside the congestion charge zone. Would it be possible for an exemption of congestion charging for their patients? Answer for Congestion Charge exemptions for patients of Western Eye hospital, Marylebone Rd The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Bicycle thefts Question No: 2020/2392 Murad Qureshi Please provide the total number of reported bicycle thefts in 2017, 2018, 2019 and in the first six months of 2020? Please also advise how many sanction detections were recorded for bicycle thefts in each of these years. Bicycle thefts The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Please see the figures below: Calendar Year Bicycle Theft Offs Bicycle Theft SDs 2017 21,408 355 2018 19,600 215 2019 20,129 219 2020 to 30th June 8,748 146
Cladding Question No: 2020/2393 Murad Qureshi ACM cladding and other fire risks has meant building insurance has been critically compromised for leaseholders in blocks like M&M Buildings, Paddington Walk, W2. This is putting even more strain on their overburdened finances and is a huge cause of anxiety. What can the London Fire Services do to help them get fire insurance at a reasonable price in light of the risks? Cladding The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I am deeply concerned about leaseholders in buildings with unsafe cladding having to bear the twin financial burdens of interim fire safety measures and sky-high insurance premiums. This is a national problem that requires a national response. GLA officers have repeatedly raised this with central Government, and will continue to do so following a recent meeting between affected leaseholder groups and my Deputy Mayor for Housing.
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Implementing cycle infrastructure on Edgware Rd Question No: 2020/2394 Murad Qureshi Some residents have welcomed the barriers for cyclists and walkers along the Edgware Road and would like them to be extended further down the road towards Maida Vale? Can we have an update on the Edgware Road cycle lane works? Answer for Implementing cycle infrastructure on Edgware Rd The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Implementing cycle infrastructure on Euston Rd Question No: 2020/2395 Murad Qureshi The cycle lane on the Euston Road, was announced along with the Park Lane cycle lane. The Park Lane cycle lane has been completed, but as yet there is no sign of the Euston Road cycle lane. Can we have an update? Answer for Implementing cycle infrastructure on Euston Rd The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Completions on housing programme Question No: 2020/2396 Murad Qureshi With housing completions expected to sink by 30 per cent this year compared with 2019 and to spring back only halfway in 2021, can we expect a similar pattern for the completions on your housing programme? Completions on housing programme The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 See details provided for Mayor’s Question 2020/2381. Yes, we expect to see a drop in the delivery of completions as a result of COVID-19 restrictions.
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Lockdown powers Question No: 2020/2397 Murad Qureshi What powers do the GLA have and intend to use to help increase visitor numbers to London during the pandemic? Answer for Lockdown powers The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Supported housing funding Question No: 2020/2398 Murad Qureshi The challenges facing people who are sleeping rough in London have been even more sharply brought into focus during the pandemic. The Government has announced funding for more supported housing; however this will not be sufficient to house everyone who needs it. With that in mind, please provide an update in terms of money allocated and remaining, starts, and completions, on the Mayor’s current programmes for supported housing, including the Move-On Fund. Supported housing funding The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 As at 30 June 2020, c.£175 million of funding had been allocated through my dedicated programmes to support delivery of c.2,600 homes for vulnerable Londoners. The position for starts, completions and funding is set out in the table below. Allocated Allocated Unallocated Starts Completions units funding funding Care and Support 1,451 708 1,696 £114m £27m Specialised Housing Move On 74 67 197 £29m £21m Homelessness 542 384 661 £32m £8m Change and Platform for Life Total 2,067 1,159 2,554 £175m £56m
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Preparing for a summer heatwave Question No: 2020/2400 Dr Onkar Sahota What actions is the GLA taking to protect vulnerable people from high temperatures this summer? Preparing for a summer heatwave The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The London Resilience Forum ensures London is prepared for extreme weather events, including heat. Public Health England, who have published specific guidance on how to address extreme heat in the context of the ongoing pandemic, lead London’s response, including advice for and about vulnerable people. This complements procedures set out in the Heatwave Plan for England. I will keep Londoners informed during extreme heat events by sharing messaging at public locations across London. I have piloted an assessment of overheating risk in care homes; commissioned guidance for schools and early years settings on adapting to London’s changing climate including heatwaves; and am working with water companies to meet short term spikes in water demand and to safely reopen water fountains in due course, taking advice from Public Health England. My officers are working with London Councils, Public Health England and the boroughs to establish a network of outdoor open, green shaded spaces for public use during periods of high temperatures. Use of these spaces would complement the current measures and social distancing rules set out by the Government. They would be open until 15th September when the NHS Heat Health Watch alerts cease.
Making health settings more heat resilient Question No: 2020/2401 Dr Onkar Sahota Will you consider amending your energy retrofitting schemes and greener building funds to enable hospitals, general practices, and care homes to improve their facilities to deal with excess heat? Making health settings more heat resilient The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 My Retrofit Accelerator programme aims to reduce energy use and save carbon emissions through retrofitting buildings, which also covers overheating. My Retrofit Accelerator - Homes, which can support care home retrofits, is encouraging the use of performance- based specifications which also address indoor temperature to mitigate excess heat. My Retrofit Accelerator - Workplaces supports public sector organisations, such as hospitals, to reduce their carbon emissions and improve internal building conditions. The programme’s
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framework of suppliers also allows public sector buildings to address overheating issues through, for example, energy saving lighting, fabric upgrades, solar film or shading. I have commissioned University College London to undertake an audit assessing overheating risk in care homes. The work is underway and will look to provide an audit report to provide consideration to the Care Quality Commission to include the risk of overheating from climate change in their inspection assessment of care homes.
Journey to a new health and care system Question No: 2020/2402 Dr Onkar Sahota Will you raise the NHS London plans to reconfigure health services in the city in one of your regular meetings with Sir David Sloman, and seek assurances about public consultation on these plans? Journey to a new health and care system The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Sir David Sloman, Regional Director of NHS London, has spoken to me about the need for the NHS to work differently in the light of COVID and to harness the learning from recent experience. While I understand and support the need to move at pace during the pandemic to stop the spread and save lives, this will not stop me from seeking key assurances from health and care partners as they plan to address deferred care needs, particularly as we move to the next stage of coping with this deadly virus. I have therefore asked Sir David to ensure all plans are published. I have also urged him to make sure the NHS in London engages widely with the public in their development, including with those who are often marginalised and whose voices are seldom heard. I will continue to reinforce the importance of transparency, consultation and public engagement, including at my meeting with Sir David and local council leaders next week.
London living wage accreditation Question No: 2020/2403 Dr Onkar Sahota Will you raise an item at the next possible London Health Board meeting to ask members what steps they are taking to become Living Wage Foundation accredited? London living wage accreditation The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The Board met on 30 June and is not due to meet again until September. I will write to them requesting this information and share the responses with you.
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Self-isolation in London Question No: 2020/2404 Dr Onkar Sahota Do you receive figures from the NHS on how the test and trace system is performing in London and if so, will you publish them? If not, will you ask the NHS to supply this data? Self-isolation in London The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I have written to Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, asking for London region data on the test and trace service. I would like a comprehensive picture of the different areas of testing and contact tracing activity across pillar 1 (delivered by the NHS and PHE) and pillar 2 (commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care). I think it is important to publish the London region data to build public confidence and will continue to press for this. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Public Health England’s London Coronavirus Response Centre has been providing data to London Directors of Public Health on a daily basis to keep them informed of any new cases in their borough, across all pillars of testing. This active surveillance has helped detect local clusters of cases and enable swift action to stop further spread.
Protecting the care sector in the pandemic (1) Question No: 2020/2405 Dr Onkar Sahota When did the Strategic Coordinating Group first discuss problems facing the care sector as a result of coronavirus and what actions were taken as a result? Protecting the care sector in the pandemic (1) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The potential risks to care homes and the requirement for close collaboration between acute care and social care was recognised at the outset of the incident in February 2020. This led to the Health Oversight group being established by the NHS in February 2020, including PHE and social care leads for London. The lead local authority Chief Executive regularly dialled into Strategic Coordination Group (SCG) meetings from the outset of the incident to provide updates on the risks posed from the anticipated surge of demand into social care and the risk of infection of patients within social care settings. It was identified very early on that the main issue this work would encounter was the limited availability of testing to help identify the spread of the virus.
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Protecting the care sector in the pandemic (2) Question No: 2020/2406 Dr Onkar Sahota In response to my question 2020/1605, you said that ADASS provides London with a daily capacity figure which enabled the COVID-19 response to cope with discharge from hospital patients. Given you have this tool, are you able to identify where outbreaks of COVID-19 began in care homes following hospital discharges? Protecting the care sector in the pandemic (2) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The ADASS (Association of Directors of Adult Social Services) tool provides daily capacity figures for social care. This data supported local partnership working at borough and sub- regional levels, including ‘Discharge Hubs’ to facilitate discharge from hospitals to in a timely way with appropriate support. Clear guidance and comprehensive testing prior to discharge were clearly not in place early enough during the pandemic. Local Authorities and the care sector, the NHS and Public Health England are working together to identify and mange COVID-19 outbreaks in care homes and their sources as a core part of local outbreak management plans, applying lessons from London and beyond for the future.
GLA budget guidance impact on health Question No: 2020/2407 Dr Onkar Sahota What outcomes from your Health Inequalities Strategy do you expect to be altered as a result of the spending reductions in your 2020/21 budget guidance? GLA budget guidance impact on health The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The COVID-19 crisis has significant implications for the health inequalities impacting on Londoners. We have seen certain groups suffer disproportionate impacts from the pandemic, both directly and indirectly. Mitigation efforts will be required, particularly for older people, those living with certain long-term conditions, Black, Asian and minority ethnic Londoners, and those living in more deprived parts of the city. This will undoubtably impact on our progress in reducing London’s health inequalities – but only strengthens my resolve to do this. The work programme of my Health Team is being reviewed alongside all other teams in the GLA group to see where savings could be made, and in particular, to ensure that their work supports the COVID-19 recovery, as it has been on the response. A key part of the team’s role is to support a range of teams across the GLA in taking a health in all policies approach to their work areas, and working with and supporting a wide range of health and care system partners – this can really make a difference to health inequalities at scale.
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Safeguarding people with insecure migration status Question No: 2020/2408 Dr Onkar Sahota What steps does the GLA take to ensure it does not expose people using its services to migration enforcement? Answer for Safeguarding people with insecure migration status The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
VAWG training for public professionals Question No: 2020/2409 Dr Onkar Sahota What training and other support for public service workers, including the police, dealing with people who may have suffered from or be at risk of Violence Against Women and Girls, is provided by your VAWG strategy? Answer for VAWG training for public professionals The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
PHE COVID-19 inequalities report (1) Question No: 2020/2410 Dr Onkar Sahota What discussions have you had with Professor Kevin Fenton about priority actions for London in light of the findings and recommendations from PHE’s report on coronavirus inequalities? PHE COVID-19 inequalities report (1) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I have been meeting regularly with Professor Fenton to better understand the impact of coronavirus on London and the actions we need to take to reduce it. In the two PHE reports on disparities in risks and outcomes and understanding the impact on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities, PHE brought together findings from academic literature with the outcomes of an extensive engagement exercise across the country, involving over 4000 individuals. Taken together, these reports shine a light on the inequalities created and exacerbated by COVID-19. The work demonstrated an alarming association between ethnicity and poor
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health outcomes for some ethnic groups, which could not be explained by factors like age, deprivation or occupation. My team is reflecting on Professor Fenton’s recommendations which seek to address longstanding inequalities and limit the impact of COVID-19 on BAME Londoners. We are in the process of translating what this means for London, and how we can implement the findings as part of London’s recovery. I have commissioned the University of Manchester to conduct a rapid review of the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on different groups in London, due to report in August. Further, I am leading a programme of engagement activity with BAME and faith groups from across London, to understand their experiences during the pandemic.
Accessible COVID-19 advice and recovery Question No: 2020/2411 Dr Onkar Sahota How will you ensure that groups facing barriers, for instance, language or digital access, will be aware of your coronavirus guidance through the pandemic and into recovery? Answer for Accessible COVID-19 advice and recovery The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Support for small community organisations through the pandemic Question No: 2020/2412 Dr Onkar Sahota What support have you provided for small, community and specialist organisations that play a particular role in wellbeing in London? Answer for Support for small community organisations through the pandemic The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Culturally competent mental health programmes Question No: 2020/2413 Dr Onkar Sahota How are you ensuring Thrive LDN and other mental health programmes you support are culturally competent? Culturally competent mental health programmes The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020
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As part of Thrive LDN’s role to coordinate the public mental health response to COVID-19 in London, they have commissioned a variety of community participatory research and engagement projects to improve what we know about different groups’ experiences of COVID-19. They have also distributed 96,000 mental health leaflets through volunteer networks for vulnerable or shielding individuals who aren’t digitally-active and are translating mental health resources into 21 community languages. To complement national guidance, Thrive LDN have developed London-specific guidance for different vulnerable or marginalised groups and developed psychosocial guidance for those who are supporting communities who have been adversely affected by COVID-19. Thrive LDN have also awarded £200,000 worth of grants to support community-led mental health projects with and for intersectional and marginalised groups and have developed a specific mental health support plan with and for minority ethnic communities.
Coronavirus risk assessments Question No: 2020/2414 Dr Onkar Sahota What progress have you made on developing and implementing risk assessments for staff who may be vulnerable to COVID-19? Answer for Coronavirus risk assessments The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Impact on health inequalities from delayed treatments Question No: 2020/2415 Dr Onkar Sahota What discussions have you had with health leaders to ensure that long delays for surgery and elective procedures does not worsen health inequalities in London? Impact on health inequalities from delayed treatments The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I have met regularly with colleagues from NHS London, PHE London and others throughout this crisis – including regular meetings with Sir David Sloman. Continuity of care and NHS recovery has been on the agenda several times, and I have been reassured by Sir David Sloman that services have now been stepped back up, with an initial focus on surgery, diagnostics and screening programmes. Delivering on all of these requires building the public’s confidence about physically accessing NHS services as GPs have seen a reluctance
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to be admitted to hospital, despite services now being available. This will continue to be a key focus of discussion in my regular meetings with Sir David. At the recent London Health Board, I chaired a specific discussion on health inequalities, and endorsed the establishment of a new Health Equity Board, reporting to the LHB, to: undertake immediate action to improve take-up in health and care settings; scale up culturally appropriate prevention; re-engaging and building trust with BAME communities; building anchor institutions as exemplars; and using data, intelligence and insights.
Communications for future COVID-19 outbreaks Question No: 2020/2416 Dr Onkar Sahota Do you agree this pandemic has shown the necessity of involving community organisations in public health messaging, and what are you doing to ensure this is done better in preparation for outbreaks in future? Communications for future COVID-19 outbreaks The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I agree with Professor Kevin Fenton when he rightly identified in his recent PHE report, that culturally competent health campaigns designed in partnership with communities, will help save lives. As we continue to respond to COVID-19 nobody must be left behind. I will continue to work with community groups across London to ensure that our public health messaging is reaching Londoners from all backgrounds. As part of this I am asking my health team and public health experts to brief and answer questions as part of the regular conversations we are having with businesses, community and civic society groups. These conversations will continue and will feed into our communications planning. I continue to share public health messages as widely as possible through advertising, media, social media and stakeholders. This has included doing a number of interviews on community publications and media outlets, using the BT inlink advertising network to share key public health messaging, and commissioning translations of guidance into more than 60 community languages.
Inclusive commissioning Question No: 2020/2417 Dr Onkar Sahota How can the GLA become better at inclusive procurement to enable small and community organisations to deploy their expertise despite the legalistic processes involved? Inclusive commissioning The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020
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As the GLA Group’s Responsible Procurement Policy and Implementation Plan outlines, we are committed to ‘Removing barriers in our procurement approaches and processes that inhibit Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs), community sector organisations, diverse enterprises and under-represented groups from easily entering our supply chain.’ As part of this commitment, my Central Responsible Procurement Team have completed significant engagement with key stakeholders, including the Federation of Small Businesses, networks that support small and diverse businesses (MSDUK, WEConnect, RIA SME working group, GLA Regeneration leads), as well as with small and diverse businesses themselves via two focus groups to understand the barriers to them entering the GLA supply chain and discuss implementable changes that can be made to support them. The recommendations from the above engagement have been developed into an action plan, to be presented at the GLA Group Collaborative Procurement Board on the 22nd July.
Labour practices in the PPE supply chain Question No: 2020/2418 Dr Onkar Sahota What are you doing to ensure PPE sourced for and distributed by the GLA family meets labour standards and does not support modern slavery? Answer for Labour practices in the PPE supply chain The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
ThriveLDN Question No: 2020/2419 Dr Onkar Sahota Is ThriveLDN, the Mayor’s mental health and wellbeing programme, providing support to Londoners whose mental health has been affected by COVID-19, whether that be due to bereavement, isolation or health anxiety? ThriveLDN The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Thrive LDN are coordinating the public mental health response to COVID-19 in London on behalf of Public Health England Office for London. They have rapidly mobilised a wide- ranging and considered response on behalf of partners. This includes projects to understand and address the impact of bereavement, isolation and anxiety on Londoners’ mental health and wellbeing, as well as projects to signpost Londoners to a range of mental health resources and support available to them.
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Thrive LDN produce regular summaries of available information on the impact of COVID-19 on Londoners’ mental health and wellbeing from research, stakeholder engagement and community participation, and use these to work with partners to identify areas where action is needed.
PPE quality checks (1) Question No: 2020/2420 Dr Onkar Sahota How many items of PPE distributed via the SCG’s logistics routes have had to be recalled owing to safety concerns? PPE quality checks (1) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The London Resilience Forum (LRF) has managed the logistics of the Department of Health and Social Care’s national PPE supply on behalf of the SCG through the Croydon distribution hub. London Fire Brigade has delivered these vital supplies. The LRF team has supplied the following information on 8 July: 265,250 frames and 274,050 lenses have been recalled following tests carried out by the Health & Safety Executive which found that the products did not meet the current requirement for splash protection.
PPE quality checks (2) Question No: 2020/2421 Dr Onkar Sahota How many items of PPE distributed by the SCG’s logistics routes have been found to be out of date? Please provide the final date of quality sign off for each batch of these items where possible. PPE quality checks (2) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The London Resilience Forum (LRF) has managed the logistics of the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) national PPE supply on behalf of the SCG through the Croydon distribution hub. London Fire Brigade has delivered these vital supplies. The PPE distributed through the LRF comes from DHSC national supplies. All stock is tested by the Health and Safety Executive and cleared for distribution to health and social care environments before it reaches the Croydon distribution hub. The DHSC has provided written confirmation that the PPE is safe for distribution and the LRF team regularly reconfirms that this is still the case.
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Support for London’s Homeless Question No: 2020/2423 Navin Shah A constituent, referring to a recent article in the Independent on 14 GLA hotels used for homeless people during the pandemic, has expressed concerns that the GLA is gradually stopping the use of these hotels. Can you provide details of how many hotels you are still using to place homeless people; how are you phasing such accommodation out, how many have had their contracts extended and for how long and what support is being offered to those people being asked to move out of these hostels? Support for London’s Homeless The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Hotel accommodation has been vital to help rough sleepers self-isolate safely during lockdown. But it is not a long-term solution. We currently have 12 hotels open, accommodating over 1,000 people, and have extended contracts for at least eight hotels to the end of July. We are working closely with MHCLG to develop plans and secure funding for beyond the end of July, as we know that many hundreds of people will still require emergency accommodation into August and beyond. My In For Good principle is being implemented by the GLA and the boroughs –so that everyone has an offer of support and no-one needs to return to the streets. The Government has announced a package of additional funding for move-on accommodation as part of its Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme. In London this funding will be allocated by the GLA in partnership with MHCLG. However, the Government have still not indicated what support will be made available for non-UK nationals once the public health emergency is over. Without a suspension of no recourse to public funds (NRPF) rules and the habitual residency test for EEA nationals there is a very real danger that rough sleepers who are non-UK nationals could return to the streets. Our partners are working to provide support to help rough sleepers regularise their immigration status where this is possible.
Alternatives to Hotel Accommodation for Rough Sleepers Question No: 2020/2424 Navin Shah A constituent has written to me to suggest that homeless people could be temporarily housed in moored cruise ships on the Thames as rough sleepers are being moved out of hotels. Could this be a viable option? Alternatives to Hotel Accommodation for Rough Sleepers The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020
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I am keen to explore all possible options, as long as they provide good quality, reasonably priced accommodation that is safe for our cohort – in relation both to COVID-19 risks and wider health and safety. If this is the case, then potentially the option suggested by your constituent could be viable.
Murders of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman (1) Question No: 2020/2425 Navin Shah Two sisters, Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman were murdered in my constituency in early June. This tragic event was shocking enough to the local community, but now we have been horrified to hear that two police officers have been arrested for allegedly taking inappropriate photos at the scene. Will you join me in condemning these actions? Answer for Murders of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Murders of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman (2) Question No: 2020/2426 Navin Shah The mother of the two sisters, Mina Smallman, has raised other concerns about the police handling of this case. She states that the police failed to respond quickly enough when the two women went missing, leading to family and friends taking on the search themselves. She points towards a culture of institutional racism that remains in the police force. In light of this event and the stories we have seen come out of the Black Lives Matter movement, is it time for evaluation of institutional racism in the police? Answer for Murders of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Learning Disability Nurses Question No: 2020/2427 Navin Shah Care Quality Commission (CQC) data has shown a 134 per cent rise in deaths among people with a learning disability this year. Harrow Mencap are campaigning for more learning disability nurses to be stationed in hospitals, as their insight and expertise can help save lives. Will the Mayor support this call?
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Learning Disability Nurses The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Work by Public Health England has shone a light on the stark inequalities exacerbated and created by COVID-19. This Care Quality Commission (CQC) data demonstrates a significant increase in deaths of people with a learning disability or autism as a result of COVID-19, whom we already know to be at an increased risk of respiratory illnesses, and this should be considered in the learning disability deaths review process requirement introduced in recent years. Risks assessments, access to testing and prompt medical assessment could also be key to reducing infection and saving lives. The CQC work also shows that the impact on this group of people is being felt at a younger age than in the wider population – something that should be considered in decisions on testing of people of working age with a learning disability. I will ensure that these issues are raised, together with the proposal for more learning disability nurses, as part of the work of the new Health Equity Group, chaired by Professor Kevin Fenton, my statutory health adviser, and London Regional Director of Public Health England.
Support for Hospitality Sector and Workers Question No: 2020/2428 Navin Shah What measures are you taking to support businesses and workers in the hospitality industry who have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with regards to concerns over a potential rise in unemployment and the large proportion of BAME workers who are at serious risk. Answer for Support for Hospitality Sector and Workers The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
The Crystal (1) Question No: 2020/2429 Navin Shah Remote working due to the pandemic, while necessary, has caused concern for some members of staff and had an impact on a much wider scale, including work/life balance. I understand that under the proposed move to The Crystal, remote working will continue to be expected from staff due to lack of office space. Has the devastating negative impact on some staff, who have already spent many months working in an unusual environment, been considered?
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Answer for The Crystal (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
The Crystal (2) Question No: 2020/2430 Navin Shah What other sites/buildings have been assessed as part of alternative accommodation? Can I have details of all such alternatives and can this be circulated as part of the consultation process? Answer for The Crystal (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
The Crystal (3) Question No: 2020/2431 Navin Shah Given that City Hall was purpose-built for our the GLA/Assembly use with a distinctive atrium, an assembly chamber etc. I don’t expect prospective users queuing up for City Hall accommodation if we were to relocate to another site. Can you indicate if you have met the freeholder to negotiate an extension of lease with much lower rent? Answer for The Crystal (3) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Digital Connectivity Across London Question No: 2020/2432 Navin Shah The pandemic crisis has highlighted potential for remote working. In order to make this a seriously viable alternative London requires digital connectivity comparable to many other European cities. As highlighted in the London Assembly’s report (published by the Regeneration Committee) London’s economic productivity and international competitiveness face a significant threat in the form of poor digital connectivity. The capital is poorly served, suffering from ‘not-spots’, ‘digital deserts’ and a lack of fibre
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connections. What urgent and effective steps can you take to upgrade digital connectivity to enable home/remote working? Digital Connectivity Across London The Mayor Last updated: 15 July, 2020 Throughout the pandemic, the GLA’s Connected London team has been working to resolve urgent issues including supporting boroughs with guidance to ensure that connectivity providers are able to safely maintain networks and deploy additional telecoms infrastructure utilising reductions in traffic levels and congestion. The team has also been working with providers to help unblock live issues such as access to public sector sites. I am also working with partners to improve London’s broadband infrastructure. I have previously announced that the GLA is coordinating £34.9 million of funding from different sources to boost full fibre coverage across London. This will enable new connections to public sector sites in areas that suffer from poor connectivity, making these areas more commercially viable for further private investment. As part of GLA’s recovery work, my team is working with London’s boroughs on allocating this funding to priority areas to reduce London’s not spots. We are using data from the telecoms regulator, Ofcom, to better understand the critical high density areas with poor connectivity in order to prioritise funding in these areas that need it the most.
Use of Tasers Against BAME communities Question No: 2020/2433 Navin Shah The IOPC have recently called for greater scrutiny on use of Tasers following a series of incidents and increasing BAME community concerns. Do you agree whether there is need to investigate and support the strong concern about the increased use of Tasers against members of the black and minority ethnic communities? Use of Tasers Against BAME communities The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I am aware of the public concerns on the disproportionate use of taser. I have commissioned my Deputy Mayor for Communities and Deputy Mayor for Policing to work with the police and our communities to draw up an action plan for improving trust and confidence, transparency and accountability in the police and use of force will form a key part of this. It is important officers have the equipment they need to keep themselves and the public safe. Of course, all such equipment must always be used in a proportionate and transparent way and any use of force must be recorded. Officers must also be properly trained in their use. I will continue to hold the Commissioner to account for this.
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Removal of Statues Question No: 2020/2434 Navin Shah Has the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm identified any further statues, landmarks or street names to be recommended for removal/change? Removal of Statues The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I have asked my Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries, Justine Simons OBE, and Deputy Mayor for Social Integration, Social Mobility and Community Engagement, Debbie Weekes-Bernard, to urgently create the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm. The Commission will work in partnership with boroughs, communities and the many stakeholders who manage the capital’s heritage, public and private spaces to ensure that the public realm properly reflects our city’s achievements and diversity. Commission members will be recruited through an open process and the terms of reference for the Commission are currently being developed through consultation. The Commission’s scope will be wide and will consider how we can proactively improve diversity, which may include of street names, murals, street art, memorials, squares and statues. The Commission will also make recommendations as part of its work to establish best practice in public commissioning.
Tree Felling on Tube Lines Question No: 2020/2435 Navin Shah What is TfL’s approach to protecting trees and greenery alongside tube tracks? Under what circumstances are trees removed, and what is the consultation process with residents who live alongside tracks? Answer for Tree Felling on Tube Lines The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Residential Tube Noise Question No: 2020/2436 Navin Shah Residents on the Kingsbury Curve are still suffering from extreme tube noise. Constituents inform me that the noise level exceeds 82 decibels. Your answer to my previous question
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(2019/21001) on this issue stated ‘TfL will shortly begin work to reduce the cant (the height difference between the two rails), which it anticipates will reduce noise levels. TfL will be writing to local residents who have been impacted by noise issues this month, to keep them updated on this work.’ Did this take place and why have residents seen no change? Answer for Residential Tube Noise The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Working from home and mental health Question No: 2020/2438 Andrew Boff What research have you undertaken into the impact of working from home on mental health? Working from home and mental health The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Thrive LDN has been reviewing the extent to which different people have been working from home and the effect it has been having on Londoners mental health and wellbeing as part of an active monitoring framework. ONS have expanded the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey to include the social impacts of coronavirus and homeworking in the UK labour market. The latest findings have shown that over half of working adults said the pandemic was having an impact on their work with the most common impacts reported relating to working from home. The intelligence gathered from the active monitoring framework has shown that the implications of COVID-19 has and will continue to affect people in different ways. As the city moves into a period of transition and recovery, Thrive LDN will continue to engage with and support Londoners who have been challenged socially and mentally.
Health in all Policies Question No: 2020/2439 Andrew Boff How are you utilising and adapting your “health in all policies” approach to tackle the issues of Covid-19? Health in all Policies The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020
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As part of my Health Inequalities Strategy, the GLA is increasingly taking a ‘health in all policies’ approach which considers and prioritises health and wellbeing across the social, economic and environmental factors impacting London. This means working with teams across the GLA to ensure that health and wellbeing are part of everything we do. COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of a health in all policies approach, and we have adapted our work in response to the pandemic. Examples include: my health and homelessness teams have worked closely to instigate plans to deliver safe accommodation for 1,300 rough sleepers, supported by outreach COVID-19 testing and drug and alcohol services; my Streetspace for London Plan will transform our streets and enable millions more to safely walk and cycle on their daily journeys, promoting active travel and improving air quality; and policy teams are working together to focus on promoting employee wellbeing and good work during COVID-19.
Where buses go Question No: 2020/2441 Andrew Boff What modelling has taken place to estimate the increased emissions and congestion as a result of black cabs not being allowed to use all of the same routes as buses? Answer for Where buses go The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Affordable homes (1) Question No: 2020/2442 Andrew Boff Further to your response to question 2020/1686, can you confirm how many of the 7,416 GLA-funded affordable homes started in 2016/17 are part of the current programme and therefore count towards the 116,000 target? Of these, how many have been completed? Affordable homes (1) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 All of the 7,416 starts on site reported in 2016-17 contribute towards the target to start to build 116,000 affordable homes. The target cover starts on site from April 2015 onwards. As noted in the response to Mayor’s Question 2020/1686 details of projects that completed prior to 2017 for legacy programmes were closed in the historic system and were not fully transferred to the current GLA Open Project System. Records for these projects are held offline and would need a manual reconciliation. Of the records that were transferred to the GLA Open Project System, 6,866 of the 7,416 starts on site noted in
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2016-17 have completed. Details for 550 remaining starts would need to be verified manually.
Affordable homes (2) Question No: 2020/2443 Andrew Boff Further to your response to question 2020/1685, given that the GLA website only shows site and bedroom breakdowns for the latest quarter and not the whole financial year, could you therefore please provide a complete figure for the number of bedrooms for all GLA- funded affordable starts and completions in financial year 2019/20? Affordable homes (2) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Information about the number of bedrooms on schemes reported within GLA systems is not mandatory, therefore the below table only includes data where it is available.
1 Bed /Studio 2 Bed 3 Bed 4 Bed 5 Bed Starts on Site 4,612 4,747 1,815 189 1 Completions 2,393 2,822 1,497 254 20
As part of the current programme settlement, the Government require over half the programme to be London Shared ownership/London Living Rent, which often becomes unaffordable for homes with more than two bedrooms. The 15th London Plan Annual Monitoring Report shows that in 2017/18, 37 per cent of social rented homes completed in London had three bedrooms or more, up from 34 per cent in 2015/16. This figure includes non-GLA funded homes.
Community Infrastructure Levy Question No: 2020/2444 Andrew Boff The Planning and Regeneration Committee has seen that the Mayor has written to the Secretary of State at MHCLG to outline his concerns about the impact of the guidance to local authorities to delay CIL payments. Has the Mayor conducted any analysis on the impact of this guidance in terms of loss of affordable housing via delays to Section 106 payments? How many homes would he expect to be delayed? Community Infrastructure Levy The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020
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I wrote to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 11th May 2020 proposing planning measures to support the early and robust recovery of the development industry, which will be important for London’s wider economic recovery. This included a time-limited deferral of CIL payments to help support delivery during these unprecedented times, and the Government is now bringing forward legislation to allow for this. However, I do not agree with the Government’s approach of also encouraging authorities to allow for delays to the delivery of affordable housing. It is not possible to predict the number of homes that could be delayed, but it is unlikely to be beneficial to developers because it would reduce development cashflow and increase market risk. It is also counter- productive as a policy approach because it would slow development, put contractors and supply chains at greater risk and delay the provision of greatly needed affordable housing for Londoners.
London’s Pandemic Preparedness Question No: 2020/2445 Andrew Boff Is there anything else you could have done to better prepare London for a pandemic? London’s Pandemic Preparedness The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 It is important to acknowledge that this pandemic has been truly unprecedented – no one has ever seen anything like it before. In these circumstances it’s not possible to be completely prepared, and many elements of the response have been completely new. London made thorough preparations for its pandemic response. The preparations that London puts in place to deal with emergencies are tested time and time again – through exercises, and also sadly through incidents. The extensive work undertaken by the London Resilience Forum (LRF) in preparation for a no-deal Brexit proved some of the most useful preparations to deal with the response to COVID-19. There are always lessons to be learned for everyone involved in events like these, and the LRF has already undertaken an interim review of the first wave of the pandemic, in preparation for any future waves.
Overcrowding performance indicators (1) Question No: 2020/2446 Andrew Boff What performance indicators are in place to measure the size of bedrooms in new developments? Overcrowding performance indicators (1)
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The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 While the London Plan has many policies to ensure good quality housing, the size of bedrooms itself, is not a Key Performance Indicator to the London Plan. That being said, as part of monitoring, the LDD collects information on total floor space of units and number of bedrooms. This data collection will now form part of the new Planning London Datahub. For further, more detailed information on the project please visit: https://sway.office.com/PCbVYR7X9hbgdKJD?ref=email
Overcrowding performance indicators (2) Question No: 2020/2447 Andrew Boff What performance indicators are in place to measure the number of bedrooms per home in new developments? Overcrowding performance indicators (2) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Whilst bedroom numbers are not a Key Performance Indicator to the London Plan, this information together with total floorspace of units are collected as part of the LDD. This data collection will now form part of the new Planning London Datahub. For further, more detailed information on the project please visit: https://sway.office.com/PCbVYR7X9hbgdKJD?ref=email
Infectious Disease Transmission Advice Question No: 2020/2448 Andrew Boff Have you acted on all the advice given to you regarding the prevention of transmitting infectious diseases in London? Infectious Disease Transmission Advice The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The Government has issued guidance and advice relating to a broad spectrum of areas including preventing, managing and controlling transmission of the virus, which applies to every individual, organisation and community in London. I have worked with the London Strategic Coordination Group to ensure the guidance is disseminated and promoted in London. Where guidance has been ambiguous or where
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policy considerations specific to London needed to be addressed, I have advocated to Government for greater clarity and better nuancing of guidance. As a place of work, the GLA family has worked closely with PHE London, our Health Team, Facilities Management Team and Human Resources Team to ensure we are protecting our staff and implementing all relevant guidance. I have used my role as a leader to role model best practice, in line with the guidance, including working remotely throughout the pandemic.
Lara Goscé & Anders Johansson Report Question No: 2020/2449 Andrew Boff What consideration was taken on the Lara Goscé & Anders Johansson report published in December 2019? Answer for Lara Goscé & Anders Johansson Report The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Preparing for Local Lockdowns Question No: 2020/2450 Andrew Boff What actions are you taking to prepare London for potential local lockdowns? Preparing for Local Lockdowns The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 All 33 London boroughs have established and published their local outbreak control plans. The provision for testing and contact tracing has improved since the first wave, which will provide us with better data to spot and mitigate the need for any local lockdowns. Under the direction of the Strategic Coordination Group, London has conducted a local lockdown workshop and an exercise involving over 100 responders, including Directors of Public Health, and representatives from the NHS, MPS, TfL and the Joint Biosecurity Centre. My Statutory Health Advisor is providing me with regular reports on the testing results and numbers of infections in London and my team is proactively communicating with Londoners to ensure they have the advice and guidance they need to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
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Crossrail (1) Question No: 2020/2451 Gareth Bacon MP Further to question 2020/1711, when do you expect the discussions between Crossrail Ltd and the Office for Rail and Road to conclude on the length of time required to complete intensive testing of the railway? Answer for Crossrail (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Crossrail (2) Question No: 2020/2452 Gareth Bacon MP What is the anticipated cost of the delay to Crossrail owing to the COVID-19 pandemic? Answer for Crossrail (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Nominee passes (1) Question No: 2020/2453 Gareth Bacon MP Given TfL’s current financial situation, what is your justification for retaining the nominee pass staff benefit at TfL? Answer for Nominee passes (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Nominee passes (2) Question No: 2020/2454 Gareth Bacon MP What consideration have you given to withdrawing the nominee pass staff benefit at TfL to generate income? Nominee passes (2)
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The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Transport for London (TfL) continues to consider a wide range of options to reduce costs. Removing nominee passes is unlikely to result in any significant additional income. This benefit is a long-standing part of the terms and conditions of TfL employees. Passes in their current form have existed since 2002, under successive Mayors. There is no ‘cost’ because the number of journeys, historically, has been a tiny proportion of the 11 million Tube and bus journeys made per day, meaning no additional services need to be operated.
Second peak preparation Question No: 2020/2455 Gareth Bacon MP What response have you prepared from City Hall if London experiences a second peak of the coronavirus? Second peak preparation The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 London has some excellent systems now in place to support the response to any future wave. The Nightingale Hospital, which thankfully was not required to be used on the scale anticipated, has been moved into standby so that it can rapidly scale up if required. We have similar arrangements that can be put in place for mortality management, food provision into food banks, support for shielded persons, and emergency supplies of PPE. A great deal of work has been undertaken by the Department for Health and Social Care, PHE and local authorities to put in place the contact tracing system, which launched on 28 May. Clearly, it was not possible to conduct large scale testing and contact tracing at the outbreak of the virus, and so London will be better prepared for future waves. The establishment of the London Transition Board and London Recovery Board will also assist in the preparations.
Response to the pandemic Question No: 2020/2456 Gareth Bacon MP How do you plan to assess the effectiveness and success of both the London Transition Board and London Recovery Board, both of which you co-chair?
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Answer for Response to the pandemic The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
High street support (1) Question No: 2020/2457 Gareth Bacon MP What specific work have you undertaken, or are yet to undertake, on supporting London’s high streets through this crisis? Answer for High street support (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
High street support (2) Question No: 2020/2458 Gareth Bacon MP What engagement have you had with high street retailers and small business owners over the course of this crisis, what concerns have they raised with you, and how do you plan to address them? High street support (2) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 At the start of the crisis, my London Growth Hub team deployed a survey to SMEs to identify key issues they faced as a result of coronavirus. It established an online Covid-19 support hub and pivoted to deliver business support virtually on issues SMEs are facing. Advisers held over 1,200 calls with businesses and webinars have addressed concerns such as rent, insurance and business resilience. I have been in regular contact with business bodies, including the Federation of Small Business. I launched my Pay it Forward campaign and am investing an additional £1m to extend business support to help companies through the crisis and recovery. I wrote to the Chancellor with concerns regarding SMEs across London being disproportionately excluded from Government support because of high property values. The Recovery Board, which I co-chair with Cllr Peter John, will take forward work to support the long-term recovery of London’s high streets.
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High street support (3) Question No: 2020/2459 Gareth Bacon MP Have you identified any London boroughs whose high streets and small businesses will be particularly hard hit by the pandemic? High street support (3) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Businesses across London are facing unprecedented challenges as they respond to multiple Covid-19 challenges. Regardless of location in London, many businesses will struggle to remain viable as a result of restrictions on social distancing. The Covid-19 related challenges faced by businesses in central London, which rely on office workers, tourism and people traveling to spend their leisure time, are particularly acute. The number of staff furloughed also varies significantly by area. Data shows 1.07m workers across London have been furloughed – with a disproportionately high number in areas that have seen the greatest rise in the benefit claimant count. The top five UK constituencies for the number of furloughed workers are all in London: West Ham, Tottenham, East Ham, Feltham & Heston, and Brent Central. To support recovery, my officers are working to determine metrics which will indicate the long-term impact of the pandemic on London’s SMEs. This will help provide a picture on both the types of business affected and their location.
ULEZ expansion Question No: 2020/2460 Gareth Bacon MP According to the TfL Board minutes in January 2020, TfL has continued to regularly engage with affected boroughs in regard to the planned ULEZ expansion next October. What borough Leaders have TfL met with and what further engagement and consultation is planned for affected areas? Answer for ULEZ expansion The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Congestion Charge exemptions: Equality Impact Assessment Question No: 2020/2461 Gareth Bacon MP Can the Mayor confirm that TfL undertook an Equality Impact Assessment prior to the decision not to allow private hire vehicles exemption from the Congestion Charge? Answer for Congestion Charge exemptions: Equality Impact Assessment The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
London Covid-19 Transport Task Force Question No: 2020/2462 Shaun Bailey How often will the London Covid-19 Transport Task Force meet and what have been its outcomes so far? London Covid-19 Transport Task Force The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The Task Force met weekly in May and June and currently meets once every two weeks, with the frequency of meetings being kept under review. The meetings have sought to ensure messaging and policy is effectively aligned between all transport operators in London. This has helped to successfully manage demand and maximise transport capacity whilst maintaining social distancing as lockdown measures have relaxed.
Staff absence rates Question No: 2020/2463 Shaun Bailey Please provide a month-by-month breakdown of staff absence rates in percentages due to COVID-19 (including self-isolation) for March 2020, April 2020, May 2020 and June 2020 for Transport for London, the Metropolitan Police and the London Fire Brigade. Answer for Staff absence rates The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Rapid charging points Question No: 2020/2464 Shaun Bailey The agenda for the June TfL Board meeting states that ‘Good progress continued in building rapid charging points for electric vehicles across London, with 232 rapid charging points now in place.’ Please provide a borough-by-borough breakdown of where these are and where the other points will be installed this year in order to reach the target of 300 by December 2020. Answer for Rapid charging points The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
TfL bus driver death review Question No: 2020/2465 Shaun Bailey When is TfL’s bus driver death review due to be made public? Answer for TfL bus driver death review The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Paper Costs Question No: 2020/2466 Shaun Bailey Are records kept of how much officer paper is purchased across the GLA Group? If so, please provide the amount and cost for each body for the last 4 years. Answer for Paper Costs The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Job Creation Question No: 2020/2468 Shaun Bailey How many jobs have you created for each year from May 2016 to present? Please specify through which schemes the jobs were created.
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Answer for Job Creation The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Living Wage Employers Question No: 2020/2469 Shaun Bailey How many employers within Greater London are accredited as Living Wage employers? Living Wage Employers The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 There are 1929 accredited living wage employers in London, a figure which has more than doubled since I became Mayor.
Support for SMEs to Work from Home Question No: 2020/2470 Shaun Bailey How are you supporting Small and Medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to work from home? Support for SMEs to Work from Home The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I recognise the difficulties many businesses will be facing working remotely during this pandemic and therefore I have ensured there is support for them via my business support portal. The London Growth Hub’s Covd-19 hub has detailed guidance around working from home and the mental health and well-being implications for SMEs working remotely. All established business can access free one-to-one business advice via through the London Growth Hub. Our advisers are all being trained to handle issues from businesses around remote working. They are able to advise on key issues related to the subject including mental health and well-being, cyber security and business continuity planning. Webinars are also running on these subjects where SMEs can hear from experts on how to create robust plans to help businesses face the current challenges of COVID-19 and beyond. In collaboration with the Police Digital Security Centre (PDSC), I am also actively promoting business vigilance against the increased cyber security risks associated with remote working. This information can be found here: https://www.growthhub.london/cybersecurity-and-working-safely-during-covid-19-6/. New content is uploaded onto our website bi-weekly.
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Support for BIDs Question No: 2020/2471 Shaun Bailey How have you been working with BIDs across London during the coronavirus pandemic and what support are you giving them as lockdown eases? Support for BIDs The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I have worked and consulted London’s Business Improvement Districts throughout the Covid-19 crisis and the period of lockdown. Several BIDs including Croydon, New West End Company and Camden have played a key role in continuing to guide the work of the SCG and GLA by monitoring, identifying, assessing, and reporting the economic impacts of COVID-19. There is also BID representation on the High Street Task & Finish Group. Initially I consulted them on their challenges and what type of support I could give them. I acted by lobbying central government to ensure that all London BIDs got funding to cover part of their management costs. In addition, my Deputy Mayor has had meetings with individual BIDs and groups of BIDs to discuss their specific needs. I have also ensured that BIDs were updated on a regular basis on all type of relevant information that affects their members. Furthermore, senior staff from BIDs have been directly involved in my helping shape my response to the pandemic, helping to ensure their voices were heard and their issues addressed.
Economic Challenges for Inner and Outer London Question No: 2020/2472 Shaun Bailey What have you identified as being the major differences between the economic challenges faced in inner and outer London as we come out of lockdown? Economic Challenges for Inner and Outer London The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Businesses and individuals across inner and outer London are facing unprecedented challenges. Data shows London accounted for 12 per cent of the total UK employments furloughed with approximately 1.07 million – the highest number amongst regions and with a disproportionately high number in areas that have seen the greatest rise in the benefit claimant count. The top five UK constituencies for the number of furloughed workers are across London in West Ham, Tottenham, East Ham, Feltham & Heston, and Brent Central. The challenges faced by businesses in central London are particularly acute. Areas such as the West End, which rely on tourism and people traveling to spend their leisure time, face significantly lower footfall as a result of limits on travel and a fall in tourism. Locations with
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high numbers of office workers are seeing supressed demand as people continue to work from home and transport capacity is limited as a result of social distancing measures. I will continue to raise the importance of ongoing support for those workers and businesses that have been the hardest hit across London.
Brexit and the transition period (1) Question No: 2020/2475 Susan Hall Given that the formal deadline for the UK to request an extension to the transition period (30th June 2020) has now passed, are you intending to continue to campaign for an extension? If so, why? Answer for Brexit and the transition period (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Brexit and the transition period (2) Question No: 2020/2476 Susan Hall Any extension to the transition period would push the UK into the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2021-2027, the financial implications of which are unknown since the EU has failed to reach an agreement. Given this financial uncertainty and potential huge cost to the UK taxpayer, why are you continuing to push for an extension to the period? Answer for Brexit and the transition period (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Brexit and EU citizenship (1) Question No: 2020/2477 Susan Hall In February this year, you advocated for the idea of an EU ‘associate citizenship’ available for UK citizens. What progress, if any, has been made on this and have you had any discussions with representatives of the European Commission? Answer for Brexit and EU citizenship (1) The Mayor
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Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Brexit and EU citizenship (2) Question No: 2020/2478 Susan Hall What was the purpose of your campaign to promote EU ‘associate citizenship’ considering it is clearly illegal and impossible to implement within the EU’s ‘acquis’, not least under Article 20 TFEU which states that EU citizenship is only obtainable via being a citizen of a Member State? Answer for Brexit and EU citizenship (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Accessible Lockdown Easing Question No: 2020/2479 Susan Hall What steps are you taking to ensure lockdown in London is eased in a way that is still accessible for people with both physical and mental disabilities? Answer for Accessible Lockdown Easing The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Wine Fraud Question No: 2020/2480 Susan Hall For each of the years April 16 to March 17, April 17 to March 18, April 18 to March 19, and April 19 to March 12, please provide the number of Wine Fraud offences in London. Wine Fraud The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The MPS has informed me that it does not recognise the offence description as individual offence type.
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It was assumed that this involved some sort of deception where the victim was conned out of money with the promise of Alcohol in return that did not materialise Any such allegation would be reported to Action Fraud and the offence investigated if and where the fraudster lives/works. As such it is impossible to answer the question accurately.
Spirit Fraud Question No: 2020/2481 Susan Hall For each of the years April 16 to March 17, April 17 to March 18, April 18 to March 19, and April 19 to March 12, please provide the number of Alcohol Spirit Fraud offences in London. Spirit Fraud The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The MPS informed me that it did not recognise the offence description as an individual offence type. It was assumed that this involved some sort of deception where the victim was conned out of money with the promise of Alcohol in return that did not materialise. Any such allegation would be reported to Action Fraud and the offence investigated if and where the fraudster lives/works. As such it is impossible to answer the question accurately.
Long Range Tasers Question No: 2020/2482 Susan Hall Does the Met use Long Range Tasers? If so, how many does it have? Long Range Tasers The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 There are no Long Range Taser devices in use. The only Taser devices currently operated by the MPS are the X26 and X2.
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Non-lethal weapons Question No: 2020/2483 Susan Hall Excluding Tasers, batons, and pepper spray, what non-lethal weapons does the Met have? (Please include how many of each) Answer for Non-lethal weapons The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
DNA website Question No: 2020/2484 Susan Hall Has the Met ever tracked down a criminal using DNA website matches, if so, how many, and for what crime types? If not, are there any plans to do this in the future? Answer for DNA website The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Short-term reserves Question No: 2020/2485 Susan Hall Could you detail all of the GLA’s short-term reserves/investments - where they sit, and how much they add up to? Short-term reserves The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Excluding reserves held for the MDCs, earmarked for services and the capital programme and the Strategic Investment Fund, the GLA’s short term reserves at 1 April 2020 are as follows: Business Rates Reserve £135.2m Assembly Reserve £0.9m General Reserve £10.0m Total short term reserves £146.1m
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As of 15 July 2020 the GLA had short term investments totalling £3.796bn with a maturity date of less than 12 months – principally housing capital grants as yet unapplied.
Financial Covid-19 Response Question No: 2020/2486 Susan Hall You could please detail how the GLA adjusted financially to the Covid-19 crisis; including but not limited to details of any internal transfers or allocations of funds - to or away from directorates in particular - as well as the (re)deployment of any staff or other resources? Answer for Financial Covid-19 Response The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Dependency Leave Question No: 2020/2487 Susan Hall Can you provide a by-directorate breakdown of dependency leave taken at the GLA since the start of lockdown - including total numbers and average figures depending on staff headcount? Answer for Dependency Leave The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Funding for Coronavirus-related Projects per Borough Question No: 2020/2488 Susan Hall How much funding for coronavirus-related projects have you given to each London borough? Please give a breakdown of projects and boroughs. Funding for Coronavirus-related Projects per Borough The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The GLA has awarded a total of up to £5.328 million for coronavirus-related projects to London boroughs.
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The expenditure is up to £5 million to fund a COVID-19 emergency support fund for the voluntary and community sector and civil society organisations, which was paid to the City of London Corporation for City Bridge Trust. The £0.328 million expenditure is paid to the seven London boroughs that form the Thames Estuary Production Corridor to promote the creative industries. The seven boroughs are: • Barking and Dagenham • Bexley • Greenwich • Havering • Lewisham • Newham • Tower Hamlets
London Power (1) Question No: 2020/2489 Tony Arbour Does the Mayor agree with me that London Power customers ought to have all correspondence from the company with both Octopus and London Power branding? London Power (1) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Octopus Energy are the licensed supplier for London Power but London Power has its own brand which is distinct from Octopus Energy and. London Power customers receive communications which are London Power branded. Octopus is only mentioned in our customer facing communications in places where we feel it is needed to ensure transparency (e.g. to show that Octopus are the licensed supplier) or where we believe it adds weight to provide credibility to the London Power offer (e.g. in respect of their Which? rating or their record on renewables).
London Power (2) Question No: 2020/2490 Tony Arbour Can the Mayor clarify whether or not the deal with Octopus means that London Power customers must have any correspondence with London Power on it? London Power (2) The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020
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As part of the contract, the service provider was required to produce a full suite of London Power branded communications, approved by the GLA, for use in customer communications (see question 2489 for more information on branded and co-branded communications). Any automated correspondence will use these approved, London Power branded templates (direct responses to customer queries, e.g. if a customer has a specific enquiry about switching or about their account, are not scripted/template based). The service provider cannot directly market any services towards London Power consumers which are not London Power branded or co-branded (with the exception of mandated messaging).
Local Electricity Bill Question No: 2020/2491 Tony Devenish Does the Mayor support the Local Electricity Bill? Local Electricity Bill The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 The Local Electricity Bill purports to offer a solution to the issues preventing local and community generators to sell their energy locally and realise the full value of their electricity. However, it contains very little detail as to how it would realistically achieve this. I would therefore not be in a position to support the Bill as it stands. We will continue however to monitor its progress through Parliament. I have however supported the deployment of local renewable generation through my London Community Energy Fund, through which a number of groups are providing cheaper electricity locally to schools and other public buildings. For example, phase 1 of the London Community Energy Fund supported solar projects on nine schools in Ealing, which is estimated will save them roughly half a million pound in energy costs over 20 years.
Covid-19 Impact on Somali Community Question No: 2020/2492 Tony Devenish Did you read the very moving article in the FT “Coronavirus takes heavy toll on east London’s somali community” (dated 23 June 2020)? What specifically can you do to actively make sure lessons are learnt? Answer for Covid-19 Impact on Somali Community The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Return to Work Question No: 2020/2493 Tony Devenish Will you add your voice to calls to encourage both public and private sector workers back to the office, at least part time with suitable social distancing during July to help save jobs? Return to Work The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Government guidance still states that workers that are able to do so should work from home. Working from home has minimised transmission and relieves pressure on London’s public transport network. Social distancing on public transport is not be possible unless we radically reduce the overall number of people travelling. By working from home, Londoners are allowing the network to be used for essential travel and by those who cannot work from home. There is no such date identified yet by Government for office-based businesses. Transport for London continue to prepare for the return of office-based employers and are engaging with businesses to understanding their plans and levels of readiness, as well as modelling levels of demand to inform TfL messaging and operational plans.
Key worker housing Question No: 2020/2494 Tony Devenish Do you agree with Olivia Harris, CEO of Dolphin Living, that key worker housing has been ignored by policymakers for far too long? If so, how do you plan to address this? Key worker housing The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Key workers play a crucial role, and as Olivia Harris points out, they have kept the country functioning during this health crisis. But rising rents, insecurity and the inability to afford a home have placed increasing strains on many key workers in London. I have been clear that more needs to be done to support Londoners, including key workers, in meeting their housing need. Through my Affordable Homes Programme, I have delivered a record number of new affordable homes, and my London Plan (Intend to Publish version) policies will help ensure that public sector land makes a greater contribution to delivering affordable homes in future. With NHS trusts and other partners, I established the London Estates Board so that surplus land can be identified, and proper investment secured to deliver the affordable homes key workers need.
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My London Housing Strategy also makes clear my support for genuinely affordable homes for keyworkers, including intermediate homes such as London Living Rent and Shared Ownership.
Freezing Recruitment Question No: 2020/2495 Tony Devenish With a recruitment freeze currently in place at the GLA, are there any plans to expand this more widely across the GLA Group – excluding frontline police, fire fighters and safety- critical TfL staff – until May 2021? This will enable natural turnover of staff to drive savings and help maintain staff morale by enabling the vast majority of vacancies to be filled from within the GLA family. Answer for Freezing Recruitment The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Future of Old Oak Question No: 2020/2496 Tony Devenish Given the collapse of their HIF bid, what is the future of Old Oak as Europe’s largest regeneration site? Is any thought being given to land disposal or joint-venturing which could free up hundreds of millions of pounds to protect front line public services? Future of Old Oak The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Kick-starting regeneration is critical to the country’s economic recovery and the Old Oak and Park Royal Opportunity Area has the potential to support London’s recovery now that the new £1.3bn HS2 Old Oak Common station has the go-ahead from government. As planning authority and development agency, OPDC is ideally placed to oversee this investment and recovery. It’s working hard to drive forward collaboration with public and private sector partners, including host London Boroughs, HS2, Network Rail, and local businesses to make this happen. OPDC has a memorandum of understanding with Network Rail giving a first right of refusal for surplus land, but the wider opportunity, catalysed by the huge public sector investment into Old Oak Common Station, can’t be fully realised without government support for essential infrastructure funding.
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I’m now seeking the government’s commitment to work with me and OPDC to secure the future of this nationally important regeneration project, to make good on its promise to Build Back Better.
Public body cooperation Question No: 2020/2497 Tony Devenish Will you consider opening talks with London Councils and NHS London in order to merge staff posts and departments and buildings, to eliminate any duplication in functions to protect front line services? Public body cooperation The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 As I set out in my Budget Guidance published on 26 June I have established a GLA Group Collaboration Board chaired by my Chief of Staff which will consider how we can realise the maximum benefits from joint working within the Group and also with similar interested organisations including London’s 33 local authorities and the NHS. The Board will look at both back office functions and front line policy areas covering similar professional areas to examine ways to eliminate duplication while meeting statutory requirements. There will also be an aspiration to be able to offer some of these streamlined services outside the Group in the future in order to maximise revenue generation as well as reduce costs and also to work with potential external partners during their development.
Blue light collaboration Question No: 2020/2498 Tony Devenish Will you consider an integrated estates and back office strategy for blue light services to merge MPS, LFB and LAS estates / back offices to drive tens of millions of pounds of savings to protect front line public services? Blue light collaboration The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Property sharing already takes place in selected sites. A collaborative bid by the three blue light services to One Public Estate has recently been confirmed as successful and this has secured funding to examine further potential opportunities to collaborate on property matters.
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My team is looking at all options for savings across the GLA Group, including looking at the possibility of introducing more shared services. As we do this, we must be mindful of the unique circumstances of each functional body, and the need for back office services to support specialised front-line work. There may be circumstances in which these services can be shared, and my team is looking into this.
Flexible working Question No: 2020/2499 Tony Devenish Will you consider developing the GLA’s flexible hour working models to both attract new staff and retain existing staff from retired Londoners, parents, disabled and BAME communities and others who value public service to protect front line public services? Answer for Flexible working The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
GLA financial audit Question No: 2020/2500 Tony Devenish Will you consider conducting a forensic audit of all GLA budgets to identify budget lines where money has been over allocated? GLA financial audit The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I will shortly publish my re-purposed 2020-21 Budget for the GLA: Mayor’s Budget and will launch the preparation of my 2021-22 Budget shortly to meet the savings requirements of my Budget Guidance.
OJEU - Business cases Question No: 2020/2501 Tony Devenish Will you consider putting out an OJEU and publicising widely to other public sector, third sector and business asking for short executive summary business cases on how to drive GLA income from running services in different ways and utilising GLA assets to protect front line public services? OJEU - Business cases The Mayor
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Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I will shortly publish my re-purposed 2020-21 Budget for the GLA: Mayor’s Budget and will launch the preparation of my 2021-22 Budget shortly to meet the savings requirements of my Budget Guidance.
Andrew Adonis (1) Question No: 2020/2502 Tony Devenish Do you agree with Andrew Adonis that there needs to be new mayoral messaging, with “only travel on public transport if you absolutely must” changed to “public transport is safe, just keep your distance as far as possible”? Answer for Andrew Adonis (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Andrew Adonis (2) Question No: 2020/2503 Tony Devenish Do you agree with Andrew Adonis that “all tube stations should be reopened and a military-style operation conducted with major employers to agree and advertise staggered opening and closing times to reduce peaks and make the return of mass transport compatible with maximum numbers on each bus and train”? Answer for Andrew Adonis (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Andrew Adonis (3) Question No: 2020/2504 Tony Devenish Do you agree with Andrew Adonis that “now the Government has given up daily press conferences, [the Mayor] should start them, updating Londoners day by day on the transport situation and new opportunities open to them”? Answer for Andrew Adonis (3) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020
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Officers are drafting a response
E-Scooters Question No: 2020/2505 Tony Devenish While welcoming trials on e-scooters what insurance provisions will TfL require to ensure both the rider and others do not become a burden on our NHS? Answer for E-Scooters The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Driverless Trains (1) Question No: 2020/2506 Tony Devenish Do you accept that the Tube staffing issues over the last few months have underlined the benefits of driverless Tube trains in terms of both reliability and maximising capacity? Answer for Driverless Trains (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Driverless Trains (2) Question No: 2020/2507 Tony Devenish Will you consider piloting a Tube line with driverless trains? Answer for Driverless Trains (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Anti-Social Behaviour of Cyclists Question No: 2020/2508 Tony Devenish I am receiving increasing numbers of emails about the anti-social behaviour of cyclists. What is TfL doing to seek to reduce incidents of unacceptable behaviour?
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Answer for Anti-Social Behaviour of Cyclists The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Tube Stations (1) Question No: 2020/2509 Tony Devenish When will all tube stations be reopening to facilitate getting London’s economy back to as near normal as possible? Answer for Tube Stations (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Tube Stations (2) Question No: 2020/2510 Tony Devenish Please provide a comprehensive list of all the Tube stations that are still closed or were closed during lockdown, including the dates each station closed, the dates each station that has re-opened did so and any planned dates for station yet to re-open to do so. Answer for Tube Stations (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Crossrail - Bond Street Question No: 2020/2511 Tony Devenish Why was it necessary for CSJV to exit the C412 contract at Bond Street? Answer for Crossrail - Bond Street The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Supporting the Vulnerable Question No: 2020/2512 Tony Devenish What is TfL doing to support vulnerable customers and staff across bus and Tube networks? Answer for Supporting the Vulnerable The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Chelsea Bridge/Grosvenor Road junction Question No: 2020/2513 Tony Devenish Will you commit to a meeting with me and members of the Federation of Pimlico Residents’ Associations Limited (FREDA) to discuss the significant problems with the temporary changes to the Chelsea Bridge / Grosvenor Road junction? Answer for Chelsea Bridge/Grosvenor Road junction The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Edgeware Road and Park Lane Data Question No: 2020/2514 Tony Devenish Please provide all the traffic data and air quality readings for Edgware Road and Park Lane that TfL has from 1st January to 30th June 2020. Answer for Edgeware Road and Park Lane Data The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
TfL Announcements Question No: 2020/2515 Tony Devenish One London Borough recently found its officers were only given ten minutes notification of a major change to a strategic road layout with huge knock-on implications for traffic and air quality. Why are Assembly Members, London Borough Councillors, Residents’ Associations
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and amenities groups now being now seemingly being bypassed or ignored with regard to TfL announcements? TfL Announcements The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Transport for London (TfL) is working very closely with London boroughs on my London Streetspace Plan. Given the emergency nature of these changes and the extremely tight timescales involved TfL has not been able to engage in the usual way. However, local stakeholders and businesses have been provided with updates on Streetspace schemes happening in their local area, explaining the rationale and providing channels for feedback. For example, ahead of more businesses reopening from 4 July 2020, TfL contacted 5,500 premises to raise awareness of Streetspace changes that had been delivered in their local area and invite feedback. The Streetspace Plan is being delivered in line with the statutory guidance issued by the Department for Transport on Saturday 9 May 2020. Local authorities are being urged to move rapidly to reallocate road space to people walking and cycling, both to encourage active travel and to enable social distancing during restart. TfL is carrying out engagement in line with the Government’s statutory guidance and its legal duties, reflecting the imperative to act quickly in the interests of public safety. TfL and I recognise the importance of local people’s and stakeholders’ views on changes that affect them, and TfL is therefore listening to people’s concerns and making changes on street where appropriate. TfL is also planning a wider programme of Streetspace engagement over the next nine months.
Differing Needs of Londoners Question No: 2020/2516 Tony Devenish Do you accept some Londoners, including many older Londoners, those with disabilities and those with several children, cannot always use public transport or walk or cycle and need a car? Answer for Differing Needs of Londoners The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Wearing Masks on Public Transport Question No: 2020/2517 Tony Devenish What are you doing to ensure that those travelling on buses or Tube trains wear masks and do not remove them during their journey?
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Answer for Wearing Masks on Public Transport The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
London NHS Volunteers Question No: 2020/2519 Tony Devenish Following fresh reports that across the country 140,000 NHS volunteers haven’t been given a single assignment, what are the figures for London ? What have you as Mayor done to engage with these civic minded Londoners since March 2020 and what plans do you have to do so in the future? London NHS Volunteers The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Over 95,000 Londoners signed up through the NHS responders app. As of 5 July 85,544 tasks had been undertaken by London Volunteers. This is just one volunteering route into London’s voluntary sector of thousands of community groups of all sizes. I researched the 700 London Mutual Aid groups that now exist to establish how to support informal volunteering and engaged with Londoners through Talk London to understand experiences of food aid volunteering. My team has mobilised civic minded Londoners, including Team London and Euro2020 volunteers to provide pan-London vital support. NHS Nightingale On 31 March Team London volunteers were deployed to assist at NHS Nightingale. 250 volunteers completed 1200 shifts, totalling 7000 hours of volunteering. Volunteer roles included welcoming, directing and registering up to 400 clinicians per day. Volunteers and face-coverings On 15 June volunteers assisted with distributing free face coverings at 26 TfL stations in London. 146 volunteers completed nearly 400 shifts totalling over 1000 hours of volunteering.
European Social Fund Question No: 2020/2521 Tony Devenish What has been your total allocated budget from the European Social Fund since May 2016? Please list how much of this you have spent or underspent and on which projects. Answer for European Social Fund The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020
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Officers are drafting a response
Politicised policing Question No: 2020/2522 Tony Devenish Do you think the Met police have become too politicised? Politicised policing The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 No. The Met is responsible for delivering my Police and Crime Plan, but it remains operationally independent for the prevention of crime and the safety of Londoners.
Faith in the police Question No: 2020/2523 Tony Devenish Do you accept that Londoners who are having crimes going unsolved may lose faith in the police when they see them spending their time dancing with protesters and bending the knee to others? Answer for Faith in the police The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Face Masks and Bus Workers Question No: 2020/2526 Keith Prince How do you reconcile arguing that the Government should force the public to wear masks on public transport with TfL accepting Unite the Union’s ‘demand’ that masks for Bus Drivers be optional? Answer for Face Masks and Bus Workers The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Face Masks on Buses Question No: 2020/2527 Keith Prince Will you instruct TfL to ensure that Bus Drivers prevent anyone who’s not wearing a face mask from boarding a London Bus? Answer for Face Masks on Buses The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Deaths of Agency Bus Drivers from Covid-19 Question No: 2020/2528 Keith Prince Did TfL include Agency Bus Drivers in its announcement of 29 Bus Driver Fatalities? If so, of that total, how many were Agency Bus Drivers? Answer for Deaths of Agency Bus Drivers from Covid-19 The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Unite the Union’s suspension of Arriva’s BAME Representatives Question No: 2020/2529 Keith Prince Are you aware that at the peak of the pandemic in April, 13 of 14 of Arriva London’s local Unite reps wrote a letter to Unite’s General Secretary, cc’d to the Assistant General Secretary and Regional Secretary, voicing no confidence in Unite’s Regional First Officer for Buses and that although 5 reps withdrew their vote, 1 resigned from the Union and 7 — all of whom happen to be BAME — have been suspended? Answer for Unite the Union’s suspension of Arriva’s BAME Representatives The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Publication of Q4 2019 Bus Safety Data Question No: 2020/2530 Keith Prince In your response to Question 2020/0922 in February, you undertook to have TfL publish its Q4 2019 Bus Safety Data before 23 March. When will this data be published? Publication of Q4 2019 Bus Safety Data The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 Transport for London intends to publish its Quarter 4 2019 bus safety data before the end of July. This has been delayed owing to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
TfL BAME Bus Fatalities Question No: 2020/2531 Keith Prince Since you were elected Mayor in May 2016 until 30 September 2019, at least 34 people were killed in Bus Safety incidents. How many of these fatalities were BAME? TfL BAME Bus Fatalities The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 As part of STATS19 reporting, when compiling the collision records, police officers enter their judgement of the ethnicity of the casualty in accordance with their Identity Codes. The data for 2019 is provisional and still subject to change. However, between May 2016 and 30 September 2019, 8 fatalities have been classified as involving those from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background. A further 7 fatalities are categorised as unknown ethnicity in the collision records.
Croydon Tram Crash Question No: 2020/2532 Keith Prince As a result of the Croydon Tram Crash, were TfL or its contractor First Group TOL investigated for Corporate Manslaughter? Croydon Tram Crash The Mayor Last updated: 20 July, 2020 I refer you to the 31 October 2019 statement from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/cps-statement-croydon-tram-crash-charging-decision which includes the following: “Corporate Manslaughter:
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The CPS also considered whether there was any realistic basis for prosecuting any of the companies involved for the offence of corporate manslaughter, contrary to section 1 of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 - for example the company which owns the trams and tramline and the company which runs the system and employs the driver. There is no evidence that any of the companies was guilty of gross organisational failures that caused the deaths of those who died in this incident, as would be required for this offence to be made out. No defects were discovered in either the tram or the tram track that could have accounted for the derailment. It is clear from the evidence that the sole cause of this tragic incident was the driver losing awareness and control of his driving task.”
Transport Workers and Covid-19 Question No: 2020/2533 Keith Prince Please provide me with a list of all Transport Workers who have died from Covid-19 in 2020. This list should include: 1) sex and, if known, ethnicity, 2) date of reported death 3) name of TfL Contractor or TfL Division for whom victim worked 4) place of work (e.g. Train Station, Bus Depot, Taxi, PHV) 5) TfL Executive responsible for transport mode in which victim worked (e.g. MD Buses, LUL, Taxi and Private Hire, etc). Answer for Transport Workers and Covid-19 The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Agency Bus Drivers denied March 2020 TfL Retention Payment Question No: 2020/2534 Keith Prince Paragraph 1.17 of “Request for Mayor Decision MD 2562” states that “Agency Bus Drivers will not be eligible for the retention payment.” Can you provide me with all documentation (emails, memos, management decisions) which provide a rationale for that decision? Answer for Agency Bus Drivers denied March 2020 TfL Retention Payment The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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London Transport Workers hospitalised as a result of Covid-19 Infections Question No: 2020/2535 Keith Prince How many London Transport Workers were hospitalised as a result of Covid-19? Please show this data by transport mode and position held by casualty (‘Bus Driver, Tram Worker, Train Driver’). Answer for London Transport Workers hospitalised as a result of Covid-19 Infections The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
London Transport Workers on Long Term Sick Leave as a result of Covid-19 Infections Question No: 2020/2536 Keith Prince How many London Transport Workers are on Long Term Sick Leave as a result of Covid-19? Please show this data by transport mode and position held by casualty (‘Bus Driver, Tram Worker, Train Driver’) Answer for London Transport Workers on Long Term Sick Leave as a result of Covid-19 Infections The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Road Changes EIAs Question No: 2020/2537 Keith Prince Can you release to the Assembly the equalities impact assessments for all the road closures and changes TfL has implemented over the last two months? Answer for Road Changes EIAs The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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Nominee Passes (1) Question No: 2020/2538 Keith Prince Given the need to cut back on unnecessary journeys on public transport, will you scrap nominee passes for the family members or flatmates of TfL staff? Answer for Nominee Passes (1) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Nominee Passes (2) Question No: 2020/2539 Keith Prince If you are unwilling to scrap nominee passes, will you at least suspend them whilst public transport capacity is constrained? Answer for Nominee Passes (2) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Nominee Passes (3) Question No: 2020/2540 Keith Prince If you unwilling to suspend nominee passes, will you make them only operational after 9am? Answer for Nominee Passes (3) The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
Unite the Union and Bus Safety Question No: 2020/2541 Keith Prince You have repeatedly seemingly given responsibility for monitoring that bus companies are maintaining Covid-related hygiene measures to Unite the Union, rather than having TfL do it. What gives you the confidence that the right body to ensure the safe working conditions
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of London’s heroic transport workers is a union that donates to your political campaigns, rather than TfL, the transport body you chair? Answer for Unite the Union and Bus Safety The Mayor Last updated: 21 July, 2020 Officers are drafting a response
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MINUTES
Meeting: London Assembly (Plenary) Date: Thursday 23 July 2020 Time: 11.00 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
Shaun Bailey AM Joanne McCartney AM
Siân Berry AM Dr Alison Moore AM
Andrew Boff AM Steve O'Connell AM
Léonie Cooper AM Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM
Unmesh Desai AM Keith Prince AM
Tony Devenish AM Murad Qureshi AM
Andrew Dismore 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 Page 247 Greater London Authority London Assembly (Plenary) Thursday 23 July 2020
1 Apologies for Absence and Chair's Announcements (Item 1)
1.1 The Chair explained that the meeting was being held on a virtual basis, in accordance with Government regulations, and Assembly Members were participating remotely.
1.2 The Clerk read the roll-call of Assembly Members who were participating remotely. Apologies for absence were received from Jennette Arnold OBE AM and Gareth Bacon AM MP.
1.3 The Chair provided an update on recent Assembly activity, including: the Environment Committee’s review of the impact of COVID-19 on the delivery of the Mayor of London’s environmental policies; and the GLA Oversight Committee’s meeting looking into the proposed relocation of City Hall to The Crystal, and concerns surrounding the proposal including accessibility, finance, and security.
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 The Assembly received the report of the Executive Director of the Secretariat.
3.2 Resolved:
That the minutes from the London Assembly (Plenary) meeting held on 2 July 2020 be signed by the Chair as a correct record.
Page 248 Greater London Authority London Assembly (Plenary) Thursday 23 July 2020
4 Question and Answer Session: Economic Recovery in London (Item 4)
Part A:
4.1 The Assembly put questions to the following invited guests, on the economic recovery in London: Jordan Cummins, Head of London Policy, Confederation of British Industry (CBI); Jace Tyrell, Chief Executive, New West End Company; Rowena Howie, London Policy Chair, Federation of Small Business (FSB); John Dickie, Director of Strategy and Policy, London First; Sam Gurney, Regional Secretary, Trade Union Congress, London, East and South East; Councillor Georgia Gould, Local Enterprise Partnership for London (LEAP) Board Member, and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s, Economic Recovery Working Group; Richard Burge, Chief Executive, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and Philip Graham, GLA Executive Director of Good Growth.
4.2 The record of the questions put by Assembly Members and the answers given is attached as Appendix 1.
4.3 During the course of the discussion the Assembly requested: Further information in writing regarding the CBI’s strategy views on the key challenges in relation to economic recovery in outer London; A written response from Jace Tyrell and Sam Gurney, in response to Peter Whittle AM’s question on the future of London’s culture industry and its recovery; A further response in writing from Jace Tyrell to Tony Devenish AM’s question on how businesses can help young people gain work experience; A written response from Sam Gurney, in response to Unmesh Desai AM’s question on how to ensure the recovery of London’s high streets and local economies; A written response from Councillor Georgia Gould, in response to Len Duvall AM’s question on the differences in roles between the LEAP and the London Recovery Board; and Further information from Councillor Georgia Gould, detailing the sum figure of additional grant funding Camden Council has received to build family-sized homes, and specifically the amount the Mayor has put towards the building of family-sized homes.
Page 249 Greater London Authority London Assembly (Plenary) Thursday 23 July 2020
4.4 During the course of the discussion Sam Gurney Regional Secretary, London, East and South East, Trades Union Congress (TUC), undertook to provide the Assembly with the TUC’s A Better Recovery for London report and links to other relevant reports.
Part B:
4.5 The Chair formally moved the motion in the agenda, namely:
“That the Assembly notes the answers to the questions asked.”
4.6 Shaun Bailey AM moved and Susan Hall AM seconded the following amendment to the motion on the agenda:
After: “That the Assembly notes the answers to the questions asked.” Add:
“This Assembly places on record its disappointment that, despite the critical importance to businesses and livelihoods across London of the issues discussed today, no formal representative of the Mayor or his team was able to or offered to attend.
The Assembly is most grateful to the external guests and the GLA officer who joined us to discuss London’s economic recovery from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, but believes that Londoners deserve to hear from the Mayor and his representatives at this crucial time. Indeed, the Mayor and his team would have benefited from hearing the expert evidence of those who appeared before us today.
This Assembly agrees for the Chair to write to the Mayor expressing its disappointment and requesting a firm commitment that, when invited or requested in future, an appropriate Mayoral representative will always attend Assembly meetings.”
4.7 Following debate the amendment and the motion as amended, namely:
That the answers to the questions asked be noted. That the Assembly places on record its disappointment that, despite the critical importance to businesses and livelihoods across London of the issues discussed today, no formal representative of the Mayor or his team was able to or offered to attend.
The Assembly is most grateful to the external guests and the GLA officer who joined to discuss London’s economic recovery from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, but believes that Londoners deserve to hear from the Mayor and his representatives at this crucial time. Indeed, the Mayor and his team would have benefited from hearing the expert evidence of those who appeared before the Assembly today.
Page 250 Greater London Authority London Assembly (Plenary) Thursday 23 July 2020
The Assembly agrees for the Chair to write to the Mayor expressing its disappointment and requesting a firm commitment that, when invited or requested in future, an appropriate Mayoral representative will always attend Assembly meetings.”
were agreed unanimously.
4.8 The Chair announced that the Assembly would adjourn at 1.25pm for ten minutes.
4.9 Due to a failure in the meeting broadcast, the meeting was unable to reconvene at 1.35pm and the remaining business on the agenda fell.
Chair Date
Contact Officer: Davena Toyinbo, Principal Committee Manager; Telephone: 0208 039 1285; Email: [email protected]
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Page 252 Appendix 1
London Assembly Plenary – Tuesday 23 July 2020
Item 4 – Question and Answer Session: Economic Recovery in London
Navin Shah AM (Chair): We now move on to the question and answer session. Today’s principal business is a question and answer session on the economic recovery in London. I am pleased to say that joining us for today’s session we have: Jordan Cummins, Head of London Policy, Confederation of British Industry (CBI); Jace Tyrrell, Chief Executive, New West End Company Rowena Howie, who is London Policy Chair, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB); John Dickie, who is the Director of Strategy and Policy of London First; Sam Gurney, Regional Secretary, Trades Union Congress, London, East and South East; Councillor Georgia Gould, who is the Local Enterprise Partnership for London (LEAP) Board Member and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s Economic Recovery Working Group; Richard Burge, who is the Chief Executive of London Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and finally, we have Philip Graham, Greater London Authority (GLA) Executive Director of Good Growth. A large but strong panel, and we look forward to having our discussions with the invited guests. Welcome to the meeting, everyone.
There will be a lead-off question from me, as Chair, to Jordan Cummins, who is the Head of London Policy at the CBI, after which Assembly Members will put supplementary questions to our guests. Please could I ask Assembly Members to specify also whom they would like to answer when they put their questions so that we will know exactly whom the question is addressed to. For the guests, we would be grateful for succinct answers, please, so that we can get through all the questions we have for you today.
The first opening question is from me to Jordan Cummins. What are the main challenges for London’s economy as it emerges and recovers from the impact of COVID-19? Thank you, Jordan.
Jordan Cummins (Head of London Policy, Confederation of British Industry): Thank you very much, Chair, and thanks for inviting the CBI to speak.
It is fair to say that this has been a challenging few months for businesses of all shapes and sizes and all sectors, for that matter. When addressing the challenges for the recovery for the capital going forward, there are a series that probably come in short, medium and long-term if we were to group them.
One of the issues that our members are bringing up more readily than not in the short-term category is reliance on the transport network, which of course we have quite heavily in London, and they are looking at things like modelling the return in the autumn, how fast businesses can come back, and real-time data that firms would really love to have from Transport for London (TfL) to avoid the peaks, where possible. Within that, looking at our international counterparts - New York, Paris, Hong Kong - there seems to be an eerily consistent challenge with those international cities as well as us, so this is not just London.
Moving beyond the transport network, I would say spatial planning for offices and implementing social distancing while returning to work. Coinciding those two things is a real challenge. The rise in unemployment
Page 253 which we may see in the autumn is very high on businesses’ agendas at the moment, and they want to keep as many people as they possibly can, so utilising the schemes that are out there is still top of the list for business.
Consumer confidence also in the short term is exceptionally important and will be at the heart of any recovery for London. Housing cost is something that has come up quite recently with a lot of businesses, with many people falling into arrears even into the salary demographics that we have not seen before. In the short term, those are the things that our members are bringing up in terms of challenges to overcome.
In the mid-term I think we can see things like footfall and the shift from consumer confidence to consumer habits and how that impacts central London specifically. The usage of space in inner London and the evolution of some of the Mayor’s introductions, such as Streetspace and where that goes, the reliance on deliveries and 24-hour service, especially in retail and hospitality. Interaction with things like Streetspace is something that our members have been raising quite readily recently. Moving forward into road charging and the evolution of that Streetspace and how we balance that green recovery tension with road charging and supplying our businesses, especially along things like Regent Street.
In the long-term, just finally, productivity and skills drivers, how London boroughs work with businesses more closely to perhaps turn Jobcentres into skills hubs and really get people ready for work, rather than just signposting them to jobs. Long-term focus on commuting, so perhaps we might see a shift from 45- to 60- minute commutes to 20- to 30-minute commuting and how that impacts the outer London boroughs, perhaps with less people coming into Zone 1. That might be something we see.
Finally, businesses often raise, “What can the GLA and Government do within the fiscal lever framework they have to give a bit more headspace to the Mayor and the capacity at local government to ease the burden and the impact of COVID-19?” Lots of members raise things like tourist taxes and a lot of levers that exist in international counterparts. In the longer term, interesting funding models for infrastructure but also a cash flow for local government to help businesses. Those are the short, medium and long-term issues that our members are raising with us most.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Thank you very much, Jordan. You have focused and talked about your strategy for central London, which I appreciate, but something which you can also let us know - not now but perhaps in writing - is how you are addressing issues surrounding outer London areas as well, which will have a huge impact on the whole economic recovery, if you can bear that in mind.
I would now like to move on to supplementary lead questions from Members. Firstly, in order, I have Assembly Member Cooper, who has the first question, please. Assembly Member Cooper.
Léonie Cooper AM: Thank you very much, Chair. My question is to Jordan. Thanks very much for that introductory statement. Small and large businesses have had to adapt their business models, as you were pointing out, and all of their ways of working to deal with the pandemic situation since March. However, from September, they face the prospect of having to change their business models again to adapt to the changes that will come at the end of December with the no-deal Brexit. Carolyn Fairbairn [Director-General, CBI] has had a lot to say about the Brexit situation.
I just wondered if you could say to us whether or not you think that London businesses have the bandwidth to recover from the impact of the coronavirus in time to prepare for the no-deal Brexit.
Page 254 Jordan Cummins (Head of London Policy, Confederation of British Industry): It is a good and fair question. In short, we would struggle to say that every business does have the bandwidth. I think we have been quite vocal in recent months about the fact that COVID-19 really has sucked up quite a lot of the resilience that the business community had stored for Brexit.
Paramount is, of course, to get a deal and to get the heads of terms of that deal out as fast as is humanly possible so that firms have a good idea about how big the playing field is and how level that playing field might be. I do think it would be a stretch to say that every single business is really ready, especially not for a catastrophic no-deal Brexit, as we see it. There just is not the bandwidth, not least in terms of time, but also fiscal capacity at boardroom level is really quite constrained and a lot of businesses are on skeleton staff at the moment. The capacity to plan really is quite low, I would say.
Léonie Cooper AM: I think that is why the Economy Committee, which I chair, not unanimously wrote to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, because there has been a hold-up with the negotiations, to say not that Brexit should be cancelled but that the transitional period should be extended. What you have just said is quite worrying, and obviously the Mayor has been calling for that extension as well.
A lot of people stockpiled things in the lead-up to 31 October 2019, when we previously thought we were going to leave [the EU]. Do you think businesses have been able to do that this time?
Jordan Cummins (Head of London Policy, Confederation of British Industry): Again, I would say probably much less so. This is primarily a health crisis we are in, but it has a huge knock-on economic crisis. Not least because you have businesses that have constrained cash flow, but you also have businesses where staff have contracted coronavirus and staff have unfortunately passed from coronavirus. There is a huge knock-on impact to people’s mental resilience across businesses at the moment, and there is a real tension between firms wanting to do the best for their local communities but also not wanting to put people in harm’s way sooner than they really should be. I think all of that is combining just to really constrain people’s time to stockpile, I would say, in the same manner that they did last year.
We are in a very, very different economic landscape. Especially as we move away from the start of the really tricky early part of the virus in this next planning stage, we should not forget that there are quite a lot of small businesses, as Rowena [Howie] will attest to, that are gasping for breath still. We have a lot of support, but the support is going to tail off. The planning in those smaller firms for what happens when that tails off is going to be really tough.
Léonie Cooper AM: Yes. I think that is right. I wonder if I could bring in Phil Graham at this point. As I just said, the Economy Committee wrote to Michael Gove [Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster] to ask for an extension, but two Assembly Members from the Conservative Group did not support it and said any further delays to Brexit and extension to the transitional period would increase uncertainty, which in the midst of the pandemic is the last thing that London needs. I wondered if that is something that you are hearing from businesses, that everybody is very keen to go straight through with the no-deal Brexit. I would be grateful if you could be brief because I am relatively short of time now. Thank you.
Philip Graham (Executive Director of Good Growth, Greater London Authority): I participated in the Mayor’s Business Advisory Board recently, which is one of the main routes through which we engage with business and particularly business at a senior level. I would say the business position - Rowena [Howie] and
Page 255 Jordan [Cummins] will come back on this as well - is much more nuanced than that. Clearly, there is a desire for stability and certainty because businesses need that to plan, but within that need for stability and certainty, they see it - depending on what business they are in - as needing to be balanced against getting the right arrangement in place with the European Union (EU) to succeed over the longer term.
I do not think the business position is as simple as, “Can we please just know what is happening so we can get on with it?” I think the business position is that we need to be able to see a world in which we are moving to a stable position, but we cannot just throw every protection and every advantage that we might gain through a good deal out of the window to secure that. Jordan and Rowena, who have their own business members, and John [Dickie], indeed, may be able to come in and say more about that.
Léonie Cooper AM: Unfortunately, I do not have time for that. Thank you very much. Thank you, Chair.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): The next question is from Assembly Member Russell.
Caroline Russell AM: Thank you, Chair, and good morning, everyone. Thank you to this huge panel for joining us. I am only sorry I am not going to be able to ask questions to all of you, because there are things that I would like to ask each of you.
There are a lot of representatives here from businesses and industry, and I want to make sure that we keep in mind today the people who are not in the meeting. That is the workers, the recently unemployed, the furloughed and the young people that this crisis is hitting the hardest. We know from the recent Poverty Profile published by Trust for London that poverty is higher in London than in any other region in the United Kingdom (UK) and, despite a small increase in the employment rate, 200,000 more Londoners are living in poverty now than five years ago.
My first question is for Phil Graham. As Executive Director for Good Growth, what are you, your team and the Mayor doing to ensure that the economic recovery is going to benefit all Londoners, particularly those who might fall through the gaps in the Government’s safety net?
Philip Graham (Executive Director of Good Growth, Greater London Authority): Thank you. The first thing that is really important to say is that throughout this crisis the Mayor has been advocating very strongly for those gaps that exist in the Government’s safety net to be plugged. We continue to do so, and there has been some success in that. For example, both the switch to provide a stronger safety net for self-employed and freelance workers and the move that we have seen more recently towards systems whereby the furlough scheme can also apply to workers coming back part-time are things that the Mayor has been specifically calling for, and we are pleased to see those put in place.
Alongside that, however, there is a huge amount that we need to do to support people, in particular to support people from some of our more disadvantaged communities who have been hit particularly hard by this. We have seen across the COVID crisis that it has hit black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, it has hit women harder, and there is an enormous amount to do on that. Our Employment and Skills Team is working extremely hard, getting the Skills for Londoners Board to ensure that the programmes we have in place are flexed to be able to respond to the crisis, and it is putting flexibilities in place to make sure that some of the contractual issues that the crisis has developed are not a problem to providing support and help to people. We have done a huge amount to tackle food poverty. We continue to look at fuel poverty through our Warmer
Page 256 Homes Service. There is a lot that is in the day job that we are just continuing to focus on as this crisis has gone on to make sure that we can help.
Alongside that, we are clear that addressing poverty - both existing and new poverty that might have occurred - addressing unemployment and ensuring that there is a positive future for young people need to be critical planks of the recovery programme, and they are the types of things that we are talking about as the key strands of that in terms of the missions that we might take forward.
Caroline Russell AM: Thank you. It would also have been good to hear a bit about the Young Londoners Fund because I think you are doing some work through that, but I am going to move on. It is good to hear that you have been lobbying Government. It is really important, when we know that data from Excluded UK, for instance, tell us that 3 million people nationally have been excluded from that Government support. That is about 10% of the workforce, so it is really important that you keep up with that work to make sure that people are not falling through those gaps.
I am going to move now to Georgia Gould to look at one of the groups in London that is hardest hit by the economic impact of coronavirus, and that is young people. They are at risk of becoming a lost generation. On top of the severe disruption to their education, young people’s access to travel is under threat, a third have been furloughed or lost their jobs completely, and all of this is likely to scar their pay and prospects for years to come. They are also likely to be working in the sectors that are hardest hit by coronavirus, like hospitality, tourism and retail.
Georgia, what is your Recovery Taskforce doing specifically to support young people?
Councillor Georgia Gould (Local Enterprise Partnership for London Board Member, and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s Economic Recovery Working Group): Yes, it is an incredibly important question, and we have seen through this crisis that it has shone a light on the deep inequalities that we see in our city and the poverty in our city, and young people have been one of the groups hit hardest by it. Speaking to young people, they have talked about their fears of coming out of education into a labour market that does not have any opportunities. We have seen the extent of the digital divide and how that has cut off many young people from learning. It is a key focus.
Philip [Graham] talked a bit about the missions we are developing, and one will absolutely be focused on opportunities for young people, ensuring that young Londoners are in education, employment and training, and we have already been working together as boroughs with the GLA to bring that wraparound support for young people in our local places.
We are really concerned about some of these national decisions. The imposition of the removal of under-18 travel on TfL is going to hit some of our poorest and most disadvantaged Londoners at a time when they desperately need free travel to get to cultural resources and to get into education. It is such a retrograde step and it is something where we, as boroughs, absolutely stand with the Mayor in pushing back on that decision.
There is a lot we can do positively, and some of the key areas we are working on are addressing some of the trauma that has come from this and taking a trauma-informed approach as young people go back into education, looking at opportunities over the summer period for involvement in positive activities for young people and, as I said, the employment, education and training piece.
Page 257 Finally, digital access. We already knew the digital divide was a huge issue in London, but I think this has really shone a light on the issue. In my own borough, 4,000 young people did not have access to either a device or broadband to learn during the crisis. We really want to work on a project that brings digital access to Londoners, and we are mobilising around that.
Caroline Russell AM: Thank you. Certainly, the digital access piece is a huge issue. As a council leader, are you getting support coming through to your borough? How easy are the services finding it to transition support, like youth club support or support for disabled young people, learning-disabled young people and youth groups, on to platforms like Zoom? I am getting very low on time, just to alert you.
Councillor Georgia Gould (Local Enterprise Partnership for London Board Member, and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s Economic Recovery Working Group): Yes. We are opening our youth clubs. We are doing a big summer programme and we have just done virtual work experience with 250 young people. We are transitioning, but it is not the same, and there is this real need that young people are facing. In terms of digital support, yes, the scheme is still leaving huge gaps. We still have over 1,000 young people who do not have access. The funding gaps we face are still an existential challenge. Youth services are still discretionary. They have been some of the hardest hit by austerity. We have had just over £19 million from Government. We have a £83 million gap still as a borough. It puts all of those discretionary services at risk. Funding for local government is absolutely critical to support for young people.
Caroline Russell AM: Thank you. I am going to leave it there. Thank you very much.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Thank you. Can we move on to a question from Assembly Member Whittle?
Peter Whittle AM: Thank you very much, Mr Chair. Good morning to the panel.
My question I think I have to ask you all, and maybe someone can answer it. It is just about London’s - if you want to call it - cultural industry. I do not mean by that necessarily the creative industry. I mean in terms of theatre, in terms of performing arts, in terms of all the things that make up a huge part of London life and, of course, the economy. What are your views on the future of that? How do you see that going? We have actually had very worrying statements from, for example, the likes of [Sir] Cameron Mackintosh [theatrical producer and theatre owner], that even his very big commercial shows will not now open until next year. I am thinking particularly of the sheer volume of restaurants and bars and all of these things that rely on this sector for their survival. How do you see it panning out? What is your view on it? It is open to anybody who wants to answer me.
Philip Graham (Executive Director of Good Growth, Greater London Authority): One of my responsibilities is for the GLA Culture Team. There is no doubt that in the coming months the future looks very, very difficult for that sector. It has been decimated. It is pretty much impossible to plan for your doors being forced to shut for anything between six months and a year. In another life I am the chair of a small theatre in Camden, and, in that theatre, we are talking on an incredibly regular basis about how difficult the financial challenge is.
The Mayor is stepping into this. We have expanded our Culture at Risk Office. We have put in place a £2.3 million Culture at Risk fund to support some of the venues that might otherwise be at risk. The Government’s £1.5 billion package is incredibly welcome, but we wait to see how that will be allocated.
Page 258 The flip side of that is that theatres, which are run by creative people and are highly able to innovate, are starting to adapt. That is not changing the existential pressures that they are face. They are adapting in incredibly different circumstances. Whilst I think it is going to be an incredibly rocky few months - there is every chance that we are going to lose venues that are precious to the sector and to the communities they service - I am optimistic that the sector will adjust itself or will find a way through. It is going to be incredibly difficult and it is not going to be a cultural sector, when we emerge from this crisis, which looks exactly the same as it was when it came in. It is going to have to adapt and change.
Peter Whittle AM: Thank you very much. When you say, “Adapt and change”, my concern really is as the various social distancing measures stay in force, and it appears to be the case that they are going to be without end at the moment, and indeed they are intensifying with the new mandatory masking coming in. You are talking about things never being able to operate quite as they did before. The thing is, aren’t these things we actually have to face, rather than just simply saying, “These are challenges”? If you are talking about theatre, for example, you are talking about actors on stage. How can you possibly do a play if you have to socially distance and so on?
I am not just trying to make the point about theatre because the fact is, as you obviously understand, there is a mass of commerce around this sector. You are talking about basically the whole of the West End, which, frankly, I think it is not too strong a point to say, is facing an extinction-level event, actually.
Philip Graham (Executive Director of Good Growth, Greater London Authority): I absolutely take the point about the critical importance of the sector. Interestingly, when we sat down and spoke to them - I mentioned the Mayor’s Business Advisory Board recently - this group of people who were from McKinsey and big businesses, one of their biggest areas of concern was the future of the cultural sector in London because it is so important in terms of creating the kind of city that attracts investment and so on.
I should hand over to Rowena, who wants to come in.
Rowena Howie (London Policy Chair, Federation of Small Businesses): Institutions for culture and the arts have been very clear about the help and support that they required, and they were right to speak up and loudly. There has been some level of contribution there. From my point of view from the FSB, small business includes micro-businesses. There are so many self-employed workers working in the creative field, and they provide the backbone of the West End and the support systems for those larger institutions.
Your points are very correct. I would say from the small, micro-business point of view, as this is prolonged, not only are self-employed people challenged in their income, but are they going to have to seek other avenues of work? Are they going to stop doing that kind of work in the interim? When we talk about support and when we talk about the future, I think we really need to take into account the huge number of people involved in culture and the arts, not just the bigger organisations.
Peter Whittle AM: I would totally agree with that. I was not necessarily mentioning the bigger organisations. From what I can understand, the Government’s bailout, if you want to call it that, actually does make provision for those big institutions. I think the fact is that we can go on all the time recognising how difficult it is going to be without actually coming up with something. For example, theatres or any performing space will be reduced to 30% capacity. As you know, it takes about 67% or 70% for them to even break even. If this thing carries on - and as I understand it, the idea is that we carry on until there is some vaccine or something - it is
Page 259 going to wipe out the whole sector. It is actually going to wipe it out. Why don’t we look at it that way? Don’t drastic measures need to be taken in terms of social distancing, relaxing it?
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Assembly Member Whittle, I have Councillor Gould, Jordan Cummins and Jace Tyrrell who have indicated. Would you want to hear from them? Shall I bring them in?
Peter Whittle AM: Yes, please.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): OK. Can we have Councillor Gould, please?
Councillor Georgia Gould (Local Enterprise Partnership for London Board Member, and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s Economic Recovery Working Group): Thank you. Yes, I absolutely agree about the existential challenge. The creative industries and culture give us one in six jobs for London, so it is absolutely critical for our productivity.
I do think it needs more than the bailout. We need a specific scheme, which is some kind of extension of the furlough, which allows these organisations that are performance venues to survive. Live music and theatre, as you have set out, are the two critical elements of that. The point about freelancers: extending the self- employment scheme for this particular industry because we cannot afford in London for that to disappear.
I also think, as we are looking at reinvigorating our high streets, there are opportunities to bring culture to our streets, to our open spaces, to be creative about how we bring culture to new audiences across London. Those are some of the things we are looking at, but there is a fundamental lobbying point that we need to protect this whole area for London’s future, and it goes beyond the next couple of months, in my view.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Jordan Cummins, do you still want to come in?
Jordan Cummins (Head of London Policy, Confederation of British Industry): Just to echo Georgia on the fundamental lobbying point, but also I think, as an industry that is central, as we say, to London’s growth, just like the higher education sector, which is looking at fundamentally the impact of COVID-19 on the funding model of its entire business, it will not be alone in terms of big anchor sectors across London that probably now need to do that. It is not their fault - they have run on this model for a long time and it has been exceptionally beneficial for the city - but if we are, as you say, Assembly Member Whittle, to carry on in this stage until there is a vaccine, there will be several industries that will have to undertake probably some kind of assessment in terms of their financial viability when the sun is not shining.
There is more work to do across industries to help that, so people working with their supply chains. There is more of a role for bigger business to look at how things change, how we bring into the fold those new things that Councillor Gould is mentioning about different types of service provision: digital service provision, a hybrid of physical and digital. There is more the business community can do to help each other, which is where we see our role, to help that.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Thank you, Jordan. Unfortunately, we are out of time with this particular question. May I please request Jace Tyrrell and Sam Gurney, who wanted to come in on this, write to us about your views on the culture sector question that was raised by Assembly Member Whittle?
Page 260 If we can move on to the next supplementary lead question, that is from Assembly Member Bailey.
Shaun Bailey AM: Good morning to all our guests. I would just like to finish this point about the cultural industry in London, because of course we have a visitor economy, and this is basically what those people are visiting: our huge variety of culture and the scale of the culture. What kind of intervention are we looking for in monetary terms? If we are approaching the Government and asking for more money, can we give that a figure? Can we give it a ballpark? What kind of monies are we talking about? Why don’t I start with Philip and then move on?
Philip Graham (Executive Director of Good Growth, Greater London Authority): Thank you. I do not have a specific figure because this breaks up across a number of areas. Councillor Gould identified the importance of thinking about how the employment support schemes continue to support the sectors that have been strongest hit. Others have talked about other elements of the challenge.
I would say the culture and creative industries sector, together with the tourism sector and how they support us, contributes in the region of £58 billion to the capital’s economy per year. As I think someone else said, it accounts for one in six jobs. If you are talking about an industry of that scale and an impact that could decimate that and could reduce that by a really material sum, then £1.5 billion at national level is a great start, but that pales into insignificance against the size of this industry just in London. As we talk about how you rethink the financial model for this industry, as Jordan [Cummins] said, we need to be clear about the need for long-term support, and that may mean thinking differently about how that is provided as well as simply what the scale of the number is.
Shaun Bailey AM: OK, thank you. Rowena, would you have anything to add to that?
Rowena Howie (London Policy Chair, Federation of Small Businesses): I am not going to go for a big- picture number. I am going to boil it down into something much smaller, and that would be looking to the future and looking to create jobs and the apprenticeships that have been brought up and the £2,000 funding towards that. I would say a big concern for London’s small businesses is that £2,000 would not be enough to actually bring about bringing young people into a company. We are lobbying the Mayor for maybe match funding on that amount to help small businesses create those jobs going forward. Rather than present a bigger-picture, fix-it number, I am going to say these are the small additional things, and you are going to put those kinds of numbers into that bigger picture.
Shaun Bailey AM: OK. Councillor Gould, a comment there?
Councillor Georgia Gould (Local Enterprise Partnership for London Board Member, and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s Economic Recovery Working Group): I think the most fundamental thing that will make a difference is extending the furlough scheme both for those hardest hit cultural bodies that cannot reopen due to social distancing and for self-employed workers. I do not know how much that comes to, but I would look at a specific sector deal recognising the importance of investing in this area.
Shaun Bailey AM: This question I address to Philip. Of course, if the Mayor is going to have this ask, surely the work needs to be done by the Mayor’s Office, the GLA, around what that looks like, what it costs and whom it would be for. If we are going to support one industry above another, there has to be a justification for that. Is that a piece of work that has been looked at by your office?
Page 261 Philip Graham (Executive Director of Good Growth, Greater London Authority): We are looking all the time at how we can best support the arts and cultural sector and what we should be seeking from Government to be a part of that. That has been reflected in the Government’s £1.5 billion package that is in place at the moment. What we need to see now is how that is implemented and what the impacts of that on London are, whilst continuing, as Councillor Gould says, to lobby for the ongoing employment support that the cultural sector is probably going to need.
Shaun Bailey AM: OK. Thank you. I would just like to slightly change tack and talk to Jordan first about your concept around short, medium and long-term changes that need to be made. What are your members asking for around the reliance on the transport network? You made a comment that we are very reliant on it for our economic activity, which is clear. What are your members looking for to help them support a return back to higher levels of income?
Jordan Cummins (Head of London Policy, Confederation of British Industry): Thanks, Assembly Member Bailey. There are probably two main things. The real-time data point comes up quite a lot from members who have quite a heavy office space in Zone 1. Generally, people talk in the cluster in Canary Wharf and people know what is going on, but there is also a very huge professional services cluster across the Central line. I think real-time data that businesses could tap into to know where the peaks are and when to avoid, aside from the capsule TfL peak time, is always really helpful. The accessibility of that data and privacy is sometimes a challenge, and we know that.
Also - and this is something we are working with TfL on - there is the timeline for modelling. If firms are looking in the autumn to perhaps start bringing back 20%, 30% or 40% of their workforces, that really is a moot point if 20%, 30% or 40% of their workforces cannot physically get on the network. A real timeline for TfL modelling as to when the percentages might come up from where they are - and I think there are still only about two or three in ten - is really, really helpful for firms to basically align that with the network, if that makes sense.
Shaun Bailey AM: OK. I ask the same question to Rowena. Are small businesses massively impacted? Let me rephrase that. How heavily impacted are small businesses around our lack of confidence on moving around on the public transport system?
Rowena Howie (London Policy Chair, Federation of Small Businesses): Small businesses are facing huge problems at the moment in lack of confidence from their workers. Small businesses are ready to bring people back to their shops and restaurants, etc, which have reopened, but when you are faced with your total of three staff members all saying, “I am too nervous to get on the Tube”, you have to look at how you are going to deal with that. We do have a moral obligation to the wellbeing of our staff, as well as an economic obligation and a desire to grow and recover.
I would say that on top of the current challenges of the cost of bringing people back to work is the cost of personal protective equipment (PPE). We have figured out that it is about £1,000 that small businesses are having to outlay on fulfilling the COVID risk assessments and stuff. Really just within a very short time, this week and last week, there are huge challenges, and that is against a backdrop of huge bigger-picture challenges, too.
Page 262 Shaun Bailey AM: OK. Let me quickly move over to Philip. Philip, what is the Mayor doing about increasing confidence in travelling on the Tube? We know, for instance, TfL has great data and could be doing much more around the kinds of challenges that Jordan [Cummins] just highlighted. What is the office specifically doing around increasing the capacity of the Tube, which is probably a TfL question, but also about the confidence of using the network in general?
Philip Graham (Executive Director of Good Growth, Greater London Authority): The Mayor had been pushing for some time about the importance of non-medical face coverings for using on public transport as a way of helping to manage the risks associated and bring back confidence. It is interesting that the Government finally a little while ago brought that forward.
TfL has been doing a huge amount with the data that it has available. I appreciate that businesses will always want more, but over the course of lockdown TfL has been innovating a lot to be able to use roadway data and to be able to use rapidly available - not quite real-time - data in terms of Tube and bus usage to identify where the pinch-points are, how patterns of travel have changed during lockdown, and then target particular areas and particular sectors in terms of how they work with their workers to bring people in. That has been particularly key over the months up to now with the construction sector because the peak of Tube travel shifted from the 7.30am to 9.30am period for office workers earlier in the day as the construction sector continued to need that work.
We have achieved a lot to know where capacity is needed and to work with firms, so they understand those peaks to deal with it. We will continue to do that, and TfL will continue to do that as office workers start to return over the coming months and as those patterns change. We will try to make as much of that available as we can and meet the aspirations of business, but there is a lot of work going on.
Shaun Bailey AM: Is there any more that can be done around the specifics of that feeling of safety, of confidence? Rowena made a comment that her members of staff are saying, “We are afraid. We are nervous to get on the Tube”. The Mayor was criticised quite heavily for not providing PPE for his own staff. Can he do more about suggesting or telling people how the Tube is safe to use? That confidence piece goes again to one of Jordan’s [Cummins] comments about consumer confidence and, of course, consumer behaviour habits going forward. Our transport system is pivotal to that. I am not hearing enough around what we are going to do specifically to give people a feeling of confidence in using the system. What else can be done?
Philip Graham (Executive Director of Good Growth, Greater London Authority): We are trying to get the messages across about the safety of the Tube, as long as people travel appropriately, as much as we can - the Tube has never been cleaner than it has before, and staff are trained to support passengers to deal with this - but I do not think you can unpick this issue from the wider health issues. Alongside getting the message right about travel that both the health side and the transport side can stay with, what will bring confidence to people is getting test and trace right, getting outbreak control right, ensuring that the Government has a system that people really have confidence in so that, as the pattern changes, people know that anything that occurs will be dealt with appropriately.
Shaun Bailey AM: OK. Just to move on to another comment from Jordan - it would be interesting to hear Jordan’s and Rowena’s comments around this - around the productivity and skills piece, what would you like to see the Mayor do more of? What could the Mayor do to support the development of those two concepts, productivity increasing in the future and also the skills agenda as well?
Page 263 Rowena Howie (London Policy Chair, Federation of Small Businesses): Jordan, I am sure you have some great points so I will let you say the main part, but I would just repeat, Assembly Member Bailey, that I really believe it is an issue that when there are projects in existence we want small businesses to be able to take them up. This idea of the apprenticeships and the £2,000 is not enough. We really do need to lobby for some level of match funding to enable London’s small businesses to employ London people.
Shaun Bailey AM: OK. Interesting. Thank you.
Jordan Cummins (Head of London Policy, Confederation of British Industry): I would mainly echo that apprenticeship starts across London really could be ramped up, and I think the levy has a lot of challenges with it. There have been some innovative solutions, and I know that the Mayor has been working on that across boroughs.
Also, things like the construction skills academies that we have seen across some boroughs can be rolled out to different types of industries. Construction is obviously a big anchor industry for London but, as we have highlighted today, there is more than one real anchor industry for London. Getting those borough-level skills academies up specifically to channel into the jobs that we are going to need. I am thinking energy efficiency, retrofit. We can create jobs really quickly in those areas, but the skillsets are not quite there yet. They are transferrable, so you become an energy retrofitter now and you can potentially become an engineer later on.
At the heart of all of this, Assembly Member Bailey, is the quality of careers advice, which is perhaps a separate point. Those borough-level academies that really target things that we know are going to grow would be where we would want to see investment put.
Shaun Bailey AM: Just to go to Philip, Jordan has just talked about specific skillsets and Rowena [Howie] has talked about match funding. Is that on the Mayor’s agenda? Could you commit the Mayor to match funding the £2,000 for the apprenticeships scheme? Is that something that you could do?
Philip Graham (Executive Director of Good Growth, Greater London Authority): How we roll out apprenticeships more fully, how we improve careers advice - the Mayor has been arguing for some time for a London careers service that can deliver bespoke advice that relates to what young people in London need - and how we pick up retrofit and energy efficiency and build them into the recovery programme and ensure that we get that synergy between something that is going to deliver for our climate objectives but also is a real spur to job creation, including potentially through the kind of academy that Jordan is talking about, is absolutely something that we are looking at very hard.
Shaun Bailey AM: Sometimes we hear so much from the Mayor’s Office about what everybody else can be doing in Government, etc. What can the Mayor do? For instance, the Good Growth Fund has completed three projects and created 109 jobs. We were initially told it was going to create 6,000 jobs with 83 projects. What has happened there? Why hasn’t the Mayor been able to drive that forward?
Philip Graham (Executive Director of Good Growth, Greater London Authority): The Good Growth Fund is delivering a huge amount of benefit across London. One of the things that we are working very hard on at the moment is to make sure that those projects that have been funded that way are stabilising. Almost every project has been affected directly by the impact of COVID-19, and one of the key tasks for my team is to make sure that that programme continues so the employment benefits and the other benefits that are going to
Page 264 come from that, including around revitalising our high streets, are secured. The Good Growth Fund is a really important part of this.
Shaun Bailey AM: It may well be an important part of it but let us be clear: it has only done three of 83 projects. The COVID situation is relatively new when you compare it to the Good Growth Fund. The reason I asked the question is before COVID happened, the Good Growth Fund was not performing. Now that we really need it to perform, are you redoubling your efforts? Is something different going to be done in this real time of need?
Philip Graham (Executive Director of Good Growth, Greater London Authority): There are a huge number of Good Growth projects that are going on at the moment. There may be three that are fully completed, if I understand correctly, but work is in hand across London to deliver projects funded through the Good Growth Fund. Indeed, the Mayor has just announced a further equivalent fund for the Royal Docks area, another £13 million. Yes, efforts are redoubling, and we are continuing to work with the boroughs to make sure that the benefits of those projects are felt as widely as possible.
Shaun Bailey AM: OK, thank you. This will be my last question, Chair.
On 17 June 2020 at Economy Committee the Deputy Mayor for Business indicated that the creation of an Economic Recovery Strategy for London was a top priority. What progress has been made on this?
Philip Graham (Executive Director of Good Growth, Greater London Authority): This is exactly the Strategy that is being developed through the Economic Recovery Working Group that Councillor Gould is chairing and the work that is going on through the Taskforce. We are developing that Strategy as a joint project between the GLA and the boroughs and London Councils, not quite as we speak, but right now.
Shaun Bailey AM: Councillor Gould, maybe you could tell us where you have got to with that. Do we have a delivery date and the terms of reference? Any information would be greatly received.
Councillor Georgia Gould (Local Enterprise Partnership for London Board Member, and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s Economic Recovery Working Group): Yes. We will be presenting to the Recovery Board on Tuesday the missions that we plan to take forward, and they incorporate so much of what has been put forward in this conversation. For example, I think the point about skills academies for green jobs is absolutely in there. We are looking to increase the number of green jobs. We think retrofitting is a huge opportunity for London, and green investment, revitalising our high streets.
We have had working groups already of borough officers and the GLA getting this work on the ground. We are seeing it in all of our boroughs in terms of new cycle and pedestrian routes, new licensing to support businesses in the short-term, the investment we have seen through the Growth Fund and the support to businesses. We have not waited. The work is ongoing, but we will be launching our missions, our call to action to London, or presenting it to the Recovery Board and hoping that that support is taken forward. I have never known the GLA and boroughs to be working more closely together, and we are seeing the need in our communities as it is, and those key focuses for us are unemployment, retraining, supporting a green-led recovery, supporting our high streets across the capital and at the same time the Central Activities Zone. Yes, it will be going forward on Tuesday.
Page 265 Shaun Bailey AM: Thank you, Chair.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Assembly Member Bailey, Jace Tyrrell has indicated. Do you want to hear an answer, or do you want to move on?
Shaun Bailey AM: I do. I do want to hear.
Jace Tyrrell (Chief Executive, New West End Company): Thank you. Just to echo the point, the West End will not survive this if we carry on the way we are. I think a lot of the points have been made. One in ten Londoners are employed in the West End across retail, theatre, hospitality and the office sector. It is more Gross Value Added (GVA) than the City. It is issues Assembly Members are aware of. I think we have to move beyond the Government support, and what we need to think about is: how do we get beyond social distancing being the default position? We could be living with this virus for 18 months to two years, so we need really good track and trace, excellent treatment and obviously a vaccine. That is really going to start to help people get back to work and back to the West End.
We are looking at a really precarious situation in the West End at the moment. We could be losing 50,000 jobs in the next 12 months. This is stuff that you have seen and issues we have spoken about. This is an issue for London. This is an issue for the country in terms of what is happening in the West End at the moment.
To pick up the point on transport - and I know this has been raised by other colleagues - confidence and consistency of message is really important. We have looked at some other cities around the world that have opened up in the same amount of time that London has been opening up, and they are getting 40% to 50% on their networks with social distancing in place. I think perhaps the task for the Mayor and TfL is: how can we increase the capacity with social distancing in place to get more people into the centre of London? We cannot wait two or three months. We need to start getting people in now as well. It is really back to the Mayor and TfL to work with colleagues particularly in central London to make that happen.
If I may touch on a couple of medium-term points, if you think about Brexit and the EU deal that was raised earlier, one thing that will really help the West End and also London with the visitor economy is tax-free shopping. At the moment, on 1 January, we will be able to go to Europe and shop tax-free, but European citizens, 500 million of them, will not be able to come to the UK. We need to level that up because that is going to have a huge demand for our visitor economy and that will also support many jobs and many people across hospitality, retail and culture. If there is one ask, it is for the Government to level up tax-free so that we can get those 500,000 European visitors over to the UK from 1 January next year.
Shaun Bailey AM: Thank you.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): OK. Thank you. Can we take a question from Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon, please?
Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM: Thank you very much, Chair. London’s markets are part of our history and add to the vibrancy and cultural diversity of our city, as well as being a significant part of the economy, particularly in areas like the East End. I wrote to the Deputy Mayor for Business just last week with concerns market traders have over their future in many parts of London.First, my question to Councillor Gould, as you are a Board Member of the LEAP and with your work on the Recovery Taskforce: I am aware money has been made
Page 266 available to small businesses, including market traders, through funds such as the Local Authority Discretionary Fund, but do you share my concern over reports that in some parts of London market traders are being offered as little as £360 to compensate them for loss of income during the pandemic?
Councillor Georgia Gould (Local Enterprise Partnership for London Board Member, and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s Economic Recovery Working Group): I absolutely share your concern and I think that we just do not have enough money in the discretionary funding pots we have been given. In Camden we have Camden Market, and I know I have emails, every single day from Camden Market traders who are in danger of losing their businesses, and they are seeing the Discretionary Fund as their last chance. Camden has had 1,500 applications for that fund, and we think we are able to fund 350. There is just not enough money and a lot of market traders, but also businesses in co-working spaces, who do not pay business rates, and live music venues have just been left out of that money. It is something we are very firmly lobbying on because, if we get more discretionary funding inwards to top up that pot, we will be able to give money to those market traders and to those other businesses. We have a very clear picture of the need, but we just have not been given enough money for those different businesses who fall out of the pot. Most boroughs, including my own, have given free space to market traders in support of them how we can, but we do need that discretionary funding.
Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM: What conversations has the LEAP been having with the Mayor and his team, and maybe even Government, over how markets and market traders in particular can be supported, not just now, but obviously in the weeks and the months ahead?
Councillor Georgia Gould (Local Enterprise Partnership for London Board Member, and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s Economic Recovery Working Group): I am not aware of the specific conversations the LEAP has been having, but I know that in our economic recovery work markets and high streets are absolutely at the heart of it. One of our key work streams is reinvigorating our high streets and our markets and seeing them as core not just to the economic recovery of London but also the social recovery of London. That is partly lobbying but that is also working together on a borough level to support walking and cycling, to support different uses of public spaces. That work is happening, and you can see it happening across our boroughs as we speak.
Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM: Thank you for that. We all know that boroughs face unprecedented financial uncertainty and strain as a result of the pandemic and following five years of deep Government cuts to local government. I wanted to ask Rowena from the FSB, what more do you and your members think the Mayor of London and indeed Government could do to support market traders, other sole traders and micro-businesses more generally in both the short term and also the longer term as we move forward out of this crisis?
Rowena Howie (London Policy Chair, Federation of Small Businesses): Can I just touch upon the cost of doing business in London and the nature of commercial space and the cost of that in London, too? I think we have been looking hard at landlord-tenant relationships, and we have asked the Mayor for support in trying to navigate more difficult relationships where landlords are not willing or not able to give any leeway to tenants in terms of rent that is at this point unpaid. There was a lot done at the beginning of the pandemic in March, where maybe a rent-free quarter was asked for and maybe granted. The impact has been longer and deeper, of course, and we are getting into a situation where those rent-free periods have perhaps ended. We are getting to a point where fixed overheads just cannot be paid at this point. That is the same for maybe a market trader as it is for a small business in an office
Page 267 or a restaurant or a shop or whatever. It is really broadly across all our members that the nature of the cost of the space is something that people are finding very difficult to maintain.
How you solve that is a very difficult question. We have been running a campaign called London Landlords, and we have really been trying to look at the moral obligation of landlords. What really helped at the beginning was when some of the big landlords took a step and they were the ones that led the way. We need that to happen again, and we are asking the Mayor to work with us to try to get some of the bigger landlords to lead the way on new ways forward on how we can make affordable space in London. Yes, the changing nature of commercial space and the usage of it as well is where the Mayor and London Councils can come in and help.
Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM: Thank you very much. I am out of time.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Thank you very much. Can we move on to a question from Assembly Member Devenish?
Tony Devenish AM: Chair, I will be very succinct. Two questions, and I will put them to Jace Tyrrell, and others can come in when they get called by other Assembly Members. Jace, could you please just give us an update on where we are on business rates and what we need the Government to do? That is my first question.
Secondly, would you agree with me the biggest concern is that the lost generation are the teens and early 20s that are not already in work? Let’s not always say, “What can Government do?” What can business do to help those people get work experience? Thank you.
Jace Tyrrell (Chief Executive, New West End Company): Thank you, Assembly Member Devenish. On rates, I am sure everyone has seen the announcement by the Government this week looking at evaluations now post-COVID and delaying the fundamental review until 2023. We know, for example, there are hundreds of businesses even pre-COVID in the West End that were looking to move or decrease their retail portfolio because of the business rates. For a long time, we have known this is a broken tax that falls disproportionately on the retail sector but also is a 200-year tax that is not fit for the purpose of where we are today.
I think what we need is something bridging from next year. From 1 April the holiday will end. If we go back to what we were pre-COVID, no holiday, we are going to see hundreds if not thousands of businesses collapse in London. What we need the Government to do is put something in place between 1 April next year and 2023. I do not know what the answer to that is yet, but certainly to give confidence now that they are going to look at something to bridge those two years. Decisions will be made this September and October on whether they close their stores and the redundancies that follow. We really urge the Government to come up with something transitional for those two years, and we welcome the commitment to fundamental reform. We would like to see more of the rates back to London as well. We pay £1 billion in our three streets alone in the West End. 4% comes back to Westminster and very little to the GLA, so we have to really think about how that distribution works for the productivity and the future of London and the UK. On the jobs, you are quite right - and Assembly Member Russell raised this before - particularly in retail, hospitality and leisure. Again, one in ten Londoners is employed in the West End. This pandemic and the job losses fall very hard on those entry-level jobs, particular for females and young people as well. This is a really acute concern for a lot of our members and employees in the West End.
Page 268 Microsoft has some very good work it is looking at on productivity and reskilling, particularly in the retail sector. We could roll that out into something more London-wide on the skills agenda and think about how we can use some of that money to raise the Apprenticeship Levy and other sources for reskilling, particularly in retail and hospitality. That is going to really help us in the medium term as well.
Tony Devenish AM: Thank you for being so concise. Could you write to us? I would like to take your latter point up with Jules Pipe, the Deputy Mayor [for Planning, Regeneration and Skills]. Thank you, Chair.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Can I move on to Assembly Member Cooper, please, and your question?
Léonie Cooper AM: Thank you very much, Chair. My question is addressed to Councillor Georgia Gould and it concerns disproportionality in the economic recovery. I wondered if you could outline for us how you are working with the Mayor to guarantee that London’s economic recovery is fair and open for all Londoners, especially those who have been really disproportionately impacted by COVID?
Councillor Georgia Gould (Local Enterprise Partnership for London Board Member, and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s Economic Recovery Working Group): Thank you for that question. This crisis, as I said at the start, has shone a light on the inequalities in our city and particularly we have seen the health impact on our BAME communities. That is linked to a number of factors, including housing, overcrowding and the kinds of jobs that people do.
In terms of how we have focused on it, we see a key risk to employment for Londoners in poorer parts of the city, on low pay and particularly in our BAME communities. When we are looking at trying to prevent unemployment, we will be focusing those programmes and the support and that retraining on the most disadvantaged Londoners.
We also, as I said, have a real focus on digital access, which, again, is very linked to deprivation. We focus that resource and that support on disadvantaged Londoners.
I know that the Mayor has a number of schemes to support diversity in different sectors and those will continue, and we will be addressing that in the business support as we move forward. There are definitely links to the social recovery workstream. We are working very closely. Some of the key support will be around addressing some of the health inequalities and - we have not talked about test and trace - ensuring that we are getting the testing and right messages to Londoners who are most at risk and working on prevention in areas of the city that we think might see a spread of COVID.
Léonie Cooper AM: Thank you very much for that. One of the issues that is going to start to emerge now, looking slightly ahead, is, for example, as the furlough scheme starts to wind down. You talked about young Londoners particularly in answer to Assembly Member Russell, but both BAME Londoners and young Londoners in general are the most likely to have been working in jobs that could not be done from home. Many of them may already have been made redundant, but those who have been furloughed, as the furlough scheme starts to wind up, may now be in danger of being just made redundant. That is a great worry from August onwards.
Page 269 Would you agree that some kind of targeted peer support programmes might be able to play a role in supporting London’s diverse communities? I do worry that some of the initiatives are not necessarily getting out to the people who need them most.
Councillor Georgia Gould (Local Enterprise Partnership for London Board Member, and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s Economic Recovery Working Group): In terms of what we should be doing, it is twofold: ensuring that there is rapid retraining and skilling for growth sectors or jobs that we are helping to create - we talked about retrofitting and the green economy - and investing in those areas, creating sustainable jobs in those areas and skills academies to support them as part of it and ensuring that diverse Londoners are getting those opportunities; and also the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is working on any extension of the Work and Health pilot or other schemes to help those furthest from the labour market and that the money is flexible in London and goes to boroughs. We have the relationships with our communities. The people are often our tenants. We are working with them through other services, food distribution for one, and we can have that peer support and localised community support to get people into work. In Camden we have invested £5 million into that, but often we see schemes that are centrally imposed. We are really pressing for place-based localised support for Londoners who are furthest from the labour market as part of our wider lobbying asks.
Léonie Cooper AM: Thanks very much for that. It is absolutely right to add that point about local authorities. It has certainly been very impressive the way that the Mayor and his team have been working so closely with London Councils as a whole. Thank you for that. Thank you, Chair. That is the end of my questions.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): All right. Can we move on to a question from Assembly Member Sahota, please?
Dr Onkar Sahota AM: Good morning. This question is to Jordan from the CBI.
In eight days’ time, employers will be made to pay the National Insurance contributions and pension contributions for workers who have been furloughed. In September, employers will be expected to start topping up their furloughed workers’ wages.
What impact do you think this will have on sectors of the economy that have not yet been able to open up and generate income?
Jordan Cummins (Head of London Policy, Confederation of British Industry): Thank you very much. It could potentially have a serious impact. It is really difficult. We are in quite a lot of conversations with sectors at the moment about what kind of modelling capacity they have internally, about where their workforce goes. There is a disparity between people who were already on a transformation programme and have just sped it up and people who have introduced a transformation programme because of COVID and have then had to speed that up too. Really understanding where industries are as a whole is very difficult. There are, of course, a lot of ongoing discussions with the Treasury and business, including us, about the future of the furlough scheme, wage subsidies and all of these things that have been thrown around, looking at our international comparators. They are not always one-size-fits-all solutions.
Dr Onkar Sahota AM: Chair, I have lost the sound.
Page 270 Navin Shah AM (Chair): Yes, so have we.
Dr Onkar Sahota AM: All right. Then maybe we can move on. Shall we move on to the next person I want to talk to?
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Yes, happy to.
Dr Onkar Sahota AM: Can I go over to the representative from the TUC? The Government has introduced an element of flexibility in the furlough scheme, which allows employers to bring their workers back in after the furlough. However, of course, not everyone will be able to go back to work on 1 August.
Is there any outreach work you are doing for people who feel unable to return to work after the furlough on 1 August?
Sam Gurney (Regional Secretary, London, East and South East, Trades Union Congress): Thanks. Yes, it is a key question. We have been pushing very hard in discussions with the Government on more flexibility on the furlough scheme. We welcomed some of the changes that were made to allow people to come back in blocks and sections.
There is going to be a crucial issue around continued support for people who are shielding or have members of their family who are still shielding. We have a report coming out on that either tomorrow or early next week. This relates back to other points colleagues have made around the furlough scheme needing to continue or a form of a furlough scheme needing to continue for sectors that are going to find it much harder to move into a transition and recovery phase as well. There is a lot of work going on in terms of support, trying to come in on the creative leisure sector stuff there and other sectors where we know people are not going to be able to come back as soon.
There are two issues there. One is continued support for people who have shielding responsibilities or are shielding and what happens there. We have a report coming out as well on disabled workers and the particular impact on those and making sure that there is still support for those people. Lots of people still have childcare issues with the summer holidays and with schools still being closed and early years centres still being closed. There is support needed for those people as well. There is a range of things where we have been in discussions with the Government and so there has been some progress but not enough.
Chair, if I could just say, I was trying to indicate on Léonie’s [Cooper AM] question as well. I realise that there is not time for me to come back on lots of those points but, as the one union person here, I would draw all Assembly Members’ attention to the A Better Recovery for London report we put out, which contains points on just about every question that has been asked so far, and also to a series of specific reports, which are all on the TUC’s website. We can endeavour to make sure that you are sent them. We released Dying on the Job, our report on the disproportionate impact on BAME workers, last week and several reports on the disproportionate impact on women, mothers in particular but for a number of different reasons. There is also work we have been doing on disabled workers and the disproportionate impact of COVID. That is all out there, but it does very much relate back to that point on targeted support from the furlough scheme and the need for ongoing support as well.
Page 271 Dr Onkar Sahota AM: OK. Sam, just a very short one. I have heard that some Londoners have said that whilst they are still furloughed and doing full-time work, some employers are given only 80% of their salaries. Some employers are abusing their staff. Is the TUC doing anything about that?
Sam Gurney (Regional Secretary, London, East and South East, Trades Union Congress): When we secured the 80% and the support for the self-employed people, which we were very involved in along with many of the business organisations who were on this call at the beginning, we were hoping - it was a request to companies who could financially do it - they would make up the rest of people’s pay. A number of companies have done that. The public sector has done that. The TUC, for instance, has done that for our furloughed staff. It has not been possible, as we know, for all businesses. People are under extreme pressure at the moment and the idea was to keep as many people in employment as was possible during the heart of the pandemic.
We have been particularly worried by the reports that have been coming through of people abusing the furlough scheme, whether they have been putting people onto furlough and then asking them to work. There are issues around that that need to be looked at quite closely. There have been abuses that need to be looked at. As I said, we have been trying to encourage companies to make up the pay where possible.
One of the issues we have found is that in London there are a disproportionate number of people who are particularly concerned about the debt they have got into during the crisis. Even for people who are on furlough, some costs have gone down for people, but look at rent and other costs at the moment that have not gone down for people who have been furloughed. If you lose 20% of your income and you are on very low pay to begin with, it is a particular problem. We know that we have a disproportionately large number of people in the capital who are in insecure work or low-paid work. Even in the capital, we have 800,000 key workers, 30% of whom are on under £10 an hour at the moment. If you imagine, those are people who have been working full-time during this crisis but are still under massive economic pressure.
Dr Onkar Sahota AM: Sam, look, I am out of time, but I would love to have come up with a follow-up. Thank you very much for highlighting this issue. Thank you.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): The next question is from Assembly Member McCartney, please.
Joanne McCartney AM: Yes, thank you, Chair. My initial question is to Sam Gurney, if I can, and it is about the increasing number of people who are claiming Universal Credit (UC), which we know is a very difficult and cruel system. Since the end of March, I believe, 440,000 new claimants for UC have come from London. When furlough ends, that is likely to see another spike.
What concerns does the TUC have about this record number of Londoners finding themselves reliant on UC? What will that mean for poverty in the capital?
Sam Gurney (Regional Secretary, London, East and South East, Trades Union Congress): Thanks. The issue of our broken safety net was a massive one before the crisis but, as you know, what has happened now has put a huge additional strain on that system. Literally hundreds of thousands of people who probably have not had to come into contact with the system before have, now woken up to the fact that you cannot live on the level of support available for most people under UC. There were huge issues before. The TUC has a welfare charter and policy on the universal reform of that system, basically, which is needed.
Page 272 We hosted in our region an organisation called London Unemployed Strategies, which is a claimants’ support group that has claimants’ rights groups in a number of London boroughs. I chair that and so I get monthly the day-to-day experiences of colleagues about unemployed workers coming in and what has been happening in the system.
There are some potential positives. We are seeing the Government talking about potentially reopening Jobcentres across London and across the country that have been closed, and so there is a possibility that we might have an increase in provision there. There were some immediate things that were done in terms of the waiting period and enabling people to put claims in without having to have interviews and stuff. There were a couple of tweaks, if you like, to a very defective system, which helped in the short term.
However, essentially, we have a system that is not fit for purpose and does not have money in it to provide the support that is needed. As I said, what happened was we had the furlough scheme and the self-employed scheme, rightly, for hundreds of thousands of workers, but we had a lot of people who fell outside of that for various reasons. Maybe they were not eligible because they had moved jobs just before it came in. They have had to fall back on the UC system and have realised just how inadequate it is. We are really hoping to see some substantial changes on that. It needs reform. That is a national issue.
At a London level, we have seen some quite impressive stuff in terms of things like recourse for people who do not have the right to access support and the Mayor saying all of the right things on that. We need to build on that, and we need to build on the support that is available for those people in the capital.
Joanne McCartney AM: Thank you. My next question is to Georgia Gould. I am sure that you are concerned about residents who are having to apply for the UC and the difficult issues associated with that scheme. Obviously, there are a whole swathe of Londoners who have no recourse to public funds and who have been made destitute or are at real risk of destitution. The Mayor has written to the Prime Minister, calling on the Government to support those who have no recourse to public funds and to end the five-week wait for UC.
What is London Councils’ take on these issues and what impact particularly is it having on local authorities? What would you like to see the Government do about this?
Councillor Georgia Gould (Local Enterprise Partnership for London Board Member, and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s Economic Recovery Working Group): It is an incredibly important question. The biggest impact we are seeing is in relation to homelessness. We were asked as local authorities to act quickly to take people off the street, which was absolutely the right thing to do given the huge risk that people on the street faced from COVID and already from poor health outcomes. We have done that across the capital and thousands of people have been in hotels and other provision and supported. Large numbers of those do have no recourse to public funds and we as councils are supporting them.
We have real concerns whether we will get the funding both for the money we have paid out and for the long term to support those individuals into long-term housing. It is a massive gap and people are in a desperate situation. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address homelessness here. It should not have taken a pandemic to take this drastic action. This has been an ongoing issue that we have been campaigning on not just through COVID but for years. We have known that there are people on our streets who just fall between the cracks of any service. This has to be the moment that we properly address it and support those
Page 273 individuals into long-term services, whether they are at risk of domestic abuse, at risk of prostitution or in need of employment support. We absolutely support that call. It is a big resource for us as councils and we are making that resource for the time being, but we are facing huge financial holes and so we need the Government to step in.
Joanne McCartney AM: The final question I have I will keep to you, Georgia, if I may. Councils, community organisations and the Mayor’s Office have really stepped up with regards to food insecurity throughout this crisis. We already had very high levels of food insecurity and it has been made so much worse. Obviously, with the economic downturn and a recovery that will be very long and hard, there will be more Londoners pushed into poverty. I am particularly concerned about increasing child poverty.
What do we need to see the Mayor and the Government do to make sure we protect those at risk of food insecurity?
Councillor Georgia Gould (Local Enterprise Partnership for London Board Member, and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s Economic Recovery Working Group): Yes, again, the pandemic shone a light on the long-term systemic issue of food poverty. There has been an extraordinary mobilisation across London and the boroughs. In Camden, we have delivered 100,000 meals through the pandemic for people who are shielding and also for people who are in food poverty.
Now the Government has committed to support in these summer holidays, which is very welcome, but we have been worried about holiday hunger for years. The Mayor has been supporting projects across the capital around holiday hunger and around breakfast clubs for years, but the funding needs to be more systemic and needs to ensure that every child on free school meals has food over the holidays. That should not be a commitment just for this summer. This has to be a long-term commitment.
The coalitions we have built around food poverty and that mobilisation need to continue. There has been real progress around food waste and distributing food and new networks, but that has been funded up to now. If we can continue that, we can make real progress in addressing food poverty and the signal that food poverty gives of wider income challenges. When a family or an individual is in food poverty and when you go and support that individual, there are often issues of debt. 60% of Londoners who are in poverty live in working households. There are systemic issues we need to address that food poverty shows.
No Londoner should be hungry and that should be a goal for all of us in London to take forward.
Joanne McCartney AM: Indeed. I could not agree more. Thank you, Chair.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Can we now have a question from Assembly Member Gavron? Thank you.
Nicky Gavron AM: Thank you, Chair. Panel, good morning. I have seen that we have had quite a lot of questions on the arts and creative sectors, but I want to drill down now. This morning the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee published its report on some of what we have been drilling down on. I would like to ask a number of you to think about this question, but perhaps I could start with Sam Gurney from the TUC.
Page 274 We know that the self-employment income support scheme is available only if you get more than half your income from it. Shockingly, that does exclude an enormous number of freelancers, particularly in the creative industries. What they have to do is to supplement their income, if they can, with income from Pay As You Earn (PAYE) short-term contracts backstage, front-of-house or working in the bars. This income is not eligible for any income support, either. So many freelancers who work in the arts and creative industries are not getting any income at all. We know that one in three performance artists has no income at the moment, none.
Perhaps we are going to hear some answers from this Select Committee report. None of us has had time to read it. What actually would you recommend that we do about this? Could we get a range of views and pin it down, starting with Sam?
Sam Gurney (Regional Secretary, London, East and South East, Trades Union Congress): Thanks, Nicky. You have identified the absolutely crucial problem. It comes back to a UC question before about people who have had to fall back on other support systems that are inadequate. I am not an expert on this and I have not had a look at the thing, but the people who are - Equity, the Musicians’ Union, Prospect, the unions that are representing colleagues in this sector - have been working with the Creative Industries Federation on looking at what should happen on this. Tony Lennon, our Regional President, has been doing a huge amount of work during the pandemic on supporting freelance members with day-to-day support. There is a lot of expertise out there and a lot of that is being put in at the national level. What we have to try to do is to look at that in terms of the concrete proposals.
The key things that colleagues have been saying to us in terms of the policy issues are about the support that is out there. I would have come back in on that earlier question. We need a system that gets it to the individuals. It either gets it to the individuals who have lost income or gets it to the smaller companies and micro-businesses that Rowena [Howie] was talking about. We need to make sure that the funding that is being made available at the moment does not go automatically to the big institutions but has some system that makes sure that it cascades down to the staff so that we keep some of that expertise and people can stay in the industry and we do not lose them.
People have found some amazing ways of evolving and operating during the pandemic, moving stuff online and some innovative performance stuff. I am in Waltham Forest and we have huge amounts of cultural stuff online during the pandemic that has kept people with at least some income coming in.
I would say, yes, talk to the unions who have the expertise on the ground and will make sure they are plugged into it. Funnily enough, I have a call directly after this meeting with Amy Lamé [Night Czar] from City Hall on exactly this: making sure that they are plugged into all of the right union colleagues on these issues.
Nicky Gavron AM: That is very helpful, thank you. John Dickie, would you like to come in on this?
John Dickie (Director of Strategy and Policy, London First): I am very happy to, Chair. Can I make perhaps two or three points about the cultural sector? We have heard much discussion about it already.
The first is that the importance of getting tourism back for the cultural sector as well as for retail cannot be underestimated. That requires a series of actions by the Government and by London. By the Government we need --
Page 275 Nicky Gavron AM: Can I come in for a minute on that? I am so pleased you mentioned that because it is not properly understood that tourism is, in a sense, a by-product of our wonderful heritage and built environment and particularly our arts and creative industries.
John Dickie (Director of Strategy and Policy, London First): Indeed. There are two things that can be most usefully done in the short term: firstly, the Government putting in place much clearer policies around how tourists can visit the UK. What are the rules about airbridges? When can another airport fly into London or not? When will that change? How will that work? Of course, that would give a lot of confidence to people in other countries and indeed in the UK going out as to how they can plan for their travel.
The other thing is around transport in London. We have touched on this earlier but let me just reiterate it. The point has been made that we need people to feel safe about going onto the Tube and for the Tube to be safe, but they also need to want to go onto the Tube. One of the things that will have that pull factor is the return of leisure, of culture and of all those facilities in central London.
We do need to remember that at the moment, as of now, there is oodles of spare capacity on the Underground. If you get on the Underground outside of peak times, there is plenty of space. It is about positive messaging.
Nicky Gavron AM: John, thank you. Good. I want to get contributions from some of the other panel members because I want responses to this. What should the targeted support be for this enormous number of freelancers? What can we do? Rowena?
Rowena Howie (London Policy Chair, Federation of Small Businesses): As I have said before, there are a huge number of self-employed people working within this industry. There are also a huge number of micro and small businesses working within this industry. There has been some support so far, but it is not enough. I think everyone would agree.
However, on the flipside, I am not going to talk about the money. I am going to talk about things that John Dickie and others have just mentioned. It is about raising confidence. It is about getting people back into central London. It is about getting people on the Tube returning in. The London & Partners “Because I’m a Londoner” campaign and many others and those kinds of things are happening and in local neighbourhoods as well. Social media is helping with that, but there needs to be more in terms of raising confidence, I would say. That is what is going to help small businesses, micro-businesses, freelancers, etc.
Nicky Gavron AM: The context is really important. I get it. OK.
Rowena Howie (London Policy Chair, Federation of Small Businesses): Absolutely. Richard Burge may have more to say, too, from the London Chamber of Commerce.
Nicky Gavron AM: Yes. Could you say something?
Richard Burge (Chief Executive, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry): Yes, just to add two things. One is that it is about confidence and it is also about international confidence. We have to start getting the message out internationally that London is open. We have to make that language and that dialogue much more about what we can do than what we cannot do.
Page 276 The second thing I would like to say is on the creative industries, which I do worry about. Before all this happened, there was a huge problem already in the creative industries and it becoming a middle-class profession because of the way in which young people could get access to grants for training. It was basically driving out from our drama schools and other places for technical training people who did not have the resources of a family to back them up. This is just going to make it worse. We are going to end up with a less diverse creative industry, both on the stage and behind it as well. I would like to find some way of addressing that.
Nicky Gavron AM: Sorry, we are so short of time, but if I had more time I would ask Georgia [Gould] what the Recovery Working Group is doing on this. I can see us risking the next generation of creative talent, especially from BAME communities, people with disabilities and people on low incomes. Your point is really well made, but I am probably out of time. I am sorry not to be able to go across the whole panel. Thank you very much for those answers.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Assembly Member Dismore, please.
Andrew Dismore AM: Thank you, Chair. Georgia, I wanted to ask you about the PPE supply, because the fragility of the PPE supply has been under scrutiny throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, after weeks of dragging its feet and giving mixed messages, the Government has made face coverings mandatory in shops as of tomorrow.
In this context, how can our post-COVID economy build in better resilience for essential supplies like PPE?
Councillor Georgia Gould (Local Enterprise Partnership for London Board Member, and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s Economic Recovery Working Group): It is welcome that there is clear guidance on shops. It is face coverings and people are being asked to use face coverings and not the kind of PPE we would use for care homes and those kinds of settings.
The issue was there was a centralised scheme that was often slow to get vital supplies to local places. We will do all we can to prevent a second wave, but we need to be preparing for it in case it does happen. We cannot see the same slowness and lack of supply as we did last time around.
There is a real ask from us as local places for the Government to work alongside us around PPE supplies and around food distribution to support localised networks. In my borough, we gave out 400,000 pieces of PPE to local public-sector care bodies and other organisations. We have those networks in place, but we need to make sure that that supply is coming in and that we can be really confident that we have not just the two days’ supply that we were getting often but that long-term supply. We are very much pushing for that to be the case in the event of any second wave.
Andrew Dismore AM: Thanks. This is to Rowena from the FSB. According to the London Health Board’s review of the pandemic, staff in care homes or in home-care settings were working without PPE and often without the knowledge as to whether either they or their clients were infectious. Despite this situation, British companies could not find a way into the Government’s supply chain. Meanwhile, an investigation by The Guardian suggests that the Chinese Government may have influenced a National Health Service (NHS) supplier to prioritise clients in China over our NHS.
Page 277 Would you agree that bringing in local suppliers into public procurement could help improve this resilience?
Rowena Howie (London Policy Chair, Federation of Small Businesses): Procurement is definitely something we have been working with the Mayor on to improve access for small businesses in every single regard and - you are right - none more than the provision of very urgent things such as PPE over the last couple of months. We have been seeking further clarity historically over the last few months on this as well as on issues of procurement because what was feeding into the procurement problem was the lack of clarity. We are still seeking more on that.
I would also like to point out that there have been a couple of mentions of helping black businesses have further access. The FSB brought out a report in the last week and one of the things that it highlighted was the issue of access to procurement for black businesses in particular.
Yes, I would certainly say that there are many small businesses here in Britain who are here and ready to help. Access is a real issue.
Andrew Dismore AM: Thanks a lot. Sam, could I come to you? Sourcing PPE from around the world means that the NHS may be inadvertently supporting poor labour practices abroad, such as those revealed in the recent Channel 4 investigation of the world’s largest manufacturer of medical gloves, Top Glove, which last month announced a tripling of quarterly profits during the lockdown but has been dogged by accusations of abusive labour practices since 2018. The UK Government put pressure on the Malaysian Government to increase the production of gloves amid chronic shortages in our hospitals and care homes. Top Glove’s factories in Malaysia were revealed as requiring migrant workers to do 12-hour shifts six days a week for £1.08 an hour. This rogue employer has been a supplier of gloves to Polyco Healthline, a major contractor in the NHS supply chain.
How can the public sector ensure our PPE procurement problems do not result in exploitation elsewhere in the world?
Sam Gurney (Regional Secretary, London, East and South East, Trades Union Congress): Thanks, Andrew. That is an excellent question. We have been working with our colleagues in the International Trade Union Confederation on that for some time. It goes back to this piece around having proper strategic procurement agreements in place that source locally, when that is possible, and also have proper standards and conditionality when we are sourcing abroad, when products are not available at the moment in supply chains in the UK. There is a lot more we could do on that.
A lot of London boroughs have started looking at their procurement stuff. The NHS is a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) and has been working on this, although we think there is a lot more the ETI could do.
We are looking to have conversations with City Hall around City Hall’s procurement provisions across both the core GLA and also the wider GLA family. If you look at how much procurement the whole of the GLA family of organisations does, it could make a huge difference in terms of labour conditions.
Let us not forget we are seeing the issues in Leicester at the moment having a huge impact, which we have been talking about for quite a long time. These abuses are present in some of the UK supply chain as well.
Page 278 There are not just issues around international supply chains. We think we can get it right and put some better standards into our procurement. That is part of building back the recovery better.
Andrew Dismore AM: OK. Thank you. Thank you, Chair.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Can we move on to a question from Assembly Member Desai?
Unmesh Desai AM: Good afternoon, panel. My question is to John Dickie and it is about the future of our high streets. We have already had some references in the earlier discussion to small businesses and to high streets. Jordan Cummins talked about small businesses gasping for breath. Georgia Gould talked about high streets being at the heart of recovery plans. I could not agree more.
Mr Dickie, with London boroughs focused on helping localised shopping areas, what is the future for our local high streets? How can they be put at the heart of our recovery plans?
John Dickie (Director of Strategy and Policy, London First): That is a very interesting question. One of the big changes the last few months has wrought is that people are using their high streets a lot more. A paradox, if you like, about what has happened since lockdown is that people have been spending more time in their local communities. They have been shopping more locally. For the past couple of weeks, they have been eating and drinking out more locally. This is a great shot in the arm for our high streets.
However, that said, some of the structural challenges remain. We need to have much more flexibility around planning policy. It needs to be possible to turn a restaurant into a yoga studio or whatever if that is what local people want and what will drive footfall on the high street. We need to be more creative around how we enable flexible and meantime uses. One of the things we have argued for is for the GLA to run a register - it could be done by boroughs - of those premises that are empty for people locally who would like some space.
There are a set of issues around the broader housing policy and development so that, where it is practicable, we densify high streets, which again gives a bit more footfall as well as helps to build more homes. There is a package of things that could be done by London government to support our high streets over the medium term.
In the short term, the really critical thing is that we are really flexible around licensing, like letting restaurants open a bit longer and letting them put tables and chairs outside easily. Boroughs do of course need to maintain proper health and safety and so forth, but around the economics of it, as Georgia’s [Gould] colleague Peter John [Chair, London Councils] put it in a webinar we were both on, councils getting out of the way and letting local businesses do stuff will be a great shot in the arm in the short term.
Unmesh Desai AM: Thank you. I have only two minutes of my allocated time left and so if I could ask you, Georgia, to follow up on that. How do we make sure that recovery plans for our high streets and local economies are flexible for the huge diversity there is? If I think of my constituency, strategies that work for the City of London will be completely different to those in Brick Lane and different again from Stratford to Dagenham. Over the last four years, through my London Moving East campaign, I have been promoting east London and getting the right local infrastructure improvements to keep developing its economy. How do we ensure this continues across London?
Page 279
Something else I am particularly concerned about is the impact on outer London’s local economies of the new permitted development rights changes that will destroy the character of local high streets and take away much- needed commercial space for small businesses.
Councillor Georgia Gould (Local Enterprise Partnership for London Board Member, and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s Economic Recovery Working Group): Leading an inner London borough, I absolutely share those concerns - they are London-wide and cross-party - around permitted development. We as local boroughs know our communities. We want to support economic growth and new housing. We should be trusted to make decisions about what is best for our local places. All of the evidence shows that permitted development produces poor-quality housing that is not fit for purpose. There are huge concerns around that.
On the positive side, as part of the economic recovery work, we want to invest in high streets across the capital and look at innovation and exemplar high streets. There are huge opportunities to do that. That could be looking at innovation zones, business rates or other policy levers. I love John’s [Dickie] idea around looking at empty premises, making it much easier to bring meanwhile uses and culture and arts organisations into those, looking at the circular economy, looking at citizen participation and making sure that high streets are thriving civic centres and that that sits across the capital.
What we are really keen to do as part of this joint working is to work with boroughs so that people are innovating in their local places. As you say, what is best for different parts of London is very different, but it is having that central connectivity so that we are able to scale best practice really quickly, share learning and keep a co-ordinated approach with local leadership. There is huge energy around this already, both in the short term around licensing changes - and we are seeing some of those come about - but also around active travel changes to make it safer for people to walk and socially distance and access their high streets. This is work we will see unfolding very quickly.
Unmesh Desai AM: Thank you, Georgia. I like what you said. Thriving civic centres is what we all want. I have run out of time but, Sam [Gurney], I would like a trade union perspective from you in writing, speaking as a trade unionist and a member of the GMB myself. Thank you, Chair.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Assembly Member Moore?
Dr Alison Moore AM: Thank you, Chair. I would like to move on to the future of workspace. To John Dickie and Jace Tyrrell, is home-working here to stay? If so, what impact will this and a shift away from central London office spaces have on London’s economy? What does the Mayor need to do to support that central London economy?
John Dickie (Director of Strategy and Policy, London First): Shall I go first on offices and let Jace come in afterwards? I would say that the trend towards home-working and more flexible working that was present in the economy before we had the lockdown will certainly have been accelerated. There are an awful lot of professional services firms that are working perfectly productively at home and do not think they are going to be returning to nine-to-five, five-days-a-week working anytime soon.
Page 280 That said, equally, pretty much everybody wants to get more people back in the office soon because there are a whole range of things you can do face-to-face and in offices, from serendipitous water-cooler conversations to some kinds of meetings, that you just cannot do remotely.
We are going to see a return to the office, but we are going to see a return to the office in the short to medium term that will be phased and partial. The future demand for office space will remain. We will certainly see it configured differently. We are going to see perhaps a bit more flexibility in terms of what firms are going to want to take. However, the demand to be in the Central Activities Zone, the most productive part of Europe by a country mile, is going to remain strong. Jace?
Dr Alison Moore AM: Thank you.
Jace Tyrrell (Chief Executive, New West End Company): Thank you. I would echo everything John says. We already saw this trend and change. For retail, to go back on that change as well, there is a pronounced shift to online but also to shop in a sustainable way and to come to your office in a sustainable way.
For the West End, as John says, it is not just about coming to retail or coming to work in the office. It is everything else that is part of that and the good outcomes that come from people physically coming together. The future of retail will still require people coming to physical stores. Two thirds of our buildings across Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street have office tenants. They are our customers. We have built this £16 billion Crossrail line so that more people can commute to the centre of London to support that. It will change, but it is still here to stay.
There is this point on sustainable city centres, not just environmental but economic sustainability. We cannot lose that. We have to think really hard on the recovery. I know this has been raised in the various recovery conversations. What does this mean for, as Georgia [Gould] says, these thriving civic centres?
Another point was raised around permitted development and change of use. The Westminster City Council has been excellent with change of use policy in the city plan, but we have to recognise that the international centre of the West End does need local solutions. I am sure every borough in every bit of London recognises that as well. We need to be careful about national policy changes and how they are implemented locally.
Dr Alison Moore AM: Thank you very much for that. I would like now to change tack very slightly and ask Sam Gurney and Philip Graham. Many people have enjoyed the freedom of working from home, but some cannot and are worried about their return to work. Many Londoners have struggled working in unsuitable conditions.
What advice can you provide to employers so that the mental and physical wellbeing of workers is taken into account when decisions are made about working from home in the future? What can the Mayor do to encourage best working practices?
Sam Gurney (Regional Secretary, London, East and South East, Trades Union Congress): Thanks, Alison. It has been a huge issue with people suddenly and unexpectedly having to work from home now. We have long advocated for more flexibility and employers making it easier for people who can work at home to be able to do that if it suits them.
Page 281 That comes with a whole load of issues in terms of things like health and safety regulations and making sure that risk assessments take place. We have been really concentrating at the moment on risk assessments for people who are returning to external workplaces, but the same thing applies to people who are going to be working at home, making sure that they have a decent workstation, making sure that they have the proper kit. There has been quite a lot of information that has been going out to union reps and health and safety reps on how to work that.
We have seen Government advice on the possibility of hot-desking changing and that is going to be much more difficult. Lots of firms and public-sector employees have built business models based on the fact that colleagues were going to be working from home some of the time and then coming in and hot-desking some of the time. That is not going to be possible. There are going to be huge changes there.
There is a lot of advice. We have been doing quite a lot of webinars and TUC Education material on this. Our health and safety people are looking at what advice should go out to the 100,000 union health and safety reps who are out there to make sure they can support people who are working at home. It is something that lots of them have been doing because lots of health and safety reps in local authorities, for instance, have been having to look at this already and work with councils on how to do that. In private-sector workplaces, that has been happening as well.
I have one very quick point. As well as the impact, the other knock-on impact is in the sector of jobs where we are going to see losses if there are going to be fewer people going into offices: cleaners, security guards, facilities maintenance. When we are looking at people who are going to need retraining and skills support, these are often people in already quite badly treated and insecure sectors. They are going to need support because there is very likely to be loss of jobs for those colleagues as well.
Dr Alison Moore AM: Thank you very much. I am out of time.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): All right. Can we move on to Assembly Member Qureshi, please?
Murad Qureshi AM: Thank you, Chair. I want to move the debate to skills for the future now. Can I start by asking Jordon Cummins: will there be a greater demand for digital skills required in the post-COVID-19 economy and what types of skills will they be?
Jordan Cummins (Head of London Policy, Confederation of British Industry): Thank you. That is a resounding ‘yes’. We have already seen a lot of our members coming forward and saying that they already knew they had gaps in their digital skills provision, but they have been exacerbated. Undoubtedly there is going to be a spike.
However, there is no crystal ball to say which skillsets are going to be needed for those jobs that are still going to remain, quite frankly, after the pandemic. There is going to be a lot of evolution of job briefs. Will jobs in the future be part-time and then the other half of that job that was previously always done by a person be done by some kind of algorithm or a robot? These are all things that happen with digital transformation. Undoubtedly, yes.
Page 282 There is sometimes a bit of a first mover kind of thing with big employers as to who wants to nail their flag to the mast and say, “This is the skillset that our industry really is going to need, and this is what our business needs”.
Also, going back to the careers advice point, not enough employers have solid roots into the curriculum. The British system does rely quite heavily on how people are taught and the route into work from there. There is a huge need, but I would not say that firms have a real grasp as to when that need is going to change and exactly what that skillset is going to look like. There is also a massive spike in emotional intelligence and resilience and these additional skills that do not always get trained into young people. They are probably even more needed now that they might be spending time at home and not in an office space. There is going to be a mix of soft and hard skills, but a real distinct need for digital.
Murad Qureshi AM: Thank you, Jordan. Can I now go to Sam Gurney at the TUC? Could those Londoners who have lost their jobs as a result of COVID-19 pandemic and those Londoners who have been unemployed for a long period be prioritised for skills programmes to deal with this digital shortfall?
Sam Gurney (Regional Secretary, London, East and South East, Trades Union Congress): Absolutely. That is going to be crucial. We have called already for a national jobs guarantee scheme. We were working before this crisis with various colleagues on the business side, the CBI, etc, on the national retraining scheme and calls to bring some of that funding forward and investment in skills. Everybody should have a right to be trained and that should be backed up by a personal lifelong learning account so that people have that. Things should be put in place to make sure people can access things like the digital training they are going to need.
When we look at the sectors that are going to be most hit, it is right to say that at least 10% of jobs in London are at high risk. That jumps to 18% to 20% of people aged 25 or under. We are going to have a lot of older workers as well who are going to be losing jobs as a result of this. If we look at what is going to happen around the aviation industry and some of the business support sectors where you have people already in insecure work and some of the people who have the least access at the moment to those digital skills, etc, there is going to be a really urgent need to make sure people can access those.
Within London, we have the ability to do some of that because we have a devolved adult education budget. We have done some really good stuff on making sure that people who are on the London Living Wage or below get access to free training. We need to ramp that up and make sure we have the funding going into that and make sure people are signposted to where that support and training is.
Murad Qureshi AM: Thank you, Sam. Can I finally ask Councillor Georgia Gould: you manage a third of the West End. The West End Partnership has identified cultural and technological growth as key sectors for creating new jobs and skills in the West End to fill the hole in the middle. What part do you think councils can play with digital skills in these locations?
Councillor Georgia Gould (Local Enterprise Partnership for London Board Member, and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s Economic Recovery Working Group): A huge role. On the last point, digital skills is one of the key areas that we are focused on in terms of the London recovery, from basic digital skills retraining for those who have lost their jobs late in their careers and need some basic digital skills right through to high-level digital skills for some of the growing tech industries we have in our area.
Page 283 Camden is not just the West End but King’s Cross, which is at the heart of digital growth in the city. Companies like Google and Facebook are there. We have set up something called the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM) Commission in Camden, which brings together all of our big digital and creative companies to work with us to give young people digital skills. We have a STEAM hub embedded in our schools where teachers work on curriculum development with some of those companies and further education to ensure that, right through their school journey, they are having opportunities to be involved in digital challenges and to get the fusion skills they need. It is those dual creativity and technical digital skills that the industry is really asking for and then pathways into jobs in those sectors. That is just one example, but that is the work we want to expand through the recovery and renewal work.
Murad Qureshi AM: Thank you very much, Chair and Georgia.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): All right. The next question is from Assembly Member Duvall.
Len Duvall AM: Thank you very much, Chair. The proof and the outcome of the work of the London Recovery Board is that by this autumn there should be some practical actions that make a real difference to try to minimise the economic downturn. In all the hours that I have just been listening through, no one seems to have mentioned that we already have a LEAP. I am not sure what the London Recovery Board adds to the work of that.
Can you tell me: what is the difference in roles? Is there a risk of overlap and duplication or are we going to collapse the LEAP and invest time and energy into the London Recovery Board? Georgia Gould, please.
Councillor Georgia Gould (Local Enterprise Partnership for London Board Member, and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s Economic Recovery Working Group): Sure. The LEAP is still an incredibly important body and that is where the funding will run through in terms of the ongoing projects that are being funded and capital investment. That is absolutely key to London’s economic recovery.
The Recovery Board is particularly focused on quickly developing ideas for London’s economic recovery, but it absolutely works in partnership with the LEAP. I sit on both, as does Sam [Gurney], and we are ensuring that the two work together.
The role that we play in this economic recovery is to mobilise new coalitions to act on some of these issues and link together the work of employment and skills and economic growth. There are lots of other bodies that also exist - cultural partnerships, the Employment and Skills Board that I also sit on - and this is about bringing all of that work together in a coherent way around some key priorities on recovery, increasing the green economy in London, ensuring that London --
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Councillor Gould, I apologise, but the Labour Group is out of time and so you may want to send in a written answer via me, please. Thank you very much. Can I bring in Assembly Member Prince, please?
Keith Prince AM: Thank you, Chair. Could I look to Philip Graham as the only representative of the GLA family, please?
Page 284 Would you agree with the point that Jace Tyrrell made when he was saying that there is not a very good comparison with London when you look at other major cities that are getting far more people on their public transport now than we are? Do you think that is possibly down to confidence on public transport? Could that reason possibly be because people do not feel safe on our transport system? I am constantly getting complaints from my constituents about non-enforcement of wearing face masks. Would you like to comment on that, Philip?
Philip Graham (Executive Director of Good Growth, Greater London Authority): I cannot comment specifically on individuals’ reasons for the choices that they make, but it is undoubtedly the case, as Jace has said, that some other cities have seen a faster uptick in transport usage than we have since the restriction of lockdown. Some of that is about getting clear and consistent messages, as we have said previously, and that is something that has to work across transport and health. The fact that we have seen the Government now move properly to say that, as the Mayor had said well before, face coverings should be worn on public transport means that we have a clear and consistent message about that. I cannot comment on specific instances of enforcement, but at least we know what it is we are enforcing now.
As we go forward, as those messages shift, as we get to something that is consistent across the transport and the health side and we recognise the need to look at this very closely and to move forward as quickly as we can and safely on opening this up, we want confidence to build. We need to be clear about the communications that we have and around the fact that the capacity is there, the system is cleaner than it has ever been, staff are trained to support and, where necessarily, people will be able to use the public transport services.
Keith Prince AM: Clearly, Philip, the measure around enforcement is not happening. The Mayor had the option to make it compulsory to wear face masks before the Government introduced it, but there is no enforcement there. There is no messaging.
I had the misfortune to have to use public transport last week. I found that at the very best there was 80% compliance. On one or two journeys up to 50% of people were not wearing face masks. There was no messaging on the trains to tell people to wear face masks. There was no messaging on the platforms to tell people to wear face masks. There were no announcements to do that. Of course, there was no one actually reminding people as they entered onto the platforms through the gates that they needed to wear face masks.
It is a complete mess and a complete failure by the Mayor to make enforcement on face masks. I would suggest to you that that is the very reason why people are very reticent to use our system, whereas in other cities, as has been pointed out by Jace Tyrrell, they are much more confident in using public transport. It is a complete failure by the Mayor to enforce the one thing that he has been bleating on about.
Philip Graham (Executive Director of Good Growth, Greater London Authority): All I can say is that your experience of using public transport recently is very different from mine. When I recently had to travel on a train service, there were large posters up very clearly right at the entrance to the station. The staff were all wearing masks. When this policy was first introduced, we provided free face masks to people to encourage take-up. Your experience is different from mine, but I cannot comment on particular journeys that you have been involved in.
Page 285 Keith Prince AM: Sorry, the irony of it is that it was also Network Rail and South Western Railway staff who were not wearing masks, but I cannot blame the Mayor for that. That is me finished. Thank you very much, Chair.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): OK. Thank you. We will move on to Assembly Member Bailey.
Shaun Bailey AM: Thank you, Chair. I wanted to go back and cover this ground of additional support for particular groups. What does that look like for the recovery programme? Who gets to decide which groups we are going to support more and why? We talked a lot about the BAME community and the impact of COVID on my community, but also white working-class men have had very poor health outcomes from it. Who is identifying which groups are going to be supported and what is the criteria around that? This is to Councillor Georgia and maybe to Philip Graham as well.
Councillor Georgia Gould (Local Enterprise Partnership for London Board Member, and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s Economic Recovery Working Group): Fundamentally, the money and decisions about what kind of support we are able to offer come down from the Government. These are DWP programmes. What we are pushing for is to have more influence on that support. We invest at a borough level over and above that and we often take a targeted approach on those things. We will look at the evidence for who that group is. It is whole range from young people. We are seeing a particular impact on women around 30 years old. There is some evidence about older workers. We will take an evidence-based approach to support those in our community who are most at risk.
Some of the funding and resource for that will come through the Kickstart programme, and we are pushing to have more involvement as boroughs in London in that programme because we know our communities and are able to use that support. We understand that money for long-term unemployed will be coming from the Work and Health programme. Again, we are pushing to have more understanding of that. At the moment, the support seems to be quite centrally defined from central Government, and local government is pushing to have more of a say.
Shaun Bailey AM: From a London Recovery Board point of view, it sounded like you were saying you would support different groups. All I am saying is that that is great, but we need some kind of indication of what determines a vulnerable group and why. There needs to be a rationale around how we support and why. We hear the same groups mentioned all the time. As a member of the BAME community, I am very glad to hear us mentioned all the time, but we seem to be neglecting people who are not the favoured sons or daughters. I bring up working-class white men, who have had horrific health outcomes, and I just make a plea to make sure there is a proper framework for what a vulnerable group looks like in any parts that your work touches, especially when it comes to the redistribution of resources. There is going to be a tension around that.
Moving on to Philip, what is the Mayor’s take on this? Who is the Mayor using to identify vulnerable groups? What are the criteria for that? How will that work manifest itself?
Philip Graham (Executive Director of Good Growth, Greater London Authority): I do not have a huge amount to add to what Georgia [Gould] has said. The direction on this will be set by the Recovery Board, which is about bringing together boroughs with London Councils and the GLA with some of the key external stakeholders in this. That includes representatives of community groups and so on.
Page 286 When it comes to individual programmes, there is not going to be a blanket, “These are the groups who must be targeted through every single programme”. We are going to look at where the challenges are and which groups have been hit most badly in terms of the health outcomes, in terms of poverty outcomes, in terms of employment, and follow the evidence in terms of where that takes us as we design those programmes and indeed as we have tried to do over the course of the GLA’s work over many years.
Shaun Bailey AM: Philip, that sounds entirely reasonable, but of course my examples question whether we are actually following the science. I make a plea. There must be a rationale for these things. Otherwise, we will have arguments on the ground about who is being favoured and who is not. That is the point I want to make. I see Sam. Sam, do you want to come in?
Sam Gurney (Regional Secretary, London, East and South East, Trades Union Congress): It is a very strong point but I would like to assure you as someone who is also on the Recovery Board that those indices of class, ethnicity and gender all come into this. We are right to say that all the figures show that, if you are of working age, this has been an occupational disease in many ways. It has been because of where people are concentrated in the labour market. Not when we are looking at people who are retired and have died in care homes but when we are looking at workers, there has been a disproportionate impact on people who are in insecure jobs like cleaners, security guards and care home workers.
It happens to be that for reasons of structural inequality, as I said right at the beginning, we have a higher concentration of women from all ethnicities and a high concentration of BAME men and women in those jobs, but that is not at all to take away from the fact that we need to be looking at the class impact of this on people across groups in London. Certainly, from a trade union point of view, it is something we have been highlighting and will continue to highlight. I have confidence that other colleagues on the Recovery Board are looking at that as well.
It is not around the medicalisation on that. It is around the structural underpinnings of why there has been a disproportionate impact. You are right to say that it has impacted massively on people who have not been able to work at home and who have had to carry on going into work. They have died in much greater numbers and we need to understand that as part of the transition process and the recovery process.
Shaun Bailey AM: Thank you, Sam. Chair, thank you.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): Assembly Member Boff, please.
Andrew Boff AM: I wanted to have a word with Georgia Gould, who brought up the question of the impact of COVID-19 on housing. I wondered if Camden Council would be reviewing its housing policies in the light of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Councillor Georgia Gould (Local Enterprise Partnership for London Board Member, and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s Economic Recovery Working Group): Housing is one of the big challenges and overcrowding within that. Camden Council has had a housing policy that prioritises overcrowded families for a long time. Over the last couple of years, we have taken thousands of people out of overcrowded households --
Page 287 We have the council housebuilding programme and the Mayor has backed the council housebuilding across the capital. That is the key need in Camden and so we are hoping to be able to accelerate that. We have put forward to the Government a number of shovel-ready council housebuilding projects and we are hoping to seek some quite ambitious funding for council housing because it helps both to produce jobs and to meet that overcrowding.
There is a specific area we are looking at, though, which is in terms of preventing a second wave and whether we can have more isolation spaces for overcrowded families to support people to safely isolate during any future second wave that might continue. That is part of our own disproportionate impact work. That is something that is coming up as an issue and something we are looking at.
Andrew Boff AM: These are changes in your policy that have taken place as a result of your experience of the lockdown. Is that correct?
Councillor Georgia Gould (Local Enterprise Partnership for London Board Member, and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s Economic Recovery Working Group): Yes.
Andrew Boff AM: Yes. How much is the Mayor supporting particularly programmes to alleviate overcrowding in your borough?
Councillor Georgia Gould (Local Enterprise Partnership for London Board Member, and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s Economic Recovery Working Group): As I said, the biggest programme to alleviate overcrowding is council housebuilding and we are focused in Camden on building family-sized council homes. Since this Mayor has come in, we have seen big investment in those council housebuilding programmes --
Andrew Boff AM: Has he particularly prioritised family-sized homes?
Councillor Georgia Gould (Local Enterprise Partnership for London Board Member, and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s Economic Recovery Working Group): He has supported our council housebuilding programme that does prioritise family-sized homes.
Andrew Boff AM: How much additional grant do you get to build those family-sized homes?
Councillor Georgia Gould (Local Enterprise Partnership for London Board Member, and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s Economic Recovery Working Group): I could not tell you the specific figure off the top of my head, but it has been significant.
Andrew Boff AM: It would be great if you could forward to us how much specifically the Mayor has put into particularly family-sized homes.
Councillor Georgia Gould (Local Enterprise Partnership for London Board Member, and Chair of the London Recovery Taskforce’s Economic Recovery Working Group): Absolutely.
Andrew Boff AM: All right. Generally, does any of the panel consider it would be an advantage for London’s economy to accelerate the housebuilding programme?
Page 288 Philip Graham (Executive Director of Good Growth, Greater London Authority): The Mayor convened a housing taskforce to look at the role of housing post-COVID and that indicated fairly clearly that in the first instance restarting and kickstarting the homebuilding programme and getting it back to where it was previously is critical for the recovery. Further acceleration would undoubtedly be valuable in that regard.
Andrew Boff AM: Good. Let us tell the Mayor that. Thank you.
Navin Shah AM (Chair): All right. That completes the whole set of questions to our guests. Can I thank our guests for answering our questions today.
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Page 290 Agenda Item 4
London Assembly (Plenary)
10 September 2020
WRITTEN QUESTIONS PAPER
Report 4 No: Subject: Transport for London Finances Report Executive Director of Secretariat of: Sadiq Khan (Chair of Transport for London) Guests: Heidi Alexander (Deputy Mayor for Transport) Simon Kilonback (Chief Finance Officer, Transport for London)
QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN ANSWER
Questions will be given a written response by 15 September 2020
Suspension of scrappage scheme for vans and minibuses (1) Question No: 2020/2544 Caroline Pidgeon Please set out the steps TfL took in the last month to communicate with London’s small businesses and charities the decision to suspend new applications from 17.00 on Friday 28 August 2020 to the van and minibus scrappage scheme. Please provide the exact date that TfL’s website was updated to publicise this important change in policy. Please also state what expenditure TfL undertook to advertise the change in policy.
Suspension of scrappage scheme for vans and minibuses (2) Question No: 2020/2545 Caroline Pidgeon TfL’s website currently states: “Eligible charities that want to scrap a minibus after Friday 28 August 2020 should contact us using the online enquiry form.” What exactly is the current position in relation to future grant applications by charities for support in scrapping minibuses? Will they be processed and if so, please state the exact date that charities have to make an application under the TfL scrappage scheme?
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Wearing of masks on public transport (1) Question No: 2020/2546 Caroline Pidgeon Considering that maintaining public safety is in part central to the long term financial future of TfL please state since the 4 July 2020 (a) how many people have been stopped getting on public transport services by TfL enforcement officers, and (b) prevented from boarding services, and (c) asked to leave services due to the non-wearing of face masks
Wearing of masks on public transport (2) Question No: 2020/2547 Caroline Pidgeon Considering that maintaining public safety is in part central to the long-term financial future of TfL please state what is TfL’s current estimate of the proportion of the travelling public that are currently wearing a face mask?
Wearing of masks on public transport (3) Question No: 2020/2548 Caroline Pidgeon Considering that maintaining public safety is in part central to the long term financial future of TfL does TfL have any plans to improve the enforcement of wearing of masks on public transport and to provide reassurance to the public who are concerned by widespread non- compliance of the mandatory requirement that exists for most members of the public to always wear them when using public transport.
TfL advertising budget during August 2020 Question No: 2020/2549 Caroline Pidgeon Please provide a breakdown of TfL’s advertising expenditure during August broken down by (a) radio, (b) television, (c) posters, and (d) digital, and (e) other forms.
Healthy Streets Programme Question No: 2020/2550 Caroline Pidgeon Please list all TfL schemes under the Healthy Streets Programme that are currently paused.
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Streetspace initiatives Question No: 2020/2551 Caroline Pidgeon At present the London Streetspace Programme for schemes that have been introduced on London’s red route network appears under the consultations section on TfL’s website with the deadline for public comments being set as the 31 December 2020. Please set out in detail how TfL will (a) publicise this consultation process relating to each specific scheme, and (b) respond to comments received from members of the public.
2021 fare rises Question No: 2020/2552 Caroline Pidgeon Following conditions set in the TfL extraordinary funding and financing agreement relating to fare rises, when will you set out the specific levels of fares that will apply to all journeys and modes of transport from the beginning of 2021?
Congestion Charge Question No: 2020/2553 Caroline Pidgeon I have been contacted by a constituent who would like you to extend the Congestion Charge to include Euston and Marylebone roads. Please set out your response to this suggestion to tackle congestion, raise revenue for TfL and make cycling more attractive.
Rotherhithe Tunnel (1) Question No: 2020/2554 Caroline Pidgeon Please state what is (a) TfL’s latest estimate of renewing the Rotherhithe Tunnel, and (b) the measures TfL will be undertaking to the tunnel during (1) 2020, and (2) during 2021.
Rotherhithe Tunnel (2) Question No: 2020/2555 Caroline Pidgeon What plans does TfL have to fast track proposals for a Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf ferry service if the prospect of regular or long-term closures of the Rotherhithe Tunnel increases?
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Hammersmith Bridge (1) Question No: 2020/2556 Caroline Pidgeon Following the closure of Hammersmith Bridge to pedestrians and river traffic from 13 August 2020 on grounds of an increased risk to public safety due to a sudden deterioration in key parts of the suspension structure, please set out the specific measures you have undertaken in terms of personal correspondence and meetings to ensure that a funding agreement is reached to ensure that the full repair and restoration of the bridge is undertaken and that in addition, funding is restored to ensure that a temporary pedestrian bridge is in place during this vital investment in Hammersmith Bridge.
Hammersmith Bridge (2) Question No: 2020/2557 Caroline Pidgeon In answer to Mayoral Question 2018/0023 in January 2018 which was about an answer to a recent Freedom of Freedom Information request relating to Hammersmith and Fulham Council refusing to publish their in-depth survey of the state of Hammersmith Bridge on grounds that this information might affect the security of the bridge you stated that “Transport for London (TfL) agrees with the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham that this information should not be released under a Freedom of Information request on the grounds that releasing this could affect the security the bridge.” Considering the severe deterioration of the bridge in the subsequent two and half years and the current status of the bridge, do you still defend the decision by Hammersmith and Fulham Council to refuse to publish this information to the public about the state of the bridge?
Crossrail Question No: 2020/2558 Caroline Pidgeon Are you content with the speed of publication and the level of redactions that are included in the Jacobs consultant reports on the progress of completing Crossrail that are published on TfL’s website?
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Tackling overcrowding on the London Underground Question No: 2020/2559 Caroline Pidgeon Considering that maintaining public safety is in part central to the long term financial future of TfL what steps are being taken to ensure that stations, platforms and trains on the London Underground do not become too crowded and that social distancing is maintained as much as possible on the London Underground. Are measures of temporary closures of stations and specific platforms being considered as an option? What measures are also being taken to ensure compliance with the wearing of face masks.
Tube Noise [1] Question No: 2020/2560 Andrew Dismore What are the reasons for TfL declining to progress the use of Delkor track fastenings to reduce tube noise? Are the reasons technical or financial?
Tube Noise [2] Question No: 2020/2561 Andrew Dismore Do you have comparative costs, timelines and a prioritisation of locations for the installation of Hybrid Polymer Sleepers?
East Finchley Station [1] Question No: 2020/2562 Andrew Dismore What is the approximate cost of installing Step Free Access at East Finchley Station? Do any plans currently exist for works there?
East Finchley Station [2] Question No: 2020/2563 Andrew Dismore Barnet Council’s local plan envisions development at the Car Park at East Finchley station. Will you ensure that some paid for parking provision remains there?
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East Finchley Station [3] Question No: 2020/2564 Andrew Dismore Will you ensure that any development on the car park at East Finchley station funds the installation of Step-free Access?
Surface Transport Asset Renewals Programme 1 Question No: 2020/2565 Murad Qureshi What will TfL’s reassessment of its Surface Transport Asset Renewals Programme have on the A40 Westway?
Surface Transport Asset Renewals Programme 2 Question No: 2020/2566 Murad Qureshi What will TfL’s reassessment of its Surface Transport Asset Renewals Programme have on the Hammersmith flyover?
Electric Black Cabs Question No: 2020/2567 Murad Qureshi TfL rightly encouraged cabbies to buy electric cabs to help improve air pollution in London. At a cost of £65,000 for each cab, what assistance is being offered to them during the COVID-19 crisis?
Page 296 Agenda Item 5
Subject: Petitions
Report to: London Assembly (Plenary)
Report of: Executive Director of Secretariat Date 10 September 2020
This report will be considered in public
1. Summary
1.1 This report sets out details of a petition to be presented at this meeting by an Assembly Member.
2. Recommendation
2.1 That the Assembly is recommended to note the petition listed in the report and to decide whether to refer the petition, and if so where to, and to seek a response to the points raised.
3. Background
3.1 Standing Orders 3.20 to 3.21 make provision for the presentation of petitions by an Assembly Member at an ordinary meeting of the Assembly.
A petition to be presented must: (a) Be addressed to the Mayor, the Assembly, a Functional Body (as the case may be); (b) Clearly indicate the name, address and contact telephone number of the person organising the petition, or where the petition was organised on the internet, its data controller; (c) Be presented in the form of printed sheets, each of which includes the “prayer” of the petition (the “prayer” is the formal request or other subject matter of the petition) or, if the petition was organised on the internet, clearly demonstrate that internet users who subscribed to the petition knew what the prayer was; (d) Include each petitioner’s name (which may be printed or be in the form of a signature, provided that the signature is legible) and address (sufficient that the person and their address can be identified) or, where the petition was organised on the internet, their names and email addresses; (e) Indicate the total number of manual or electronic signatories to the petition;
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(f) Young people aged 17 or under signing a petition may give their address as that of the school, or other recognised youth group or similar organisation that they attend (with details of their class name where appropriate), provided that the lead petitioner is a teacher at or leader of that school or youth group or similar organisation; (g) Indicate the total number of manual or electronic signatories to the petition; and (h) Refer to matters within the responsibilities of the Mayor, the London Assembly or the functional bodies, or to matters of importance to Londoners, including those who visit, live or work in Greater London.
3.2 Notice of the intention to present a petition at an Assembly meeting and a copy of the petition must be given to the Executive Director of the Secretariat by no later than 12 noon six clear working days before that meeting.
3.3 Under Standing Orders the Member presenting the petition will read out the prayer of the petition (but not the signatories). The Assembly will not debate the petition. If the Assembly agrees without debate, the petition will be forwarded to the Mayor, Functional Body, relevant committee or other organisation with a request for a response to the points made by the petitioner. The response received will be reported to the Assembly for information and forwarded to the petition’s organiser. The prayer of the petition and the response received will be published in the appropriate Assembly Minutes.
4. Petition to be presented
4.1 Notice of the following petition has been received:
4.2 A petition received by Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM is to be presented to the London Assembly, in accordance with Standing Orders 3.20 to 3.21, saying:
“We the undersigned call on London Mayor Sadiq Khan and the Government to keep Chiswick police station open permanently; and Ealing and Hounslow Councils to stand up to the Mayor and the Government on this issue.”
4.3 It is recommended that this petition be forwarded to the Mayor for London.
4.4 The online copy of the petition has 870 signatories. The contact person for this petition is: Councillor Gary Malcolm, Ealing Council, Perceval House, 14/16 Uxbridge Road, Ealing W5 2HL.
5. Legal Implications
5.1 By virtue of sections 59, 34 and 53 of the GLA Act 1999 (as amended), the Assembly has the power to do what is recommended in this report.
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5.2 Under Standing Order 3.20 the petitions presented to the Assembly, together with the pages containing the names and addresses of the signatories to the petition, are documents to which the access to information rules from sections 100A - H and Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 apply.
5.3 Any applications from Members to see the names and addresses of the signatories to the petition will be considered by the Executive Director of Secretariat on a case by case basis and in accordance with the relevant statutory provisions.
6. Financial Implications
6.1 There are no financial implications directly arising from this report.
List of appendices to this report: None.
Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 List of Background Papers: None.
Contact Officer: Davena Toyinbo, Principal Committee Manager Telephone: 07521 266519 Email: [email protected]
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Page 300 Agenda Item 6
Subject: Motions Report to: London Assembly (Plenary)
Report of: Executive Director of Secretariat Date: 10 September 2020
This report will be considered in public
1. Summary
1.1 The Assembly is asked to consider the motions set out which have been submitted by Assembly Members.
2. Recommendation
2.1 That the Assembly considers the motions submitted by Assembly Members as set out below.
3. Issues for Consideration
3.1 The following motion has been proposed in the name of Léonie Cooper AM and will be seconded by Dr Alison Moore AM:
“This Assembly notes the ongoing urgent safety concerns which have resulted in the full closure of Hammersmith Bridge, and the impact this is having, particularly on local residents.
This Assembly notes that despite not being Transport for London’s (TfL) responsibility, the Mayor has committed £25 million towards the investigation of the faults and the design costs for the restoration of the bridge and has been working with Hammersmith and Fulham council to progress the installation of a temporary bridge. Together with the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, TfL submitted a bid to the government for the additional funding required, which was rejected. This Assembly also notes that London does not receive its fair share of road maintenance funding, with the approximate £500 million of Vehicle Excise Duty revenue raised in the capital, funding road maintenance outside of the city.
This Assembly calls on the Chair of the Assembly to write urgently to the Rt Hon. Grant Shapps MP, Secretary of State for Transport and ask him to immediately provide the funds needed to ensure the future safety of Hammersmith Bridge and to erect a temporary pedestrian and cycle bridge forthwith. Furthermore, the Assembly reinstates
City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA Enquiries: 020 7983 4100 minicom: 020 7983 4458 www.london.gov.uk Page 301
its support for the London Finance Commission’s recommendation to allocate London’s share of Vehicle Excise Duty revenue to TfL to invest in maintaining the capital’s road network, and urges the Secretary of State to revisit the decision taken to remove this funding from London.”
3.2 The following motion has been proposed in the name of Andrew Dismore AM and will be seconded by Murad Qureshi AM:
“This Assembly expresses its concern regarding human rights abuse in China, security concerns arising from Huawei, and the undermining of Hong Kong democracy, which have implications for Londoners.
This Assembly is appalled by and condemns the persecution of Uighur Muslims in China. This Assembly takes note of international concerns about China’s human rights record and the recent action taken by the Government to remove Huawei from the UK's 5G mobile networks.
The Assembly calls on the UK Government to propose a strategy to engage with China over human rights abuse, including if necessary, sanctions legislation targeted at individuals responsible.
London’s diversity is what makes the city special and the Assembly is proud that many citizens of Chinese heritage who call the capital home contribute greatly to the life and culture of our city. This Assembly condemns the increase in Sinophobia and victimisation of Chinese and British Chinese people in London following the outbreak of COVID-19.
This Assembly calls on the Mayor to continue tackling hate crime in London and in particular support London’s Chinese community during these troubled times. This Assembly calls on the Mayor to write to the Home Secretary to urge her to introduce a further Hate Crime Action Plan, with a targeted campaign against Sinophobia.”
3.3 The following motion has been proposed in the name of Shaun Bailey AM and will be seconded by Andrew Boff AM:
“This Assembly notes that on 21 June the Government formally suspended extradition arrangements with Hong Kong, following the imposition of controversial new security laws on the territory by the Chinese Communist Party. This is a significant step and recognises the Chinese Communist Party’s actions with regard to Hong Kong as an abuse of human rights.
In addition, this Assembly also condemns the ongoing persecution of Uigher Muslims, and notes the ongoing international concerns regarding the Chinese Communist Party’s human rights record.
This Assembly believes London is a truly global city, and therefore has a responsibility to show that we support democracy, human rights and people across the world. Therefore, in light of ongoing human rights and other abuses by the Chinese Communist Party, this
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Assembly calls on the Mayor to rescind the twinning arrangement between London and Beijing that was agreed in 2006.”
4. Legal Implications
4.1 The Assembly has the power to do what is recommended in this report.
5. Financial Implications
5.1 There are no direct finance implications arising from this report.
List of appendices to this report: None.
Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 List of Background Papers: None.
Contact Officer: Davena Toyinbo, Principal Committee Manager Telephone: 07521 266519 Email: [email protected]
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