Agenda Item!""#$%&'() 3
Page 1 Page 2 !""#$%&'()
Page 3 This page is intentionally left blank
Page 4
Appendix 2 London Assembly (Plenary) Extraordinary Meeting – 3 September 2013 Transcript of Agenda Item 4: Revised Early Minor Alterations to the London Plan Darren Johnson (Chair): The purpose of today’s meeting is for the Assembly to formally receive and, in accordance with section 42B of the Greater London Authority (GLA) Act 1999 (as amended), consider its response to the Revised Early Minor Alterations (REMA) to the London Plan. Can I therefore welcome to today’s meeting our guests from the GLA: Sir Edward Lister, Deputy Mayor for Planning; Richard Blakeway, Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property; Stewart Murray, Assistant Director of Planning and Richard Linton, Principal Strategic Planner. My opening question to Sir Edward: could you set out the aims and objectives of the Revised Early Minor Alterations to the London Plan, as laid before the Assembly, and how the alterations address the issues raised by the Inspector, the Assembly and the changes to national policy. Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Planning): Thank you, Darren. Before I do could I just also introduce Jennifer Peters who is a senior strategic planner within the team. Depending upon the question, we might want to swap one of the people here on the front bench, so to speak, with her. It depends upon the line of questioning and how it goes. I hope that is acceptable to you. To answer your questions: firstly, the aims and objectives of REMA. The early alterations to the plan are really unfinished business from the London Plan published in 2011 and they intended to do three things. Firstly, to bring the plan into conformity with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and, as you will see in a minute or I hope you will, it is largely in conformity and in fact we have once or twice joked that the NPPF was in conformity with the London Plan because the two are so close. Secondly, to prepare the ground for more substantial alterations which we want to bring forward early next year and those alterations will be to address the needs of London for the next two decades. This is very much the minor document. The big one will be early next year. When the London Plan was published back in July 2011, the Government was still revealing the details of its affordable homes policy and, because of that, it was not possible to refer to any of the changes that may take place. On that basis and on a commitment by the Mayor [of London, Boris Johnson] to the Secretary of State [for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles MP] that he would revise the plan in the light of those changes, the Secretary of State agreed to formally sign off the plan. Today we are making good that commitment to the Secretary of State. These London Plan alterations have three broad objectives: to make the Plan published in 2011 conform fully with the NPPF and, therefore, it becomes, to all intents and purposes, the London
Page 5
expression of the NPPF; to align the Plan with the Government’s affordable housing policy and objectives and to achieve consistency across the housing strategy which is a requirement of the GLA Act; and, thirdly, to incorporate revised cycle parking standards and that is following some research that has recently been done by Transport for London. The REMA sets out to address these aims through a series of minor amendments to existing policies and their accompanying justifications and it is important, I do stress, that these are minor. Of the plan’s 121 policies, only 12 are proposed for alteration together with the consequential changes to the paragraphs and the justifying text. Nothing new is being introduced and I think it is probably helpful if I set out briefly how we arrived at this point. We began in November 2011 under the old rules and we carried out preliminary consultations with yourselves and with the GLA Group. That was followed by a wider consultation with the public and statutory consultees. Then in March 2012 the Government published the NPPF and audits fully reflect this. These alterations were again revised and REMA was subject to another round of consultation. Then last November a short Examination in Public was held here in City Hall and an independent inspector was appointed to carry that out by the Secretary of State. The Inspector’s report was received by the Mayor in June this year. I think this is an important point to make here. Under the GLA Act, the London Plan’s Inspector’s recommendations to the Mayor are not binding. This is different to boroughs where they would be binding, but for us they are not binding. As required by the legislation governing alterations to the London Plan and following consideration of the Inspector’s recommendation, the Mayor submitted to the Secretary of State his response to the inspector’s recommendations together with the alterations he intends to publish. On 13 August the Secretary of State wrote to the Mayor to say that he was content for the Mayor to publish the REMA with no further amendments and, secondly, to confirm the approach set out in the alterations to align the Government’s objectives of increasing delivery of affordable housing. On 14 August this year the Mayor published the Inspector’s report and submitted the intent to publish REMA to the London Assembly for your consideration and there we bring ourselves to today. The key issues: you ask specifically how the REMA addresses the issues raised by the Inspector. At the EIP the inspector chose, as is his right, to focus his examination on those few subject areas or matters which he felt had attracted public comment and which, in his view, went to the soundness of the plan. He considered whether the legal requirements for consultation and for the environmental and equalities appraisals had been met and he found that REMA fulfilled those tests. On the policy areas altered through the REMA he identified the following areas for detailed examination: sustainability, affordable housing and affordable housing targets, the housing needs of gypsies and travellers, cycling standards, health and equalities and living space - that is to say green space, heritage assets, neighbourhood planning and the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). From these he decided to make recommendation on just three. The first one was affordable housing, the second one was local green spaces, and the third one was the CIL.
Page 6
Now, if I could just concentrate on those. The first one is affordable housing and here he was concentrating on how the alterations deal with the new affordable rent product. The product is defined for planning purposes in the NPPF as, “Affordable rented housing let by local authorities or private registered providers of social housing to households that are eligible for social rented housing. Affordable rent is subject to rent controls that require a rent of no more than 80% of the local market rent, including service charges where applicable.” The product was introduced by the Coalition Government in 2011 as a way of continuing to deliver a significant programme of affordable housing in a decreased funding environment. Through this product, registered providers could continue to develop large numbers of homes despite reduced grants by being allowed to charge higher rents on new and converted units. The REMA amendments on affordable housing were made so the plan could be in line with that and the NPPF to ensure the delivery of London’s Affordable Homes Programme. Because NPPF states that affordable rent is to be allocated to those eligible for social rented properties and is intended to meet the same needs, the alterations include affordable rent with social rent. Therefore, it becomes a 60/40 affordable housing split, which is in the planned policy 3.11 on housing targets. That is 60% rented and 40% intermediate products of one sort or another. The Inspector agreed that this was a sensible approach and the Secretary of State approval for the plan affirms our interpretation of Government policy. As well as adding the affordable rent products to the London Plan, the REMA also made it clear through amendments to paragraph 3.63 and 3.68 that boroughs should not set rent caps in their local development plans of below 80% of market rent for affordable rent homes. I suspect that is probably the big issue today. Why did the Mayor propose this? There are two main reasons. First, the NPPF definition makes it clear that affordable rent is up to - and I do stress the up to - 80% of market rent. If boroughs were to set planning policy caps at less than this figure, housing providers would be unable to bring forward those few properties at higher rents which would subsidise the provision of a greater number of lower rents. That is constraining overall affordable output and squeezing deliverability. Secondly, it was to head off a situation where London had 33 different rent caps and this would make London’s Affordable Homes Programme almost impossible to deliver. A number of boroughs made it clear in their responses to the consultation at the EIP that they felt that by trying to stop boroughs from setting their own rent levels in their own plans the Mayor was preventing them from meeting their objectively assessed needs as required by the NPPF. However, the Mayor is firmly of the opinion that his approach is in line with the NPPF and we now have three letters from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) Ministers all confirming and supporting that view. The alteration seeks to maintain flexibility on rent levels in order to maintain the deliverability of affordable housing within the parameters agreed as part of the Affordable Homes Programme,
Page 7
which includes delivering family homes that meet the need, in the context of welfare reform, at an average of 65% of market rent across London. The operation of 33 different rent policies across London would inhibit the delivery of a London-wide programme where registered providers operate across borough boundaries. In the second and third parts of his recommendations, the Inspector recommended the removal of both paragraphs in the plan that stated that boroughs should not attempt to set caps as he felt they were overly prescriptive. Given the reasoning already set out - and I am sure we will delve into this in some detail - that the DCLG Ministers fully supported the Mayor’s view that rent control should not be imposed through planning policy, the Mayor did not support the recommendations of the inspector to remove these paragraphs. As I say, we have the Secretary of State’s approval to the proposals and he has upheld the Mayor’s view and he stated in his letter of 13 August, and I think it is worth quoting: “Imposing rent controls through local planning policies would hinder the objective, ie the Government’s objective of increasing the delivery of affordable housing, and risk letting Londoners down by limiting the supply of affordable housing and reducing choice for tenants.” There was a further recommendation from the Inspector - the first part of recommendation 1(c) - in relation to deciding on rent levels on a scheme-by-scheme basis where they are not funded by the Mayor. The Inspector felt it should be clear that boroughs have a role in agreeing rent levels in such schemes and this recommendation was accepted in part by the Mayor, with amendments to the wording in 3.61 to ensure that the affordable housing delivery is maximised. If I can just move on to local green spaces: the NPPF introduced the option for neighbourhood plans to identify local green spaces for protection so that they have the same protection as the green belt subject to sites meeting various criteria as set out in paragraphs 76 and 77 of the NPPF. Through the alterations the Mayor proposed amendments to paragraph 7.5 in the London Plan, which supports policy 7.1: Building London neighbourhoods and communities. This introduced the concept of local green spaces and says that policy applying to them will be consistent with the Plan’s green belt policy. Some objectors wanted these sites to be covered by the local open space policy rather than the green belt policy. At the EIP the inspector asked, “Are the alterations at paragraph 7.5 about green spaces consistent with the NPPF?” To assist the inspector, the Mayor submitted revised wording to make it explicit that sites designated by the process are, as the NPPF states, covered by green belt policies and not by Local Open Space (LOS) policy. In his report to the Mayor, the inspector concluded, “I agree with the Mayor’s argument that to include these within the hierarchy of types of public open space in table 7.2 could lead to confusion.” He recommended, in recommendation I(c)(2) of his report, that the Mayor’s revised wording be accepted. In his response to the Secretary of State, the Mayor indicated he was happy to accept the Inspector’s recommendation on the matter.
Page 8
Finally, turning to the final matter which the Inspector raised: the CIL. In the alterations we updated policy 8.3 and supporting paragraphs to reflect the introduction of CIL legislation and regulation and the implementation of the Mayoral CIL. An additional clause (d) was introduced to the policy. This calls for the Mayor to work with boroughs to ensure that their local plans identify strategically important infrastructure, particularly in opportunity and intensification areas. At the EIP some boroughs expressed concern to the Mayor that he would use the new clause to dictate local priorities. The Mayor argued that this was not his intention. The inspector felt that the new clause ran counter to NPPF paragraph 1.75 which deals with the proportion of local CIL funds going to the neighbourhoods and recommended, in his recommendation I(c)(3) the deletion of policy 8.3: New clause (d). Recommendation I(c)(3) was not accepted by the Mayor. In the Mayor’s view, the recommendations had been overtaken by the publication of new statutory CIL guidance in December 2012 and again in April 2013. Paragraph 4 of this guidance makes clear that boroughs’ CIL charging schedules should be consistent with, and support the implementation of up-to-date local plans and, in London, the London Plan. Paragraph 8 and 21 of the new guidance reinforce this by making it clear that boroughs should be able to show how their CIL proposals will help deliver their plans, which include the London Plan, and that the extent to which they do so should be considered by charging authorities in proposing levy rates. The alterations reflect this approach, which has also been carried forward in the recently published Mayor’s Supplementary Planning Guidance for the use of planning obligations in the funding of the Crossrail and the Mayoral CIL. The Mayor also felt that the recommendations were based on a misunderstanding of REMA. Contrary to the implication of the Inspector’s report, the Mayor’s view, the REMA do not compromises strategic and neighbourhood infrastructure and suggest the former should take priority. Rather, the alterations should say that where there are strategic important infrastructure priorities they should be identified through the Local Development Framework (LDF) process jointly by the boroughs and the Mayor. This is a brief summary of what we have been through, the Mayor’s approach to key issues and what REMA is all about and we have now laid all these documents before you. Thank you, Chair. Darren Johnson (Chair): Thank you, Sir Edward. In order to give some coherence to the questioning this afternoon, I am going to deal with the areas in the order that they were presented by Sir Edward. Firstly, affordable housing: I will take questions on that; then on green spaces; then on CIL. I hope that is acceptable to Members. Jenny Jones (AM): I would like to direct my questions to the Deputy Mayor for Planning, please. I do not work on the issue of housing anymore, so I would just like to be absolutely clear on this. You said that the changes are minor, but what you are actually doing is tying the
Page 9
boroughs’ hands so that they cannot actually set the affordable rents that they want to in their own area. They cannot go above 80% and they cannot go below 80%. Is that right? Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Planning): No, that is not right. Jenny Jones (AM): Tell me what it is then. Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Planning): What we are saying is that the affordable rent product has a cap of 80% of market rent, but it also says that it should be on an average of 65% of market rent. What we are saying is that the London providers - this is the people we are giving grants to - who operate across that -- Jenny Jones (AM): No, through the borough’s own system of planning. Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Planning): We are saying that the boroughs cannot set rent targets on those planning schemes where funding is coming from the GLA. Jenny Jones (AM): I understand that but you are actually taking power away from the boroughs, are you not? You are tying their hands on their own rents through their planning system. You are saying to them what they have to charge. It just seems unrealistic to me; that is all. Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Planning): No, we are only saying, on those schemes where they are expecting GLA grants to come through to those schemes, that they cannot set target rent levels. That is what we are saying. If it is their own scheme and with their own money they can do what they like. Jenny Jones (AM): Brilliant. One of the boroughs that objected was Westminster and I do not know if you know but for a family to pay the rent on a three-bedroom home set at 80% of the market rate in Westminster, they would have to earn £148,000. That does not sound completely sensible, does it? Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): Jenny, I am afraid that is not correct though. Jenny Jones (AM): Which bit is not correct? Is all of it wrong? Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): That you have to earn £100,000 plus or whatever the figure was that you cited. We are very clear through the programme that rents should not exceed local housing allowance caps so that anyone who is dependent on benefits to cover the full cost of their rent can claim that full benefit and, as you know, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have set local housing allowance caps at a maximum of £400 and so on. What is clear - and there has been some independent research on this - is that broadly the same group of people with the same income is benefiting from affordable rent as would do social rent. If you look at core data, for example, in 2011/12 the
Page 10
average income, if you take out those who are wholly dependent on housing benefit, of someone living in affordable housing was something in the region of £14,700. This is an important point. A piece of work was done by Future of London very recently which looked at the initial lettings that were going through and the people were earning, across London, roughly the same amount of money. I think it was an average of £240 a week for those living in affordable rent compared to about £247 a week for those living in target rent. It is quite clear that people are benefiting from this product who are on very low incomes and can afford it. Jenny Jones (AM): Sir Edward, is this then not throwing all of the onus onto the benefit system? Are you not actually encouraging the boroughs make the benefit system bear the burden instead of making rents at a sensible level? Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Planning): No, what we are doing is we are making sure that the money that we have available through grant is maximising the largest number of housing units that it is possible to achieve and that we are basing all of our calculations on a London-wide basis, not on an individual borough basis. I think it is terribly important to concentrate on the average, which is 65%,not 85%, 65%, of market rent, and that is an average across the delivery of any individual provider’s programme. You could have a programme being delivered by a housing association with sites in, if I may make the example, Barking and Dagenham and Westminster and they would average between them 65%. What they actually do with their rents between those individual boroughs would be down to that housing provider. Jenny Jones (AM): What I understood was the inspector actually said that boroughs should be allowed to set their own rent levels and you have actually decided not to allow them to do it. Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Planning): That is correct. Jenny Jones (AM): That is correct. Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Planning): We are saying that there are 33 London boroughs and it would be impossible to have 33 targeted rents across London. Jenny Jones (AM): I am not quite sure I see that. In the past, boroughs have been able to set their own levels because local conditions vary. I mean it varies enormously between Brent and Westminster, for example. Why should boroughs not be able to set their own? I really want Sir Edward to answer this because it is essentially a political question. If we do not have the Mayor here, I think the Deputy Mayor really does have to answer it. Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Planning): Firstly, I think it is wrong to assume that social rent levels are set by the boroughs. They are not. They are set by central Government. Social rent models are Government rent models and they are out there. What we are dealing with is the affordable rent model, which is done on a different basis.
Page 11
Jenny Jones (AM): What is wrong with the boroughs setting their own rent levels? What you are doing actually is you are forcing quantity over quality. It is the boroughs who know what they need. You do not know the individual conditions in every borough. The boroughs do and they should be allowed to build what they need, not what you need to fulfil the Mayor’s targets. Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Planning): I would argue that what is happening in reality is that the boroughs are meeting the needs that they want to meet. It means that under this programme they can choose, if they so wish, to charge lower rents for larger units and higher rents for smaller units. They can choose that they prioritise families over others. They can make the decision that it is probable that families have less money than others. I mean all those choices are theirs. All we are saying is that we must have an affordable rent product which averages out at 65% across England. Nicky Gavron (AM): Thank you for your very comprehensive introduction, Sir Edward. I just want to say, on behalf of the Labour Group, that we do not want to stop the Mayor making changes to the London Plan but we do want to make sure that the changes reflect the views that were put forward by the Assembly at the EIP, the views that were put forward by the Inspector and the views that have been put forward by many, many boroughs across London. We noticed that at the EIP the biggest attraction and the biggest attention went in fact to affordable housing and that is what I am going to concentrate on and the Inspector, in fact, had devoted most of his report to that. The Mayor dismissed one CIL and then one affordable housing recommendation. I want to deal with a lot of what you said but I also want to cover some introductory points first and I wonder if you could just give me a yes or no answer because I just want to confirm a few things. Is it not right that the Inspector said that, on the test of soundness which you brought up, he had the most concerns - and that is why he has devoted most of his Inspector’s report to it - on affordable housing. Yes or no? Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Planning): Yes. Nicky Gavron (AM): Yes, on the test of soundness. You put quite a lot of store by it? Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Planning): Yes. Nicky Gavron (AM): These are just confirming a few things. REMA does drop the requirement that affordable housing should be at a cost low enough for lower income people to afford. Now, that has been dropped and that is very significant. However, it does say that eligibility is determined with regard to local incomes and local housing prices. Now, do you agree that the planning authorities have a statutory requirement to meet the needs of those who are eligible and eligibility is based on local incomes and local prices? Do you agree with that? Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Planning): Yes.
Page 12
Nicky Gavron (AM): Good. Then another point is that local authorities have said that affordable rent, allowed up to 80% of market rent, would not meet the needs of local people who are eligible for it. Kensington and Chelsea, which our colleague Victoria Borwick [AM, Councillor, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea] is very aware of and is a council member of it, said that they found that there are many, many eligible households who just cannot afford the 80% market rent and could only really afford about 40% of market rent. Now, we are talking about a chunk of inner London. You see, Kensington and Chelsea actually came out with their own evidence base and it was on that evidence base that they were able to say that the people who are eligible and in need can only afford up to 40%. Could you just say what the evidence base is for REMA and what date it is? Richard Linton (Principal Strategic Planner): Well, we are looking at the information that the Mayor had when the draft policies were formulated and were considered at examination. We are now talking about last year. The evidence that informed the alteration would have been the latest information available to the Mayor at that point. Nicky Gavron (AM): That was 2008. Richard Linton (Principal Strategic Planner): 2011. Nicky Gavron (AM): Yes, but it was based on the 2008 strategic housing market assessment (SHMR). Richard Linton (Principal Strategic Planner): Yes, I believe it was. Yes. Nicky Gavron (AM): It was? Your evidence base is five years out of date and does not deal with the affordable rent product, because there was not one then. Do you agree? You have a set of alterations that deal with affordable rent but you do not have any evidence base for it, do you? Richard Linton (Principal Strategic Planner): We were operating on the information that was the most up to date at the time. Nicky Gavron (AM): The Inspector and the NPPF emphasised the importance of up-to-date evidence. I mean all planning has to be evidence based. The NPPF gives enormous emphasis to that and the importance of it and particularly on objectively-assessed need being part of it. Boroughs do have up-to-date evidence, which you do not have. REMA is not based on up-to- date evidence. They know what their local communities want. They know what local conditions are. They know what their local needs are. I would like to know why you are resisting calls from the boroughs to prevent rent caps. Why are you doing that? Just spell it out again. Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Planning): Could I ask Jennifer Peters to perhaps answer that question? Jennifer Peters (Senior Strategic Planner - Housing, Land and Property): Yes. Going back to the issue about the evidence for the REMA, basically we did not, as you are aware, carry
Page 13
out a new Strategic Housing Market Assessment. All that we did is we based it on the Government’s definition in the NPPF of affordable rent, which says it is up to 80% of market rent and it is let to people who are eligible for social rented [housing]. Within that - and our assumptions were backed up by the Government - we assume that it does meet those needs of the people that are you are talking about; the people that, in the past, have received social rent. In terms of a strategic housing market assessment, we are carrying out a new one now that will inform the further alterations for the London Plan. However, it would be very difficult to actually identify affordability or otherwise of affordable rent on a London-wide basis and that is because there are so many variations. Affordable rent is spot market rent, so the market rents can differ from street to street. Nicky Gavron (AM): Yes, I understand. But the boroughs themselves do actually have the evidence and they have looked at how they should reflect local needs and rent and local incomes and local prices in their own boroughs and you are preventing that. Sir Edward, is your main reason - it is one you gave when you doing your comprehensive introduction - about maximisation of numbers? Is that your main reason? Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Planning): It is a major reason, yes. It is not exclusively that. There is also the problem that we are running a housing programme across 60-odd providers across London and we operate on a London-wide basis. We do not operate on a borough-by-borough basis. The grant will be flowing across London and it is important that when we are doing something we are basing it on a London-wide view, not on an individual borough view. Nicky Gavron (AM): Your 65% is only across your housing investment programme, is it not? Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Planning): Yes. Nicky Gavron (AM): Yes. Boroughs are also dealing with other providers. This is a point the Inspector makes. They are dealing with other providers and your 65%, so to speak, is only for those registered providers who have received grants. Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Planning): But we are also requiring local authorities to maximise the number of units that are produced and that is the second clause that comes in here. If we are requiring people to maximise the numbers that does, in effect, push them towards affordable housing units. Nicky Gavron (AM): It is very interesting. Your housing powers and your investment powers are the tail wagging the planning dog. Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Planning): No.
Page 14
Nicky Gavron (AM): Yes, they are. In fact you are actually preventing boroughs from working with other providers getting more affordable housing because obviously you want to get your investment delivered for affordable rent. Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Planning): We are looking to maximise the number of affordable social housing units across London from whatever source they come from. We are looking at numbers right across London. Nicky Gavron (AM): But in fact the REMA actually says and the NPPF says that there is another strand of policy that you have to meet and that is about the type of housing and needs. I do not know how you square maximising numbers with providing the type and size of housing that London so desperately needs. You have just come out with a census which actually says that London’s household size is bigger than the rest of the country and we know that families desperately need affordable housing. How are you going to maximise family housing? Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): Nicky, I think, you are aware of many of the things which we have done around this and I just want to pick up, very briefly, on a couple of points. I think the first point, which is really fundamental, is that boroughs have not been setting rents through social housing. As you know, target rent is something which was formulated by the previous Government based on 1999 values. It had Retail Price Index (RPI) plus an inflation rate linked increase, which was changed from RPI to Consumer Price Index (CPI). This is something which was done on a national basis, not even a borough basis. What you are comparing it to if you are comparing affordable rent to social rent, ie target rent, it is a national system not a borough system. I do think this is an important point because I do not know what you are comparing it to otherwise. Nicky Gavron (AM): But social rent was about need, was it not? Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): Very importantly, as is affordable rent. As has been demonstrated through the configuration of the programme and also on the initial lettings programme, it is serving a similar client group. If you do not maximise the output then the alternative for those households is to live in the private rental sector. As you know, private rent has an increasing cost attached to it. It is critically important, therefore, that we do leverage the funding that we have to deliver as much output as we can because then you are getting households who are living in housing which is, on average, 65% of the market. On family housing in particular, as you know, we have committed to deliver a significant output in terms of family housing. We committed to 36% in the programme. If you look at the output for the last financial year, we were at 37%. If you look at some specific boroughs, for example in Westminster, 58% of the affordable homes which were delivered in Westminster were three-bed plus. We are very focused on the delivery of family-sized affordable housing. We have demonstrated the ability to do that through the programme and that is because of the flexibility that the programme has. Nicky Gavron (AM): Have you thought about how it is going to push up land values?
Page 15
Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): I do not think that is -- Nicky Gavron (AM): Rent increases? We heard this at the Examination in Public, “It will drive up land values”. Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): I do not think it is something we accept. Tom Copley (AM): Sir Edward, I just wanted you to clarify a couple of before I go into my main questioning. Can you confirm that boroughs will be free to set rent caps below 80% where a scheme is not funded by the Mayor? Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Planning): Where the local authority is putting its own resources into it. Tom Copley (AM): Only when the local authority is putting its own resources in? Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Planning): Otherwise, we are saying that we are looking, under the planning system, to maximise the number of units that are being produced. Tom Copley (AM): Any provider, even one that is not receiving funding from the Mayor’s investment programme, the local authority will still not be able to cap the rents at below 80%? Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Planning): Correct. Tom Copley (AM): Thank you. I just wanted to clarify that. Are you concerned that what they are going to end up with - and I think this was reflected very much in the responses from the boroughs - is that you are going to see higher levels? You might end up with the 65% average across London, but also what matters is what the social mix is. Are you worried you could end up with a situation where you get a much higher level of rents in inner London where land values are higher and lower rents in outer London and, therefore, although it might average at 65% across the city, you are not creating mixed communities? Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Planning): I would argue we are creating mixed communities because what we are doing is using our grant and our power of grant to encourage developers whenever they are putting a scheme forward to have a large percentage of affordable housing within their scheme. We are, therefore, maximising the number of units those developers will get, because of our grant subsidy or because of the planning rules, to achieve that. I would actually argue that. I would also argue, and in fact I know it goes on because I look at endless planning applications, that local authorities will perhaps decide that they will be going for rents of 40% or 45% on family units and they will be going for rents of 80% on single person’s or couples’ units and you see that on a fairly regular basis. Local authorities and planning authorities are playing tunes on this already to achieve what they see as being the priority in their area, but across London the average is 65%.
Page 16
Tom Copley (AM): You used the word “affordable” but I just think it is quite clear that the word “affordability” under this scheme is becoming meaningless. Up to 80% market rent or even 65% market rent in most inner London boroughs is still unaffordable to people on low and even moderate incomes. I think that is where our real concern comes. I think that is why you have had such a coalition of boroughs - not just Labour boroughs but Conservative boroughs as well - who are very concerned about this. For example, including the London weighting, a newly-qualified nurse earns about £25,500 a year. At 80% market rent, a one-bed affordable rent home in Southwark requires an income of £33,600 a year. That is according to the evidence that was given by this coalition of boroughs that came forward. Someone even earning what is about the national average income will not be able to afford to get a one-bed flat at 80% rent in Southwark. Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): Tom, you know that that is not what is actually happening in reality. In reality the flexibility of this product means that a large part of the programme is at or around target rent. Indeed, if you take the delivery of the Mayor’s Affordable Homes Programme, about three-quarters will be at or around target rent. As I said before, the average income of someone living in affordable housing is around £14,000 and the independent piece of work which was done by Future of London said that they were seeing broadly the same income group benefiting from affordable rent - and I think it is a critical point - because of this flexibility in the programme. It is also important to observe that there are 22 boroughs themselves who have bid to do an affordable homes programme through the funding available for affordable rent. Many of those boroughs will be putting in an additional subsidy on the rent and that is fine. Clearly that is possible under the flexibilities of this programme. Tom Copley (AM): I believe the majority of boroughs have still expressed significant concerns about their residents’ ability to live in genuinely affordable housing under this. Take Bexley, for example, who have a particular issue about the provision of family sized housing. They said for larger families, the relationship between local incomes and local house prices is such that local influence on rent levels is required to ensure that affordable rented homes do indeed meet the same needs as those eligible for social rented housing. Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): Indeed. They have identified the importance of delivering family sized affordable accommodation. That is why the Mayor, in his last term, delivered more family sized affordable homes than at any point in the previous decade and that is why you also have a programme which is delivering 36% - so over a third - of the homes which are family sized accommodation. As you know, the flexibilities in this programme mean that many of those rents take into account welfare changes and also the rents within the local housing allowance cap, so anyone who requires housing benefits to afford their rent can claim the full cost against the rent. Tom Copley (AM): As Jenny Jones pointed out earlier, all this is going to do is increase the pressure on housing benefits. Surely that flies in the face of one of the Government’s stated priorities which is to reduce the housing benefit bill?
Page 17
Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): Look at the Future of London piece of work, you are seeing about a third, about 32% of households coming into affordable rent derived from full or part-time work. It is a range of people on a range of incomes. Tom Copley (AM): Absolutely, and, of course, we know there are a lot of people in work who also claim housing benefits to top up their income, so we could still see a significant increase in the pressure and again, it seems to be going in the wrong direction. I think there is a growing political consensus now that we want to be switching away from subsidising rents and towards subsidising capital again and this seems to fly in the face of that as well. Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): We would certainly agree with the principle that we should optimise housing benefit for delivery. A housing benefit going into this is helping to subsidise the delivery of new homes. Tom Copley (AM): Can I just challenge you on another point which the Mayor asserts in his response to the planning inspector “that it is generally”, I think he says something along the lines of, “accepted that London is a single housing market”? I do not think it is generally accepted that London is a single housing market. I think the Mayor has asserted that but clearly the boroughs who have objected to it do not believe that and also the planning inspector does not agree with that statement as well. Surely boroughs as different as, let’s say, Camden and Croydon, require different approaches. Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning): We firstly believe London is a single housing market. We believe there is quite a bit of mobility around London and indeed people will move around London. We also believe that what we have here is a product which averages out at 65% across London. I think it is this across London which gives us the maximum amount of flexibility, so it does mean you can have lower rents in an area like Camden and higher rents in an area like Croydon as long as the average works out, so the individual providers across the programme -- Tom Copley (AM): But the boroughs themselves get no say over it because you are not letting them cap rents to meet local needs. That is specifically ruled out. Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning): Because we are also arguing that what we have here in REMA is an expression of Government policy and we have picked that up and that is why, as a planning document, it reflects Government policies. Some of the boroughs, we believe, are not taking into account Government policy. Tom Copley (AM): You say Government policy and, with regard to the NPPF, there is clearly some room for disagreement over this because, on the one hand, the planning inspector was saying you have to implement his recommendations in order to bring the London Plan into conformity with NPPF and then, on the other hand, you are saying, “Well, no, actually we do not”. In terms of the single housing market, the planning inspector said,
Page 18
“I am not convinced that the policy restrictions on boroughs can be justified on the basis of a single housing market in London. The reality is, within one regional market, there are a number of submarkets in inner and outer sectors that have their own characteristics with considerable variations in types of accommodation, tenure, rents and sale prices.” That appears to me to be stating a fact. Why is the planning inspector wrong? Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning): Firstly, I would say that is really a question not about planning but about the housing investment programme which picks that particular point up. There is an issue on that. As far as planning is concerned, we are establishing and setting out a broad-brush policy which covers all of London and the Inspector took a view; we have three separate letters from the Secretary of State, or from other ministers, expressing the contrary view. Indeed, the Secretary of State has signed-off REMA. I think that is the important point. He accepts what we have here is a reflection of the NPPF policy. Tom Copley (AM): I would argue that the opinions of an independent planning inspector and experts, should be weighed more strongly than against someone who is, like us, a politician. Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): I was just going to observe, I think I am right in saying, the inspector for Tower Hamlets said you could not consider the Tower Hamlets borough as representing a single market, a single entity; I just observe that point. I think that is a different view, as you would describe it, of an independent inspector. Tom Copley (AM): The advice or the opinion given by the Inspector on the London Plan described a number of submarkets in inner and outer sectors, so perhaps there is some room for manoeuvre between the borough and the regional level. I think it is just patently obvious to anyone who looks at the London housing market that there are huge variations, not just between inner and outer London but between individual boroughs as well; very different characteristics for housing markets. Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): Tom, you cannot fix prices through planning. I think it would be an extraordinary position where you had a table of prices -- Tom Copley (AM): Exactly. The London Plan does. Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): No, it does not. It critically does not. It says that this product is up to 80% but, within that, there is an enormous flexibility and that is the critical thing. It is enshrining that flexibility, not having 33 different systems. Tom Copley (AM): You have set a maximum level, which is 80%, and you have set a target. That is already intervening within the market and setting a form of a cap. That is undeniable. What we are arguing is that the boroughs should simply have the flexibility to set their own caps
Page 19
based on local need. I will have to leave it at that but what I would say is I hope when we come to vote on this later, that members do consider very carefully the weighted evidence that was given by boroughs and by the planning inspector. I am not wishing to be unconstructive about it but we want to be constructive and we want to have a constructive approach with the Mayor to delivering something that genuinely works in the interests of Londoners. Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning): I am just going to say, I think Richard did point it out; individual planning inspectors come up with different views depending on where you are in London. I think the example of Tower Hamlets is an extremely good one. The area was completely opposite to this one but, going back to the point, we are not bound by the inspector. We are not the same as the borough. What we have to make sure of is that what we produce, at the end of the day, is in conformity with Government policy and is signed-off by the Secretary of State and that is exactly what we have done. John Biggs (AM): I think, as a starting point, I am sure everyone in this room would agree that one of the principles of London’s Government is that when the National Government, which is not London’s Government, has things wrong from a London perspective, we should stand up and express our views strongly to National Government. I do not think that point needs a response. I wanted to speak about a particular instance which is my home borough, Tower Hamlets, but also it is part of a crescent, if you like, of boroughs in inner London. Would you not accept that those boroughs are going through a transition where their resident populations, their historic resident populations tend to have lower income levels and yet the rental levels in those areas are rising rapidly beyond the reach of those local residents? I think that is a given fact as well. It fills most pages of the Evening Standard most days of the week. Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning): I would accept that. I would just make the point that the way to deal with this is to get more product out there, more housing units built and that is the way to deal with this. What we have is a shortage of supply, which is a market problem. John Biggs (AM): Fundamentally, that is wrong, isn’t it because the land in those areas is priced on the basis of a return which is what the market will bear in terms of people’s rentals and the purpose of subsidy is to protect people on lower incomes from that unaffordability? Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning): I would actually argue, our problem basically is for the last 30, 40 years, we have failed to deliver, as a city, even back into the 1960s because we slung clear of it, so we actually were not building that many new units. Since then, we have continued to underperform year on year and that is why we are in the position we are in now as we have a shortage. That is the severe problem we face. John Biggs (AM): My fundamental position, I think having followed this debate, is although this may look like a rather technical debate, it is essentially an ideological debate in which the two politicians at our front table, Sir Edward and Mr Blakeway, fundamentally believe the
Page 20
market will, in some way, solve problems which the last 20 generations of Londoners have shown it will not solve. Could I ask you another specific question which is about the rent levels in inner London and I recognise you say many local authorities are setting lower rent levels for larger units to keep them within benefit levels. The consequence of that is that childless people or couples without kids are facing proportionately much higher rent levels and are being driven out of those areas. Would you accept that is what is happening with the benign hand of the market? Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning): No, I do not accept that. John Biggs (AM): You have no evidence to support -- Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning): I do not believe there is any evidence to say that is happening. I think there is a recognition that, generally speaking, larger families do have less money and I think, therefore, they are under the greatest pressure. John Biggs (AM): So implicit then, you are accepting, although 65% is your going rate, it is reasonable to have a lower percentage rental for family housing as it is for single person housing? Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning): Or for any particular group in which the borough may decide is in need of that. All I am saying is it has to average out at the end of the day. So if you are going to provide a lot of units around 45%, you are going to have to provide a lot of units around 80%. The two have to go together. John Biggs (AM): Are you confident that none of those units at 80%, which are supposedly affordable housing in the old-fashioned definition of the term, will be above benefit cap levels; it will place their occupants above benefit cap levels? Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning): What I am confident about is that the fundamental change that is going through the welfare system, is that welfare payments are meant to be short-term payments which people take for a period of time while they sort out whatever their situation is. Therefore, we should not be actually subsiding through the rent system. We are subsiding but we should reduce the subsidy of the rent system and that is what is actually happening. So we are using the system, as it is, to build the maximum number of units. John Biggs (AM): All right. So you would accept that if one of the consequences of this policy was that Londoners on lower incomes were squeezed out of inner London areas where the rents have become higher, that would be a perfectly reasonable action of the market and they would have to live with the consequences of the individuals. Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning): But that is not what is happening.
Page 21
John Biggs (AM): It is what is happening. Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning): I am sorry. I have to argue this point. That is not what is happening because we are making sure, through our planning policies, that we are maximising the number of units that are being built through the planning system in any single scheme. Because we are maximising the number of units, and using our grant as well to do that, it is free for those local authorities to, provided they get an average of 65%, set their rents accordingly but that is down to the individual providers of those schemes. John Biggs (AM): Would you accept a position where a local authority chose, in policy terms, that it would be better to have fewer affordable properties than a greater number of unaffordable properties by their definition? Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning): My problem with that is quite simply you are pushing more and more people into the private rented sector on even higher rents. So what we are doing is actually reducing the number of people in the private rented sector. You are pushing for more people in the private rented sector. John Biggs (AM): We may not have it on Thursday, but I think there will be a clear majority of the Assembly who will take the view that the Mayor is being supine and is not standing up to a government policy which is causing massive, disproportionate damage to Londoners’ housing needs compared to most other parts of the country, but I digress. Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): John, equally, 22 boroughs have bid to do their own programme through affordable rent. If you are trying to cite evidence of us being supine in terms of boroughs, there are a large number of boroughs who are delivering their own programme and what we are seeking to do is maximise the amount of resource we achieve from Government, maximise flexibility in the programme and also resource going in from providers through their own borrowing or whatever resource. John Biggs (AM): I think history will show this is a disastrous experiment that will not work. Victoria Borwick (AM): Thank you very much indeed. I think we are in for a bit of clarification here, please, if you do not mind. As you are well aware, concern has been expressed by several central London boroughs, including Kensington and Chelsea, where I am a councillor, as well as Westminster, and concerns have been raised about what we all know: we need affordable housing. I think we are all very concerned that the perception being given, and I just want to make sure this is absolutely right and we have all understood it or not, is there will be this requirement, as you have said yourself particularly on the schemes you support, for the 80% rule to be applied on the basis of a median average, I think you said, of 65%. The problem there is, of course, that it is very, very unaffordable in the central London areas and obviously the boroughs are concerned because they are well aware of the need to have affordable housing for residents. It is all very well to talk about the new benefit caps that are up to £400 and some of the slightly higher ones for other groups, but that means it is all very well saying those people will be able
Page 22
to claim under housing benefit, but there is a vast number of people who are not in the very poor category but are not obviously in the wealthy category who cannot afford some of the rents in Kensington and Chelsea and once again, actually we are talking about a lot of people in the middle. Particularly in Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster, it is all very well to say the very poor are coped with because we are going to use the opportunity of the caps in the benefit system, but actually there are a vast number of people who are not going to be eligible under that system. Therefore, the end result of that is they will not be able to live in central London and I think, for many people, that is obviously a real issue particularly for those who have long- term connections or any other connections of schools or any other issues. We have already seen changes in our housing and schools and other things in Kensington and Chelsea where people have been affected by the benefit cap and now obviously we are seeing this further change which is why I know the council leader has written to you, as have other leaders, to express concerns about the lack of flexibility particularly for central London boroughs. So perhaps you could talk through how you would envisage this benefiting those residents in order that they will still be able to have the opportunity of living there. Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): I think it is important to recognise that actually what the programme does have, and indeed the way the planning deals with it as well, is again the point we have made to maximise flexibility. So clearly up to 80%, a whole range of different rents can be charged and it is interesting to note, for example, a particular scheme in Kensington and Chelsea, which Peabody are doing called Silchester Gardens is so flexible, it is actually below target rent. I think that demonstrates the responsiveness of the programme to accommodate a whole range of households. I have already referred to the Future of London report where it shows over a third of working households coming in; you can make an assumption, therefore, they are not wholly dependent on benefits and clearly beyond affordable rent. There’s a whole range of affordable housing products and affordable home ownership products which are available to help those Londoners who are in work and on modest incomes and can be supported through affordable housing, in central London as well. Victoria Borwick (AM): I just want to go back again to challenge you on this. You talk about the 80% probably being the maximum but the 65%, or the average or the median, of market rent is still going to be very, very high in Central London. Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): No, not necessarily because firstly, the local housing allowance caps will kick in and that is an important point. Also in the case of Silchester, for example, I think land is being made available by Kensington and Chelsea, so that provides an additional subsidy and there is nothing that prevents additional subsidy being used. Victoria Borwick (AM): No. Sadly, in Kensington and Chelsea, we do not have a lot of land and, therefore, it is really, really important we maximise, as you said, what opportunity we can have to help. The only other point I would like to make is, I think some of the leaders are very concerned that they would like to be involved more in the general consultation as to how these
Page 23
ideas are taken forward and I hope that is something else you will also consider in the coming months. Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): Yes. Clearly in the configuration of the programme, there were extensive discussions with local authorities, certainly it was something that was discussed through the various boards we have with London councils and others, so there was, but clearly it is important to have that discussion. Victoria Borwick (AM): Thank you. Kit Malthouse (AM): I might be a bit thick but just bear with me. So if I am a borough councillor and I have land but I want to build a block of 100 flats and I want a grant from you to help me with it, within those 100 flats, I could have ten of them at 20% of market, I could have 20 of them at 45%, a few at 55% and a small number, ten at 80%. As long as I average 65% in the block, you are happy. Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): With one proviso. If you have put the land in, you have put extra subsidy in. So, to some extent, the calculations will change. You could choose to use your subsidy to have them all at 30%, if that is what you choose to do. Kit Malthouse (AM): All right. So effectively, around this median of 65%, you would allow me to create a mixed community, so there could be space for the very poor, space for middle income, space for those who earn slightly higher or maybe are progressing from middle income into higher paid jobs; junior doctors, those kinds of things. So effectively, I would be creating a mixed community rather than either subsidising people who could afford more but managed to get into the property, or indeed housing just for the very poor. Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): I could go further and say you could choose, as indeed some estate regeneration schemes have done, to keep existing tenants that you have rehoused on the target rents. You then have another group at a lower rent. You then have a group at a higher rent. You then put intermediate. It would be all be market rent and I was just trying to say there is no limit on those. Kit Malthouse (AM): So actually, in many ways, what you are proposing is giving councils more flexibility to create that nirvana of local government housing that everybody sought over the years which is mixed communities. Stewart Murray (Assistant Director of Planning): Yes and maximising the number of affordable units overall because the 65% is across the programme, not on individual sites. In reality, we are receiving a number of planning applications in exactly the way you described that boroughs are progressing flexible arrangements for a whole range of units and affordability. Interestingly, a lot of the housing schemes through the boroughs provide for a range of small households up to 80% and prioritise the rents for larger family homes more towards the 65% or lower.
Page 24
Kit Malthouse (AM): All right. So you might say, for instance, in a block in Pimlico, you would be using higher paid, young professionals effectively to subsidise families who could, therefore, live together in the same block. Stewart Murray (Assistant Director of Planning): Yes. So effectively, the REMA policy is providing greater flexibility across the affordable rent programme and on a site by site basis, boroughs can work with developers and the GLA to ensure there is a range of affordable products delivered. Target rents imposed by the boroughs reduces the flexibility because it reduces the amount of choice and products that can be provided and the amount of affordable units overall. Kit Malthouse (AM): The only other question I had, therefore, was I am not quite clear why the level of 65% will maximise the number of units. Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): Because target rent, in general terms, is more like about 45%. So if you were to build everything at 45%, you would get less homes. Kit Malthouse (AM): Because there is less money. Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): Because there is less money. Kit Malthouse (AM): OK. So effectively, you are shifting it upwards with a higher, upper limit at 80% on the basis you will get more higher paid people in who will provide more cash to subsidise the below target rent. Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): And to create our average at 65%. Kit Malthouse (AM): All right and within that envelope of 65% and 80%, the boroughs have total flexibility. Stewart Murray (Assistant Director of Planning): Yes and I think it is also critical to say that part of the reason why it averages out at 65% is because of the consideration to the local housing allowance caps which is an important principle to people who are on benefit and can afford it. It is interesting, the range within the 22 boroughs who are delivering their own programme, and many of them will be delivering rents far lower than 80%, but it is still through affordable rent and still through that grant subsidy you are referring to. Kit Malthouse (AM): Because they are putting the land in? Stewart Murray (Assistant Director of Planning): They put the land in, they put their own resource in and it is striking -- Kit Malthouse (AM): Then they have to put housing as part of the development.
Page 25
Stewart Murray (Assistant Director of Planning): -- looking at the list of the boroughs doing it, many of them will be ones which have been cited during the proceedings that will also, on the planning side, be writing to us but, on the housing side, will be bidding for resource. Do you want me to name some? They are quite interesting. Do you want to hear some? Kit Malthouse (AM): OK. Stewart Murray (Assistant Director of Planning): Islington, Barking and Dagenham, Waltham Forest, Camden, Croydon, Enfield, Greenwich, Havering, Hounslow, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth, Bexley, Lewisham, Hackney; they are so enthusiastic, they are there twice, Harrow, and so on. There is a quite a range and I think clearly many of those local authorities will not be delivering homes at 80% but this is the critical point, which we keep making, which is it does not require rents at 80%; there is a whole range of flexibility in there. Kit Malthouse (AM): So as long as you average 65%, there could be 10% and one at 80% and it depends how big the one at 80% is and how small the one at 10% is. I personally do not see quite what the problem is. Yes, I do not really. Len Duvall (AM): I am almost seeing the light here because those same 22 authorities that the advisor wants to tell us about are the same 22 authorities that believe you have failed to persuade on this so-called inflexibility. So let’s run through the names. Barking and Dagenham, Labour; maybe they are a bit anti-Mayor, maybe not. Bexley, Conservative. Brent, Labour. Camden, Labour. City of London, not sure about their politics. Croydon, Conservative. Enfield, Labour. Royal Borough of Greenwich, Labour. Hackney, Labour. Hillingdon, Conservative. Islington, Labour. Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Conservative. Royal Borough of Kingston, Liberal Democratic. Newham, Labour. Richmond-upon-Thames, Conservative. Southwark, Labour. Sutton, Liberal Democrat. Tower Hamlets, Independent. Waltham Forest, Labour. Wandsworth, Conservative; a borough that you will know well, Deputy Mayor, and Westminster City Council because I do not believe that little exchange that has gone on between you and Kit Malthouse. They do not believe in the bright future that you do, so tell me, tell us why you have failed to persuade them this is OK and there really isn’t anything to worry about and there is no fuss and affordable housing is safe with you? Why have these local authorities continued with their stance and they are not persuaded by the arguments you are setting before this Assembly? Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning): I think there are two points here. Firstly, I think you have proved we are party neutral here. Len Duvall (AM): The Mayor has no politics. We have heard it all now! Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning): I am sure he would want it known. On a more serious point, I think there are two points at play here. I think there is a degree of misunderstanding between the politicians and the housing officials about what is going on. We have several letters here and I had one today from a borough where they were
Page 26
implying that everything was at 80%. It is not and that is the point we keep on saying. It is a range that is there and what our job is, as we see it, is to maximise the number of units that can be produced across London. Len Duvall (AM): OK, all right, we will take that. So the independent inspector, was he misunderstanding some of the issues there? I think the underlying subtext here is we have a problem with the drafting and clarity of what you are trying to achieve, and some of the issues and assurances you are giving. Is it not best that you step back and look at the drafting again and maybe you still come back with the same but in a different way to give assurances to those local authorities across the political spectrum who do not believe the assurances you are giving? They believe you are constraining issues. They believe you are actually doing down affordable housing and constraining the way they work. They all want to maximise housing. They all want to work with you. They do not want to work against you but there is something wrong here. There is something fundamentally wrong when there is such a vast gap between you and them and we have not heard anything that tells me that has changed, including letters I have had from both Conservative as well as Labour councils. Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning): At the moment, I would argue that we have a system which the boroughs have supported, which is target rent which is set by Government. It is a national structure and the boroughs are arguing in favour of that and I think they are slightly misunderstanding what we are saying and I think they are misunderstanding what has taken place, that we have moved away from target rent. It is now a very flexible product that is out there and what we have to do is to use the amount of money, and we have less and less resources, to maximise the total number of units and to take the maximum number of people out of the private rented sector, which is exactly what we are doing with this policy. Stephen Knight (AM): Yes, you said repeatedly this is a very flexible product but I really want to get to the bottom of who it is flexible for because this 65% average figure, as I understand it, and I am not an expert in this, but as I understand it, it is a London-wide average and so somebody must determine whether the units being delivered in one area are at 80% and in another area at 60% or even 40%. How is that decision taken? Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): There was a prospectus published prior to the last Mayoral election I think, at the beginning of 2011, which set out the terms for registered providers to bid. A large number did; a mix of housing associations, developers, local authorities and so on. There are principles clearly set down in there. One of the things which were highlighted, for example, in the prospectus was this issue around the local housing allowance caps and then they are appraised by officers here and awarded contracts. Those individual providers, 60 providers who initially bid, will have their own mix in terms of where they are delivering homes on what land and what size and what rent. Stephen Knight (AM): Right but who makes the decision as to which units are approved 80% and which units are at 40%?
Page 27
Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): Providers now have contracts, so a provider will have a contract to deliver x-number of homes for y-level of grant. Stephen Knight (AM): OK. So the housing association, let’s say, or the local authority or whoever is developing the units, will be able to say, “We will do a certain number of them here at that and a certain number of them there at this”. Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): They will have an overall contract to say they will deliver x-number of units for y-level of grant and then obviously as part of compliance against that contract, they will tell us which schemes they are delivering, how many units and that is recorded. Stephen Knight (AM): Do you sign-off those plans? Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): No, we do not. Stephen Knight (AM): So it is up to them basically. Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): Contracts were awarded prior to the Mayoral election, as you know, and they were awarded by the Homes and Communities Agency and noted here and then we do not sign-off individual schemes, but they are responsible for reporting individual schemes which are recorded on our system called IMS. Stephen Knight (AM): So what you are saying is the flexibility is with the developer and, in most cases, I guess it is the housing association or a borough council? Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): It is the landlords’ responsibility. As the developer, the landlord has obviously been completely -- Stephen Knight (AM): Indeed. So let’s say it is the housing association, and many of them operate across many boroughs, it is their flexibility to determine which areas get 80% rent and which schemes will get 30%, 40%, 50% rent, as long as the average across all of their schemes is 65%. Is that right? Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): It is an average across the programme; not across individual -- Stephen Knight (AM): So who decides which? They have individual averages, do they? Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): Yes. Stephen Knight (AM): OK. So who decides whether that housing association’s average should be 50% or 70%? Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): It isn’t. There are a number of assessments which are made --
Page 28
Stephen Knight (AM): Would that be somebody at the GLA? Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): There are a number of assessments which are made before funding is awarded. For example, how robust are they, value for money in various -- Stephen Knight (AM): I appreciate that. I am trying to get to the bottom of who makes these decisions. They are made at the GLA, are they, ultimately, as you are awarding funding? Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): Yes but not on individual schemes. I think what you are referring to -- Stephen Knight (AM): No. I am saying that each developer, who has bid for funding, will be set a target for their overall programme. Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): The overall contract with the Mayor after a competitive process. Stephen Knight (AM): Now presumably some housing associations develop in some areas and others develop in other areas, so in a sense, the Mayor will be determining that setting a target for one developer, one housing association at one level in one area and another housing association in another area with a different target for their programme. So, in a sense, the Mayor is influencing but ultimately, isn’t this really providing flexibility for the Mayor and, to some extent, for the housing associations, as opposed to providing flexibility for the boroughs who perhaps might understand the needs in their areas rather better than the Mayor or the housing association? Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): What we are doing is maximising output because more homes are what we clearly need for our economy and to meet housing needs for the capital. I do not think there is any impression that one of the responsibilities of the Mayor is to maximise housing outputs, housing numbers. Stephen Knight (AM): As long as they are affordable presumably and that has to be the test because more homes that people cannot afford to live in is not really helping the problem. Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): What you are seeing across the programmes is an average but you are seeing substantially below market rents which are more affordable obviously than the market equivalent and I think maximising the output of submarket housing will, therefore, help those households you are clearly concerned about. Stephen Knight (AM): OK. I have another issue which is to do with the target splits between the subsidised rent provision and the intermediate housing provision of 60/40. That target of 60/40 was originally based on 60% social rent, or target rent level, and 40% intermediary and presumably there was an assessment there of the need for basic needs, housing for people on
Page 29
very low earnings against the intermediate housing. You are including, within these changes, the affordable rent model entirely within that 60%, aren’t you? Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): Yes. Stephen Knight (AM): Would you not accept, whilst within that range of 80%, perhaps those being delivered at 40%, 50% are equivalent to social rent housing but if you are delivering units at 80% market rent, are they not really more intermediate housing in terms of the need they are meeting? Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning): I would just argue that the 60/40 split is not something we changed. That has been in the plan. Stephen Knight (AM): No. What you have changed is the definition of affordable rent within that, the definition of the 60%. So what you have done is you put all the affordable housing, and you said this is a very flexible range from 80% right down to 10%, and what you are doing is you are including all of this within the 60%. What I am suggesting to you is wouldn’t it be more reasonable that some of it might be included in the 60% and some of it more akin to intermediate housing? Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning): I would argue what we are doing is reflecting Government policy and lumping all of it in the 60% is largely always going to be affordable rent because the amount of social rent being built is very minimal. Andrew Boff (AM): Mr Blakeway, what do you think would be the effect on the supply of new housing of boroughs having rent caps in their plans? Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): It would undermine the delivery of housing. It would also be quite difficult, I would have thought, to set rent caps which are very, very specific, to the size of the unit and the rent charged on it through planning which would inevitably struggle to keep up with the market. It would clearly lead to confusion. There is a whole range of arguments against it. One of the reasons why target rent, which is being used as the comparator, target rent, therefore, is set through a national framework. Andrew Boff (AM): Thank you. Do you know of any moment in history, AD or BC, when rent caps have increased the supply of housing? Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): I think there is probably a greater weight of evidence of rent caps deterring investment leading to a deterioration in the quality of accommodation and also leading to a lack of mobility which fundamentally hinders economic performance of those areas. Andrew Boff (AM): So you do not know of a moment in history.
Page 30
Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): I am personally not aware and indeed, the history of this country is one of where rent caps did exist at one stage and were removed for some of the reasons I have cited. Andrew Boff (AM): Of course the rent controlled parts of Manhattan are now shrinking as a result of the fact there was insufficient supply. If you could pick one thing that was one factor behind London’s housing problems, what would it be? Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): I think we would all agree it was a lack of supply and, therefore, the Mayor’s responsibility is to optimise supply. Andrew Boff (AM): So in terms of meeting London’s housing needs, would it not seem madness to embark upon policies that stifled supply? Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): Yes. Andrew Boff (AM): That is precisely what the proposal of some boroughs is to do is to propose rent caps that will stifle supply and this is the unreasonable thing you want to stop them doing. You do not want them to have those caps, do you? Richard Blakeway (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property): I think pursuing something which would reduce the number of affordable homes delivered and, therefore, leaving households and housing needs with alternatives such as the private rented sector where, whilst it can often deliver a good quality of accommodation, will clearly be more expensive accommodation, leaving that option for Londoners to either live in more expensive private rented accommodation or live in affordable housing and us working hard to maximise affordable housing, I am sure we want to pursue that policy and we would want to resist one which did the reverse. Andrew Boff (AM): Thank you very much. Len Duvall (AM): Do you believe that a local council should be able to spend their CIL money as they see fit? Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning): Yes, but, and I am sorry to put a ‘but’ into this. The ‘but’ is, of course, if you are setting CIL levels at a particularly high level, you are affecting the viability of a scheme and, therefore, reducing the affordable housing. That is the first point to make. Secondly, I think it is very important that CIL monies are spent on those things which are genuinely things which help the infrastructure of that borough, or that area. For example, we have examples where CILs are being set which do not take into account, say, transport, yet the most crying need is transport, or not taking into account education when education is the most crying need. All I am trying to say is there is a difficulty with CIL in some boroughs.
Page 31
Len Duvall (AM): Would it help if we tried to paint a picture of that contribution maybe on transport? So Bexley supporting the Gallions Bridge, for instance, using their local CIL in supporting strategic infrastructure, is a good example of that sort of collaboration or prescription? I am not sure which. I think the Inspector describes the wording that you are prescriptive in terms of settling the framework for local CILs versus the Mayoral CIL. Is the picture I have painted a fair reflection of a local council supporting a strategic transport infrastructure project? Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning): I am not sure they would necessarily support that particular scheme. Len Duvall (AM): Can I give you another one then? Bexley supporting the Silvertown link, which is a bit more realistic because lots of Bexley people use Blackwall, do they not? So would that be fair to say in terms of CIL expenditure on a strategic infrastructure project? Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning): Yes, it would but all too often that kind of strategic project is not included within their CIL and that is the point I was trying to make. Often, we are missing some of these strategic schemes and indeed, there is a real problem in London that the way some boroughs are trying to introduce CIL is actually bringing CIL into disrepute and there is, therefore, other arguments at play here. Len Duvall (AM): The London Plan addresses how they spend their money and there is guidance about CILs and that comes from National Government. This is about telling local councils what they should be spending it on. Local councils believe it is local infrastructure. We are introducing, via these amendments today, if it is agreed, a prescriptive version of where that money should be spent and the hierarchy of it as their first port of call. Is it prescriptive? Does it start where you are telling them that is where they should be spending their money, or putting it through, or is it a collaborative approach? If it is collaborative, why have you not reflected that in the drafting that is before us in terms of the amendments? I have a thing about the drafting of this document. I think it is very poor. I think in terms of what you have told us today, you have just confirmed in terms of what you desire to see under the relationship of local authorities is not what is on paper or before us in terms for approval. Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning): This document has been written to conform with the NPPF. I think that is the first thing, so this is very much conformity with Government policy and that is the first and foremost reason we have done these changes. Next year, when we do the more extensive alterations, is the time I think we pick up other issues. Len Duvall (AM): So this will come back before us then. Sir Edward Lister (Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning): This will certainly come back before you but, what we are saying is these minor alterations need to go through now to bring about conformity with the NPPF, so we can move forward fully conformed.
Page 32
Richard Linton (Principal Strategic Planner): Can I add to that? The CIL changes through the REMA were driven by fresh regulations which require boroughs to take account of the London Plan in producing their Regulation 123 [of the CIL regulations] list, which is a list of schemes they are going to spend their CIL on, and to have accord to the development plan which includes the London Plan. The language of paragraph D of Policy 8.3 that we are talking about, and that is conciliatory and collaborative because it begins by saying, “The Mayor will work with us”. Darren Johnson (Chair): Thank you. No other Members have indicated, so that concludes the questioning this afternoon. If we can thank the Mayor’s team and the planning officers for coming along and answering questions today.
Page 33 This page is intentionally left blank
Page 34 Appendix 1 London Assembly (Mayor’s Question Time) – 11 September 2013 Transcript: Agenda item 3 – Mayor’s Report Darren Johnson (Chair): The Mayor will now provide an oral update of up to five minutes in length on matters occurring since the publication of his report. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Thank you very much, Darren. There has been quite a lot going on since we last met, as you can imagine. We have a programme that we have announced following up on what we did, you will remember, with the Heron Unit where we were trying to minimise reoffending. We have announced a plan to invest in a custody referral team to stop adult reoffending in particular, concentrating on people who have mental health problems, disabilities and substance abuse problems, so that they are targeted when they come out of prison particularly after short sentences, so we try to reduce the reoffending rates. We are putting a couple of million into that as part of a £60 million programme. We have announced, as you know, the results of the mini-Holland competition for boroughs that wanted to be more like Holland in their approach to cycling and that has gone well so far for eight boroughs: Bexley, Ealing, Enfield, Kingston, Merton and Newham. Richmond and Waltham Forest are still on the list but they have to make some improvements to their plans. We have set a gold standard for disability sport and 100 sporting organisations, groups, charities and sports clubs across the city have signed up for that gold standard in order to improve the supply of accessible sporting facilities in London as part of our Paralympic legacy. We have begun consultation on something I know that Members of this Assembly will, I hope, unanimously approve of, which is a safer lorry charge. The idea is, upon consultation, to start to set standards for lorries coming into this city so that they have the right safety equipment to meet the needs of cyclists. Obviously, that is symmetrical with lots of measures to crack down on reckless and irresponsible cyclists but I do think it is right that lorries in our city should be fitted particularly with the bars or the skirts that will stop cyclists being dragged under the rear axles and suffering some of the most tragic injuries. Everybody knows that a large proportion of cycling fatalities are incurred in that way. The Labour Group has asked me to update them on something I said on Channel 4 the other night, a week ago in fact, and I really find it sad and surprising that they have chosen to take this in this way. It was obvious what I was saying and I think to be accused of minimising the Holocaust or whatever you are trying to say is in my view deeply offensive, but I leave it to you to interpret things as you want.
Page 35 You, finally, asked for a comment on the Assembly’s decision to revise the London Plan or to accept your alterations of the London Plan. I thank the Assembly and I congratulate you on your decision. I think this is a sensible way forward and what it enables us to do is to get on with building more affordable housing, which is what the city needs and wants. So that concludes my report. Darren Johnson (Chair): Thank you. Len Duvall (AM): Mr Mayor, it was more about engaging your brain before you spoke any words. That was why we wanted the Channel 4 issue raised, not about any other insinuations about what you were minimising or not and the offence you may have caused. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Would you like to apologise now, then? Len Duvall (AM): Chair, can I move on to the affordable housing issue? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Would you like to apologise? Len Duvall (AM): I am not sure how long you have been here, Boris, but we did not support your changes to the London Plan to make it more difficult for Londoners to get affordable housing. There were two issues that really came up in that debate and the majority of us voted against but we failed to achieve the required percentage to stop you in not just what we think but many of your Conservative colleagues in the boroughs think of making life harder for those on low and middle incomes in accessing affordable housing. Can you tell me why not one Conservative borough wrote in support of your policy at consultation stage and the following boroughs - Bexley, Croydon, Hillingdon, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Richmond upon Thames, Wandsworth and Westminster - all wrote opposing your policy? Why are they wrong in opposing you and why have you failed to convince them that they are wrong? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I will tell you. I think that they are wrong, Len. It may be that this after all has been a new regime that has taken, like all regimes, some time to bed in and to get across to people, but it is the only way we have now in this city of delivering large numbers of affordable homes. That is the way the Government is funding the programme. You ask why it is that the boroughs have found it difficult to accept and that is because it has not been got over with sufficient clarity that this is not an 80% of the market rent solution. That is not what we are asking for. What we are saying is that across the programme, across the city, registered social landlords (RSLs) and registered providers will have to produce homes where the average is 65% of the market rent. That is the basis on which we think we can convert the maximum quantity of housing benefit into the maximum number of homes. That is the name of the game. We need to build, as everybody knows, 40,000 more homes a year in London. We need to double the rate at which we have been doing it for the last 25 years. This is the way the funding is coming through and we have to raise the rate at which we are building.
Page 36 It is, of course, open to boroughs if they want to go down to the target rents. They can go down to 40%. Of course they can. Across the city and across the programme there has to be an average of 65%. It is further possible, of course, for boroughs to put in their own funds and their own land. We are in no way being prescriptive about this and that is very clear. There are some boroughs, as you will know, which I think indeed you represent, Len, that have very considerable land holdings themselves. Len Duvall (AM): Those boroughs still believe that you will constrain them in providing affordable housing at low cost to people of their boroughs. You have had many months to persuade them otherwise and some are going into the courts about it. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I understand. Len Duvall (AM): You have not only failed to persuade those boroughs, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives, but you also failed to persuade a public inspector who came out against you, and you and your Government colleagues have chosen to ignore. One of the arguments that was put forward is that your Mayoral Advisor believes there is one London housing market. Do you believe that? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Patently, there is a London market which is, in my view, discrete from the rest of the country because, if you look at what happened in the London market over the last five years, it really has been a different phenomenon. That huge pressure on housing in London has caused in many parts of the city acute shortages and, as you know, very considerable price rises. We are going to go later on to a question, I think, from Tom [Copley, AM] about the effect of price rises on London. House prices in this city are a major major factor. The cost of rent -- Len Duvall (AM): Mr Mayor, crucial to the boroughs’ debate, is there one market in London as per your Mayoral Advisor? Do you believe there is one market in London? It is quite important. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): It is very important. Len Duvall (AM): It is people on low incomes trying to access affordable housing and pay their rents. Do you believe there is one market in London? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): What I certainly do not believe, Len, and this is very important, is that there are 33 separate markets and that there should be a higgledy-piggledy approach that will greatly reduce the number of affordable homes we actually produce. That is the key thing for me and I do worry about that approach. What we need to do is we need to maximise the number of affordable homes this city can build. That is why I am grateful to the Assembly, obviously. Not all of you voted for it but I am grateful for you passing those revisions.
Page 37 Len Duvall (AM): No one passed it, Mr Mayor. They voted against it. There was a blocking voting bloc that did and there had to be a consensus. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Some technicalities. Len Duvall (AM): Mr Mayor, let us ask this question, then. Why do you think you know best when you know better than Gareth Bacon and his Bexley colleagues, you know better than Steve O’Connell and his Croydon colleagues, you know better than Victoria Borwick and her Kensington and Chelsea (K&C) colleagues and you know better than the Westminster colleagues about what is going on in their area in determining what they want to do in providing low-cost housing for poor and medium-sized incomes? Why do you think you know better than them? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): There are other boroughs, Len, indeed Labour boroughs, which actively support the affordable rent model and see it as the way forward. Len Duvall (AM): Who are they? Name them. Jennette Arnold OBE (AM): Name them. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Haringey. What about Haringey? Have you ever been to Haringey? Ealing. Len Duvall (AM): No Mr Mayor, there are no London boroughs, Labour, Tory or Liberal Democrat, that support your proposals. They are either silent or not because they think you are constraining. You are making matters worse for people in this housing crisis and all this particular -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That is not true. You are making -- No I will not have that. Len Duvall (AM): You are making the poor suffer -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Rubbish. Len Duvall (AM): -- because there will be no affordable housing in central London districts. It will be more difficult in Croydon. You ought to read what Croydon -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Rubbish. This is Len Duvall now sticking up for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster who would try to restrict the supply of affordable housing. That is what he is trying to do. It is absolute nonsense. Len Duvall (AM): I tell you what Croydon say. Chair, should I tell him what Croydon says? Would you like to hear what Croydon says? Croydon says: “In Croydon, affordability issues are less extreme than they are elsewhere as rent levels are lower than in many London boroughs. We believe the Mayor needs to take a flexible
Page 38 approach to these issues which recognise the variations and constraints in the way that affordable rent models operate in different parts of London. In this respect, Croydon would caution against an overly-prescriptive approach to affordable rent levels in the London Plan.” If you will not take it from Croydon, let us hear what Westminster have, true blue Westminster. Cut them in half and they ooze blue blood. Tory on Tory. In Westminster, in fact Jonathan Glanz [Cabinet Member for Housing and Property, Westminster City Council], I think he is one of your advisors. You have so many that you might not remember. One of your advisors -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Everybody supports me, Len. That is why. Len Duvall (AM): “When considering the gross household incomes required to afford to rent a property in Westminster, it is clear that if a council is not able to set locally assessed caps on the amount of rent charged for affordable rent properties, then the households the council is duty-bound to help in housing in Westminster, ie those on low incomes, will not be able to afford to live in the city and they will be perpetually dependent on housing benefits.” That is the issue that they are trying to get across to you. What we do not understand and what the majority around this table who voted against your proposals last week do not understand is why you are so arrogant and so out of touch? You know best but you cannot work with the local authorities in delivering for Londoners on low incomes and for affordable housing in this city. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): The answer is that this City Hall is working in the direct interests of the population of London and that is what we are elected to do. Yes, of course there are issues and I think it was Victoria [Borwick, AM] who made the point to me the other day that we could perhaps have been clearer in the way we explained it to boroughs to begin with. The simple fact is that this is the best way of delivering the maximum number of affordable homes. The more affordable homes we build, the more pressure we take off the housing market, the less vertiginous the price spikes that we are seeing, the less people are driven off into rent. That is the strategy. I think it should have your support. I am glad that the Assembly one way or the other gave us the ability to deliver on our Affordable Homes Programme. Andrew Boff (AM): Mr Mayor, what do you think the Labour Party’s attitudes to housing will do to the incentives to invest in housing in London? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): If you look at what, for instance, we have achieved at Elephant and Castle where you have a massive investment - a question you pose later on - coming in to build rented accommodation, I think people would be very uncertain about whether they could put billions into the city to build more homes if they faced the prospect of some wild and unworkable piece of regulation. I think it is very important that you get on and
Page 39 you maximise the value to Londoners of what funds we have. We do live in straitened times and we are having to use restricted funds, but you maximise the value of those funds to deliver more affordable homes. That is the objective of the average target that we have set. Andrew Boff (AM): Do you think, Mr Mayor, that the attitude that has been just shown to us by the Labour Party shows that they are more interested in attracting the votes of those who are lucky enough to have homes and less interested in providing new homes for those who do not? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I think that is a very fair characterisation of what their policy would lead to because we have huge pressure of demand. What we must do is build more affordable homes. I have said it once and I will say it again. It is up to the boroughs to decide in any particular area whether they want to go for a target level rent if they so choose, 40% or 45%. Of course they can do that. Across the city in their negotiations with the RSLs there has to be an average of 65%. Otherwise, we simply will not maximise the funds that are available. Andrew Boff (AM): Mr Mayor, will you be able to do what you did in your previous term, which is build a record number of homes in London, I believe a record since the early 1990s and a maximum number of family homes? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, we will build a record number of affordable homes and, once again, we will defeat the naysayers and the sceptics on the Labour benches or whatever you call that thing there. Yes, we will defeat sceptics everywhere, Len, and I am confident that we are on course to build 100,000 affordable homes over the two Mayoral terms. That is a very astonishing achievement. It has to be set in the context of the huge demand that this city faces, Len. We are going to raise London’s ambitions. If you look at the 2020 Vision, if you look at the opportunity areas, if you look at the land that we are making available, we are going to do it. We have huge numbers of sites across the city, 33 opportunity areas, huge numbers of brownfield sites where we can build many more homes. We are going to get international investors and investors from this country to build on those sites. We will do it sensitively. We will build attractive housing and we will build huge numbers of affordable homes. Andrew Boff (AM): Are you aware, Mr Mayor, that much as the Labour Party will try to stop you building new homes, this Group, as it did last week, will be in support of your keeping to provide the homes that Londoners need. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I thank the Conservative Group for their intellectual rigour and the Macmillanite determination to build more homes that you have shown. That is the right way forward for this city and indeed for the Conservative Party in my view. Andrew Boff (AM): Thank you, sir. Thank you, Chair. Darren Johnson (Chair): Thank you. No other Members --
Page 40 Andrew Boff (AM): Chair, just on one thing, there was one thing. It was a different subject. I was not going to come in on housing. It relates to what the Mayor was saying about lorries. I welcome what you said, Mr Mayor, about equipping lorries with the technology to ensure the safety of cyclists. I am, however, concerned that that does not cover one of the bigger problems, which is the way in which these lorries are being driven, especially tipper trucks, which have contributed to a very high number and a disproportionately high number of the fatalities in cycling collisions. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That is absolutely correct. Andrew Boff (AM): I again ask you to look at the possibility of making major developers legally liable for the conduct of the people who are delivering to their development sites. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Certainly, you can go down that route and prosecutions ultimately often have that effect anyway through insurance. What we are doing is we are not only consulting on the sidebars that I described, but there are of course other safety measures that you can put on a lorry. Nothing is going to be perfect. Nothing is going to make it 100% safe. That is impossible. Of course there are sensors, there are better mirrors and there are alarms that can be fitted onto lorries to make them less dangerous for cyclists. We are now consulting on a series of changes to the framework. There are only a small minority of lorries that do not already comply and the difficulty is obviously going to be to apprehend them and I am very grateful to the Department of Transport and Stephen Hammond [Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport] for giving us the funding, if and when this comes through following the consultation, to monitor it and to police it. You cannot ban lorries altogether from London. I understand that people say to me, “Why can we not do that?” The reason is because these heavy goods vehicles do need to get to construction sites. The economy has to continue to grow in that way. If you ban them during the peak hours, for instance, which is one thing I have thought about seriously, the difficulty is that they would then congregate on the M25 or whatever and come in at 10.00am or whenever it happens to be and you would then have serious problems of risk and indeed congestion. There is no easy solution to this. You have to work with the Freight Operator Recognition Scheme. You have to work by educating the drivers and I think that a few extra safety measures are now long overdue. Andrew Boff (AM): Thank you, Mr Mayor. It is just that on this issue the statistics scream that something should be done. The very high number of tipper trucks that are involved in these accidents mean that something has to be done, even if - and I am no great interventionist - it means possibly ruling on the way in which tipper trucks are engaged or hired. They are hired by the load, by how quickly they go, and it may be worth us looking at that. As I say, I am not somebody who wants to legislate for everything -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Quite right. Nor am I but I understand where you are coming from. We are also looking at that aspect of it. There are, we think, about 6,000 trucks
Page 41 of the kind that you and I would describe as presenting an obvious threat. We now think that we have a way forward to try to make them safer. It has been quite difficult to get that through the Department for Transport, but Stephen Hammond has been extremely helpful and we are making progress. Andrew Boff (AM): Thank you. Thank you, Chair. Darren Johnson (Chair): Thank you. We will then move on to the questions on the order paper.
Page 42 Appendix 2 London Assembly (Mayor’s Question Time) – 11 September 2013 Transcript: Agenda Item 4 – Questions to the Mayor 2890/2013 – Potential London orbital railway Richard Tracey Can you provide any more detail on the route of the London orbital railway put forward by the Deputy Mayor for Transport as an option in your forthcoming long-term infrastructure plan? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Thanks very much, Dick. Your eagle eye has spotted something that Isabel Dedring [Deputy Mayor for Transport] said I think in the Financial Times (FT ) about orbital railways. She is quite right, of course. To answer your question directly, this is not something that has been worked up. There is no blueprint on a shelf in Transport for London (TfL) for an orbital railway of the kind that she describes. There are plenty of ideas for linking up lines and linking up the tramways and all sorts of suggestions. What I can say is that in the forthcoming infrastructure plan which is going to be appended to the 2020 Vision we will be looking at this kind of idea. Four or five years ago, or two or three years ago, perhaps, when we last looked at the idea of orbital railways, it would be fair to say that we basically did not think it was a runner because there simply was not the demand. There was not the population pressure. That is changing. Outer London is seeing huge population growth along with the rest of the city. It has now been put to me by TfL that there could be a business case for some of these ideas for orbital links, so watch this space is basically my message. Richard Tracey (AM): Thank you for that answer. You are correct that I actually spotted it in a Financial Times interview with the Deputy Mayor for Transport, Isabel Dedring. So are you telling us that actually there is no team working on it and that it is simply a theoretical idea at the moment or what? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No. There is a team now working on drawing up the infrastructure plan for London that will be necessary following the 2020 Vision. You will have seen what John Armitt [former Chairman, Olympic Delivery Authority and former Chief Executive of Network Rail] said the other day about infrastructure in this country generally and I think he was right. We approach it piecemeal. We tend to say, “We have to do this”, and then we think, “What is the next thing? I know what. We have done Crossrail 1. Let us do Crossrail 2”, and we do not have a long-term, sequential vision for all the things that the country is going to need given our economic needs, given our population growth and given our ambitions. That is what we are going to do now with the infrastructure plan. We will see how far it gets, the idea of the orbital rail link, but it will definitely be in the mix.
Page 43 Richard Tracey (AM): Is it your wish to connect up all of the outer London areas? At one time we talked about orbital bus routes, if you will remember, and I think there is only one actually in place. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, the X26, which runs from Croydon to Heathrow. The truth is that we do try orbital links and they are not always as successful as they might be. Do not forget we have created in the last four or five years an inner London orbital rail link. We have built a circle line of the rail and it is a fantastic thing, the Overground, and that is already completely jammed. People love that service. It is working very well. Would it work as well if we were to create a rail M25? That is something we are exploring, but you are right to draw attention to it. Richard Tracey (AM): Is there any sort of budget that has been put in for this? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No. Obviously, it would depend very much on the length, which tracks you used, all that kind of thing. I cannot give you a budget for that yet, Dick. Richard Tracey (AM): It is a worthy idea for perhaps 20 years’ time or so, but a good many of us travel on the radial rail routes into London. For example, I travel in from southwest London. Are you aware just how exceedingly cramped those trains are? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am. But, to be fair to be Isabel, I think you will have found that I think what she put particular stress upon in her interview was the vital importance of Crossrail 2, never mind an orbital rail link. It is Crossrail 2 that delivers the massive capacity gains for southwest London so that everybody coming in from Wimbledon and Kingston and everywhere like that does not have that huge pinch point at Waterloo but can bomb on into the City. That is going to be a huge gain for London. That is the thing you should be focusing on, all right? Let me try to move the orbital rail link out of your mind and put Crossrail 2 into it. Talk about Crossrail 2. Yes, a rail M25, as you rightly say, is for 20 years’ time. Crossrail 2 we need to get going now. Richard Tracey (AM): Crossrail 2 is right in the forefront of my mind. It just slightly worried me that we had taken our eye off the ball, but never mind. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No. Obviously, the journalist concerned had probably heard enough about Crossrail 2 and he thought, “Here is something interesting, an M25 for the rail. Let us bung that in the headline”. The story in my view is Crossrail 2. Stick to that one and you will not go wrong. Richard Tracey (AM): Thank you.
Page 44 3301/2013 – 2020 and nitrogen dioxide legal limits Jenny Jones How much of the main road network in London will still exceed nitrogen dioxide legal limits in 2020? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Jenny, thank you for this and I have seen your work that you have done on this. Obviously it is still difficult to get London as clean as we would like, but clearly we are making progress. If you look at the numbers, nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions, which are the particularly nasty stuff, have come down by 20% in London I believe since I have been Mayor. That is a considerable reduction. Yes, since I was elected, NOx emissions are down by 20% and particulate matter concentrations less than 10 microns in diameter (PM10s) are down by 15%. That is progress but we need to go further and you will be familiar with many of the improvements we are trying to make, with the age limits for taxis, with the low-emission buses, with walking and cycling programmes. Of course, particularly important for dealing with NOx, you have to retrofit buildings because actually the funny thing is it is not so much the vehicular traffic that is responsible for NOx. It is the boilers of London and we have a huge programme, as you know, to do that. Jenny Jones (AM): You have not actually answered the question, which is -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That was a pretty bloody long answer. Jenny Jones (AM): -- how much of the main road network in London will still exceed nitrogen dioxide levels in 2020? I can tell you the answer from your own statistics. It is 45%. So, with all these wonderful measures - actually not so wonderful, some of them - with all these measures you are putting in, nearly half of London’s main roads will still be polluted -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, they will be. You are right. Jenny Jones (AM): -- so you are not solving the problem, are you? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Patently, we are. It depends what you mean by “solving”. We are greatly reducing the problem and I wish we could go further and faster. We are bringing in the ultra-low emission zone and -- Jenny Jones (AM): That is in 2020, so it will not have an impact until 2021, will it? That is actually irrelevant. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): You have to be reasonable to people who are buying and driving cars now because, in the end, they do not have cheap access to zero tailpipe emission vehicles. Stephen [Knight, AM] and I had a long conversation about this in the last Mayor’s Question Time (MQT) and --
Page 45 Jenny Jones (AM): Please do not repeat it. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- that is why we are saying to people, “2020 is the deadline for the new technology but we cannot expect you to anticipate what the technology is going to provide”. I know this will be no consolation to people in this city who suffer from poor air quality and I share your zeal on this. Jenny Jones (AM): I am glad you are sorry and that you recognise it is no consolation to people. Do you know that by 2020, 403 bus stops in Barnet will still be on roads that exceed nitrogen dioxide legal limits? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I do know that because I saw your press release. Jenny Jones (AM): Fifty five schools in Wandsworth will still be within 150 metres of a main road that exceeds the nitrogen dioxide levels and 42 kilometres of main road in Redbridge will still exceed it. You are not fixing the problem. You have the power, you can do it and you are putting it off for subsequent mayors. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That is completely untrue. If you mean by “you have the power” I could ban all traffic in London and I could close down every central heating system in our city, then I think you exaggerate my powers. I might be able to ban all traffic but I certainly could not ask the people of London to stop using central heating this winter. That would be wrong. What I can do, as we are doing, is continue to retrofit huge numbers of homes. We have already done 96,000. We have identified a further 62,000 homes across London where we are going to improve the -- Jenny Jones (AM): With all of this, in seven years’ time, 45% or nearly half of London’s roads will still be illegal by your standards. That means every Londoner is breathing in dirty air. It is bad for asthma. It is bad for people with heart conditions. It is really bad for children whose lungs do not develop properly here in London because of the dirty air. It is bad for Londoners. You have to do your bit. You have to speed up what you are doing. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Jenny, I accept that. I would just point out that there are many cities around the world which have a worse state than ours, Milan, Bucharest, Rome, Munich, Paris, Stuttgart -- Jenny Jones (AM): I am sure the mayors of those cities feel bad about it, but London -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- Amsterdam, Stockholm, Vienna, Prague, Berlin -- Jenny Jones (AM): London. We cannot do anything about Amsterdam but you can do something about London.
Page 46 Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I accept that, but I am trying to give you some context. Jenny Jones (AM): No, Mr Mayor, I have asked you a question about why you will not move faster. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Sorry. I really think, if you look at what we have done and the aggression of the timetable we have set, it is unlike anything City Hall has done before. Actually, this was the only administration to introduce an age limit for taxis, which was not remotely popular with taxi drivers -- Jenny Jones (AM): It is a stupid measure because you should be measuring the tailpipe emissions and not just judging on age. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): We do that as well. Jenny Jones (AM): Some people at the age of 63 are still in quite good shape. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): For heaven’s sake. Jenny Jones (AM): Others at 63 are in very bad shape, so I am suggesting that -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): So you want us to get rid of the age limits for taxis? Jenny Jones (AM): -- age is not a delimiter of anything, so you should have looked at tailpipe emissions. I have finished my questions. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): We have greatly reduced emissions from taxis. If you are now saying that it is Green Party policy to get rid of age limits for taxis, then that is news to me -- Jenny Jones (AM): I am saying we should measure how dirty they are before we ban them. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- and it shows unbelievable cynicism and opportunism of the Green Party, but perhaps I should not be surprised. We have introduced the cleanest, greenest new bus in the world. We have done more for cycling. Jenny Jones (AM): The hottest bus in London. Mr Mayor, you are getting off the point. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I think most impartial observers would say that we have done more for cycling than any previous Mayoralty. We have invested huge sums and we are putting a further £1 billion into improving cycling in London. We are going through a massive exercise of trying to retrofit Londoners’ homes, but I have to deal with the city as it is and not some crazy green nirvana in which we all sit around eating alfalfa and nobody drives a car. Jenny Jones (AM): Can I point out he is off the point?
Page 47 Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That is not going to happen, Jenny, nor would it be -- Jenny Jones (AM): Yes, you are off the point, as usual, Mr Mayor. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am not. I am on the point. Richard Tracey (AM): Thank you, Chair. One thing, Mr Mayor, that you could do as Chairman of TfL is to instruct that drivers should not leave the buses’ engines ticking over when they change drivers, which is something some of my colleagues, the councillors in Wandsworth, have been going on about for a very long time. We accept that you are bringing in more and more clean buses, but those that are not so clean should not be left ticking over. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That is very interesting. I did not know that your colleagues had drawn that to our attention. I will make an inquiry as to why, if that is really happening, because it is after all paradoxical that the very buses that have an advertisement on the back saying, “Turn off your key whilst in” -- do you remember? They now have this anti- idling advertisement, so it is bizarre if they are really letting their engines run. Is that true, Dick? Have you seen it with your own eyes? Richard Tracey (AM): Yes, indeed. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Has it been reported to you or have you seen it? Richard Tracey (AM): It has been taken up by several of the excellent Wandsworth Conservative councillors who have asked officers to take it up with TfL. I will give you the location: outside Putney Railway Station. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): OK. I am grateful to you. At the stations? All right. We are on it. I am grateful to you. Thank you. 3378/2013 – Review of local air quality management in England Stephen Knight Will you oppose the Government’s proposal to reduce the level of local air quality monitoring and reporting in England? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Stephen, I think this is actually a very good and important question and there is a discussion going on now, as you know, under the red tape bonfire or whatever plan there is now, which obviously I generally support. There is a proposal that there should be less monitoring by boroughs of local air quality. That is plainly not what we want and need now and we are making, as you would expect, representations to that effect. Stephen Knight (AM): Thank you, Mr Mayor. I am very pleased to hear that you are making representations and I hope that you will publish the representations that you make. The Environment Committee of the Assembly has also made representations.
Page 48 I wonder if we might go a little bit further than that, given the importance of ensuring that we do monitor air quality effectively in London and whether you would commit to leading a delegation to go and see the Minister to make the point that actually London needs to maintain its monitoring of air pollution and not see it reduced. Would you be happy to lead a delegation? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Stephen, I am sure you are more than capable of attracting colossal publicity yourself and I do not see any particular need to interfere. What I will do is keep you abreast of where we are in the conversation because, as far as I understand it at the moment, the Department [for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] is sympathetic to what we are saying, they are interested in what we are saying and they do see that, as Jenny has just been saying, London has a particular problem with air quality and we have to sort it out. You cannot sort it out if you do not monitor it. Stephen Knight (AM): Indeed. If I can just give you one example of where the importance of maintaining a local air quality monitoring network is important, earlier this summer we had various smog episodes where the national Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) system did not pick them up but the local monitoring stations did pick them up. For instance, on 16 July at the Barnes Wetlands Centre, there were ground-level ozone episodes which reached dangerous levels at which the Government was obliged to issue alerts and failed to do so because its own monitoring stations did not pick it up. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I was not aware of that. OK. Stephen Knight (AM): We know in London, Mr Mayor, that hundreds of people are hospitalised by smog episodes and they are very important. Clearly, one of the key ways that we are going to tackle air pollution and one of your key policies is around the ultra-low emissions zone. You mentioned earlier that we had had some discussion at the previous Mayor’s Question Time in July and indeed at the Plenary Session we had in July about your proposals for the ultra-low emission zone. I was very concerned that you had initially in your Vision said that it would apply to all vehicles from 2020 and you told me repeatedly in July that it would only apply to new vehicles. I have here the quote: “The restrictions will only apply to vehicles registered from 2020 onwards”. However, Mr Mayor, I have a letter in front of me this morning signed by you which says: “The starting position for TfL’s work is that the ultra-low emissions zone will affect all vehicles entering central London”, so not just new vehicles. Could you please, the third time for asking -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. To be fair, Stephen, I think I did just give the answer to Jenny and it is very simple. Obviously, the regulation will apply to the whole of central London but, insofar as vehicles are being purchased in good faith which do not comply a long time before that, in round it would be unreasonable to tell people now that they cannot buy a new car which is obviously not going to comply with a zero tailpipe emission regime in seven years’ time. So what we are saying is --
Page 49 Stephen Knight (AM): That is why it is important to make clear now what the regime in seven years’ time is going to be, Mr Mayor. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): This is really a message for the market and for manufacturers and they are responding. Look at what Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) said the other day, an incredible change of heart there. JLR is a brilliant company, an amazing company, but they have not hitherto been very supportive of zero tailpipe emission vehicles and they are now being -- Stephen Knight (AM): But, Mr Mayor, all of this goes to show that clarity is essential because the market has to know what is going to be expected of it in 2020 and instead we have no clarity at all. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Thank you. Exactly right and I am just tentatively, humbly trying to explain to you that the market is already responding to the very clear message that we have sent out, which is that come 2020 what we want to see in London is a zero tailpipe emission environment and new vehicles will have to comply. I think that is a very powerful market signal. This will not be popular, but there is fantastic British technology being developed that will allow car firms to comply and it will do a great deal to reduce NOx and particulates and improve the air of our city. That is what I want to see as much as you, possibly more. Stephen Knight (AM): Thank you. Given all of our concern about smog and air pollution in London, I wonder if you will reconsider the request that I have made in the past to issue yourself, via the Greater London Authority (GLA) or even the TfL website, smog alerts at times of high pollution episodes in London, especially given the Government’s sometimes failure to do that. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I was not aware that the contingency or whatever you said about the monitoring station at Barnes was as bad as that. I will look at that. Generally speaking, I think what we are doing is the right way forward. We believe in steadily reducing the emissions of all kinds and -- Stephen Knight (AM): And issue warnings, Mr Mayor? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- if you look at the last five years and the reduction of PM10s and particulate matter concentrations less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5s), which are the nastiest bits of dust and particulate matter, we have reduced them by, as I say, 15% and NOx by 20%. Those are very considerable reductions. Stephen Knight (AM): Mr Mayor, fine, because my question was really about issuing warnings. You have a target of there being 250,000 Londoners signed up to the airText system. The last time we saw figures it was around 10,000 people. What are you going to do to get information out to people about the state of air pollution in London, particularly when we have
Page 50 bad pollution episodes? You are clearly not getting to the people that you wish to get to and that we all wish to get to. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That is an interesting and important point because the airText system is valuable. Stephen, I will reflect on that. If I may, I will come back to you with an assessment of how we think the airText system is working in alerting Londoners to poor air quality days and whether there is more we can do. Stephen Knight (AM): Thank you. 2986/2013 – Closure of fire stations Navin Shah Why are you refusing to work with the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) to find further savings to stop closure of fire stations, deletion of fire engines and deletion of fire fighter posts? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am grateful, as ever, to Navin for his question, but I have to say I am disappointed that you say I have not been working with LFEPA members there. You sit on LFEPA, as far as I am aware, and in the last year or so I am not aware of a single positive, solid contribution you have made to providing any kind of alternative proposal. There you go. You luxuriate in this position on LFEPA and where is the product? Give me an alternative. Navin Shah (AM): Mr Mayor, MQT is not about a judgement on my work. It is about accountability of what you do as the Mayor when you stand up for Londoners. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Of course it is and I am more than happy to be held to account. Navin Shah (AM): So let me put this to you. Members of the Fire Authority are making extraordinary efforts to find additional savings to stop the closure of fire stations. There are two meetings planned this week, for example, to find those extra savings to stop the closure of fire stations. Will you join us? Let me ask you again. Will you join us in our efforts to find further savings and reconsider your position which is forcing through closures of local stations which nobody wants against the wishes of Londoners and fire fighters? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): What I can certainly tell you, Navin, is that there has been, as you know and you have taken part in it and I am grateful to you for that, a very extensive consultation led by James Cleverly [AM] and the Commissioner for Fire in this city. Some of them were well-attended. Some of them were less well-attended. I promised that we would listen, that we would consult and that we would take account of what people said. As a result of the consultation -- [Interruption from the public gallery.]
Page 51 Darren Johnson (Chair): Please do not interrupt from the public gallery. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- it would be fair to say that the Commissioner has taken account of what Londoners have said. I think there are a couple of small changes that have been made. I am content that, as I understand it, the decisions and the plan that has been put forward by the Commissioner looks to me like a sound one. I think that he has the interests of this city at heart. I think that he has the interests of London householders and London citizens at heart and this is a man who has consecrated his life to fighting fire and reducing deaths by fire. By the way, I congratulate all members of the London Fire Brigade who seem to be here in strength today on what they have done, too, very sincerely. I am forbidden from addressing the gallery but they are allowed to address me. I congratulate them on what they have done, but I am absolutely certain that this is a sound plan, that it will bring, as I say, more boroughs into the target response times, that it will continue to reduce deaths by fire. Darren Johnson (Chair): Can I say to members in the public gallery: Assembly Members are very keen to hold the Mayor to account on this issue. We are not able to properly hold the Mayor to account if we cannot hear what he is saying. So I know this is a contentious issue -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I said it was a sound plan. Darren Johnson (Chair): -- but please give us the quiet that we need to be able to hold the Mayor to account. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I said it once. I repeat my point. I said it is my view that what the Commissioner has proposed takes account -- there will be compulsory redundancies as a result of these proposals. That is one of the merits of the scheme. It takes account of the changing circumstances of London, of the growth in population, of the needs of every community and I think it is a sensible plan. If you look at what the Fire Brigade - who are, as I say, here in strength this morning - has actually done over the last 10 years or 12 years, they have achieved very substantial reductions both in the numbers of fires and in fatalities in spite of a huge increase in London’s population. Navin Shah (AM): Mr Mayor, the Draft Fifth London Safety Plan (LSP5) is far from satisfactory. It is not sound. If you look at the facts, very clearly, the new London Safety Plan will put the safety of London and Londoners at risk. You mentioned public response. Let me tell you what that public response was. Thirteen petitions were received, a total of 21,770 signatures opposing the LSP plans, 2,221 online responses from individuals and a further 102 responses were received. Let me tell you what the YouGov analysis talks about the consultation responses. It says:
Page 52 “There was very strong opposition to the proposals with 94% (2,010) of those responding to the online consultation reporting they disagreed with the reductions in fire stations, fire engines and fire fighter posts.” Why are you riding roughshod over the public view and the views of fire fighters and not saving London from closure of fire stations, loss of fire engines and the removal of fire fighters? Why do you want to put the safety of London at risk? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I do not. This is not an easy thing to do, given the obvious potential of the closure of fire stations to excite people’s real anxieties and real passions that we are seeing today and that we have seen over the last few months. Obviously, this is not an easy thing to do. Obviously, I do it with great, great caution and I have interrogated my officers and have interrogated the Fire Commissioner very closely about how this is going to work. If you look at what we are already achieving in London and you look at the achievements of the London Fire Brigade (LFB), I have absolutely no doubt that this is, as I said just now, a sound plan. To get back to your question, Navin, I regret that you and LFEPA have not seen fit actually to come up with anything remotely resembling an alternative. Navin Shah (AM): We are working now on that and can join us. Thank you. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): You have had more than a year, you know. Jenny Jones (AM): Thank you, Chair. I am not on the Fire Authority but I have been following this and I remember back in 2008 when you were first elected, part of your election platform was that you would work closely with the boroughs and listen to their views. In this case, you are ignoring the boroughs, you are ignoring your own Fire Authority’s views, you are ignoring the 94% of Londoners who oppose these cuts and this is just so that you can reduce the council tax by 1%. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Nonsense. It has absolutely nothing to do with that. Completely rubbish. Jenny Jones (AM): Why on earth do you think that is a reasonable thing to do? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): It has absolutely nothing to do with that. Absolute rubbish. You can do better than that. Jenny Jones (AM): You are ignoring the boroughs. Why are you ignoring the boroughs’ views? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I tell you why it is necessary: because actually, sometimes when you are elected to office, you have to take a difficult and unpopular decision which can be readily misconstrued by people who wish to create party political advantage out of it and you have to take difficult decisions for the sake of good financial management in order to
Page 53 have a proper, modernised fire service that can continue its fantastic work of driving down not only the incidence by fire but deaths by fire as well. Fiona Twycross (AM): The only person, Boris, being party political on this is you because you are pushing through Conservative cuts from the Conservative Government on the Fire Service in London which are deeply unpopular and you are failing to listen to Londoners on this issue. Londoners do not want small changes on this. They wanted you to listen and, as has been said by several people in this room, 94% of Londoners who took part in the consultation oppose these cuts because they believe, as we believe, that they put the lives and livelihoods of Londoners at risk. Tomorrow at the Fire Authority we are going to be discussing alternatives. We have put alternatives in. We put in an alternative budget. All three opposition parties on the Assembly put alternative budgets in and you have failed to listen to the alternatives we have presented. Will you listen to any alternatives we come up with at the discussion at the Fire Authority meeting tomorrow and will you meet us partway on this? Is that a no? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Obviously, I am surprised that it has taken you more than a year to come up with an alternative. Fiona Twycross (AM): No, it has not. That is not true. We presented alternative budgets earlier in the year, so to say it has come -- no. We presented alternative budgets -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): You have come up with no alternative plan. Fiona Twycross (AM): Just because you did not want to accept the alternative budget does not mean that we did not present an alternative. He is clearly not wanting to answer this question anymore, so I am going to leave it to that. You are failing to listen to Londoners. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): You are welcome to leave it at that, Fiona, but, as I say, this is not an easy decision to take. I am taking it because I place trust in the advice of professionals who, as I say, dedicate their lives to fighting fire in this city and who are doing an exceptional job. There are shouts from the gallery which I am not being interrupted by, Chair, but never mind. There are shouts from the gallery, Darren, saying that the number of fatalities has not gone down. I am afraid you are completely wrong. Fiona Twycross (AM): No, they are not wrong, actually. They are not wrong on that. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I will read out the numbers for every year since 2000: 59, 81, 78, 86, 52, 60, 56, 54, 41, 55 -- -- Darren Johnson (Chair): Please do not interrupt. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- and last year there were 44. There is a steady reduction.
Page 54 Fiona Twycross (AM): Can I just say: any life lost to fire is a life that should not be lost. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I accept that but I will not be -- Fiona Twycross (AM): Going through a list and listing the numbers of people who have died and trying to make a political point is just completely unacceptable. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Can I say: I completely accept that. One death from fire is too many but I will not be shouted at from the gallery. They are not being interrupted. I will not be shouted at. Fiona Twycross (AM): We do not want to be shouted at by you, sir. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): What I am simply explaining is that the number of deaths from fire has come down and I think, if there was any backbone in this Chair, you would have them removed. Darren Johnson (Chair): We are not taking contributions from the public gallery. I will have to ask people to be removed -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Come on, Darren. Darren Johnson (Chair): -- from the public gallery if we continue with this noise. Mayor, please carry on. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Man or mouse, Darren? Are we going to continue to be in dialogue with these guys or what? Murad Qureshi (AM): They are fire fighters. James Cleverly (AM): Mr Mayor, in December 2012 when you issued your original budget guidance to functional bodies, did you receive from the Labour Group any proposals for savings in the London Fire Brigade at that point? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No, I did not and I do not wish to be confrontational about this but the fact is we have had a long period of consultation and you, James, and Ron Dobson [London Fire Commissioner, London Fire Brigade] went out to every single borough. We talked to people. Some meetings were well-attended. Some meetings, frankly, were not so well-attended. I think the arguments that you were able to make were very powerful, viz. that the incidence of fire has been greatly reduced, not just thanks to prompt intervention but also thanks to the excellent educational programmes that the Fire Brigade runs. The fatalities, as I say, have also been coming down and continue to come down. As Fiona rightly says, one is too many. Of course, one is too many. We can continue to fight fire very effectively in this city, more effectively virtually than any other major conurbation that I know
Page 55 of, with the programme of changes that the Commissioner has set out and that is why I think it is a sound plan. James Cleverly (AM): Thank you for that. Mr Mayor, in January when the formal budget was disseminated to functional bodies, did you receive from the Labour Group, the Liberal Democrats or the Greens on the Fire Authority an alternative budget at that point? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I did not receive any such submission, James, no. James Cleverly (AM): In the June meeting of the Fire Authority, did Labour, the Liberal Democrats or the Greens produce any alternative budgets at that point? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): They did not. James Cleverly (AM): In July, did they produce any at that point? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I do not remember seeing any credible alternative plan. James Cleverly (AM): In July, when you issued your direction and actually said explicitly on the direction that you welcomed any submissions of alternative plans which you would consider, did you receive any at that point? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): To the best of my recollection, no. James Cleverly (AM): Of the meeting on Monday of the working group set up by members of the Fire Authority to consider alternative proposals, have you received any proposals from that meeting? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No. James Cleverly (AM): So, Mr Mayor, the point I am making is that in the ten months since members of the Fire Authority have had pretty explicit guidance as to the budget constraints that we have to work under, the Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green members of the Fire Authority have failed to put forward a credible plan that keeps Londoners safe and matches the budget, so why on earth do we think an extra couple of days is going to make a difference now? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Obviously, James, I do not know. What I can say is that there has been a long and exhaustive consultation process and in the course of that we did listen to Londoners who made particular points about at least two stations. As far as I understand it, the plan is now being modestly varied to take account of some improvements that the Commissioner thinks he can make. That seems to me to be perfectly sensible. The general direction remains the same and I am content, as I said, after very close examination of the evidence before me that this will continue to enable us to drive down fire in London.
Page 56 I thank you, James, for all your efforts and I thank the Commissioner for what he is doing. Above all, I thank the London Fire Brigade for what they are doing to make our city safer. James Cleverly (AM): A final question, Mr Mayor. Are you as shocked as I am to discover that in the entire time that you have been Mayor the Labour members of the Fire Authority have never put forward an alternative fire budget for London? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am not shocked, really. The honest truth is, James, I understand why you are asking these questions for rhetorical purposes and I am not remotely shocked. It is not their purpose. It is not their mode of operation. Their job is to oppose and to try to get what political traction they can from whatever issues come their way. That is what they are trying to do now. James Cleverly (AM): Thank you. Tony Arbour (AM): Mr Mayor, are you aware that rather than seeking alternative proposals to the fire budget, the Labour Group have spent a considerable amount of time and a considerable amount of public money on challenging a counsel’s opinion which justified and said that your direction was completely legal? They were unwilling to accept that. They insisted that the Fire Authority appoint a Queen’s Council (QC) named by them to give an opinion. Are you further aware that the opinion which was given by that second QC not only confirmed the first opinion that what you were doing was lawful but said it in spades? Do you think that that is a responsible way for the Fire Authority to operate? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Did they do this with public money? Tony Arbour (AM): They did this with public money, Mr Mayor. They should be surcharged. Such a pity that surcharging has been abolished. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Obviously, I respect the advice of the QC in question and I have to wonder why it was necessary to spend more money to seek it. Darren Johnson (Chair): I am advised that this is still an exempt confidential matter and I am not going to allow any more discussion on the counsel’s opinion. That is officer advice. Assembly Member Arbour, have you finished your exchange? Tony Arbour (AM): No, I am happy to have exposed the waste of time and the waste of public money which the Labour Group have claimed that is being done in ensuring that the fire service operates properly. Darren Johnson (Chair): I will reiterate that that is still a Part 2 report and an exempt matter and I am not allowing any more discussion of it. Stephen Knight (AM): Clearly, the London Fire Authority on an all-party basis has actually agreed tens of millions of pounds of efficiency savings over the last few years, so the previous point about no savings being agreed by anybody I do not think is very fair.
Page 57 Will you accept that actually it has been the position of the majority of the Assembly for months now that the budget that you have allocated to the Fire Authority was not sufficient because it would lead to unacceptable cuts to frontline fire services? That is our position and we have put forward a budget amendment which would have provided extra millions of pounds for the Fire Authority. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am shocked to hear this from my fellow coalition member. I thought the budgetary constraints -- Stephen Knight (AM): I hope you will answer the question. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- were something that you signed up to. Anyway -- Stephen Knight (AM): OK, you are not going to answer the question. Mr Mayor, you have issued a directive to the Fire Authority to accept the closure of one in ten, approximately, fire stations tomorrow morning at its meeting, effectively, and you are aware that there are discussions going on this very week about trying to find alternative savings to some of these cuts. Mr Mayor, I think you have said that you would be happy to see alternatives. The very same officers which you were praising earlier for their professional conduct in leading the Fire Authority are working with members this very week to find alternatives. Will you allow that work to carry on? Will you withdraw your direction to members tomorrow to vote for these cuts so that this work can be concluded? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No, I will not. I will not because I think it would be unreasonable. I think it would be very poor public administration to have a system that basically -- if you have a process and you have a body such as the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, which has a great deal of expertise and which is assisted by officials at considerable public expense to come up with this kind of alternative and you have many months in which they can do it, it is wrong to stop the processes of government simply because people fail to do it within the massive timescale that has been allotted to them and -- Stephen Knight (AM): But, Mr Mayor, would it not be more wrong to see fire stations close if an additional week could save a fire station? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- there has been more than a year in which that discussion has been very, very clear and -- come on. Stephen Knight (AM): Would that be more wrong to see a fire station close or to see fire engines lost in London simply on the basis of not allowing enough time for this extra work to be concluded? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): As I say, I think it would be very poor administration to govern in that way. You have to give sufficient time. A massive amount of time has been given. I am grateful, as I say, to all members of the Assembly who have contributed to these
Page 58 discussions. There were no other viable plans presented and I think it is a bit of illusion to say that they are going to be produced in the next week. Stephen Knight (AM): But, Mr Mayor, the Commissioner is this week presenting savings proposals. This week. Mr Mayor, are you saying that these proposals just should not be considered now, that it is too late, that you are not willing to consider alternatives? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): What I am saying is that we are going to continue with the process. It has allowed for ample consultation. It has allowed for a huge amount of contribution by members of the public, by LFEPA, by yourself. In the end, you have to get on and administer and that is what we propose to do. Stephen Knight (AM): Better to get on and make the right decision, not necessarily the fastest decision. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Darren, with great respect, I do take slight exception to being endlessly harangued in this way from the sides. Are you proposing to do anything about it, Darren, or were you just -- Darren Johnson (Chair): I am consistently calling on members of the public gallery to listen to this meeting in silence. If we get continued disruptions, then I will adjourn the meeting and ask that people be removed if they are disrupting the meeting. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Good stuff. Valerie Shawcross CBE (AM): Mr Mayor, I make no apology as a Fire Authority member for trying to find legal and proper ways to block your irresponsible closure of fire stations. I believe that that was what I was elected to do, but you can look in your manifestos and not find any reference at all to your plans to close fire stations. Just the opposite. You said you would not do this and you have no mandate to do it. Let me refresh your memory, Mr Mayor, because you are clearly having memory problems this morning. There used to be a £50 million that the previous administration left in the Fire Brigade budget which you took away to subsidise the Police Service. We love the Police Service but it has been very clear for a long time that the Fire Brigade and fire safety in this city is right at the bottom of your agenda. We did in the budget debate in this very Chamber move forward, three parties together, a sustainable budget that would have worked, that would have saved the cuts from the Fire Service. My colleagues on the Fire Authority pushed through the detail of the consultation to make sure that Londoners had a say. Londoners have had a say and you have not listened. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No, that is not true. Valerie Shawcross CBE (AM): Do you remember only over this last summer you were making a case to the Government that the population of London has grown by a million in the last ten
Page 59 years and how important it is, therefore, that we have more transport infrastructure and that the population will carry on growing, probably by another million? The 112 fire stations that we have now, which are serving a bigger population than we have had for decades and decades, how is it that you want to contract that by 10%? This is an incredibly short-sighted, foolish policy, Mr Mayor, and yet you are using undemocratic legal powers to push it forward? The members of the Fire Authority -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): What do you mean by “undemocratic”? Do not talk to me about undemocratic. I have a very clear mandate to govern responsibly and to take tough decisions. Valerie Shawcross CBE (AM): -- are asking you to call a pause on this and work together on it because, actually, do you not think the Fire Brigade is something that Londoners would expect all parties to work together on, to treasure, to sustain and to carry forward? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): We do treasure, we do sustain and we do work to improve our fire cover. That is what we are here to do and no one in this room has a monopoly on that virtue. We are all here to do that. Valerie Shawcross CBE (AM): Do it, then, Mr Mayor. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am absolutely convinced that the plan that we have before us -- and the deaths from fire have continued to come down. The incidence of fire -- Darren Johnson (Chair): Please, no interruptions. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- has continued to come down throughout this Mayoralty and I am proud of that and that is in spite of, as I said, very considerable increases in population. The issue is how you tackle the threat of fire in London, where you dispose your appliances, what systems you have for guarding against fire, for educating people about the likely risk of fire and how you target the groups that might be particularly vulnerable. These are things on which the LFB has a fantastic record and I think Ron Dobson has a fantastic record. We are going to build on that. Valerie Shawcross CBE (AM): But, Mr Mayor, you have been stripping money out of the fire regulation and fire safety teams. There is nothing within the Fire Brigade that has not lost resource over the last five years of your administration. LFEPA has made £71 million of cuts and yet actually LFEPA is a small functional body and that is a huge, disproportionate amount of money that has been cut from the Fire Brigade. I urge you, Mr Mayor. At the last moment, you can pull back from this foolishness and work together with us in a sensible and rational way. This is a very silly way of making cuts in this service. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): You are recklessly scaremongering. If you look at the changes to the number of fire fighters across the country because you are giving the impression that we are cutting deeply in London and nowhere else, look at what is happening. In the last ten years since 2003, Greater Manchester a 21.7% reduction, Merseyside 23.3%, South
Page 60 Yorkshire 14.6%, West Yorkshire, 19.6% reduction, Tyne and Wear 18.3%, West Midlands 13.3%. Valerie Shawcross CBE (AM): Chair, I asked the Mayor to work with us. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): We have only gone down by 1.1%. London has the best fire service of any big city in the world, we intend to keep it. Darren Johnson (Chair): Thank you. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): As I say, there are no compulsory redundancies involved in this plan. Gareth Bacon (AM): Mr Mayor, Mr Knight just said that this very week the Commissioner is working on alternatives to the Fifth London Safety Plan (LSP5). The Commissioner himself has been very clear that that is not what he is doing. He has been very clear that LSP5 represents his best judgement as to what is needed within the budget that he has. Are you further aware, Mr Mayor, that the Commissioner and the Finance Director this week presented not a list of alternative cuts but a breakdown of departments and their associated costs within the Fire Brigade? It is for members of the Fire Authority to come up with alternative savings. They have had ten months, as the Chairman has just said, to do this. They have done nothing. All they have done is shroud wave and scaremonger. The meeting that is taking place on Thursday is the last chance before the Mayoral directive comes up. So far the opposition Members have presented absolutely nothing. So, Mr Knight’s call for you to delay yet further this process and cause even more doubt and uncertainty in the Fire Brigade is wholly irresponsible and is being done purely for party-political reasons. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, and I am very shocked that it should come from a fellow coalition member. Unbelievable, Stephen [Knight], that you should say this. As you rightly say, Gareth, it is not a sensible way to proceed. There has been a very, very long consultation and, as I say, the Commissioner has varied the plan a bit. We have tried to improve it as a result of what we have heard and I am satisfied that it should go forward. Andrew Dismore (AM): You talked about your mandate, Mr Mayor. On 25 January 2012, just before the election which returned you, you said, “Under this Mayor there will be absolutely no reductions in fire cover”. Your mandate comes from the people of London. You have lied to the people of London by implementing these cuts. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): We had this before, Andrew, and I repeat what I said to you. What we are trying to do is to improve fire cover in London and that is entirely consistent with what I said. If people wish to be ejected by you, Darren, then they have only to shout. Do you wish to be ejected?
Page 61 Darren Johnson (Chair): Thank you. I am chairing the meeting, Mayor -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Are you? Darren Johnson (Chair): -- and if we have further disruptions then I will adjourn the meeting -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That is what you said last time. Darren Johnson (Chair): -- and ask that people be removed. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That is what you said last time you ‘cowardy’ custard. Darren Johnson (Chair): Can you get on with answering the questions? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I have answered the question. Andrew Dismore (AM): How can cutting fire stations, cutting fire engines, cutting fire fighters’ posts not be a reduction in fire cuts? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): We are improving fire cover, as I have said several times. By continuing to reduce deaths from fire and continuing to reduce the incidence of fire - that is the name of the game. It is not about -- Andrew Dismore (AM): You have lied to the people of London and -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Oh get stuffed! Darren Johnson (Chair): Can I call on you to withdraw that remark, Mayor? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am sorry. I am sorry. I apologise. It just popped out, I am very sorry. Darren Johnson (Chair): You know this is a heated matter but let us all stay calm. John Biggs (AM): Very briefly, Chair. East London is seeing the largest population growth of any part of our city and yet you are shutting three stations within walking distance of my home. I know we have been through a long consultation on this, but you have not quite said it yet, can you tell us that you think London has too many fire engines at present to manage? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No. John Biggs (AM): Ah!
Page 62 Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): What I certainly think is that the disposition and indeed the numbers are capable of improving. You could have a better arrangement - that is what the Commissioner wants. John Biggs (AM): There are too many fire engines at present? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I think that he is entirely reasonably in what he is trying to achieve. John Biggs (AM): In front of 8 million Londoners, you believe London has too many fire engines at present and it is better for us to have fewer. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): What I think that Londoners would agree, John, is that in times when public cash is not limitless we should use that cash to best advantage to continue to reduce death from fire and to continue to reduce the incidence of fire and that is what we are proposing to do. If you can do that with fewer appliances or better distribution of appliances or a different type of appliance then you should look at that. John Biggs (AM): OK, so with reducing crime are you going to be slashing police officers next year as well, presumably? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): The two things, as you perfectly well know, are not analogous. John Biggs (AM): Why not? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): They are not analogous, because you do not need to have fire engines out on the street patrolling in order to deter fire. Maybe you do. Maybe just by having fire engines going around clanking through London, maybe they can somehow persuade fires not to break out. Perhaps you have got some superior insight into physics and the laws of combustion than I have. I think what you are saying is utterly nonsensical. John Biggs (AM): It is a very straight question. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): It is a completely ludicrous question. John Biggs (AM): Every other police service in the country has seen quite serious cuts in police officer numbers and yet you are very clear London needs to be protected. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. John Biggs (AM): But on fire you take a very different view. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I just tried laboriously, but I think effectively, to explain the difference between the two concepts.
Page 63 John Biggs (AM): You do believe clearly that we have too many fire engines in London, that Londoners have been pampered with fire stations and fire engines, they do not need them anymore? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Just guff. John Biggs (AM): No? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I have made it clear that I think that the proposals put forward by the Commissioner are sensible, that if you can do the job with a different complement of fire stations and fire engines then you should and you should modernise the service. Why not look at different types of vehicle and let us see what we can do to continue to reduce fires. I think a kind of blind attachment to keeping things exactly as they are is not the way forward for this City. Of course you can play politics with this and you can go on and on and on, as we have done now, for a very considerable period of time. You can go on and on trying to keep things absolutely frozen, but that is not the way forward in a modern, progressive City where there may be different ways of fighting fire that may be more effective and we have to look at that. John Biggs (AM): Thank you. Steve O’Connell (AM): First of all I thank you for the investment of a new fire station in Purley. It is interesting to hear from Mr Biggs that he has three fire stations all within walking distance of each other. Although I do not know intimately the area that John is talking about, that would seem to me probably is not a good way of applying resources across London and East London. Would you not agree with that, Mayor? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I think what you are driving at, Steve, is very important and very rational, and if you can order things better and you can dispose of your resources in such a way as to fight fire more effectively then you should do that. I think that is a point that John would readily accept. Steve O’Connell (AM): I think, for the record, John, and he will leap to his full height to object, did actually say that that was his words and I do not want, necessarily, that debate, but in these strained times we do need to look at how we deliver very good fire services. I would suggest that there is the case, and probably that is not a good way of deploying services, but I will leave it there, Mr Mayor. Darren Johnson (Chair): Did you want to respond to that, Mayor? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No, I think that Steve makes a characteristically good point. It is common sense. I appreciate, and we have seen this morning that this is a very emotive issue and I just want Londoners to know that this is not a decision that I have taken easily or lightly. I have thought very long about this. I have been over it again and again both with James and with his officials and with Ron Dobson, the Fire Commissioner. We have discussed it exhaustively. I would only be doing this if I thought it was a credible and a
Page 64 defensible way of continuing to improve fire cover in this City. Of course it is very easy to try to inculpate me or people who take this decision for any subsequent disasters that occur. That is the price that we pay for trying to take difficult decisions. John Biggs (AM): By point of personal explanation, Chair, I was clear that within walking distance of my home there are over 1 million Londoners and there are a number of fire stations and three of them, roughly over 40% of my local fire stations are closing within walking distance of my home. I did not say that they were within walking distance of each other. I think one in eight Londoners, over 1 million Londoners do deserve adequate fire cover and they live in very high rise buildings, they live in very high density developments and they feel vulnerable as a result of your decision. Darren Johnson (Chair): Thank you for that point of personal explanation. 2888/2013 - Predictive policing Roger Evans A predictive policing model used in Kent led to a 10% reduction in crime and had a particularly strong impact on violent crime. In your role as occupant of Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) would you encourage the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, to pilot a similar model in a London borough? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Thank you very much. (shouting from the public gallery) Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Thank you. Are you going to expel these people now, Darren? Darren Johnson (Chair): I think they are expelling themselves, so if we just take a moment while people leave the chamber and then we will move straight on with the question on policing. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): OK, that is enough. I think that Roger has come up with a very, very good question, as usual and I congratulate you on it. Darren Johnson (Chair): I am going to adjourn the meeting just for two minutes while we have the public gallery cleared, for those who want to leave, and then we will resume. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I think we can push on, Darren, you now. I think I have got the general gist of their ... Darren Johnson (Chair): We will resume the meeting, thank you, and the question is on predictive policing in the name of Assembly Member Evans.
Page 65 Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Very good idea, Roger, as usual. Actually there are lots of predictive policing pilots that are underway in the Metropolitan Police Service and there are positive indications that it is leading to a reduction in burglary and, of course as you know, we have got the target of a 20% reduction in neighbourhood crime by 2020. Roger Evans (Deputy Chairman): Thank you, Mr Mayor. I think that predictive policing is a very -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Sorry, by 2016. Roger Evans (Deputy Chairman): I think predictive policing is a very exciting initiative which offers the opportunity of great benefits for our City in the future. In the Kent case, which I referred to in the question, not only was there a 10% reduction in crime generally on the pilot, but in the Medway Thames there was a 6% reduction in on-street violence, which is something I think we will be particularly pleased to see in part of the city. The Kent model actually provides the facility to update police officers twice per day on the crimes which are going on in their patch and they can use that to decide where they are going to focus their resources. Are you going to examine what is happening in Kent in more detail so that we can actually have some of those benefits here in London as well? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, I am grateful. We are examining what they are doing in Kent. This is a technique that is pioneered by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) under Bill Bratton [Chief of Police] and the predictive analysis mapping has been made available to 14 of the boroughs so far is going to be fully implemented by April next year. Roger Evans (Deputy Chairman): I am pleased you mentioned Los Angeles. The Police Chief there, and I am not sure if it was Bill Bratton who said this, but it was one of their police commanders, said, and I quote, “I’m not going to get any more money and I’m not going to get any more cops. I have to be better at using what I have and that is what predictive policing is about.” Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, that is a point you could make to public. Roger Evans (Deputy Chairman): In Los Angeles burglaries are down by 33%, violent crime is down by 21%, as a result of predictive policing. Do you understand the resource dilemma which they are facing in Los Angeles and we are facing here, and the benefits that we can achieve? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. I mean, obviously I think it would be a little bit unfortunate to try to compare crime rates with Los Angles with crime rates in London, Roger. Not even the most indefatigable British Conservative admirer of American policing could possible think that they are doing better than us, because they are not. Our City is far safer and we have far less crime of virtually every type in London than they do in Los Angles. That is why
Page 66 I slightly resist these sorts of slavish comparisons with great American urban success stories. Actually London has a very, very good record of driving down crime and we are going to continue to do it. This technique of using predictive policing maps is very interesting and we are certainly exploring it, as I say, and it will be on stream in full next year. Roger Evans (Deputy Chairman): I think you made a very fair point there about comparisons, but if a project like this works so well under the very testing conditions which are prevalent in places like Los Angles, then surely we should expect even better results if we were to apply something similar to London. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Roger Evans (Deputy Chairman): Would it also help us actually with the Metropolitan Police Service’s relationship with Londoners? Because we would maybe be able to reduce the number of unnecessary stops and searches which take place, and replace that with a more intelligence- led approach which targets the locations where crime takes place and the individuals who are committing that crime? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That is a very thoughtful point. It may be that that will be a benefit. As I say, it is showing signs of working here. We do a lot of this stuff anyway. This is not new to the Metropolitan Police Service. They have had a computer statistics (COMSTAT) style system for a long time, as everybody who was on the old Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) knows. Every morning in the boroughs, generally they look at the statistics, they look at where crime is up or down and they try to work out what needs to be done. Yes, there are already very detailed crime maps that show the hotspots and that show where the problems are. If we can now refine that even further with this predictive technique to bring crime down then obviously we are going to do that. Roger Evans (Deputy Chairman): Just finally, Mr Mayor, talking about stop and search, at the Stop and Search Working Group last week, a couple of witnesses voiced the view that police officers from areas outside the centre of London, Essex was used as an example, are not capable of understanding the inner City culture and policing the centre of town properly. Would you refute that point of view and thank officers who take part in the Metropolitan Police Service, who may not come from the centre of London but who still have a valid contribution to make? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Of course. I do not know who made that suggestion, but that goes without saying. Roger Evans (Deputy Chairman): Thank you. 2906/2013 - Future LIP funding Gareth Bacon Is it true that Transport for London is planning on cutting Local Implementation Plan (LIP) funding to the London Boroughs by 25%?
Page 67 Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, Gareth. I want to reassure you, Gareth, that the answer to that is no. I understand very well the attachment that boroughs have to a decent slug of LIP’s funding. I know that there is a history here. It is something that boroughs value very much and I have been very clear in my conversations with TfL I do not want to see that as the outcome, indeed. I want to see more money spent locally than before. Gareth Bacon (AM): I am extremely grateful for that answer, Mr Mayor. Can I, therefore, encourage you to in the longer term be a friend to the boroughs and resist any attempt from Transport for London to cut the LIP funding at all from its present level? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I understand completely where you are coming from, Gareth, and you can count on me as an ally in this. Obviously there are pressures on the TfL budget and there is going to be a discussion to be had, but I am a keen defender and supporter of LIP’s funding. It is something that had proved, I think, valuable to boroughs. One of the first things I did when I was elected in 2008 was to give boroughs more freedom to spend LIP’s funding as they saw fit. I think it is right that they should have that freedom. This is a premature discussion, because no decisions about this have been made but I want you to know that I am very conscious of that pressure. Gareth Bacon (AM): We are very grateful for that, Mr Mayor, and I believe your sincerity in it. To help with that discussion - and you are quite right it is a discussion at this point, rather than any set of proposals - perhaps you could direct Transport for London to looking in other areas as to where savings could be made, for example perhaps the staff nominee travel pass scheme, where they could make significant inroads. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Gareth Bacon (AM): The overprotected pension, which far exceeds anything else in the public sector, is another area that could be looked at. Or even, perhaps, tighter financial management around contingency budgets on major schemes. All of these things would deliver savings that would remove any need at all to touch that funding in the future. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. I mean I might disagree with the detail of what you have just said. We are now moving into the pensions thing, by the way, and on the contingency point that is an argument that is well taken already. On the staff travel thing that is a zero marginal cost to the system. Gareth Bacon (AM): Yes, but it is foregone revenue, Mr Mayor. I mean, without treading over old ground. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Anyway, the broad thrust of your gist is right. Gareth Bacon (AM): The broad thrust, Mr Mayor, is that there are many places that Transport for London could look without having to go to LIP funding, so please resist any of the siren calls you get from them to do that.
Page 68 Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I completely understand that and support that. Gareth Bacon (AM): Thank you. Steve O’Connell (AM): I want to reinforce that. I appreciate very much the investment that you are making in the larger infrastructure schemes, but the LIP funding, I would like to point out, is often applicable to the smaller schemes that many of our resident across Croydon and Sutton and elsewhere. It is those small schemes that I would ask you to continue to support and to repeat, in essence, that you will be continuing to fund the boroughs at least at the existing level, but also to maintain that freedom for the boroughs to be able to use the monies as they see fit. Could, again, you agree with that? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): There is this anomaly, as you know, that it is presented as a revenue item, whereas in fact it is capital spending by boroughs and that is an anomaly which we need to recognise. I am determined to protect LIPs and also freedom to spend as the boroughs wish. Steve O’Connell (AM): Those are the two key points, thank you. 2978 2013 - Living Wages for all? Len Duvall Since 2010, real wages have fallen by 5.5% - more than crisis-hit countries like Greece and Spain. Is it time for the National Minimum Wage to be replaced with the Living Wage in the capital? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Len, I think that would be a positive development. The ambition in the 2020 Vision is that the Living Wage should become the norm in the city. I think that your support and the support of Labour across the city is very important. The support of many companies in our city now is very important and very valuable indeed. As you know, the number of companies who support the Living Wage has greatly expanded under the Mayoralty. It is the right thing for people and it is the right thing for the city. We were discussing the cost housing earlier on. The cost of housing, the cost of rent, the cost of food press hugely upon Londoners now and the Living Wage is, I think, a very, very good and productive way forward, because many of these companies can well afford it and they should be stepping up to the plate and giving their employees a decent Living Wage. Yes, we do want to go further and faster down that route. Len Duvall (AM): Further and faster down that route. You have said in the past that you do not agree to mandatory, that you want to stick to the voluntary approach. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, I see.
Page 69 Len Duvall (AM): What are the accelerators that speed up getting to a position of where more people are covered by the London Living Wage in London? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): It is the London Living Wage Campaign. I know where you are coming from. You would like us to set a mandatory threshold. We think the success of the campaign so far has been based on its voluntary nature. As far as I can remember we have had about a further 200 companies join since I have been Mayor, compared to I think just about 27 that were already in on the scheme. There are 100 now in the process of accreditation. Len, we could have many more and I would like to see more but I am not going to give up yet on this campaign. I think it is a good campaign, I think it is right. If you reach for a legislative, regulatory approach you are in a whole different territory. Len Duvall (AM): I am grateful for the commitment, Mr Mayor, that you are not going to give up on the campaign, but if we carry on at the current rate it will take something like 450 years for the London Living Wage to be covering the Londoners that it needs to cover. What are the accelerators then? OK, we are doing this. In terms of your report, do you want to give us a report back around some of the public commitments that you have made and the pledges about how we can speed this up, and also just tell us where you are on lobbying Government? Do you not agree that we should be worried about, allied to this campaign, worried about the fall in real incomes and the impact here in London’s economy, but also the national economy, also about the dependency of those on benefits? Is 450 years acceptable? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No, of course not, Len. You are making a good point about the speed of take-up. It has been faster under this Mayoralty than before but that is nothing necessarily to be particularly proud of. We should be getting the message across. I think it is a very powerful message. Big firms who have fantastic profits pay huge amounts in dividends and all the rest of it. If they pay the Living Wage to their employees at every level then they will have a workforce that is committed, that is loyal, that feels they have a share in the business and they will thereby reduce their turnover and their wage costs. It is win-win for business. Across business in London some of the biggest names in our city have got this point, some of them, not all of them. It is something that we continue to work with, with London Citizens (Citizens UK), who started this campaign, to evangelise for it further and we will continue to do that. Len Duvall (AM): Mr Mayor, will we be seeing a lot more of your evangelising on this particular matter because of the economy over the coming year, or months? I know you have passions for schemes, equal coverage, you have done some hard work on this scheme, but if we did column inches versus Estuary Airport -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No, I see that, it is a fair point. Len Duvall (AM): Can we see some more energy, well, not more energy, a more concentrated approach on the public commitments that you have already given? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes.
Page 70 Len Duvall (AM): Can you, allied to that, can you give me assurance that you will, as the Mayor of London start to work on arguing for maybe a phased approach to increase the minimum wage to meet the aspirations here in London, because we have to break the log jam. We cannot carry on with more of the same. Will you lend that support? Will you demonstrate that support and -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Len Duvall (AM): Mr Mayor, I would accept this, I think in your Mayoralty it has sped up and you are to be congratulated on that. The issue of our economy at the moment and the spending power in our economy it has to be done now and we have to proceed with a faster pace on this. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I do not disagree with that. Len Duvall (AM): We are looking for you to provide that leadership. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Len, I am grateful or what you say. There are obviously big events we do here, Living Wage events, sometimes they get good coverage sometimes they do not. It is hard always to persuade the media to portray things in the way that you want. I think actually there is now a widespread understanding of how it can work, how it can work in a way that does not restrict businesses from growing, that is not going to be an inhibiter on employment. We will step it up. We have been thinking about trying to develop a bigger broader media campaign across London about this. I think it is something that people really understand and what to get behind. Kit [Malthouse, Deputy Mayor for Business and Enterprise] is obviously leading on this for me, but if we can do this in a cross-party way and with general support then I think that would be all the more powerful. Andrew Dismore (AM): A few weeks ago, Boris, I was in a well-known restaurant chain having breakfast before going to my constituency work and I heard the manager say to one of the waiters, “It is rather quiet this morning, why don’t you do away, take the morning off and come back at lunchtime?” Most people who are told to take the morning off would think it is quite a good idea, but the waiter was rather reluctant to do so. He was reluctant to do so, not just because he was on bad wages, but because he was on a zero-hours contract. Having turned up for work he was being sent away again. Do you think it is right that we should have zero-hours contracts that allow people to turn up to work and be sent away again when there is not work for them to do, like that? Do you think that is fair? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Andrew, I am with you here. It is obviously very tough for people who are on low incomes. The question you have got to ask yourself is, is it preferable to have a job versus no job. That is the issue very often. I, myself, would rather make progress on the London Living Wage. I do not know which restaurant chain you are talking about, but I am more than happy to write. Is it McDonalds? Andrew Dismore (AM): No. Heaven forbid.
Page 71 Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Are you saying that the Big Mac is not the heart of the Dismore breakfast? Andrew Dismore (AM): Absolutely not. Darren Johnson (Chair): We are not going to debate Andrew’s breakfast choices, this has been enough of a challenging meeting already. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am disappointed that you were not eating a Big Mac for breakfast. Quite seriously the catering sector is a big problem here. I think they would benefit from this scheme. If you want to get in touch with us about which company it is, I am more than happy to intercede with them to make the arguments for the London Living Wage. Andrew Dismore (AM): The point about it is, from what you are saying you approve of zero- hours contracts. Do you really think it is right, for someone to be required, for example, to be available exclusively for just one employer even if they cannot guarantee work? Do you really think it is right that the lowest paid, usually at minimum wage, or not far off it, shop workers, restaurant workers, care workers, should suffer such lack of security, unpredictable hours, irregular pay. The fact remains, does it not, Mr Mayor, that zero-hours may be flexible for the employer but they are deeply unfair, very stressful and deeply exploitive of workers. Can you not see this is something out of Dickensian London, rather than the 21st century London that we all refer to? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): The interesting thing about the downturn which we have gone through for the last five years, and which may now be ending - and I think what George Osborne (Chancellor) said the other day was right - the interesting thing is that we did not see that very savage spike in unemployment that we have seen in previous downturns, in the early 1980s which most of us here can remember, and the early 1990s when things were really, really tough. I think that if you can keep some labour market flexibility you will help to keep people in employment. As I have said in this place many, many times, I would much rather see people in employment, in a place of work, with the confidence, with the environment, with the stimulation that that gives people, than out of work and not in a job at all and losing their self esteem, losing their confidence. I also think that we should make the case heartily and passionately for the London Living Wage. I do think that is the way forward. I think that is a benign, equitable thing. I think that many companies can afford it. I think your breakfast host could almost certainly afford it. Starbucks? OK, well I do not know. We will get it out of you somehow. We will find out where you were having breakfast and we will intercede with that business to make the case for decent pay for their staff.
Page 72 Kit Malthouse (AM): Mr Mayor, would you acknowledge that the London Living Wage campaign is not just about the level of wages that are paid in the city but about tempting to re- establish the moral obligation between employer and employed and, therefore, making it compulsory in any way, shape or form would destroy the creation of that sense of obligation between the two? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I think that is one of the reasons why the campaign has a great deal of traction. I think companies feel, when they do it, that they are taking a step in the right direction and it is something that they are able to say with pride about themselves. I do not think that is a negligible point. I see people sneering at that idea, but I think that is a reasonable thing to say. It gives companies something to boast about, that they are doing the right thing. Something that is not only in their own interest, but in the interests of wider society and, yes, I do think that is a factor. Kit Malthouse (AM): Do you also, therefore, believe that there is greater strength in a campaign that is led by business and civil society organisations than by politicians on the basis that if politicians are out front either on a non-party or even cross-party basis that there is an anticipation in business’ mind that eventually they will get fed up and make it compulsory and so they might as well wait for it anyway? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I think that is right. The London Living Wage has had a great deal of traction. I think Len is right that it could do with more impact and we are going to work on that. Basically if we went for the compulsory solution, which I think John [Biggs] is advocating from a sedentary position, then you would be kissing good-bye to that campaign, it would be all over. Civil society would no longer be engaged. You would no longer have London Citizens leading it, you would no longer have businesses leading it, it would be a matter for the state and state coercion. That is obviously something that commends itself to others but not necessarily to me. Kit Malthouse (AM): Finally, obviously would you agree that part of the reason why the roll- out of Living Wage employers has been slower is effectively we have to wait for all local authorities to start to join the scheme, but also for contracts to come up for renewal, in the re- letting of which we can embed the requirement to pay the minimum wage. That is going to take some time to filter through the pyramid of contracts which support the operation of the city. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That is true, but it is also true that we need to go faster. I think it is depressing that we still have not yet accredited the GLA and TfL fully. We need to get on with this and then, and only then, are we going to accredit the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), LFEPA, and the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC). So even in our own house we need to move faster. Jennette Arnold OBE (AM): Chair, thank you. Kit Malthouse (AM): We have to wait for the contracts to come up.
Page 73 Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, well that is true. Darren Johnson (Chair): Sorry, had you finished? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No, sorry. Kit is reproving me -- We have to wait for contracts to come up for renewal. Which is a reasonable point. Darren Johnson (Chair): Thank you. All right, that is concluded. Jennette Arnold OBE (AM): The Mayor will remember that I raised this issue with him during the last Mayor’s Question Time and drew his attention to the national campaign that is being led by John Sentamu [Archbishop of York]. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Jennette Arnold OBE (AM): I asked him then to look at whether he would give his voice to that campaign now. As Kit has said, sometimes it is not a good thing for politicians to be upfront. I would have thought that a bishop upfront who has led a campaign to take his city towards that point where York is now, a Living Wage city, I would have thought that you, Mr Mayor, could actually be supportive of a campaign led by a bishop. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. The difficulty -- Jennette Arnold OBE (AM): Can I ask you to ask Kit to look into that because whether it is good or not people listen to you and you could add your voice to this campaign. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Kit has been in touch with the [London Living Wage] Commission since its beginning. One obvious difficulty is that a national Living Wage logically starts to undermine one of the particular points we make about the London Living Wage, which is that there are increased costs of living in London and that is why we want to focus very much on the London Living Wage. Jennette Arnold OBE (AM): You can finesse it. I have not got time now, but I am happy to talk to Kit about it if he wants to. 2979/ 013 - Home ownership Tom Copley House prices have risen by 8.1% in the last year. What impact will this have on the housing choices made by young Londoners? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, thanks, Tom, and this is a crucial issue. The answer, as I have said earlier on, is to increase supply by as much as we possibly can. That means at least 40,000 new affordable homes a year, which is basically doubling what we have achieved over the last 25 years, on average. That is going to be very, very difficult to pull off but we
Page 74 have to be very ambitious. The primary impact of the increase in house prices has been of course that Londoners of all ages, but particularly young Londoners, no longer have the ability that perhaps a previous generation took for granted of being able to look at the possibility of ownership. That, I think, is a real, real shame. The private rented sector is immensely expensive and we want to try to help by championing home ownership schemes, or partial home ownership schemes, where that is possible. So far we have done a huge number. 50,000 have been helped through the First Steps Programme but I am not going to let it drop. I do think that it is completely wrong that the benefits of participation in housing equity in London should be enjoyed by a tiny minority. Tom Copley (AM): Absolutely. I would agree and I think we would all agree that supply is the most important thing. Are you concerned that developers are deliberately rationing, in effect, the number of homes that they are building? Take this quote from the annual report of Barrett Homes, where they boasted to shareholders, “Across the group we are focused on maximising value rather than driving volumes”. Do you think it is wrong for developers to be restricting supply like this? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I do, and that is why we are absolutely resolute with developers when we give approval for schemes they come through with an affordable quotient that is reasonable and that they get on with it. Obviously we have had a very serious financial crisis, in which a lot of the banks were basically underwater because of the huge loans that they had made, principally to the housing sector. As you will remember when I became Mayor there was a huge amount of apprehension in the market, a huge reluctance to invest and a freeze on housing development. That is now moving again. Obviously we built as many affordable homes as we could but you are starting to see the private sector building again. I think the mood in the developing world is very different from what it was, but they have to be encouraged to make sure that they deliver the volume and the volume of family housing, the volume of affordable housing that London need. Tom Copley (AM): Yes. Can I ask you specifically about the Government’s Help to Buy Scheme? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Tom Copley (AM): You have been asked about this before, I think, and it seems to me that a consensus has emerged, which is that the scheme could well be cultivating a new housing bubble, similar to the one which helped to cause the last financial crisis. The Adam Smith Institute, for example, that great bastion of socialism, has said the scheme, “Will only drive prices up risking a bubble, improving access for a few, but making housing more unaffordable for most people”. You previously, I think, supported Help to Buy. Is that still your view? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am in favour of anything which produces greater supply.
Page 75 Tom Copley (AM): Are you in favour of something which potentially increases demand more that it increases supply? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): You have to increase supply and the demand is colossal. The evidence seems to be that Help to Buy is producing more homes, it is getting people building. Tom Copley (AM): As you know the second stage of Help to Buy has not come in yet. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I do think the London housing market, obviously it does in many ways, if you look at values to incomes, there is no doubt that many economists would say that there is a bubble. Tom Copley (AM): Then you do not understand the question. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): The question is, is it sustainable. Demand is, I think, so strong that it is unlikely, in my view, if you want my answer, that we will see anything like a property market crash, just because of the strength of demand. Tom Copley (AM): That is not my question. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am answering -- Tom Copley (AM): Hang on. You have not answered the question which I put, which was do you accept that this scheme could very well increase demand more than supply and, therefore, further add to house price inflation in London? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): As far as I am aware at the moment, Tom, the scheme is helping to increase supply and that is a good thing. Tom Copley (AM): As you know, the second state of the scheme that comes in, in January, does not just apply to new homes, it applies to existing properties and, therefore, if it becomes apparent, Mr Mayor, that demand is being increased more than supply that house -- hang on, that this is further inflating house prices in London, will you reassess your opinion? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Tom Copley (AM): Will you ask ministers to reverse their policy? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I think it is very important that we keep a very beady eye on what is happening to property values in London and that the measures that we bring in are there to promote supply, which I think will be what everybody wants, to increase the built volume of good quality housing and not just to create a price bubble. I think there you and I are completely at one and it is something that we are certainly watching very hard. Tom Copley (AM): Thank you, that answers my question.
Page 76 2889/2013 - Crime collection Roger Evans As the Metropolitan Police Service prepares for its departure from New Scotland Yard, do you support the Crime Museum’s collection being opened to the public and any profits reinvested into the police? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Thank you very much, Roger. Yes, a very good suggestion. I think this is a paper that you prepared. Roger Evans (Deputy Chairman): Yes. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): A good idea, because the Crime Museum, or ‘Black Museum’, I think it sometimes has been called, is moving out of its current place in Victoria Street. I have never actually been around it, but it is leaving Victoria Street and there is now obviously a plan led by Stephen Greenhalgh [Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime] to come up with a new Police Museum. There are all sorts of bits that you could bring together. There is the Crime Museum, or the ‘Black Museum’, there is the Thames River Police Museum, there is the Mounted Branch Museum, there is the Metropolitan Police Historical Collection, which has all sorts of stuff in it and the Metropolitan Police Historical Vehicle Collection. That is a huge amount of stuff and it would need to be properly curated. You would need a good site for it, but we are certainly looking at it if it can be done in a way that is commercially viable. We are interested in a commercially viable solution and we think it might be very commercially interesting and attractive. Roger Evans (Deputy Chairman): Obviously something like this would need to be done with great sensitivity and with an eye towards what the overall objective is. Do you not agree that a museum displaying the history of crime fighting in London and some of the high points and some of the techniques developed by the Metropolitan Police Service could actually be a very good way of selling a positive image of the Metropolitan Police Service to Londoners and to visitors? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, and I think, as I never tire of saying, the great thing about the London Police is that they are not intimidating figures, they are members of the public. You can buy a souvenir of a policeman’s helmet in a London gift shop. They have a very different relationship with the public than many other police forces around the world and that is a good thing. I think a museum of their activities might be very popular. Roger Evans (Deputy Chairman): You were correct in pointing out that we have done preliminary work around this, which is being pursued by MOPAC and by some people at the Metropolitan Police Service. One of the conclusions that we came to during our exercise was that we cannot actually find a museum in London that does not require a public subsidy. Therefore, we propose actually producing an exhibition rather than a museum, which would
Page 77 have much lower overheads and which would have a chance of actually generating some money for the police. Is that an option that you would want to keep on the table? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Roger Evans (Deputy Chairman): OK, good, you are open-minded. Can I ask on a wider basis, are you actually going to pursue alternative funding sources for the Metropolitan Police Service more generally? If you go to New York, the New York Police have a very visible brand, there are a lot of items which are sold and which tourists value, and there is actually, albeit not a huge revenue line here, an opportunity to actually defray some money towards the policing costs and put off any cuts that might be required in the future. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): You mean this -- yes, I was going to say-- Roger Evans (Deputy Chairman): My colleague, Murad [Qureshi] laughs about it but actually there is a lot of policing merchandise which is sold out there and if we took ownership of the brand then the Metropolitan Police Service should actually get something out of it rather than it just being souvenir shops that are making the money. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I will think about it. Call me a Conservative, but I am not instinctively in favour of having, you know, “This panda car is brought to you by McDonalds” or whatever. Roger Evans (Deputy Chairman): That actually was not what I was suggesting. That is a different argument for another day. This is about selling merchandise with Metropolitan Police Service on them. It is not about Andrew Dismore’s breakfast. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I think they sell lots of T-shirts in New York, and that kind of thing. Roger Evans (Deputy Chairman): Yes. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Let me think about it. 2981/2013 - Cost of childcare in London Joanne McCartney Do you recognise that the high cost of childcare in London is a significant factor in increasing child poverty? What steps are you taking to ensure there is sufficient high quality affordable childcare provision in London? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Look, this is an incredibly important question, Joanne, and I do recognise that the high cost of childcare is not only a factor in poverty. As far as I can remember - I was trying to find the statistics this morning - I have it in my head that we have fewer women of childbearing age who actually get back into the workforce than in other parts
Page 78 of the country, as a result of the high costs of childcare in London. You may have the statistics to hand better than I do. That is wrong. I have been having discussions with Liz Truss, who is the Minister [of State for Children and Families], about what we can do to help more. One of the things clearly is to try to encourage institutions, schools, to make their premises available cheaply for crèche, for childcare facilities, and we are looking at that. As you know the Government has just made some big announcements about childcare, on which I really congratulate them. Deputy Prime Minister Clegg announced free childcare for two-year-olds has been doubled, so that 40% of families will benefit from that. I think from next September they are going to double it again, so that even more two-year-olds will qualify for free childcare for those who are receiving working tax credits and who are below a certain income threshold. The pressures in this city are going to apply to people who may be above that threshold and we should recognise that and we should put in as much supply as we can. We tried it, as you will remember, with a London Development Agency (LDA) scheme that basically did not work because it was not very well managed. We were trying to do it through the boroughs and to be honest it did not seem to have the pickup that we wanted. We think the best thing we can do is try to use our role in planning and in guidance on planning to encourage developments, encourage schools, whatever, to have co-location of services to allow more childcare to take place there. Joanne McCartney (AM): Thank you for that, and I am glad you recognise the great problem that affordable childcare is. In London, over the last 12 months, the rates of childcare have risen disproportionately to the rest of the country, almost a doubling of the increase compared to the rest of the country, 11% in London, compared to just over 5% in the rest of the country. The Daycare Trust surveyed 400 childcare providers cross London last year and they came up with actions that you could take to help the childcare crisis. They asked you to lobby for a reverse of the recent tax credit changes, which saw a reduction from 8% to 7% of costs that were recoupable. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Right. Joanne McCartney (AM): For the Mayor to promote family-friendly practices and vouchers and to include early years in your education inquiry, because it is recognised that good quality childcare often provides a great start to school and vocational achievement and that you should promote a ‘know your rights’ campaign on childcare. They sent that report to you and that list of actions. Have you taken action on any of those? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): You are going to have to forgive me, Joanne, if I say I have not personally read that report yet. I will make sure we have a look at it. What I can say is I know that Kit [Malthouse] as Deputy Mayor for Business and Enterprise will want to be leading on this and to make sure that we encourage in London’s businesses a culture where it is easy for women to find childcare, that we do our absolute maximum to support people who need to get back into the workplace. You are quite right in what you say, it is a major, major cost and all the evidence I have seen and talking to people it really is a problem for people trying to get back into work. We are trying to support through what we are doing on planning. If there is more that we can do with London’s businesses then we certainly shall.
Page 79 Joanne McCartney (AM): There were simple actions which Daycare Trust asked you to do a year ago, spearheading a campaign of knowing your rights, to include it in your education inquiry. They were just practical things that you could do quite easily, it seems to me. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): We will certainly look at that. Joanne McCartney (AM): Thank you. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Thanks. 2982/2013 - Economic downturn’s impact on health Dr Onkar Sahota Given your role in addressing health inequalities across London, what impact do you expect to see on Londoners’ health from the economic downturn? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Thanks, Onkar, very much. I am obviously familiar, broadly speaking, with what Sir Michael Marmot [Director of the International Institute for Society and Health] has said about health equalities and the economic impact of the downturn. I have seen what he said about suicides and potential suicides and there is some evidence that we have seen an increase in suicide rates. That is obviously very worrying. The best solution for us as City Hall and the Mayoralty is to create the conditions in which people can get jobs and to encourage employment, to get people into work at all ages and obviously then to continue on our work with tackling the other specific problems that threaten people’s health: alcoholism, obesity and so on. The best single cure for the problem that Sir Michael Marmot identifies is obviously economic progress and growth. I do think we are genuinely starting to see that now. Dr Onkar Sahota (AM): Thank you, Mr Mayor, for that. We had a meeting on Monday where we were discussing these issues. One of the, of course, markers of social deprivation is instances of tuberculosis (TB) in society and you must have been as distressed to learn as I was that London is the capital of tuberculosis in West Europe. This is a disease linked with poverty, social depravation and poor housing. I know that, for example, ten years ago there was a report done by the Health Committee of the London Assembly. We noted that in 2003 there were 2,839 cases of tuberculosis and that last year it 3,436. Where have we gone wrong? Why have we not got this under control, where cities like New York, who have had a worse incidence of tuberculosis than us, have now made great strides in getting this under control. Where have we gone wrong? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Onkar, it is a very, very painful question and you are right to raise it because this is something where I think you and I are probably in some agreement, and most Members of the Assembly would be in agreement. I wanted the London Health Improvement Board to be put on a statutory footing. I wanted us to have more
Page 80 discretionary powers in this area. I do think it is right that London as a city should take a more active role in public health. Unfortunately, the Government decided in its sort of quango cull that they were going to stop that. I think that was a mistake. You are right, I think, to draw the comparison with New York, although actually we have very good health outcomes in some areas by comparison with New York. That is not true across the board. In oncology, as you well know, we have disappointing results by comparison with North America and indeed with New York. They lead very, very successful campaigns of raising awareness. So much of the battle in fighting something like TB is about raising awareness, and I will take it up it as far as I can. The next London Health Improvement Board meeting I think is on Monday. I am looking at Victoria [Borwick] here, and I will make sure that I raise it then and we will see what we can do. The difficulty I have is that the boroughs do not-- I am very pro borough management of their problems, I am very pro the boroughs running the city in as much as is possible. There is also a strategic role for us as London in fighting diseases and health problems that face this city. I would like to have a more strategic role, and that is something that we have argued for, for a long time. Dr Onkar Sahota (AM): Thank you, Mr Major for accepting that there is an issue that you probably do not have the tools to handle, and you will ask the Government to give you those tools. However, I am also concerned about the Health Board you mentioned there. Why are the meetings of the Health Board held in private and not in public? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Well, I think probably because we want to get as-- Dr Onkar Sahota (AM): Londoners want to know what is happening on their behalf, and the Health Board is a body of the London Assembly. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Sorry, the Health Board is a body of the London Assembly? Dr Onkar Sahota (AM): In the sense of the GLA. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, I am sorry, I know what you mean. Yes. Well, look, I will discuss it with them on Monday. I am happy to raise the idea. I mean, I am not wholly opposed to it. I think the difficulty is people will speak more freely and they will perhaps be more productive and the discussions may be more useful if people are not worried that anything they say can be taken out of context. Because some of these discussions will be very free- wheeling to be useful, and people will speak their minds very openly about problems, about how we are trying to improve health care in London, and it may be that those discussions are better done on a more informal basis. I will certainly raise it. Dr Onkar Sahota (AM): Thank you. James Cleverly (AM): Mr Mayor, I do not expect you necessarily to recall, but in 2009, 2010 I asked a series of questions about the rise of TB cases in London. The recommendation I made at the time was that you lobby Government, because there is a threshold, and for the life of me
Page 81 I cannot remember exactly what it is, but I think it is 40 cases per 1,000. There is a threshold whereby if children are travelling to countries with a TB threshold above that level that they are inoculated. Yet, there are parts of London, boroughs in London, which have TB levels above that. My proposal at the time was that in the areas of London where TB is prevalent, and unfortunately, it does tend to be clustered around certain communities and certain geographies, that a targeted inoculation campaign for children who are either living or go to school in those areas would be implemented. It was fully costed, it was not very expensive. In support of some of the suggestions that Dr Sahota made I was wondering if you could revisit, and I am more than happy to put it across, revisit the recommendations that I put forward in 2009, 2010. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Could it be possible, James, for us to have that on the table for Monday so that we can look at that. James Cleverly (AM): I will ensure that is Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I would be more than happy to do that. 2897 / 2013 - Sutton Tram Extension Steve O’Connell Will you instruct TfL to actively seek potential sponsorship for the Sutton tram extension, in order to maximise private sector financing and improve its business case? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, absolutely. I am not quite sure what you are asking here, Steve. Obviously this is something that we are working with the boroughs of Sutton and Merton to identify the route, and also the economic case, how we are going to build up the opportunity in areas in order to yield the tax revenue to pay for the extension. That is going to be the discussion. This is not something where TfL can just go and write a blank cheque and create a tram without the active support and participation of the boroughs concerned in raising money locally. I think what you may be driving at is can we additionally get splendid, spanking commercial livery all over this tram, like the Emirates airline or whatever to help pay for it? The answer to that is maybe. To be honest I have my doubts about whether it will raise huge sums, but we will certainly try. Steve O’Connell (AM): Yes, thank you. I mean, that was my point, because the smarter corporate bodies like to be associated with recognisable and popular products and the tram is such a product. People see it buzzing around Croydon and will see it, I hope very much buzzing around Sutton. However, I would agree with you completely, Mr Mayor, that the days of government and indeed the mayoralty signing one big cheque for infrastructure products and schemes are over. You would agree with that? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am afraid that is the reality. The only exception to this of course is High Speed 2 (HS2) which is going to be entirely funded by the taxpayer, as far as I can make out. We understand here in London that you have to come through with a package of funding that brings in the private sector as well.
Page 82 Steve O’Connell (AM): Therefore you would agree that schemes that come to you and to TfL that have a significant element of private sector and also local council contributions through Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) are more likely perhaps to be successful in their ultimate bid? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Steve O’Connell (AM): OK. Do you agree, you have mentioned already the Emirates and cable car, and of course there is the Barclays cycle scheme, I declare an interest as a Barclays pensioner in some years to come. So you would agree that sponsorship is a proven route of income for schemes and that you would look at actively pursuing it, either in small or large measure to bring the tram to Sutton and/or Croydon? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Absolutely. It could be that we will be pleasantly surprised, as indeed we were with the cable car and the cycle highway. From a sedentary position the member is saying it should be the Wonga tram. I do not know whether that would work. Steve O’Connell (AM): Lastly, Mr Mayor. On that subject would you agree that it is incumbent on local authorities who are applying for infrastructure schemes - be it tram or be it others - to get their act together and step up to the mark? Not just around the funding aspect -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, work with us. Steve O’Connell (AM): -- but the whole piece around engagement and to make the case. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): This is joint effort. We are there to lead but we need people to come in and show us how it is going to work and where the growth is going to be. Steve O’Connell (AM): OK. I shall support that. Thank you very much. Darren Johnson (Chair): Thank you. Under standing orders can we agree to extend the meeting to deal with the remaining business? All: Agreed. 2983 / 2013 - Sutton Tram Extension Fiona Twycross Following the publication of the London Food Board report, ‘Child Hunger in London: Understanding Food Poverty in the Capital’, will you support universal healthy free school meals in London?
Page 83 Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, thank you very much, Fiona. What you are calling for is universal healthy free school meals and this is why we backed the school food plan that Michael Gove [Secretary of State for Education] rolled out in July saying universal free school meals across the country would be desirable. Obviously this is basically a matter for the boroughs, but there are some boroughs that are already providing free school meals, and I think that is a great thing. The Mayor’s Fund for London is working to support a range of initiatives to get kids to eat healthy means, but particularly the Magic Breakfast Scheme to get them off to the right start for the day. Fiona Twycross (AM): Yes. I am delighted to hear that you support the measures included in the school food plan, I think it would make a massive difference to children. As we have seen in the Labour authorities that have introduced it, like Islington obviously where you live, and Southwark and Newham. I have to reluctantly admit that you adding your voice to campaigns on this issue will help encourage councils who may be hesitant about it to commit to putting it forward. I do not know if you are aware that today a new campaign across London called, Let’s All Have Lunch led by the Coalition of Poverty Charities 4 in 10 and the Child Poverty Action Group has been launched to encourage London councils to join those councils already introducing or which have already introduced free school meals in all primary schools. I am sure they would be very keen for you to add your voice to their campaign. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, absolutely. I mean, I would say, “Let’s all have lunch” but you have just voted to postpone lunch. Fiona Twycross (AM): OK. Very good. I think that obviously there are also ways that you can actively work to help encourage your colleagues in Government. So to encourage [Michael] Gove to actually put money where his mouth is on this issue, and to really -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Come on, he has. He has already put -- come on. He gives, he gave, he ‘Gove’ -- Fiona Twycross (AM): Yes, he has put some money into it -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): He has already -- Fiona Twycross (AM): He said that he will not consider -- he has said that he will not consider putting -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): He has given a new past participle to the language, he ‘Gove’ £600,000 to support two flagship boroughs in London already. Fiona Twycross (AM): Yes. Given that it is going to cost £1 billion to introduce this nationally and given that [Michael] Gove has said that he is reluctant to consider funding for this until 2016, anything you can do to make him reconsider this in the meantime would be appreciated.
Page 84 Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Understood. I think his heart is really in the right place on this, and I think he is doing a lot more than many previous education secretaries have done. Fiona Twycross (AM): OK. I can feedback to the Let’s All Have Lunch campaign that you are happy to support them? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, of course. Yes. I mean, I have to be very careful, because it will turn out that you pledged I will go and do something -- Fiona Twycross (AM): No, I have not done that. I have just said -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): OK. Of course I will support it. Fiona Twycross (AM): OK, thank you. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Be in touch with my office about what obligations that actually places on me. Fiona Twycross (AM): Yes, lovely. Thank you. Great. 2916 / 2013 – Capital Clean-up James Cleverly Following the introduction of this new scheme to help volunteers clean up their local areas, does the Mayor also agree that local businesses, especially takeaway outlets, should also take more direct responsibility for the waste generated by their customers? Would the Mayor consider supporting additional schemes or measures to this effect? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, James thank you very much. I think, as you know, the Capital Clean-up scheme has been going for more than a year now, and I think it has been a great success. You have had more than 10,000 volunteers have taken part in the one that we had in the spring. We have 1,560 volunteers at 77 events. They collected 1,000 sacks of litter, 55 tonnes worth of fly tipping and helped to clear up about 240,000 square meters of the capital. It is a great scheme. I am very pleased that McDonalds, the purveyors of breakfast or not, McDonalds have come through with a four year partnership, which is excellent news and they are investing quite a bit of money into the project as well. James Cleverly (AM): Thank you. I am glad that you brought up at the end of what I think is a very impressive start to this programme. I think this question is very much about building on what I perceive to be a success. However, the fact that McDonalds have put themselves forward, because it is very often convenience food and fast food outlets that are heavily, I say, implicated in the amount of litter in local areas. One of the things I would like to do with your help is perhaps explore how the excellent work that is being done by individuals coming
Page 85 together, in terms of Capital Clean-up, can be extended, so that same attitude is taken up by retailers of fast food. As I say, which is so often the cause of litter on the streets of London. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. That is a very good idea. We will explore with other big litter producers what they might think of doing to follow the, I think very, very good example of McDonalds in contributing to this programme, and I am sure there will be other brands and other companies that want to get involved. Do not forget, I think it was Procter & Gamble (P&G) who were behind this to begin with, from my recollection, and we owe them thanks too. James Cleverly (AM): Thank you. Thank you, Mr Mayor. 3302 / 2013 – Mayor’s climate sceptic views Jenny Jones Do you acknowledge the divergence between some of your personal climate sceptic views, as expressed in your Daily Telegraph articles such as ‘The Weather prophets should be chucked in the deep end’ or ‘It’s snowing, and it really feels like the start of a mini ice age’, with the Government’s UK Climate Projections 2009 that underpin your own Climate Change Adaptation Strategy? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Jenny is waving at me in some deeply alarming way. Yes, Jenny, thank you. Well, of course there is no inconsistency here whatever. I was ruminating in my articles on the variety of climates we have experienced in the last five years or so. Since I have been Mayor we have had some very cold winters indeed, and musing in an affectionate way about the prophecies that were made by various meteorologists and what have you that we would never see snow again and so on and so forth. That in no way invalidates or there is no discrepancy between that and the excellent work that the GLA is leading on reducing carbon dioxide (CO2), which has come down - I mean, absolutely amazing statistic - CO2 has come down since the year 2000, I think I am right in saying, CO2 in London, in spite of massive economic growth, massive population growth CO2 emissions have come down by almost 14% in this city. Jenny Jones (AM): The thing is in your articles -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): We are continuing with a huge programme of retrofitting -- Jenny Jones (AM): In your articles, Mr Mayor -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- our homes, or improving our vehicles, and making and city ever cleaner -- Jenny Jones (AM): You are off the point, Mr Mayor.
Page 86 Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- and greener. Jenny Jones (AM): In your articles you do, I think, confuse weather and climate change, which we can go into at another time. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Well here is -- Jenny Jones (AM): Met office records -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No time like the present. Jenny Jones (AM): -- show that last winter, as most winters since 2000 were actually warmer than average. Let me go back to your climate sceptic views, because you rely a lot on a weatherman called Dr Piers Corbyn [WeatherAction] and I understand he has never been published in any scientific journal that does peer reviews. One of yours, John Gummer [Chair of United Kingdom’s Independent Committee on Climate Change] former Conservative Environment Secretary, he said no reasonable person would ignore expert opinion and wager his children’s future on the contrary views of people who are not peer reviewed. In science, peer review is terribly important. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Jenny Jones (AM): You are relying, for your views, on somebody who is not peer reviewed and is a weatherman. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I was interested in some of the things, I did not know that. I am interested in what you say about Piers Corbyn, who is after all the brother of staunch Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn. He has an interesting take on the weather we have been experiencing, which I thought was worthy of note. Because actually I do remember 20 years ago when this whole thing kicked off, we were told that there was thing called global warming and there still is that fundamental problem and the greenhouse gas, the greenhouse effect is leading and anthropogenic greenhouse gases are I am sure leading to the greater propensity for the planet to warm. However, the interesting thing is that that may also be coinciding, and this is I think scientifically possible with a -- Jenny Jones (AM): You are giving me a headache. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- solar minimum of the kind that the -- Jenny Jones (AM): Mr Mayor this is garbage. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- planet has experienced before. Jenny Jones (AM): It is garbage. You must understand the overwhelming scientific consensus is that climate change is happening, and quite honestly, if you do have climate sceptic views I would say --
Page 87 Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I do not. Jenny Jones (AM): Oh, you do not? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Come on, no, of course not. Jenny Jones (AM): What is all this stuff in your Daily Telegraph article? You are just making it up, are you not? Darren Johnson (Chair): Right, let the Mayor answer that because the Green Group are now out of time. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Just for the avoidance of doubt, I think it is certainly overwhelmingly likely as the scientific opinion holds that there is anthropogenic climate change caused by CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions, that is producing a greenhouse -- Darren Johnson (Chair): We will note that disagreement, we are now out of time. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- and there is -- but there is a further and interesting possibly which is raised by Piers Corbyn and others, which is that if you look at what happened in the Maunder Minimum and other minima there are periods that we go through when a reduction in solar activity leads to falls in global temperature. Piers Corbyn’s argument -- Darren Johnson (Chair): We will leave it there. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- has deemed that that is what is going on -- Jenny Jones (AM): There are not any -- Darren Johnson (Chair): Jenny, you are out of time. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): It seemed to me given the very cold winters that we have experienced over the last five years -- Jenny Jones (AM): They are warmer, the Met office says they are warmer. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Well, hang on -- Darren Johnson (Chair): We are out of time. We will move on to the -- we will move on to the -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Hang on, we cannot let her-- the winter of 2010 was the coldest in a century. Do you dispute that? Darren Johnson (Chair): No, we will move on.
Page 88 Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Do you dispute that? Darren Johnson (Chair): No other Members, no other Member -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Come on, the winter of 2010 was the coldest in a century. Darren Johnson (Chair): Right. No other members have wished they want to indicate, so we will move on to the -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Come on. It was -- Darren Johnson (Chair): -- next question on the order paper. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That was an interesting, I thought -- Darren Johnson (Chair): It does not matter how interesting -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- and a paradox. Darren Johnson (Chair): -- it is, the Green group are out of time and we can discuss it no more. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Well, I think it is a great shame. Darren Johnson (Chair): Rising energy prices. 2984 / 2013 – Rising Energy Prices Murad Qureshi Are you doing anything to reduce the impact of energy companies’ regular increases to Londoners’ bills? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Thank you. Thank you very much, Murad. Yes, we are doing what we can, as much as we possibly can. I have mentioned the RE:NEW programme several times this morning. 62,000 further homes that we have identified that could benefit from retrofitting to reduce the costs of their energy consumption. I have mentioned the Know Your Rights campaign that we have to help people who are entitled to help with the costs of their fuel. We are lucky that London has got a big slug of British Gas. We are very grateful to British Gas for this, British Gas has given us 20% of the eco-funding that they are obliged to give. The eco-funding has come from British Gas to London, we obviously want to encourage other energy companies to give London their eco-funding in the same proportion, one in five of the eco-qualifying homes are here in the city. Therefore we think we deserve it. Those are
Page 89 some of the ways in which we are trying to help Londoners with the cost of their energy. The most important thing to do, similar to the argument on housing, we not only need to increase insulation and reduce the bills, but we need to increase supply of energy. It is a tragedy in this country that we have neglected to supply enough power stations, and that was a chronic and systemic failure of the last government. I happened to drive the length of the country. I drove to take a suitcase from London to Scotland and back. I drove about 1,000 miles and I saw what has happened to Britain in the last ten years, and it is an absolute scandal, we have forested our country with windmills. Everywhere you look, across the -- Murad Qureshi (AM): Mr Mayor, I was asking a specific question -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Everywhere you look -- Murad Qureshi (AM): -- on the demand side rather than supply. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- we have put windmills, and they would not pull the skin off a rice pudding. They have been putting -- Murad Qureshi (AM): Mr Mayor -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Instead of having a serious and credible approach to our -- Murad Qureshi (AM): Mr Mayor, the question is posed -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): It is true. Murad Qureshi (AM): -- on the demand side of energy, as you know, Londoners are facing a high cost of living prices, energy bills are a major part of it. They are spending something like £1,300 a household, with Londoners actually shunning the Government’s initiative on the Green Deal finance. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Did you say ‘shunning’? Murad Qureshi (AM): Shunning, yes. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Murad Qureshi (AM): The RE:NEW Programme actually not delivering what was expected by your own estimates. Have you not really left the Londoners at the mercy of the energy companies on home energy efficiency measures? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No. Look, Murad, I agree with you about the problem that the energy companies pose, and we have written to Ed Davey [Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change] to make this point. We think that the prices are too high, and obviously we are worried about collusion and anti-competitive practices that may be taking
Page 90 place which are not in the interest of consumers. In the end you cannot address that problem as a country unless you have greater supply. As long as we are dependent as we are on the natural gas from overseas -- Murad Qureshi (AM): Well, the reality is though that you do not have the power to do that. I am just concentrating on what you do have power to deliver. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Certainly. Murad Qureshi (AM): Let us see what happens with the national debate. But, can you just tell me at least what you are doing with the energy companies? I understand there is going to be memorandum of understanding between energy companies and the GLA for the delivery of the Energy Companies Obligation (ECO), which will include targets of delivery in London. You have mentioned British Gas, what are the other energy companies doing in London to make sure they deliver those energy programmes that we have reliance on? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I happened to have a discussion about this this morning, with Matthew Pencharz [GLA Senior Advisor, Environment and Energy] and obviously this is something that he and Richard Blakeway [Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property] are now working on. We are pleased with what British Gas has come up with. Murad Qureshi (AM): You are pleased? What about the others? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): The others, obviously the rest of them, we do not need to name them, but we -- Murad Qureshi (AM): EDF? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- think that everybody else should be following suit. Murad Qureshi (AM): Well, recently the fuel poverty statistics suggest quite clearly the gap has increased substantially as energy prices have rocketed. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Murad Qureshi (AM): Do you accept, as Mayor of London you need to do much more to tackle fuel poverty if we are really going to make an impact? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, I do accept that, in the sense that there is a huge amount more that we need to get on and do, particularly on retrofitting. Retrofitting is in many ways the kind of perfect public policy, because it is something that generates large numbers of jobs, it reduces CO2 and NOx, which we discussed at great length this morning. Also, if it is done intelligently it can greatly reduce people’s bills, and it can save on the cost of energy. What you say about the RE:NEW programme is not wholly fair, but you have a point, Murad. I would love it to have gone further and faster. It is very, very hard in London where you have so many homes that do not have cavity walls, that are basically old fashioned terrace homes where
Page 91 it is difficult to make the gains that you can in other parts of the country. You cannot retrofit as easily in London as you can elsewhere. What is proving so difficult is you cannot do it economically. The risk is that the householder will actually incur a cost that he or she does not recoup in the energy savings down the line. We think we can get around that, we think we can make it economically viable, but it has not proved as easy as we had hoped. 2879 / 2013 – Procurement & SMEs Tony Arbour What percentage of business from the GLA family goes to SMEs? Do you have a target for increasing the percentage? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, thanks, Tony. The answer is about 11% or 12% across the Group goes to SMEs, about half a billion pounds 2012, 2013. Clearly we want to have as many SMEs, small companies bidding for contracts in London as possible. That is what we continue to expand CompeteFor. There is a huge amount of work being done now to get SMEs, not just to get business with us, but to get business around the world. Kit Malthouse has done a trip to Turkey now with London SMEs. There is a trip being organised by us to Rio, to Brazil. They are now with London SMEs. We had a huge thing on Monday I think it was with SMEs to promote the opportunities for the Tokyo Olympics and other overseas opportunities. We really recognise that small businesses in London are the growth opportunity, that is where the growth is going to come and we are championing them in our own contracts and elsewhere. Tony Arbour (AM): The Government has actually set a target for contracts awarded to SMEs. The GLA I think currently does not. The Government’s target is 25%. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Right. Tony Arbour (AM): I hear what you say and -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That is very interesting. Tony Arbour (AM): -- it is to be applauded, that we are working very hard and that Kit [Malthouse] is working very hard on it. Are you confident that the whole of the GLA family is behind you on this? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Tony Arbour (AM): My understanding is that the Metropolitan Police Service for example are not very keen on giving high-tech contracts to SMEs. Do you have any knowledge of this? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I do not. I cannot give you a sort of chapter and verse answer on that, Tony. Clearly there will always be challenges in awarding high-value contracts to SMEs, because you will want to have an economy of scale, you want to make sure of the cost base of the company that you are giving the contract to is going to enable them to deliver best
Page 92 possible value. It will not always be possible for an SME with the best will in the world to deliver something at the same price as a bigger company. I mean, you have to look to taxpayer value. However, if you have a particular example of an instance where a SME did not get a contract in spite of offering a better price or whatever then clearly we will want to look at that. Tony Arbour (AM): OK. Darren Johnson (Chair): Well, the Conservative group are now out of time. That concludes the question today. So thank you to the Mayor for coming along to answer our questions today.
Page 93 This page is intentionally left blank
Page 94 Appendix 3 Written Answers to Questions Not Answered at Mayor's Question Time, 11 September 2013
Potential London Orbital Railway 1. Conservative Question No: 2890 / 2013 Richard Tracey Can you provide any more detail on the route of the London orbital railway put forward by the Deputy Mayor for Transport as an option in your forthcoming long-term infrastructure plan? Oral response
2020 and Nitrogen Dioxide legal limits 2. Green Question No: 3301 / 2013 Jenny Jones How much of the main road network in London will still exceed Nitrogen Dioxide legal limits in 2020? Oral response
Review of Local Air Quality Management in England 3. Lib Dem Question No: 3378 / 2013 Stephen Knight Will you oppose the Government’s proposal to reduce the level of local air quality monitoring and reporting in England? Oral response
Closure of Fire Stations 4. Labour Question No: 2986 / 2013 Navin Shah Why are you refusing to work with LFEPA to find further savings to stop closure of fire stations, deletion of fire engines and deletion of fire fighter posts? Oral response
Page 95
Predictive policing 5. Conservative Question No: 2888 / 2013 Roger Evans A predictive policing model used in Kent led to a 10% reduction in crime and had a particularly strong impact on violent crime. In your role as occupant of MOPAC would you encourage the Metropolitan police Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, to pilot a similar model in a London borough? Oral response
Future LIP funding 6. Conservative Question No: 2906 / 2013 Gareth Bacon Is it true that Transport for London is planning on cutting LIP funding to the London Boroughs by 25%? Oral response
Living Wages for all? 7. Labour Question No: 2978 / 2013 Len Duvall Since 2010, real wages have fallen by 5.5% - more than crisis-hit countries like Greece and Spain. Is it time for the National Minimum Wage to be replaced with the Living Wage in the capital? Oral response
Home ownership 8. Labour Question No: 2979 / 2013 Tom Copley House prices have risen by 8.1% in the last year. What impact will this have on the housing choices made by young Londoners? Oral response
Crime Collection 9. Conservative Question No: 2889 / 2013 Roger Evans As the Met prepares for its departure from New Scotland Yard, do you support the Crime Museum’s collection being opened to the public and any profits reinvested into the police? Oral response
Page 96
Routemaster Conductors 10. Labour Question No: 2980 / 2013 Valerie Shawcross When all the new routemaster conductors are in post, how many of them will there be and what will be the total cost to TfL? Written response from the Mayor Conductors are employed by the bus operating companies and they determine the number required to cover the service specification. This will be based on factors including shift patterns, length of working day and the mix of full and part time posts etc. The precise total number of conductors and therefore the cost cannot be given at the moment.
Cost of Childcare in London 11. Labour Question No: 2981 / 2013 Joanne McCartney Do you recognise that the high cost of childcare in London is a significant factor in increasing child poverty? What steps are you taking to ensure there is sufficient high quality affordable childcare provision in London? Oral response
Economic downturn’s impact on health 12. Labour Question No: 2982 / 2013 Onkar Sahota Given your role in addressing health inequalities across London, what impact do you expect to see on Londoners’ health from the economic downturn? Oral response
Sutton Tram Extension 13. Conservative Question No: 2897 / 2013 Steve O’Connell Will you instruct TfL to actively seek potential sponsorship for the Sutton tram extension, in order to maximise private sector financing and improve its’ business case? Oral response
Page 97
Food Poverty 14. Labour Question No: 2983 / 2013 Fiona Twycross Following the publication of the London Food Board report, ‘Child Hunger in London: Understanding Food Poverty in the Capital’, will you support universal healthy free school meals in London? Oral response
Capital Clean -Up 15. Conservative Question No: 2916 / 2013 James Cleverly Following the introduction of this new scheme to help volunteers clean up their local areas, does the Mayor also agree that local businesses, especially takeaway outlets, should also take more direct responsibility for the waste generated by their customers? Would the Mayor consider supporting additional schemes or measures to this effect? Oral response
Mayor’s climate sceptic views 16. Green Question No: 3302 / 2013 Jenny Jones Do you acknowledge the divergence between some of your personal climate sceptic views, as expressed in your Daily Telegraph articles such as ‘The Weather prophets should be chucked in the deep end’ or ‘It’s snowing, and it really feels like the start of a mini ice age’, with the government’s UK Climate Projections 2009 that underpin your own Climate Change Adaptation Strategy? Oral response
Rising Energy Prices 17. Labour Question No: 2984 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Are you doing anything to reduce the impact of energy companies’ regular increases to Londoners’ bills? Oral response
Procurement & SMEs 18. Conservative Question No: 2879 / 2013 Tony Arbour What percentage of business from the GLA family goes to SMEs? Do you have a target for increasing the percentage? Oral response
Page 98
Use of Schedule 7 19. Labour Question No: 2985 / 2013 Joanne McCartney Do you have any concerns about the Metropolitan Police’s use of Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000? Written response from the Mayor I have absolute confidence in the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police for operational matters, including the use of Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000. It is an element of both the strategy of the MPS and indeed the nation as a whole in protecting the UK from the threat of terrorism. I have discussed this issue with the Commissioner but I am not prepared to comment on an individual case [Miranda] which forms part of an ongoing investigation. I am not prepared to speculate on the rights or wrongs of the particular stop that took place at Heathrow – which as you know is being reviewed by the Government’s Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation. The use of Schedule 7 Terrorism Act 2000 in this case is subject to two separate reviews; the first by David Anderson QC, Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, and the second the Judicial Review on the application of David Miranda.
Fire Station Closures 20. Lib Dem Question No: 2941 / 2013 Stephen Knight Why has no full ward-based Equalities Impact Assessment been undertaken in relation to the proposed London fire station closures? Written response from the Mayor Equalities considerations played a full role in the proposals put forward by the London Fire Commissioner and in the direction I issued requiring LFEPA to implement those proposals. LFEPA Members have had opportunities to put forward alternative proposals and their own analyses, principally at LFEPA meetings in November 2012, January 2013 and July 2013.
Page 99
Institutional Housing Investment 21. Conservative Question No: 2886 / 2013 Andrew Boff Is the Mayor pleased to have secured the first large-scale housing project in the UK to be funded from institutional investment at Elephant and Castle? How has this been achieved and how can this type of investment be replicated across London? Would additional regulations on the private rented sector put this type of investment in jeopardy in future? Written response from the Mayor Yes. I am delighted at the opportunities this creates for Londoners. Purpose built private rent can increase, and accelerate, the number of homes built in London to meet its pressing housing needs. Attracting this sort of investment could also make schemes not being built at the moment viable. Bidders for the site were told that bids which included the provision of Private Rented Sector homes, funded by Institutional Investment, would be welcomed. I am now exploring ways in which we can require a minimum amount of Private Rented homes to be developed on sites that we are disposing of and I am expecting a number of opportunities to be made available later this year. Additional regulation is not the answer. This would drive away investment into housing just when we need to attract more to boost supply. It would also deter landlords investing into their stock leading to poorer conditions. The long term decline in the number of private rented homes – and in particular the availability of buy-to-let mortgage finance – only reversed after the abolition of restrictive regulation in 1988.
Threat to refuges for women fleeing domestic violence 22. Green Question No: 3303 / 2013 Jenny Jones What success have you had in lobbying the Minister for Welfare Reform to ensure that there can be absolutely no question of people in refuges in London being affected by the benefit cap? Written response from the Mayor My officials made representations on this issue. I am pleased to say that the Government has in the last fortnight laid new regulations before Parliament in response to this issue. These regulations ensure that under Universal Credit those in supported "exempt accommodation" will continue to receive the housing element of Universal Credit for their usual home in addition to Housing Benefit for their exempt accommodation. The DWP has also had discussions with representatives of the sector, including Women's Aid and Refuge, to shape further regulations. The DWP hopes to introduce these additional regulations as soon as possible.
Page 100 Zero hour contracts (1) Question No: 2771 / 2013 Jenny Jones How many people have worked on zero hour contracts for each of the GLA, TfL, MOPAC/MPA/MPS, LFEPA/LFB and the LDA in each of the financial years 2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12 and 2012/13? Written response from the Mayor Offices are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Zero hour contracts (2) Question No: 2772 / 2013 Jenny Jones Are there currently any people working on zero hour contracts for each of the GLA, TfL, MOPAC/MPA/MPS and LFEPA/LFB? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Tube Compensation Payments (1) Question No: 2773 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon In January 2012, in answer to my question MQ 0323/2012, you provided me with an estimate of the number of tube passengers eligible for delayed journey compensation by month for 2011. When I asked for the 2012 data you said it was not possible to provide it. What changed in 2012 to prevent you from disclosing the figures? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Tube Compensation Payments (2) Question No: 2774 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon Please publish a table detailing the estimated number of tube passengers who are eligible for delayed journey compensation between 1 January 2012 and 31 July 2013. Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. *
Page 101 Bus Saver Tickets Question No: 2775 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon Please provide an estimate of the number of bus saver tickets still in circulation and valid for travel. Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Immigration Checks on TfL Property Question No: 2776 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon Recent Home Office immigration checks have taken place on or nearby TfL property, such as at stations. What is the status of passengers’ Oyster card journey history information and will it be passed to Home Office officials without the consent of the Oyster card holder? Written response from the Mayor Oyster journey history is personal data and is therefore subject to the safeguards of the Data Protection Act 1988 (DPA). TfL has a duty to protect customers’ personal data and does not release customers’ personal data without consent, except under the specific exemptions of the DPA for the prevention and detection of crime and for national security. These requests are considered on a case by case basis and any disclosure without consent must be lawful, proportionate and necessary. Disclosures are only in response to valid requests from the police or other statutory law enforcement agencies where the request is supported by evidence of the relevant legislation and justification for the release of the data. TfL received only two requests between 2011 and 2012 from the Home Office UK Border Agency for personal data. To date this year, there have been no requests from the Agency. * Pumphouse Museum Question No: 2777 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon What discussions have you, your office and your colleagues had about supporting the work of the Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum? Written response from the Mayor My Deputy Mayor, Victoria Borwick, has visited the Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum with GLA officers to discuss its development plans. The GLA does not have any funding for this project; nevertheless officers have offered to review a business plan for the proposal to help the museum explore alternatives. Page 102 Cashless Bus Fares Question No: 2778 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon What steps do you think should be taken to protect bus passengers as a move to cashless payments is being developed? Written response from the Mayor The alternatives to paying cash are Oyster and Contactless Payment Cards, both of which save bus passengers £1 per journey. Should the cashless proposal be introduced, TfL will undertake a marketing and information campaign to ensure passengers are aware of the changes and the alternatives available. Passengers attempting to pay by cash will be asked for an alternative method of payment for travel. TfL are also progressing plans to allow passengers with insufficient balance on their Oyster cards to make one additional trip. This would be in addition to existing clear operational processes to ensure vulnerable people are not denied access to travel. * Dial-a-ride Question No: 2779 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon Please provide for each borough, broken down per period, how many trips were made, refusals, cancellation and service cancellations there were for all periods since May 2011? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Bromley Road, Whitefoot Lane and South End Lane Junction Question No: 2780 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon What safety improvements for pedestrians have been agreed for this junction and what is the timetable for their implementation given the length of time local residents have been waiting for this upgrade? * Written response from the Mayor This junction improvement scheme will provide two new signalised pedestrian crossing points over the A21 Bromley Road and Whitefoot Lane. In order to undertake this scheme it is necessary to widen the carriageway, which will affect a Southern Gas Network (SGN) main. As part of their own programme of work, SGN have installed a new gas main in Southend Lane and need to connect it across the junction to an existing main on Bromley Road. In order to achieve this, SGN need to establish a right of access through an area of private land on the south-west side of the junction. Page 103 TfL has been assured the process to establish the right of access is now almost complete and that SGN are expediting this matter in the knowledge TfL is keen to start the junction improvement works as soon as possible. TfL will continue to work with SGN and will implement the works, which are expected to take 16 weeks to complete, as soon as it is viable to do so. Emirates Air Line School Trip Programme Question No: 2781 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon How many children have taken part in the Emirates Air Line school trip programme? Written response from the Mayor From the programme’s launch in May until the end of July, 14,314 children took part in the Emirates Air Line school trip programme. * Aircraft Noise (1) Question No: 2782 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon What representations have you made to the CAA about noise disturbance from low flying helicopters in London? Written response from the Mayor I recognise that the noise generated by helicopters can be a particular problem for some Londoners. In my response to the Government’s draft aviation policy framework last year, I called upon the Government to work with the CAA to reassess the current regime of regulating helicopter noise in London. A proper monitoring regime and formal complaints system needs to be established and monitored, and greater consideration needs to be given to more widespread use of incentives to encourage the development and use of quieter helicopters. Aircraft Noise (2) Question No: 2783 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon What steps have you taken to inform Londoners how to report noise disturbance from low flying helicopters and other aircraft? Written response from the Mayor In my formal response to the Government’s draft aviation policy framework last year, I called upon the Government to establish an accessible complaints system for helicopters which is properly monitored. The Battersea Heliport, Ministry of Defence, Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and CAA all accept complaints, but currently; there are no formal complaints procedures or a central organisation to which the general public can log their complaint. Regarding noise disturbance from other aircraft, I am concerned that an increasing number of Londoners might suffer from so-called complaints ‘fatigue’. As the Airports Commission and the Government scrutinise the options for delivering the UK’s future aviation policy, I have spoken Page 104 at public events such as the Richmond Heathrow anti-expansion rally and have been keen to raise awareness of activities such as Heathrow’s recent operational freedoms trial, to encourage Londoners to register how aviation noise affects them. * Cycle Lane Enforcement Question No: 2784 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon Further to my question in May 2013, what progress has been made to enable enforcement action to be taken against parking in cycle lanes and encroaching into advance stop lines? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Ride 100 (1) Question No: 2785 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon What improvements to public transport services will you seek to enable a greater proportion of Ride 100 participants to reach the start line by taking their bikes on public transport? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Ride 100 (2) Question No: 2786 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon What improvements to local publicity will you seek to ensure that residents affected by Ride 100 events in 2014 are well informed in good time? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Greenway foot and cycle path Question No: 2787 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon Will you seek to ensure that the Greenway foot and cycle path does not close earlier than advertised without adequate advance notice being given to those who rely on this link? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. Page 105 Targeted Fares Reductions (1) Question No: 2788 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon What progress has been made in developing, costing and scoping a one-hour bus ticket for London? Written response from the Mayor As I said in my response to MQ 1724 /2013, time based ticketing is an interesting idea, and I have not ruled it out. However, I am not convinced that the extra complexity and the significant additional costs of time-based bus ticketing can be justified. * Targeted Fares Reductions (2) Question No: 2789 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon What progress has been made in developing, costing and scoping an early-bird offer of discounted fares early in the morning? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Targeted Fares Reductions (3) Question No: 2790 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon What progress has been made in developing, costing and scoping a part-time travelcard to help Londoners who work part-time? Written response from the Mayor As I said in my reply to MQ 1376 /2013, TfL’s new ticketing system will provide a new level of flexibility and I have asked TfL to look at the scope for additional products to be offered. In the short term, PAYG already provides a flexible way of paying for travel which caters for part-time workers; however little they travel and whichever modes they prefer to use. * Lifestyle Choices and Car Use Question No: 2791 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon In answer to my question MQ2260-2013, you identify people whose lifestyle choices require the use of car separately from where people live and work. Could you explain which lifestyle choices Page 106 you consider require the use of a car? Written response from the Mayor There are a multitude of reasons as to why some people’s lifestyles require a car. * Cycle Superhighway Maintenance (1) Question No: 2792 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon What requirements are laid down to utility companies digging up roads on Cycle Superhighway routes to re-instate smooth surfaces, properly painted to match the original layout? How is this inspected to ensure this is done? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Cycle Superhighway Maintenance (2) Question No: 2793 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon What steps are taken by TfL to ensure that the road surface on blue-coloured sections of Cycle Superhighway routes is maintained to a standard suitable to ensure cycle safety and that potholes and other road defects are promptly repaired? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Public Transport Price Caps (1) Question No: 2794 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon You have told me that weekly bus travel price caps on Oyster cannot be introduced before 2015. How have you allowed this situation to arise? Do you not see that this is unacceptable? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. Public Transport Price Caps (2) Question No: 2795 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon How much would it cost to have weekly bus travel price caps available to Oyster card holders in time for the launch of the second phase of wave-and-pay services being introduced? Written response from the Mayor
Page 107 Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Public Transport Price Caps (3) Question No: 2796 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon You have told me that Oyster card holders can access price-capped weekly bus travel only by purchasing bus passes in advance. Why should Oyster card holders have to plan their journeys in advance to access the cheapest fares when wave-and-pay users will not? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Public Transport Price Caps (4) Question No: 2797 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon You have confirmed that the lowest fares should always be available to Oyster card holders and not available exclusively to wave-and-pay users. What comfort will this be to an Oyster card holder who would benefit from a weekly price cap for a seven day period of bus travel that starts in the middle of an advance purchased 7-day pass bus period? They will not have access to the lowest price-capped fares and would face buying two 7-day bus passes while wave-and-pay users benefit from lower fares on exactly the same journeys. Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Tramlink to Sutton Question No: 2798 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon What progress has been made on identifying funding to secure an extension of Tramlink to Sutton? When do you expect an announcement to be made? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Fare Rises (1) Question No: 2799 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon What formula do you expect to apply to generate fare-rises in 2014? When do you expect to
Page 108 announce the fare rises for 2014? Written response from the Mayor I will be making an announcement about next year’s fares in due course. Fare Rises (2) Question No: 2800 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon Given the inflation figures published for July 2013 of 3.1% and your record of raising fares by RPI+1%, what impact do you expect to see on the cost of public transport in London? Should Londoners prepare for another inflation-busting fare rise in January 2014? Written response from the Mayor Please see my response to MQ 2799 /2013. Pedestrian Crossings (1) Question No: 2801 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon By what date will the remaining 70 pedestrian crossings be upgraded so that all of London’s pedestrian crossings meet the 2005 Department for Transport standard for time allowed for pedestrians to cross? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Pedestrian Crossings (2) Question No: 2802 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon By what date will the remaining 330 pedestrian crossings be upgraded so that all London’s pedestrian crossings meet the 1995 Department for Transport guidance for having both audible and tactile signals helping all pedestrians to know when to cross? Written response from the Mayor All crossings which required either tactile or audible indicators will have these facilities installed by 31 March 2016. Currently there are only 211 locations left which do not have these facilities fitted, and the programme to upgrade them is continuing apace. Page 109 * Considerate Bus Passengers Question No: 2803 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon Would you agree that there is merit in re-running the 2008 campaign to encourage consideration for other bus passengers? When would you consider it appropriate to do so? Written response from the Mayor We will be running a new campaign on this across all modes this autumn. Penalties at Red Traffic Lights (1) Question No: 2804 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon In London how many a) bus drivers; b) taxi drivers; c) car drivers; d) HGV drivers; e) cyclists and f) other vehicles have been fined or ticketed by MPS police officers for unlawfully passing through red traffic lights for each of the last three full calendar years and for 2013 to-date? Written response from the Mayor Data from the MPS for Fixed Penalty Notices relating to red light offences cannot be broken down in this way. * Penalties at Red Traffic Lights (2) Question No: 2805 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon In London how many a) bus drivers; b) taxi drivers; c) car drivers; d) HGV drivers; e) cyclists and f) other vehicles have been fined by TfL traffic cameras for unlawfully passing through red traffic lights for each of the last three full calendar years and for 2013 to-date? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. Bus Collisions Question No: 2806 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon Please provide me by year, for the period 2007/08 through to 2012/13, the number of TfL-contracted bus road collisions in London, which led to deaths or serious injuries (KSI) involving (i) pedestrians, (ii) cyclists and (iii) motor bikes. Please also provide this information by borough. Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. Page 110 Tramlink and Network Rail Journey Planner Question No: 2807 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon Would you agree that it would be sensible for the Network Rail Journey Planner service to include Tramlink in its calculation of recommended routes, given Tramlink connects main-line stations and runs in part along railway lines and to published timetables? Written response from the Mayor The National Rail Journey Planner already includes Tramlink where appropriate. Some examples of journeys for which Tramlink is recommended include Mitcham Junction – East Croydon and Shortlands – Purley. * New Cross Station Oyster Terminals Question No: 2808 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon What action will you take to assist Oyster Pay-As-You Go customers who have railway season tickets who tell me that to change from Overground to Southeastern trains they have to “touch out” at the station entrance rather than at a stand-alone Oyster terminal at the platform interchange? Written response from the Mayor TfL believes the layout of the Oyster devices at this station, which is operated by Southeastern, to be reasonable and in line with standard practice. The Oyster devices include a validator for the use of interchange passengers. If you have been contacted by individual constituents, perhaps the details of their concerns could be passed to TfL so that any specific issues can be considered more fully. * MOPAC workforce – employee numbers by monitoring category Question No: 2809 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon Please provide a breakdown of the number and percentage of MOPAC employees by the following categories, as used in the GLA workforce report, in January 2012 and in September 2013: a) Ethnic group b) Gender c) Disability d) Age Page 111 Written response from the Mayor Please see below a breakdown of full time equivalent employees exclusive of vacancies and temporary arrangements by Ethnic Group, Gender, Disability and Age. a) Number and percentage by ethnicity Ethnic origin 31/01/12 31/08/13 No % No % Asian or Asian British 9 9 7 9 Black or Black British 17 18 13 17 Chinese/ any other 0 0 0 0 group White 53 56 54 69 Dual-heritage 2 2 4 5 Not stated 14 15 0 0 Total 95 100 78 100 b) Gender Gender 31/01/12 31/08/13 No % No % Female 50 53 43 55 Male 45 47 35 45 Total 95 100 78 100 c) Disability Disability 31/01/12 31/08/13 No % No % Disabled 7 7 5 6 Non -Disabled 69 73 58 75 Not stated/refused 19 20 15 19 Total 95 100 78 100 d) Age* Age 31/01/12 31/08/13 No % No % 18-29 6 6 5 6 30-39 31 33 28 36 40-49 25 26 24 31 50-59 24 25 18 23 60 + 9 10 3 4 Total 95 100 78 100
Page 112 *Please note that MOPAC’s monitoring of age group is different to GLA’s. In addition, I committed in my manifesto to work with the Commissioner to create an MPS that looks more like London. For the MPS to be at its strongest, it must reflect, and be fully accepted by, the population it seeks to serve. MOPAC workforce – salary bands Question No: 2810 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon Please provide a breakdown of the number and percentage of MOPAC employees by salary band in January 2012 and in September 2013. Written response from the Mayor Please see below a breakdown of the number and percentage of full time equivalent employees exclusive of vacancies and temporary arrangements. Salary 31/01/1 2 31/08/13 No % No % Under £20,000 0 0 £20,001 to £30,000 5 5 2 2.5 £30,001 to £40,000 24 25 11 14 £40,001 to £50,000 33 36 36 46 £50,001 to £60,000 20 21 19 25 £60,001 to £70,000 4 4 2 2.5 £70,001 to £80,000 4 4 3 4 £80,000 to £90,000 0 0 0 0 £90,000 to £100,000 1 1 1 1 £100,000 to £120,000 3 3 2 2.5 £120,000 and above 1 1 2 2.5 Total 95 100 78 100 Cost of move from Dean Farrar Street (1) Question No: 2811 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon What was the total cost of MOPAC’s move from Dean Farrar Street to City Hall? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Cost of move from Dean Farrar Street (2) Question No: 2812 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon Further to MQ 3387/2012 please provide details of all of the costs which were incurred in moving MOPAC from Dean Farrar Street to City Hall, including but not limited to: removal costs; Page 113 agents and other professional fees; costs of early surrender of the three leases; and dilapidations. * Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. IPCC report on Met handling of complaints alleging race discrimination Question No: 2813 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon A report published by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) in July, titled “Report on Metropolitan Police Service handling of complaints alleging race discrimination”, which was based on an analysis of race complaints dealt with by the Metropolitan Police concluded that in general these complaints were not handled in a sufficiently robust, fair or customer-focused way. It called for a cultural change in the way the MPS deals with such complaints, supported by training, monitoring and community feedback. What steps have you taken to follow up the findings of this report and take action to make changes to the way the MPS deals with such complaints? Written response from the Mayor The MPS has fully accepted the IPCC report findings. The MPS Complaints Performance Board chaired by a Deputy Assistant Commissioner was setup to ensure consistency in performance and the IPCC has been invited to send a representative to these meetings. The Board reports to the MPS Professional Standards Strategic Committee (PSSC) where MOPAC is represented. In response to the IPPC report findings, each borough has a Superintendent lead for oversight of complaints, and a refresh training pack is now available to provide support to boroughs. Over 370 staff will be trained by December. In addition to this the Directorate of Professional Standards is supervising all such complaints received since the report to address any discrepancies in handling. The lead IPCC Commissioner personally addressed all 32 Borough Commanders on 9th September. Work is underway on the provision of data for the Borough Commanders to use to brief their community members. East London and the Lea Valley’s industrial heritage Question No: 2814 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon I have been asked by a constituent whether you will support the development of a museum to celebrate the industrial and transport heritage of East London and the Lea Valley? Written response from the Mayor GLA officers have met with a number of interested parties and organisations to discuss the development of this museum and have offered to review a business plan for the proposal. We look forward to receiving this more detailed information before commenting. * Metropolitan Police Station Sales – outcome of tenders (1) Question No: 2815 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon The deadline for sealed bids for the sale of several Metropolitan Police Station properties, Page 114 including Clapham, St John’s Wood, Hampstead, Winchmore Hill, Leyton and Battersea was in July. What was the outcome of these tenders? Written response from the Mayor Clapham, St John’s Wood, Hampstead, Winchmore Hill, Leyton and Battersea are currently all under offer. Further details will be provided on the MOPAC website once sales are complete. Metropolitan Police Station Sales – outcome of tenders (2) Question No: 2816 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon In the recent sales of Metropolitan Police Stations how many of the bids finally accepted were under the guide price? Written response from the Mayor As required by the scheme of delegation, all decisions to sell properties below the marketing value are published on the MOPAC website. Details of other sales of police stations with former front counters will be published on the MOPAC website once the sales process is complete. Metropolitan Police building sales – expenditure on retrofitting Question No: 2817 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon For each of the Metropolitan Police buildings which are currently up for sale or planned for sale under the new Estates Strategy please provide the total amount spent since May 2008 on energy efficiency measures at each property. Written response from the Mayor Since 2008, approximately £80,000 has been spent on energy efficiency retrofit projects at 2 MOPAC buildings (Marylebone and St John's Wood) which are due to be sold in 2013/14. The Estates Strategy aims to deliver a more efficient and higher quality estate which meets the operational needs of the MPS and is significantly lower in cost to run. Maslenitsa Question No: 2818 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon A number of constituents have raised concerns with me about London’s twinning with Moscow in light of what is widely considered to be Russia’s discriminatory behaviour towards LGBT communities. Can you please provide details of London’s ‘partnership agreement’ with Moscow and confirm what the status of that document is. Do you intend to review the agreement given Russia’s poor record towards its LGBT communities? Written response from the Mayor Maslenitsa is an established event in London, and a focal point for good relations between London and Moscow, as well as the considerable Russian-speaking community in London. The 2014 event, which falls between the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, will be a key part of
Page 115 the official ‘Year of Russian Culture in the UK’, a major cultural initiative agreed by both Governments. I am proud that London is a fantastically diverse city, with all Londoners, regardless of their age, sexuality, religion, gender or race, able to benefit from the progress London has made over the past few years. We stage events to bring communities together, including Maslenitsa, as well as vibrant and visible Pride celebrations. I also supported the bid to stage the 2018 Gay Games in London. I do share your deep concern about the abuse of LGBT people in Moscow and throughout Russia. However, I believe that we can better challenge prejudice through engagement. Isolation will not achieve change. * Home Office – Go Home poster vans Question No: 2820 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon As Mayor for all Londoners what representations have you made to the Home Office regarding the offensive wording of their “Go home or face arrest” poster campaign currently being piloted in six London boroughs? Written response from the Mayor This was a Home Office Immigration Enforcement pilot which ran for one week in 6 London boroughs and has now ended. My officers have asked the Home Office to share the results of the pilot and its effectiveness in increasing voluntary departures of illegal immigrants. Visits to victims of crime Question No: 2821 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon The MPS’s Total Victim Care standards include offering every victim of crime a visit by an officer to see them at a convenient time and place. Please provide details of how many victims of crime have requested a visit and how many visits have been carried out, broken down by borough, for each of the last 12 months. Written response from the Mayor The number of public appointments made from September 2012 to August 2013 was 153,228. This is an increase of 45,826 when compared to the same period a year earlier. I am delighted that the Police and Crime Plan’s new emphasis on victims’ rights is already evident. Appointment volumes over the past 12 months are shown by borough in the table attached as Appendix 7 [volumes continue to increase following the introduction of the Local Policing Model ]. It is not possible to show the number of requested visits versus received visits as this data is not captured. * Roll out Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs (MASH) Question No: 2822 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon What are the outcomes so far of early evaluations of the roll out of Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs (MASH) in London? Written response from the Mayor Page 116 The MASH project is now being delivered under the governance of the London Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB). The GLA had previously been a member of the London MASH Project Board and helped drive this initiative forward to ensure that London is at the forefront of this valuable work to establish multi-agency safeguarding hubs. I suggest that you contact the LSCB for details of the MASH project evaluation. MPS tackling child sexual exploitation pilot Question No: 2823 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon The Police and Crime Committee heard that the MPS was beginning a pilot of a new approach to tackling child sexual exploitation in Camden and Lewisham during June and July. What were the outcomes of this pilot and will it be rolled out to other boroughs? Written response from the Mayor I have been informed by the MPS that the early indications of this initiative are promising. The pilot provided a number of opportunities to identify and safeguard children. The MPS is currently working with the London Safeguarding Children Board and local safeguarding children boards to produce a revised multi-agency protocol on child sexual exploitation which will be launched in 2014. My Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is also working with the policing Minister at the Home Office to best improve services in this area. Police response times Question No: 2824 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon Further to MQ1684/2004, what has been the average response time of the MPS (a) force-wide and (b) per borough in attending calls graded as requiring an immediate response, in each of the last 12 months? Written response from the Mayor The table attached as Appendix 1 shows the average reponse times for calls requiring an immediate response in the last 12 months broken down by borough and month. The ACPO National Guidance on police response times in urban areas is 15 minutes. Police response times (2) Question No: 2825 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon Further to MQ1685/2004, what proportion of emergency calls to the MPS graded as requiring an immediate response were responded to within the 15 minute target (a) force-wide and (b) per borough, in each of the last 12 months? Written response from the Mayor The table attached as Appendix 2 shows the percentage of calls requiring an immediate response which were responded to within the 15 minutes target by borough and MPS-wide for the last 12 months.
Page 117 Police response times (3) Question No: 2826 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon What has been the average response time of the MPS (a) force-wide and (b) per borough in attending calls S grade calls requiring a priority response, in each of the last 12 months? Written response from the Mayor The table below shows the average reponse times for S grade calls in the last 12 months broken down by borough and month. The ACPO National Guidance on police response times for S grade calls is within 60 minutes.
Month-Year Borough Aug 2012 Sep 2012 Oct 2012 Nov 2012 Dec 2012 Jan 2013 Feb 2013 Mar 2013 Apr 2013 May 2013 Jun 2013 Jul 2013 Barking & Dagenham 0:33:01 0:32:19 0:34:25 0:33:33 0:34:10 0:37:12 0:39:29 0:49:20 0:47:58 0:46:15 0:39:51 0:48:08 Barnet 0:36:18 0:35:13 0:36:20 0:40:08 0:30:36 0:31:41 0:30:37 0:30:16 0:30:26 0:38:08 0:38:55 0:36:00 Bexley 0:39:02 0:34:55 0:32:19 0:30:46 0:33:12 0:30:02 0:35:40 0:40:02 0:32:18 0:32:08 0:33:38 0:34:09 Brent 0:36:27 0:34:02 0:38:22 0:42:14 0:37:50 0:33:16 0:37:18 0:39:51 0:38:16 0:38:09 0:37:44 0:39:45 Bromley 0:35:45 0:35:24 0:36:45 0:35:40 0:42:26 0:34:35 0:29:12 0:29:42 0:29:15 0:30:47 0:29:03 0:32:34 Camden 0:34:25 0:31:15 0:32:31 0:33:54 0:33:05 0:31:01 0:30:32 0:31:50 0:31:56 0:32:34 0:33:37 0:34:35 Croydon 0:31:02 0:30:45 0:30:20 0:31:21 0:31:02 0:30:03 0:28:56 0:30:04 0:28:12 0:30:34 0:31:21 0:33:25 Ealing 0:46:00 0:39:49 0:37:05 0:46:26 0:42:02 0:31:19 0:35:53 0:35:51 0:32:31 0:36:30 0:41:34 0:53:31 Enfield 0:36:58 0:32:54 0:42:53 0:47:12 0:44:31 0:39:20 0:41:00 0:39:01 0:36:09 0:38:25 0:39:18 0:45:46 Greenwich 0:32:55 0:30:50 0:29:47 0:32:38 0:29:34 0:31:36 0:29:52 0:29:54 0:29:16 0:29:26 0:35:05 0:35:48 Hackney 0:32:16 0:35:08 0:32:01 0:30:59 0:29:30 0:30:37 0:29:56 0:33:31 0:30:23 0:34:07 0:35:08 0:37:23 Hammersmith & Fulham 0:31:00 0:29:12 0:28:46 0:29:03 0:31:21 0:29:56 0:27:48 0:28:53 0:28:43 0:32:47 0:32:18 0:31:55 Haringey 0:42:43 0:38:59 0:39:39 0:39:45 0:38:02 0:31:32 0:34:28 0:30:57 0:33:19 0:35:27 0:34:43 0:35:07 Harrow 0:42:54 0:33:12 0:35:06 0:41:30 0:35:31 0:35:16 0:37:44 0:34:25 0:33:43 0:36:12 0:37:07 0:43:55 Havering 0:29:52 0:32:20 0:32:58 0:35:54 0:38:57 0:29:59 0:35:03 0:31:50 0:30:02 0:31:01 0:31:54 0:27:55 Hillingdon 0:43:19 0:39:05 0:40:02 0:41:58 0:44:11 0:37:39 0:39:32 0:46:57 0:45:02 0:43:50 0:43:54 0:53:06 Hounslow 0:35:57 0:32:12 0:38:33 0:39:42 0:41:13 0:38:03 0:35:43 0:37:10 0:34:37 0:38:16 0:33:49 0:37:33 Islington 0:37:17 0:33:42 0:33:10 0:41:16 0:38:07 0:32:15 0:37:50 0:33:38 0:36:18 0:38:26 0:38:51 0:39:16 Kensington & Chelsea 0:34:48 0:29:05 0:31:10 0:30:12 0:30:19 0:26:45 0:27:39 0:28:02 0:31:26 0:27:40 0:30:04 0:31:06 Kingston Upon Thames 0:36:02 0:37:54 0:32:07 0:34:45 0:27:13 0:29:13 0:36:40 0:28:26 0:27:39 0:28:18 0:29:19 0:30:10 Lambeth 0:46:23 0:36:13 0:44:36 0:44:46 0:39:55 0:48:43 0:42:18 0:48:28 0:41:13 0:50:44 0:56:51 0:47:40 Lewisham 0:40:29 0:42:28 0:37:20 0:38:45 0:39:32 0:45:30 0:33:55 0:37:53 0:39:43 0:42:01 0:41:33 1:01:12 Merton 0:32:36 0:36:02 0:33:47 0:34:01 0:32:05 0:31:26 0:31:09 0:32:08 0:32:45 0:34:46 0:34:22 0:38:40 Newham 0:38:25 0:45:16 0:41:50 0:42:33 0:49:17 0:41:42 0:34:23 0:38:43 0:35:40 0:39:23 0:38:29 0:45:49 Redbridge 0:39:51 0:38:57 0:42:16 0:53:32 0:51:58 0:38:02 0:48:58 0:43:16 0:41:00 0:43:01 0:39:47 0:45:14 Richmond Upon Thames 0:34:36 0:32:06 0:33:07 0:35:34 0:34:24 0:32:29 0:28:19 0:31:11 0:30:56 0:28:42 0:30:57 0:51:53 Southwark 0:32:51 0:29:35 0:33:08 0:33:13 0:33:21 0:34:31 0:34:12 0:32:04 0:34:21 0:33:17 0:35:32 0:48:23 Sutton 0:37:15 0:34:20 0:35:17 0:35:18 0:34:09 0:39:37 0:36:18 0:31:05 0:35:25 0:32:56 0:33:04 0:33:44 Tower Hamlets 0:39:57 0:37:52 0:39:03 0:42:04 0:35:39 0:34:53 0:39:01 0:33:35 0:42:06 0:38:02 0:47:41 0:50:52 Waltham Forest 0:34:02 0:33:34 0:35:53 0:35:02 0:30:52 0:33:51 0:37:35 0:35:03 0:37:39 0:38:56 0:36:44 0:40:43 Wandsworth 0:42:39 0:36:37 0:39:13 0:38:09 0:33:54 0:35:44 0:34:34 0:33:53 0:36:40 0:28:31 0:29:10 0:29:13 Westminster 0:35:54 0:30:21 0:32:48 0:33:06 0:32:37 0:29:20 0:34:12 0:29:32 0:29:31 0:28:41 0:33:34 0:29:57 MPS 0:36:58 0:34:45 0:35:55 0:37:49 0:36:33 0:34:28 0:34:58 0:34:55 0:34:36 0:35:50 0:37:00 0:40:14 * Police response times (4) Question No: 2827 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon
Page 118 What proportion of S grade calls to the MPS were responded to within the one hour target (a) force-wide and (b) per borough, in each of the last 12 months? Written response from the Mayor Please see the table attached as Appendix 3. * SNT monitoring Question No: 2828 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon What monitoring do the MPS carry out to check the timeliness and quality of Safer Neighbourhood Team’s responses to email messages and phone calls? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Metropolitan Police Service - Cars and drivers Question No: 2829 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon Further to MQ2293, how many pool drivers were there available for the use of ACPO rank officers in 2012/13? Written response from the Mayor There are 6 drivers in the pool. Lay members of Police misconduct hearings Question No: 2830 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon Further to MQ1949/2012 how many independent lay members for police misconduct hearings have been selected and appointed by MOPAC since January 2012? Written response from the Mayor MOPAC is responsible for the selection, appointment, training and management of independent lay members to police misconduct hearings. These appointments are for a four year term. The contracts for existing independent lay members have been extended to the 31 December 2013. We have offered new 4 year contracts to existing members and will be recruiting some new panel members. The new contracts will begin on 1st January 2014. * Lay members of Police misconduct hearings (2) Question No: 2831 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon Further to MQ1949/2012 what training and management have MOPAC provided to Page 119 independent lay members of police misconduct hearings since January 2012? Written response from the Mayor MOPAC is currently in the process of recruiting independent lay members of police misconduct panels for the next four year term of office. Since January 2012 one training session for members has been provided. In addtion to this independent panel members have received the following training over their four year term: • 1 day training provided by the MPA • 1 day at Essex Court Chambers on Police Misconduct which covers process and regulations • 1 day appeals panel training • 1 day update on new police conduct regulations. Training for independent panel members is managed jointly by MOPAC and the MPS and provision is currently being reviewing to identify any gaps. * Post Office Contact Point Pilot Question No: 2832 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon In answer to MQ 0043/2013 you stated that you would be “piloting providing some front counter services in post offices, which I intend to be in place by July 2013”. Was a pilot in place in July? If not when and where will this pilot take place? Written response from the Mayor MOPAC continues to actively engage with the Post Office on piloting front counter and other transactional services and a pilot is expected to commence once all parties agree a start date. GLA FreeSport non-payment Question No: 2833 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon I have been contacted by Tideway Sailability in Southwark who still have not been paid by the GLA for the FreeSport activities they delivered in 2012. Can you please ensure that this, small volunteer run, organisation are paid their grant? Written response from the Mayor Tideway Sailability has now been paid its grant. GLA FreeSport non-payment (2) Question No: 2834 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon In answer to MQ2382/2012 you stated that “The 130 community groups to receive small grants through the Freesport programme have largely received their grants already. Grants are paid as soon as possible after applicants return their signed funding agreements”. Can you confirm whether all of the 130 community groups have received their grants? How many were paid in 2012/13 and how many in 2013/14? Written response from the Mayor
Page 120 According to our records 129 organisations have received their grants; 128 of them in 2012/13. We are in the processes of resolving the last payment. MPS/MOPAC Legal costs Question No: 2835 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon I asked the following question in January 2013 [MQ0046/2013] and have not received an answer, will you please provide a response: “How much has been spent in 2011/12 and in 2012/13 to date by the MPS/MOPAC on legal costs of former officers and staff in Employment Tribunal proceedings? How much is it anticipated will be spent in 2013/14?” Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Incorrect signage at Police Stations Question No: 2836 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon I asked the following question in July 2013 [MQ2304/2013] and have not received an answer, will you please provide a response: “Three days after several police stations were closed and the hours changed at others Southwark Police Station was still, incorrectly, displaying signage suggesting that it was open 24 hours, when it is now only open Monday to Friday 10am-6pm, and also listing alternative Stations at East Dulwich and Rotherhithe, which had closed. Can you assure me that all Police Stations across London are displaying correct signage to the public?” Written response from the Mayor I have now responded to MQ 2304 /2013. * MPS Advertising (2) Question No: 2837 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon I asked the following question in January 2013 [MQ0049/2013] and have not received an answer, will you please provide a response: “How much did the MOPAC/MPS spend on in-house press and public relations staff in 2011/12 and in 2012/13 to date?” Written response from the Mayor I have responded to MQ 0049 /2013. * Expenditure on front counters planned for closure Question No: 2838 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon Page 121 I asked the following question in February 2013 [MQ0772/2013] and have not received an answer, will you please provide a response: “How much has been spent in 2011/12 and 2012/13 on improvement works at the 65 police station front counters which have been proposed for closure? Please break this down by front counter.” Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * CRE public access review Question No: 2839 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon I asked the following question in March 2013 [MQ0896/2013] and have not received an answer, will you please provide a response: “MOPAC’s monthly report to the Police and Crime Committee references a £0.9m reduction in expenditure on the CRE Public Access review”which is due to delays and minor alterations to project specification. Please provide details of this Public Access review. When was it commissioned, at what cost, when will it be published, and was it used to inform the Estate Strategy?” Written response from the Mayor I have responded to MQ 0896 /2013. * Rights Society Licence for MOPAC Question No: 2840 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon I asked the following question in May 2013 [MQ1213/2013] and have not received an answer, will you please provide a response: “The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime has recently made a decision to award a contract of £194,393 to the Performing Rights Society for a licence to play recorded music in the workplace. Are you satisfied that every step has been taken to minimise the size of this contract and that the paying of music in public is actually required throughout all staff premises across the whole of the Metropolitan Police estate?” Written response from the Mayor I have responded to MQ 1213 /2013. * Online Crime Tracking Question No: 2841 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon I asked the following question in June 2013 [MQ1850/2013] and have not received an answer, will you please provide a response: “In response to the Assembly’s recent report on improving victim care in London the Met Police stated that they had investigated the option of online crime tracking but had decided not to introduce it. However at the last MQT you stated that Track My Crime is being taken up by
Page 122 MOPAC. Given the apparent contradiction in these positions can you clarify if and when an online crime tracking system is going to be introduced in London?” Written response from the Mayor I have responded to MQ 1850 / 2013. * MOPAC/MPS Estate Strategy - Uplift in value Question No: 2842 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon I asked the following question in June 2013 [MQ1829/2013] and have not received an answer, will you please provide a response: “DMPC Decision 72 refers to the fact that MOPAC has a five year forward sale clause to claw back potential uplift in value on property sales. Are you content that this is sufficient to ensure value for money from the Estate Strategy in the long term? Are there instances where MOPAC would be financially better off letting some of the buildings on long term leases; and are there any sites for which you are planning on keeping the freehold?” Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Custody language translation software Question No: 2843 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon I asked the following question in July 2013 [MQ2289/2013] and have not received an answer, will you please provide a response: “Have the Metropolitan Police looked at introducing the language translation software successfully piloted by Surrey Police, which has reduced the cost of translators by 70 per cent by using a touchscreen system to take non-English speaking detainees through the booking in process in custody suites?” Written response from the Mayor I have responded to MQ 2289 / 2013. * Metropolitan Police Service - Cars and drivers (3) Question No: 2844 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon I asked the following question in July 2013 [MQ2294/2013] and have not received an answer, will you please provide a response: “How many officers are eligible for a car for personal use under ACPO terms and conditions? How many have taken this up? What is the current payment rate which officers reimburse for private mileage?” Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Page 123 * Safer Neighbourhood Boards - priorities Question No: 2845 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon I asked the following question in July 2013 [MQ2296/2013] and have not received an answer, will you please provide a response: “One of the roles of Safer Neighbourhood Boards is going to be establishing policing priorities for their borough. Yet currently Ward Panels set ward priorities. Given that not all wards will be represented on the new Boards how will you ensure that ward priorities are reflected in borough plans? How do you plan to reconcile potential conflicts between ward and borough priorities?” Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Police Constable recruitment - cost of Certificate in Knowledge in Policing Question No: 2846 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon I asked the following question in July 2013 [MQ2300/2013] and have not received an answer, will you please provide a response: “At MOPAC Challenge on 20 June it was acknowledged that the £800-£1000 cost of the Certificate in Knowledge of Policing (CKP) which the MPS now requires recruits to complete before they can start as a new police constable presents a barrier to many potential recruits. Please provide details of what financial and other support is going to be available to address this.” Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Police Front Counter Closures Question No: 2847 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon I asked the following question in July 2013 [MQ2301/2013] and have not received an answer, will you please provide a response: “Please list all the police front counters, by borough, which closed to the public on or around Monday 24 June.” Written response from the Mayor I have responded to MQ 2301 / 2013. * Police Front Counter Closures – Publicity
Page 124 Question No: 2848 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon I asked the following question in July 2013 [MQ2302/2013] and have not received an answer, will you please provide a response: “Please list what publicity the Metropolitan Police and MOPAC provided in the run up to the closure of police front counters and who they contacted about the changes.” Written response from the Mayor I have responded to MQ 2302 / 2013. * Police Front Counters - Croydon Question No: 2849 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon I asked the following question in July 2013 [MQ2307/2013] and have not received an answer, will you please provide a response: “The Metropolitan Police document ‘Local Police Estate and Public Access’ for Croydon on the MOPAC website lists the Front Counters as Croydon Police Station and Windmill Road Custody Centre. However as of 3 July only Croydon Police Station is listed on the Metropolitan Police website. This means that there appears to be only one public access point for the police for the whole borough. When will the front counter at Windmill Road Custody Centre open?” Written response from the Mayor I have responded to MQ 2307 / 2013. * Implementation of Local Policing Model (3) Question No: 2850 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon I asked the following question in July 2013 [MQ2310/2013] and have not received an answer, will you please provide a response: “For each of the boroughs which implemented the Local Policing model in June please provide the number of police officers and PCSOs allocated to each cluster of wards.” Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * DCLG Funding Affordable Housing in London Question No: 2851 / 2013 Stephen Knight Earlier this year the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government announced a £3.3 billion package to build 165,000 affordable homes across the country over three years, working alongside the GLA and the Homes and Communities Agency. How much of this funding and the new affordable homes will be coming to London and how many jobs in London is this expected to create?
Page 125 Written response from the Mayor The funding details will be agreed later this year. European Commission Approval of Broadband Voucher Scheme Question No: 2852 / 2013 Stephen Knight In your answer to question 1304/2013 you said a pan-London voucher scheme for start-ups to access ultrafast broadband was subject to European Commission approval. When will this happen? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. Slow Rise in Investment Projects Question No: 2853 / 2013 Stephen Knight According to UK Trade & Investment’s Inward Investment Report 2012/13, all regions of the UK attracted higher numbers of investment projects in 2012/13 than in 2011/12. However while the increase in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland amounted to 191%, 41% and 16% respectively , London only saw a rise in investment projects of 2% compared to last year. Can you account for this? Written response from the Mayor The UKTI report shows that London attracted over one-third of all foreign direct investment (FDI) into the UK making it the dominant UK destination. London also attracted its highest number (584) of FDI projects in recent years. Given these large numbers, it follows that any percentage increase would be lower than for other UK regions. Other regions also suffered more during the global downturn and are only now beginning to recover to pre-2008 investment levels. London & Partners (L&P) is London’s inward investment organisation. In 2012/13, L&P delivered 223 FDI projects, creating a record 4136 permanent jobs and contributing £95.6 million of additional wealth to the London economy. Going forward, I am committed absolutely to supporting London & Partners important work to encourage more companies to move to, or expand in London. EU Structural Funds 2014-2020 Question No: 2854 / 2013 Stephen Knight How have you been working with government, the London Enterprise Panel and European partners to make sure Londoners get the best deal from the 2014-2020 round of EU structural funds for jobs and growth? Written response from the Mayor The Government has asked every English Local Enterprise Partnership to prepare a European Structural Funds and Investment strategy that sets out how 2014-20 structural funds will be put to use in their area. GLA officials are leading this work on the London Enterprise Panel’s behalf.
Page 126 A first draft of this strategy will be considered by the Panel at its 2 October meeting, prior to the strategy’s submission to Government. The draft will continue to be refined through further consultation with regional, national and European stakeholders throughout autumn. I am determined to get the best deal for Londoners. * ERDF/ESF Managing Authority Question No: 2855 / 2013 Stephen Knight Is the GLA now a Managing Authority for the 2014-2020 European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund, as recommended in the London Enterprise Panel’s ‘Jobs and Growth Plan for London’? Written response from the Mayor Discussions with Government continue concerning the status of the GLA’s role managing 2014-20 ERDF and ESF programmes. Final agreement has yet to be reached. Structural and Investment Fund Strategy for London Question No: 2856 / 2013 Stephen Knight What progress has been made in drafting the Structural and Investment Fund Strategy for London with London Councils in order to boost sustainable employment opportunities? Written response from the Mayor The strategy is under preparation now, and will be submitted for consideration by the London Enterprise Panel on 2 October. London Enterprise Panel Road-Shows Question No: 2857 / 2013 Stephen Knight Which groups have you consulted about the 2014-2020 EU structural funds through the London Enterprise Panel road-shows and how much progress has been made? Written response from the Mayor A presentation and discussion on 2014-20 EU funds for London formed part of each of the London Enterprise Panel (LEP) road-shows held this summer. Separate EU funds’ consultations have also been held with the voluntary sector, boroughs, further and higher education and social partners. Further consultation events will be arranged this autumn as the draft European Structural and Investment Funds Strategy is developed. Thames Cable Car Question No: 2858 / 2013 Stephen Knight Given the Thames Cable Car’s low usage and 25 million European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) investment, can you give me examples of how the cable car has successfully met the aims of the ERDF in order to justify such an investment? Written response from the Mayor
Page 127 The ERDF investment towards the Thames Cable Car is £8 million. The project has until March 2015 to deliver the outputs and results specified in its ERDF Funding Agreement. Targets do not directly relate to usage, rather the creation and safeguarding of new jobs and low-carbon infrastructure. Prior to the £8 million award, the ERDF application was appraised by the ERDF Local Management Committee, the Department for Communities & Local Government and the European Commission. * Mayoral Decision 1220 - ‘ERDF 2007-13: Commitment of Remaining Funds’ Question No: 2859 / 2013 Stephen Knight In July, MD1220 on the commitment of remaining ERDF 2007-2013 funds stated that 11% of the 181million available was still “in the pipeline”. Now that we are in September, can you tell me how 19.9million will be spent by the end of the year? Written response from the Mayor 2007-13 ERDF programme activity continues until 31 December 2015. There is, however, an annual regional expenditure target set by the European Commission. For 2013, this is 105,526,000. The London ERDF programme has already declared expenditure to the European Commission of 106,808,000: the target has been surpassed. Gerard Lyons’ EU Report Question No: 2860 / 2013 Stephen Knight When do you expect your Chief Economic Adviser, Gerard Lyons, to have completed his economic and financial report on the pros and cons for London of EU membership? Written response from the Mayor Gerard Lyons is researching and consulting at this stage of the report. No decision has therefore been made regarding dates for publication, but ideally we’d hope for the work to be concluded by the end of 2013, and published in early 2014. * Portas Pilots Question No: 2861 / 2013 Stephen Knight Following on from your answer to question 1864/2012, have the Portas Pilots in Lewisham, Lambeth and Tower Hamlets been successful? Written response from the Mayor
Page 128 Two of the pilots (in Lambeth and Tower Hamlets) are still live and scheduled for completion by the end of this financial year and I will be happy to provide an update then. The Forest Hill, Sydenham and Kirkdale pilot has been hugely successful. For example a temporary community hub that opened during the Christmas period last year achieved thousands of pounds in sales from 27 different local makers and artists and now a permanent tenant has taken on the unit to host events, hold workshops and house a temporary library. Elsewhere, 5 shops were renovated as pop up shops, which included a fashion store, a butchery and a shop specialising in recycled furniture. 2 of these found permanent tenancies as a result of their trial run. Also, 9 markets were held offering over 100 trading opportunities at 5 markets held in the SEE3 area and supported a further 5 start -up businesses. Traders have also gone on to secure pop up shops and restaurants and one of the traders has won Lewisham Council’s ‘Young Trader of the Year 2013’. The Portas Pilots are only one strand of the work the GLA is doing to revitalise London’s high streets, Streets Ahead? Question No: 2862 / 2013 Stephen Knight According to London Council’s recently published Streets Ahead? report, London has almost 7000 vacant shops, costing the city’s economy £350 million in lost trade and earnings per annum. Do you support the report’s 13 recommendations? If not, what are your alternative plans? Written response from the Mayor I welcome London Councils’ the Streets Ahead? Report as it raises issues which are of crucial importance to improving London’s high streets. The work and programmes that my Regeneration, Economic and Business Policy and London Plan teams are doing already addresses many of the concerns raised in the report. For example, I already provide funding to improve London’s High Streets and support local businesses via my Regeneration Fund; Outer London Fund; Portas Pilots; and Great Outdoors programmes. The SME working group of my London Enterprise Panel, of which London Councils is also a member, is also developing initiatives that will support London’s SMEs and in July committed to fund new projects working with Business Improvement Districts across the capital. Furthermore, my planning team has drafted the Supplementary Planning Guidance on Town Centres which was published for public consultation in February 2013 and which addresses most of the issues raised in the Streets Ahead report. My officials are in continuing discussions with London Councils to agree how to further address some of these issues raised in the report. Deputy Mayor LGBT Engagement Question No: 2863 / 2013 Stephen Knight Following on from your answer to question 1872/2012, which Deputy Mayor have you chosen
Page 129 to hold half-yearly engagement meetings with London’s LGBT community and what progress have they made in the past year? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. Written response from the Mayor received 19 September 2013 The most relevant Deputy Mayor is invited to attend LGBT stakeholder meetings when the main agenda item falls within their portfolio. For example, the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime presented at the October 2012 meeting, and took on board the feedback on LGBT hate crime from the meeting when finalising my Police and Crime Plan. In addition, my Deputy Mayor Munira Mirza and her Assistant Director oversee our community outreach programmes. Foreign Visits Question No: 2864 / 2013 Stephen Knight Can you confirm the foreign destinations you plan to visit over the coming months? Written response from the Mayor In the coming months I am currently planning to visit China for one week in October and then Kuwait for three days in November. The Kuwait trip was originally planned as part of my trip to the Gulf earlier in the year but this element was missed due to my early return to London. Foreign Visits (2) Question No: 2865 / 2013 Stephen Knight Would you say your visits to India and Davos proved value for money? Written response from the Mayor Yes. As a direct result of my trip to India, London & Partners engaged with 1,100 potential investors, identified 15 new potential London investments, and opened doors for London companies to export opportunities. 4 companies have already invested in London and another 3 are likely to complete by Q1 FY2013-14. Davos offers an unparalleled opportunity to engage with an incredible range of people, almost all of whom are the key decision makers in their own fields. It is an important shop window for London and for us not to be represented would be a mistake. One example of its London’s success at the Forum is the Accelor-Mittal Orbit which owes its existence entirely to a conversation in Davos. London Living Wage Question No: 2866 / 2013 Stephen Knight Following on from your answer to question 2016/2012, how successful have you been in convincing employers to adopt the London Living Wage in the past year? Written response from the Mayor
Page 130 As stated in question MQ 2016 /2012 I have continued to encourage private sector employers to take up the London Living Wage. Working with the London Citizens, 184 employers have now been accredited and 106 employers are in the process of being accredited. In addition, my officers are currently working with a number of employers within the retail and hospitality sectors. I am due to publish my Annual Report on the London Living Wage on 4 November, which will provide full details of the employers engaged in the process. London Fire Brigade Museum Question No: 2867 / 2013 Stephen Knight Following on from your answer to question 2018/2012, what progress have you made in the past year in finding a long-term home for the London Fire Brigade Museum? Written response from the Mayor In June 2012, the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority Strategy Committee agreed to keep the Museum open until a permanent home could be found. Since then, an informal group has been established to explore funding opportunities, property and governance for the permanent Museum. An in-depth feasibility study is currently underway to examine whether the governance of the Museum collection can be transferred to charitable status. The study is expected to report in November and, where appropriate, the GLA will work with the Fire Authority to take forward its findings. GLA Employment and Skills Programme Question No: 2868 / 2013 Stephen Knight The final report of the Olympic Jobs Evaluation, carried out by SQW, stated that the GLA Employment and Skills Programme “could be better targeted on…long-term economically inactive residents. By doing so, it might be able to reduce the amount of deadweight that seems to have been associated with the support.” Can you clarify this statement, as well as how similar programmes will now be better targeted in future? Written response from the Mayor The 2012 Employment and Skills Programme sought to reach the people that were furthest from the employment market i.e. those that are economically inactive as part of my convergence programme. The evaluation noted the specific challenges in engaging with these groups. The convergence programme seeks to reduce the gap in employment, health, education and other outcomes between the East London boroughs and the rest of London. Given that engaging these groups can be the most challenging, I will continue to work with public sector partners, HE and FE institutions, the private sector and through the LLDC and the GLA to ensure the convergence programme benefits those Londoners experiencing the highest levels of disadvantage. * Construction Industry Low Question No: 2869 / 2013 Stephen Knight
Page 131 According to the July 2013 issue of London’s Economy Today, “activity in both the construction and production industries is now close to the trough recorded in 2009.” What is your plan to remedy this? * Written response from the Mayor The London Enterprise Panel (LEP) published its Jobs and Growth Plan for London in May this year, setting out its vision for working with businesses and skills stakeholders to improve employment outcomes for Londoners. The plan includes a joint investment that the LEP is undertaking with CITB, the sector skills council for construction. The £2 million investment will fund a range of activities to promote jobs and growth in the sector and will operate over a three year period. Pending Olympic Compulsory Purchase Orders Question No: 2870 / 2013 Stephen Knight How many Compulsory Purchase Orders related to the Olympics in London are still awaiting settlement? Written response from the Mayor There are 68 outstanding as at 17 August 2013. However, payments on account have been made of up to 90 per cent of the settlement offered for most of these cases, in order to protect the GLA’s position with regard to costs. * Cost of Completed Olympic Compulsory Purchase Orders Question No: 2871 / 2013 Stephen Knight How much money has been spent on Compulsory Purchase Orders related to the Olympics in London so far? Written response from the Mayor The cost, at 17 August 2013, of acquiring the land for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is £1.395 billion. This comprises all land acquisitions for the Games and includes the costs of completed compulsory purchases, payments on account, remediation works and professional fees . * Worknet Question No: 2872 / 2013 Stephen Knight Given the failure of Waltham Forest council to deliver on the part-GLA funded Worknet programme, not to mention the allegations of fraud against the council contractor O-Regen, will you consider an investigation into the failures of the programme as to why it was not able to fully draw down the £2.7 million of GLA funds available? Written response from the Mayor The GLA did not directly contract the Worknet programme. The GLA contracted LB Hackney to deliver the Host Borough Employment and Skills Programme; LB Waltham Forest was Page 132 subsequently commissioned by LB Hackney. The GLA’s legal obligation is with LB Hackney who undertake all necessary audit checks as part of their contractual arrangements. * Worknet (2) Question No: 2873 / 2013 Stephen Knight Can you tell me what happened to the £2.17m of GLA money left unspent by Waltham Forest council? Written response from the Mayor The contract for the Host Borough Employment and Skills Programme is delivered by the London Borough of Hackney and LB Waltham Forest was commissioned by LB Hackney. The project is based on the ‘payment by result’ model. Where outcomes are not delivered, as in those by LB Waltham Forest, LB Hackney has had the opportunity to re-profile those targets. In addition, the project duration has been extended to meet target figures. * Countdown (1) Question No: 2874 / 2013 Tony Arbour Will there be a replacement for the Countdown system and, if so, when will installation commence? Written response from the Mayor Successful completion of the Countdown II on-street sign upgrade project in July 2012 delivered a total of 2,506 signs across the London network, a significant increase from the previous approximately 1,900 sites. There are currently no plans or funding for additional signs. Of course, real time information is available for all 19,000 bus stops from the TfL website and via SMS. Countdown (2) Question No: 2875 / 2013 Tony Arbour The 65 bus between Kingston and Ealing Broadway is notoriously unreliable. Will the Mayor consider putting the new system replacing Countdown at the termini of this bus route in Ealing Broadway and Kingston? Written response from the Mayor I will ask TfL to look into this particular route and write to you. 65 bus route Question No: 2876 / 2013 Tony Arbour Transport for London insists that the 65 bus is running at a good frequency even though recently there have been hour-long waits for the Saturday service. If Inspectors were provided at Ealing Broadway they would see that the service is not running properly. Will the Mayor investigate why there are no Inspectors at this important transport hub? Written response from the Mayor Page 133 Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Rezoning Surbiton and Kingston Stations Question No: 2877 / 2013 Tony Arbour On 13 July 2011, in answer to my question (2178/2011) the Mayor asserted that pressure needed to be brought to bear on the DfT to direct South West Trains to rezone the stations. In a recent letter, the DfT insisted it is not their job to direct SW Trains but that TfL, as a signatory to the Travelcard Agreement, can propose changes to the Travelcard boundary. Meanwhile, LU have asserted it is SW Trains obligation to rezone the station, but they have failed to respond as it will most likely not be in their interest. Will the Mayor cut this Gordian knot, meet with me and with representatives of SWT and TfL to deliver this change as soon as possible? Written response from the Mayor Both Kingston and Surbiton are operated by Southwest Trains and, as such, proposing changes to them lies with the station operator and the DfT. * Improving victim and witness support in the CPS Question No: 2878 / 2013 Tony Arbour The CPS often uses the police as a taxi service for witnesses, but the onus should be on the court system to ensure witnesses and victims attend court. Would you, in your role as occupant of MOPAC in London, support encouraging the CPS to have a staff member to provide regular contact, information and coordination work, to ensure victims and witnesses attend court? Written response from the Mayor I do not accept that the CPS uses the police as a taxi service for witnesses. There are some occasions where due to the victim’s or witnesses’ vulnerability the police officer in charge will decide to take or accompany the victim/witness to court. The CPS has dedicated Victim Liaison Officers who liaise directly with MPS Witness Care Officers to address any arising issues which could prevent a witness from attending Court. However, it is vital that all witnesses are willing and able to attend court when required, and so they must be given the necessary support. The care and support offered to witnesses and victims of crime throughout the criminal justice process is key to public confidence and current provision will be explored as part of the independent review undertaken by Baroness Newlove, announced by my Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime on 12 September. Details of the review are available at: http://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/policing-crime/mission-priorities/victims . * Cycle Parking Question No: 2880 / 2013 Andrew Boff Is the number of bike parking spaces across London keeping up with the rising number of cyclists?
Page 134 Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Weight limits on roads Question No: 2881 / 2013 Andrew Boff Hackney Council has imposed weight limits on a number of roads to prevent heavy lorries from using them, following a number of cycling fatalities caused by lorries. Do you see this as an effective strategy to try and stop fatal collisions between bikes and lorries? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Olympic Stadium Question No: 2882 / 2013 Andrew Boff Barry Hearn, Chairman of Leyton Orient, recently told a House of Lords Select Committee that he believes West Ham’s move to the Olympic Stadium would breach Premier League rules. What is the LLDC’s position regarding this assertion? What will happen if the move is indeed found to breach the rules? Written response from the Mayor The Premier League has provided its consent for WHU’s move to the Stadium. That consent is the subject of arbitration proceedings brought by Leyton Orient FC, but which were stayed pending the outcome of the Stadium competition. These proceedings are private and confidential therefore the Legacy Corporation is not in a position to comment on these proceedings. Unless that decision is overturned the decision stands and the Legacy Corporation is entitled to move forward on that basis . The Legacy Corporation is, however, confident, having met with the Premier League and discussed their constraints in some detail and set the construction specifications accordingly that all the correct processes have been followed and that the Premier League requirements will be met. * West Ham jobs Question No: 2883 / 2013 Page 135 Andrew Boff Thank you for your answer to question 1764/2013. You state that a target will be in place to source 75 per cent of employees for West Ham United events at the Stadium are from Newham. How will “from Newham” be defined? Written response from the Mayor ‘From Newham’ will be defined as anyone who is a resident in the London Borough of Newham. Recruitment for any new jobs will be undertaken by Workplace, Newham’s job brokerage service, which will have a requirement of a minimum 12 months residency to use the service. * Arup Report Question No: 2884 / 2013 Andrew Boff Thank you for your answer to question 1762/2013. Have you had an answer from DCMS about publishing the full report yet? Written response from the Mayor The Arup report was a very early study done 10 years ago to inform early planning work on the Games. DCMS have never planned to publish it formally but they can provide a redacted version of the report on request. * Transport Infrastructure for iCity Question No: 2885 / 2013 Andrew Boff A recent TfL report states that: “Even though infrastructure will improve connections within and to the QEOP, some fringe areas to the north-west corner of the QEOP, including the International Broadcast Centre (IBC)/Media Press Centre (MPC) complex which will form the main employment hub within the QEOP, will need further connections to enhance their longer term role.” What are the potential options for additional transport infrastructure within the Olympic Park? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Greater transparency in the MPS Question No: 2887 / 2013 Roger Evans Three East London Met police whistle-blowers – who believe that David Hunt used “sleepers” inside the MPS- tried to raise this issue in the run-up to the 2012 Olympic Games but claim to have been stymied by corrupt colleagues. Should MOPAC offer a service for officers to submit anonymous concerns? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. Page 136 * Ending cash fares on London’s buses (1) Question No: 2891 / 2013 Richard Tracey TfL have stated that ending cash fares on London’s buses will save £24million per year. How soon can this saving be implemented? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Ending cash fares on London’s buses (2) Question No: 2892 / 2013 Richard Tracey How soon do you expect Londoners to be able to make a single journey on a credit-less Oyster card, as previously proposed by TfL? Written response from the Mayor At present, in order to make a Pay As You Go bus journey an Oyster card must have a credit balance of at least £1.40 (the PAYG single fare). From summer 2014 the system will allow a bus journey to be made provided that the card does not have a negative balance (i.e. the card balance is zero or positive). This will enable people whose balance is low to make a bus journey before they top up. Ending cash fares on London’s buses (3) Question No: 2893 / 2013 Richard Tracey As well as saving money, ending cash payments should improve journey times and reliability on London’s buses as stopping time at bus stops should be reduced. Has TfL made an estimate of how much time will be saved on the average bus journey once this proposal is implemented? Written response from the Mayor As cash use has declined from over 20 per cent to around 1 per cent in the last 10 years, the vast majority of journey time savings have already been realised. TfL has therefore not included an estimate of this in the cost savings for cashless operation, but do expect journeys to be marginally quicker. * Ticket Office Closures (1) Question No: 2894 / 2013 Richard Tracey How much money will be saved by closing the Tube’s remaining ticket offices? Written response from the Mayor
Page 137 TfL is looking at how the Tube can deliver the best possible value for fare-payers’ and taxpayers’ money. It is also important is to improve the service offered to customers, who rightly expect that the Tube will keep pace with their changing expectations. At this point, TfL continues to develop its thinking and to discuss these issues in detail with its staff through an internal engagement programme that has been ongoing for several months. Once this process is complete it will of course discuss any proposals that result with Assembly Members and others. One of the principles guiding this work is a clear and firm commitment that all Tube stations will continue to be staffed in the future, with staff more visible than they are now and available to help customers at all times. * Ticket Office Closures (2) Question No: 2895 / 2013 Richard Tracey How optimistic are you that any suggested alternatives to closing underused Tube ticket offices will include costed alternatives that would save the same amount of money? Written response from the Mayor Please see my response to question MQ 2894 /2013. * Northern Line update Question No: 2896 / 2013 Richard Tracey When now is the date for the expected completion of the Northern Line upgrade? Written response from the Mayor The Northern line upgrade will deliver 20 per cent extra capacity by December 2014 as planned. The work to install and test the new automatic signalling system is ahead of schedule and will be completed earlier in 2014 allowing the frequency of trains to be increased in two phases by the end of the year. * Crossrail 2 Question No: 2898 / 2013 Steve O’Connell Will you confirm that if the regional option of Crossrail 2 goes ahead that trains will stop at Worcester Park? Written response from the Mayor TfL and Network Rail have just completed a joint consultation on Crossrail 2 which included two options: a metro scheme and a regional scheme. The metro scheme would not serve Worcester Park. A regional scheme would have the potential to serve Worcester Park through its connections with the South West Trains network.
Page 138 At this stage, TfL is analysing the responses to the consultation and a decision on which scheme to progress will be made at the end of the year. We welcome the views of local residents. If the regional scheme is taken forward, decisions on service patterns, routes and stopping arrangements will be subject to more detailed analysis with Network Rail over the course of the next year and there will be further opportunity to comment thereafter. * Countdown signs in Carshalton High Street Question No: 2899 / 2013 Steve O’Connell Did a TfL survey show that the case for countdown signs in Carshalton High Street had been met? If so, will you commit to installing two Countdown signs in Carshalton High Street as soon as possible? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. Control of service charges for London tenants Question No: 2901 / 2013 Steve O’Connell Given the obstacles faced by London tenants desiring the right to manage and take control of their service charges, would the Mayor be prepared to lobby the Government to review the impact of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 working in London? Written response from the Mayor I agree that there are concerns about the difficulties leaseholders face securing the right to manage under the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act. I have asked my Deputy Mayor for Housing & Land to meet with you in order to discuss how we can work together to press for a better deal for London’s leaseholders. * Mayor’s Housing Strategy Question No: 2902 / 2013 Victoria Borwick How is the Mayor’s housing strategy helping women who want to exit from prostitution, and if it isn’t what can be done to support these vulnerable women with safe housing options? Written response from the Mayor My Police and Crime Plan makes a commitment to develop pan-London exit provision for women involved in prostitution. This will be developed under my second Violence Against Women and Girls strategy which will be published later this year. Access to safe housing contributes to successful exit and therefore the strategy will work with boroughs to respond to this need. * Improving Air Quality Question No: 2903 / 2013 Victoria Borwick How could encouraging private hire vehicles to change from diesel fuel improve air quality in London? Page 139 Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * MPS and LAS coordination Question No: 2904 / 2013 Victoria Borwick Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE) will provide the MPS with its CommandPoint™ application for the Metropolitan Police’s new command and control requirements. Will this new arrangement be coordinated with the London Ambulance Service? Written response from the Mayor Discussions between MOPAC/MPS and the London Ambulance Service to pursue opportunities for collaboration and mutual benefit are currently taking place. * Energy infrastructure Question No: 2905 / 2013 Victoria Borwick Can London’s current energy infrastructure keep up with the increasing demand that goes hand in hand with a growing city? Written response from the Mayor I am working closely with Government and industry, under the auspices of my Electricity Working Group, to ensure that the regulatory regime and network operators allow it to do so in a timely and cost-effective manner, improving London’s competitiveness. * Improvements to traffic flow at Clifton’s roundabout (1) Question No: 2907 / 2013 Gareth Bacon Can you confirm if officers and/or councillors from the Royal Borough of Greenwich have contacted TfL within the past 12 months regarding measures to improve the traffic flow at the junction of the A20 and A205, Clifton’s roundabout? If so, please confirm whether the borough have put forward any proposals? Written response from the Mayor The Royal Borough of Greenwich has been in contact with TfL in recent months specifically relating to the congestion caused at Clifton’s Roundabout by queuing vehicles at the Esso / Tesco Express site. Planning permission was granted by the Royal Borough of Greenwich some time ago for this petrol station and Tesco Express, and access arrangements would have been agreed as part of this process. It is not within TfL’s powers as the Highway Authority to change any aspect of this permitted development. Additionally TfL is unable to carry out enforcement measures against drivers of vehicles who are queuing to enter a site or premises. Officers from TfL and Royal Borough of Greenwich have met with the Esso /Tesco site management to discuss ways in which access and space on the forecourt could be better managed.
Page 140 Efforts are being made by Tesco and Esso, in collaboration with the Royal Borough of Greenwich and TfL, to address the issue of queuing cars. Options being considered include clearly marked routes to the pumps and signage to show that the hoses will reach both sides of the vehicles to increase capacity on the forecourt. * Improvements to traffic flow, Clifton’s roundabout (2) Question No: 2908 / 2013 Gareth Bacon What measures is TfL taking to improve traffic flow at Clifton’s Roundabout (junction of the A20 and A205) where cars queue out onto the main road prior to entering the adjacent petrol station (Esso/Tesco)? Written response from the Mayor Please refer to my response to MQ 2907 /2013. * Pedestrian crossing at junction of A2 Rochester Way Question No: 2909 / 2013 Gareth Bacon Is TfL currently investigating the possibility of installing a pedestrian crossing, possibly either traffic light controlled or an elevated walkway, across the A2 Rochester Way at its junction with the A205 Westhorne Avenue. If not, is this something that TfL would be prepared to look at in more detail? Written response from the Mayor TfL has investigated how a crossing could be installed on Westhorne Avenue east of the roundabout, by Big Yellow Storage Company and the Esso garage. Due to high traffic flows on both the A20 and A205 all options explored produced predicted traffic queues which regularly extended back to impact other junctions in the area, creating further safety concerns. An elevated walkway has also been considered but, due to the relatively narrow footway widths, there is not sufficient room for it to be accommodated. It is also the case that, whilst there is some demand to cross Westhorne Avenue in this location, the number of pedestrians crossing is currently relatively low. For the reasons set out above, TfL is not currently actively considering further pedestrian facilities at this location. This makes an effective solution here very challenging to deliver. I will ask TfL to meet and brief you further on this. * Cost of changing station signage Question No: 2910 / 2013 Gareth Bacon In answer to question 2218 / 2013 (asked by Valarie Shawcross AM) you state that the cost of changing signage following a sponsorship deal would cost “between £3 million and £5 million for each station”. Please provide a breakdown of the constituent elements of this estimate.
Page 141 Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Closure of Blackfriars Station Question No: 2911 / 2013 Gareth Bacon What was the cost of temporarily changing the signage across the network when Blackfriars Underground station was closed between 2009 and 2012? Written response from the Mayor The cost of temporary signage associated with the three-year closure of Blackfriars station was roughly £8,500. * Closure of Tottenham Court Road Station Question No: 2912 / 2013 Gareth Bacon What was the cost of temporarily changing the signage across the network when the Tottenham Court Road Northern Line platforms were closed in 2011? Written response from the Mayor The cost of temporary signage associated with the 8-month closure of these two platforms was roughly £19,000. * TfL Pensions Question No: 2913 / 2013 Gareth Bacon TfL recently announced that its pension scheme will be getting a crown guarantee and that this will save “tens of millions” of pounds. Is this step simply shifting risk away from TfL and placing a greater burden on the Government? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * TfL Pension Fund Fees Question No: 2914 / 2013 Gareth Bacon Please provide details, for the last four years, for the different elements of the costs of fund managers and investment management fees associated with the TfL pension scheme, please specify the following: Fees paid to Fund Managers - please detail: • Explicit fees as agreed in the Investment Management Agreement (billed separately) (please include Funds under management, Base fee and performance fee)
Page 142 • Fees charged at source (deducted from the NAV) (please include Funds under management, Base fee and performance fee) Other Investment Management Fees - for each, please detail direct charge and allocation: • In-house investment team • Specialist advisers (including performance measurement) • Actuary - investment consultancy • Custodian • Investment accounting • Investment Committee • Board oversight • Corporate overheads: o Executive Management Team o IT o HR o Finance including treasury o Accommodation o Legal o Printing, marketing & communications • Other Administration Costs - for each, please detail direct charge and allocation: • Pensions admin team • Pensions Committee • Board oversight • Internal and external Audit • Actuary – valuation • Corporate overheads: o Executive Management Team o IT o HR o Finance o Accommodation o Legal o Printing, marketing & member communications • Other Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. *
Page 143 Proposed CPZ, Avery Hill area, Royal Borough of Greenwich Question No: 2915 / 2013 James Cleverly A petition was presented on 24 July 2013 at a Plenary meeting of the Assembly on behalf of my constituents in Bexley opposing the proposal by the Royal Borough of Greenwich to introduce controlled parking in the Avery Hill and Falconwood areas. If this scheme were approved there are concerns it would cause terrible parking issues for residents living across the border from the proposed zone. Can you give me a time frame for when a decision will made on whether this scheme should be permitted? Written response from the Mayor I am currently considering whether I should exercise my power to consider the proposed CPZ for approval. * Financial viability assessments Question No: 2917 / 2013 Stephen Knight How many independent viability assessments were commissioned by the GLA’s Planning Unit in 2012/13? Written response from the Mayor None, I was able to work with local planning authorities who commissioned their own independent assessments. * Financial viability assessment - Heygate Estate, Southwark Question No: 2918 / 2013 Stephen Knight Do you support the decision of the Information Commissioner’s Office to order Southwark Council to publicly release financial information relating to the regeneration of the Heygate Estate? Written response from the Mayor I understand that the Information Commissioner has advised that the financial viability assessment submitted by Lend Lease in relation to the planning application for the redevelopment of the Heygate Estate in Elephant and Castle should be released, but that Southwark Council has indicated that it intends to appeal to the Information Tribunal against this decision. As the matter is subject of an appeal it is not appropriate for me to comment. * Financial viability re-assessment Question No: 2920 / 2013 Stephen Knight Do you support the use of financial clawback mechanisms in Section 106 agreements in London in those cases where the final sales price of units far exceeds their predicted values and
Page 144 affordable housing provision was limited by ‘viability’ arguments? Written response from the Mayor My London Plan and associated Housing SPG provide support for the use of ‘contingent obligations’ which can be applied in the sort of situation which you describe. * Mayoral Planning Decisions Question No: 2921 / 2013 Stephen Knight How many planning applications of “potential strategic importance” were referred to the Mayor in 2012/13? Written response from the Mayor 311 applications of potential strategic importance were referred to me in 2012/13. * Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (1) Question No: 2922 / 2013 Stephen Knight How seriously should Londoners take your claim to resist development that results in a net loss of biodiversity when nearly 13 hectares of land with conservation designation has been lost in planning approvals since 2008/09? Written response from the Mayor Londoners can trust my claim. Of the 12.5 Hectares lost the largest loss was for 6.7Ha for a site in Hackney for the Olympics where the land was re-provided as part of the Olympic Park. The remainder were a large number of small losses. Redevelopment is sometimes accepted where the development enhances the overall quality of the remaining site or public access is improved to the site. * Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (2) Question No: 2923 / 2013 Stephen Knight Can you confirm whether sites of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation are included in the criteria for referring planning decisions to the Mayor? Written response from the Mayor Sites of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation are not included in the criteria for referring planning decisions to the Mayor. * London Rental Standard (1) Question No: 2924 / 2013 Stephen Knight How will your voluntary London Rental Standard help those currently suffering at the hands of rogue landlords? Page 145 Written response from the Mayor The London Rental Standard is intended to raise standards amongst the vast majority of legitimate private landlords and letting agents who wish to provide a good service to their tenants. It will become a benchmark in transparency which will therefore expose rogue landlords. I am deeply concerned about rogue landlords and I have been very active in encouraging local authorities and Government to deal with this problem. London will benefit from a significant share of the rogue landlord and beds in sheds funding and local authorities already have many powers to tackle the issue. London Rental Standard (2) Question No: 2925 / 2013 Stephen Knight Given you plan to spend £250,000 on a campaign to promote your London Rental Standard (MD1246), why has a common procedure for dealing with complaints still not been agreed among the different accrediting bodies? Written response from the Mayor The London Rental Standard sets out clear requirements for all accreditation schemes to have procedures for dealing with complaints. However, these requirements inevitably vary a little between schemes that accredit landlords, those that accredit managing agents and those that accredit lettings agents. The steering group that has been set up to develop the standard will keep all these requirements under review. * Affordable housing starts Question No: 2926 / 2013 Stephen Knight How many affordable homes have been started in London so far this financial year? Written response from the Mayor This information is available via the GLA website. * Source London – charge point usage Question No: 2927 / 2013 Stephen Knight Further to your answer to MQ1855/2013, are you able to provide a list of Source London charge points and usage data for the period 01 January 2013 – 30 April 2013? Written response from the Mayor Please find attached the usage data in Appendix 4 for Source London charge points for the period 1 January – 30 April 2013. Charging events that are less than 15 minutes in length have been discounted as these are assumed to be test events during the commissioning of a charge point. * Source London – energy supply
Page 146 Question No: 2928 / 2013 Stephen Knight What percentage of energy used to power the Source London charge point network came from renewable sources in 2012/13? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Low Emission Zone (LEZ) – daily charges Question No: 2929 / 2013 Stephen Knight How many ‘daily charges’ were purchased by operators of i) vans and minibuses; and ii) lorries, buses and coaches in order to drive within the Low Emission Zone in 2012? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Low Emission Zone (LEZ) – warning letters Question No: 2930 / 2013 Stephen Knight How many warning letters were issued to operators of i) vans and minibuses; and ii) lorries, buses and coaches because they did not meet the relevant emissions standards in 2012? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Low Emission Zone (LEZ) – penalty charge notices Question No: 2931 / 2013 Stephen Knight How many penalty charge notices (PCNs) were issued to operators of i) vans and minibuses; and ii) lorries, buses and coaches in London because they did not meet the relevant emissions standards in 2012? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Electrification of Barking to Gospel Oak Line Question No: 2932 / 2013 Stephen Knight Please outline the reduction in harmful pollutants (tonnes per year) that can be expected following the Government’s welcome decision to electrify the Gospel Oak to Barking overground line? Written response from the Mayor
Page 147 Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Neasden Lane – air pollution Question No: 2933 / 2013 Stephen Knight Further to your answer to MQ1876/2012, what progress have you made to reduce the concentration of air pollutants at Neasden Lane since the beginning to the year? Written response from the Mayor The Neasden Lane monitoring station is classified as an industrial site and the main local sources are regulated by either the Environment Agency or the London Borough of Brent. Significant progress has been made this year with all the Environment Agency regulated waste sites now being fully enclosed. The metal recycling site is now partially enclosed to screen the site more effectively. This has reduced the fugitive particle pollution from the sites. Dust suppressants, which were shown by King’s College London evaluation report to be highly effective at sites like Neasden Lane, continue to be applied. The Environment Agency has also worked with operators to implement a particulate alarm system which informs operators if particulates on site exceed agreed levels. They then must take action such as ceasing operations and ensure site activities are not contributing to exceedences. The Environment Agency have increased inspection frequency to fortnightly compared with approximately quarterly. Many of these visits are conducted jointly with the London Borough of Brent to improve coordination of enforcement activity. This approach has identified new opportunities to reduce emissions from the concrete batching plant regulated by the London Borough of Brent. A further programme of mobile PM10 monitoring is underway in the area to confirm the performance of the regulated waste sites. * Putney High Street – air pollution Question No: 2934 / 2013 Stephen Knight Further to your answer to MQ0460/2013, what progress have you made to reduce the concentration of air pollutants in and around Putney High Street? Written response from the Mayor Significant progress is being made to bring forward retrofitted and new hybrid buses along Putney High Street. In addition I have allocated £100,000 to the London Borough of Wandsworth from my Mayor’s Air Quality Fund to support additional improvements. Taxi Emissions - nitrogen dioxide (NO2) Question No: 2935 / 2013 Stephen Knight Recent research commissioned on behalf of the Department of Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Page 148 has found that the proportion of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) within total NOx emissions from taxis has been steadily increasing since around 2008. Given the intensity of taxi operations in central London, what action(s) will you take to reduce the levels of NO2 being emitted by newer taxis? Will you amend your 15-year age limit if it is found to be inadvertently increasing levels of NO2 across London? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Hunting with dogs Question No: 2936 / 2013 Stephen Knight Can you confirm that you continue to support legislation to ban all hunting with dogs, in accordance with your Biodiversity Strategy? Written response from the Mayor This is not a matter for the GLA. * Local Nature Reserves Question No: 2937 / 2013 Stephen Knight How many Local Nature Reserves have been declared in London under the National Parks & Access to the Countryside Act (1949) since 2008? Written response from the Mayor There are 141 Local Nature Reserves in London. Four have been declared since 2008. London Wildlife Day Question No: 2938 / 2013 Stephen Knight Is it still your intention to promote an annual London Wildlife Day (or week)? Written response from the Mayor No. There are other initiatives such as Love Parks Week (in June), National Tree Week (in November) and London Tree Week (in May) which meet the objective to promote access to and appreciation of London’s natural environment. * Ambient Noise Strategy Question No: 2939 / 2013 Stephen Knight Is your insistence that your Ambient Noise Strategy is still “fit for purpose” and does not need updating (MQ1129/2013) consistent with your previous commitment to keep this matter under review (MQ1863/2012)? Written response from the Mayor
Page 149 Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Lewisham Hospital Question No: 2940 / 2013 Stephen Knight How do you respond to the recent decision of the High Court which found that Jeremy Hunt MP and the administrator he appointed to South London Healthcare had acted outside their powers when they decided to reduce services at Lewisham hospital? Do you stand by your commitment to fight any “unnecessary changes” to the NHS in London? (MQ3797/2012) Written response from the Mayor It is not appropriate for me to comment on the Secretary of State’s decision to appeal the Judicial Review decisions. * Mayoral Decision on Mayor’s Academies Limited Question No: 2942 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon Please state the total grant funding that the Greater London Authority and the London Development Agency made to fund academies between May 2008 and your decision on the 2nd July 2013 to withdraw the Greater London Authority as a corporate member of the London Academies Enterprise Trust (Mayoral Decision 1229). Written response from the Mayor The total grant paid to the London Academies Enterprise Trust under the Mayor’s Academies Programme is £504,688, which was made between 2010 (when the first two academies opened) and July 2013. Evening train service on London Overground from Clapham Junction to Dalston Question No: 2943 / 2013 Caroline Pidgeon Due to the incredible popularity of the London Overground will you agree, before the December update to the timetable, to examine an increase in the evening service on the Clapham Junction to Dalstone line to ensure trains on this line are similar in frequency to other London Overground lines, with an evening service every 15 minutes until 11pm. Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Air Quality Initiative of the Regions Question No: 2966 / 2013 Stephen Knight Page 150 Further to MQ2323/2013 what do you consider is the likely effect on the strength of air pollution laws from the changes you are lobbying for in the ‘Year of Air’ review through the ‘Air Quality Initiative of the Regions’? Written response from the Mayor I am working with other European regions that face similar air quality challenges to London through the Air Quality Initiative of the Regions. Our joint position paper clearly calls for the EU to adopt health-based limit values to protect public health and guarantee European citizens’ right to clean air. I believe our lobbying will strengthen air pollution laws and secure additional resources and action at the European level. * TfL - air pollution ‘focus areas’ (1) Question No: 2967 / 2013 Stephen Knight Will you publish the precise locations of the 187 air pollution ‘focus areas’ being targeted by Transport for London? Written response from the Mayor The locations of the 187 air quality focus areas have already been made widely available through the GLA website and to the boroughs via the Borough Extranet and in maps and tables published in sub-regional plans. This can be found at: http://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Cleaner%20Air%20for%20London%20-%20AQ %20Focus%20Area%20methodology.pdf A GIS layer of the focus areas will be made available on the London Datastore to ensure wider visibility of these locations. * Air pollution ‘focus areas’ (2) Question No: 2968 / 2013 Stephen Knight What were the annual mean concentrations in 2012 and projected for 2015 at each of the 187 air pollution ‘focus areas’ being targeted by Transport for London for each of: nitrogen dioxide; and fine particulate matter (PM2.5)? Written response from the Mayor
The focus areas are a sub-group of locations estimated to exceed the NO 2 limit values in 2011 and 2015 (based on modelling for the Mayor’s Air Quality Strategy) and are areas with high levels of human exposure. To understand the causes of the high concentrations various data was collated. The average concentration was not included as this did not provide any additional information to help target action in these areas. However, as part of the publication of the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory 2010 emissions data, GIS files, images and the full concentration modelling datasets are available on the London Datastore. This gives individuals and organisations access to the information needed to answer questions relating to air pollution in London. * Air Quality in Buildings Page 151 Question No: 2969 / 2013 Stephen Knight Which buildings owned or occupied by Greater London Authority Group entities use regularly maintained air filters complying fully with British and European standard EN13779 split between those with mechanical ventilation and those without? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Air Quality Neutral Development Question No: 2970 / 2013 Stephen Knight Further to MQ2336/2013 why do you consider ‘air quality neutral’ for planning purposes is about emissions rather than concentrations? Written response from the Mayor To enable the implementation of ‘air quality neutral’ for planning purposes, emissions benchmarks have been developed for buildings (based on land uses) and transport. The benchmarks have been developed for NOx and PM10 as these are the emissions of greatest concern in London. The emissions benchmarks have been developed to prevent the overall increase in the concentration of these pollutants across London as a whole. * Review of Local Air Quality Management in England (2) Question No: 2971 / 2013 Stephen Knight What would be the impact on London of each of the four proposals in the Government’s consultation about local air quality management and will you publish your response to it? Written response from the Mayor I am working with Defra to make sure an appropriate LAQM regulatory framework is in place which recognises London’s unique challenges and supports the boroughs in taking action to improve local air quality I will publish my consultation response on the GLA website in due course. * Tube dust Question No: 2972 / 2013 Stephen Knight Why have you still not published answers to MQs 2312/2013, 2313/2013 and 2314/2013 about tube dust? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * London Underground - Tunnel Cleaning Machine (1)
Page 152 Question No: 2973 / 2013 Stephen Knight Further to 2315/2013 what reduction in annual mean concentrations do you expect on average across the London Underground from the Tunnel Cleaning Train for each of PM2.5 and PM10 and by when? * Written response from the Mayor The new Tunnel Cleaning Train has been designed to make the cleaning regime in London Underground (LU) tunnels more efficient, rather than specifically to achieve further improvements in air quality on the Underground. Nevertheless, TfL expects that it will reduce dust on the Underground; however, it is extremely difficult to quantify the change in dust profile that will result from this new technology. TfL will monitor, and report on, changes in particulate matter / dust levels on the Underground network following the introduction of the train. Airborne dust levels on the LU network have reduced due to the improved management of the wheel / rail interface and the reduction in use of brake shoes facilitated by modern technology such as regenerative braking. Dust levels are consistently below the Workplace Exposure limits set by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). London Underground - Tunnel Cleaning Machine (2) Question No: 2974 / 2013 Stephen Knight Did the last Tunnel Cleaning Train catch fire, and if so why and when? Written response from the Mayor The previous Tunnel Cleaning Train which operated between 1977 and 2007 is known to have suffered two minor electrical fires during its working life. The electrical systems of the new vehicle will be built to modern standards using materials approved by London Underground for fire resistance. The train will be equipped with fire detection equipment. The supplier has advised that their other machines, supplied throughout the world, have not suffered any fires. * ‘Cleaner Air for London’ website Question No: 2975 / 2013 Stephen Knight Further to MQ2325/2013 when will your new Cleaner Air for London website be launched? Written response from the Mayor The new Cleaner Air for London website, which has been developed in partnership with the London boroughs, should be launched later this year. * ‘Breathe Better Together’ campaign Question No: 2976 / 2013 Stephen Knight Page 153 Further to MQ2339/2013 what objectives including timescales have you set GLA officials for developing Breathe Better Together? Written response from the Mayor Breathe Better Together will seek to raise awareness about air pollution, provide specific information in the run up to certain air pollution episodes and encourage behaviour change to reduce local emissions. Timescales are still being finalised and agreed with the project partners and further announcements will be made in due course. * Smog episodes during 2013 Question No: 2977 / 2013 Stephen Knight Will you do anything in the remaining months of 2013 to warn Londoners during smog episodes? Written response from the Mayor I provide information on air pollution to vulnerable Londoners through airTEXT. I encourage all Londoners to sign up to this service at www.airTEXT.info . * Section 23 Stop and Search 1 Question No: 2987 / 2013 Jennette Arnold Why is it that, during your time as the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, a white person in Hackney caught in possession of cocaine as a result of being stopped and searched is charged only 20% of the time, while a black person is charged 67% of the time? Written response from the Mayor I do not recognise the source or time period for the figures quoted and would welcome further detail on their origin and context. According to MPS statistics, in Hackney for the period August 2012 - July 2013 the arrest rates from all stop and search encounters are 23.6 per cent for white people and 21.1 per cent for black people. * 23 Stop and Search 2 Question No: 2988 / 2013 Jennette Arnold The disproportionate effect of stop and search powers on ethnic minorities has reared its ugly head once again during your time as the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime. When can we expect this to be resolved? And what steps are you taking to ensure stop and search powers are used proportionately, fairly and with due respect to the people being stopped. Page 154 Written response from the Mayor The disproportionality ratio in the use of stop and search powers has fallen since the introduction of the STOP IT initiative in January 2012 and continues to do so. The most recent performance statistics (July 2013) reveal that the ratio of black persons stopped compared to white is currently 2.6:1 whilst the rate of white to Asian is 1:1 (parity). In 2010/11, the ratio of Black to White was 2.8:1 while Asian to White was 1.2:1. STOP IT not only produced a significant fall in the overall number of stops and searches without adversely impacting on falling crime trends, but the better training it delivered and greater use of intelligence led stops means that the number of positive outcomes, including arrests, cautions or intelligence gained, has also increased, surpassing the MPS target of 20 per cent in May this year. Alongside this, MOPAC continues to support the network of local community monitoring groups in highlighting good and bad practice in the use of stop and search powers in their boroughs. I trust the Commissioner to ensure this operational policy is instituted fairly for all Londoners. * Advanced Stop Zones Question No: 2989 / 2013 Jennette Arnold The recent two-week enforcement of Advanced Stop Lines (ASLs) by the MPS was welcome to improve safety for cyclists in the areas where it took place. How and when will this law be enforced as standard across the whole of London? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * MPS 10-day recording target Question No: 2990 / 2013 Jennette Arnold The proportion of complaints that meet the requirements set out in legislation for recording a complaint that are recorded within the 10-day target has fallen from 84% to 62% between April 2011 and March 2013 (source: IPCC). Why is this? And what is the Mayor doing to ensure that this is addressed? Written response from the Mayor MOPAC continues to develop professional standards governance structures and reporting processes to oversee professional standards within the MPS. MOPAC is represented on the MPS Professional Standards Strategic Committee (PSSC) where the focus is to enhance integrity standards across the MPS. The IPCC data on complaint cases recorded within 10 days is included in the Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) monthly Performance Report and this data is presented to the PSCC. In November 2012, a major restructuring of the way that MPS complaints were received, assessed, recorded and allocated was implemented. As with any major change, there has been a transition period with emerging issues to be managed and considerable training implications. This restructuring resulted in a slowing of the recording of public complaints which has been compounded by changes to the legislative framework for dealing with complaints, which happened in November 2012.
Page 155 In the last month, a further complete review of the whole process has been carried out by the Metroplitan Police Service and a change programme has been put in place: a new team has been set up to deal with the backlog and a new process has been put in place to speed up the initial assessment of complaints, which we anticpate will have it back on track by 5 October 2013. * TfL fares Question No: 2991 / 2013 Jennette Arnold Can the Mayor confirm whether or not he will increase TfL fares above the rate of inflation in January 2014? Written response from the Mayor Please see my response to MQ 2799 /2013. * London Living Wage – The Mayor’s Strategy Question No: 2992 / 2013 Jennette Arnold Further to my question at the London Assembly (Plenary) on 24 July 2013, you mentioned you have a strategy of engagement with bodies public and private across the city. What is this strategy? Written response from the Mayor The GLA’s Economic and Business Policy Unit is working closely with the Living Wage Foundation to target large employers in London’s financial and retail sectors. Particular attention has been paid to businesses that have demonstrated a past interest or commitment to paying the Living Wage, to encourage them to undergo accreditation as London Living Wage employers, but also to forging new links with other large employers in the aforementioned sectors. I have written personally to employers to encourage them to work to deliver the London Living Wage and offer support to do so. The benefits of the London Living Wage are also discussed with those businesses with which we have existing relationships, as part of the GLA’s ongoing business engagement programme. The number of accredited employers is growing as November’s London Living Wage week approaches, encompassing a broad range of private and public bodies. * London Living Wage – The ‘norm’ by 2020 Question No: 2993 / 2013 Jennette Arnold You stated in your vision that you want the London Living Wage to be the norm by 2020. Can you please explain in detail how you plan to do this? What discussions have you had with your advisers? Written response from the Mayor During my time in office I have continued to encourage private sector employers to take up the London Living Wage and my officers work closely with London Citizens to encourage more to do so. Page 156 Specifically my officers are currently working closely with the Living Wage Foundation to target large employers in London’s financial and retail sectors. I have written personally to each employer to encourage them to work to deliver the London Living Wage and offer support to do so. The number of accredited employers is growing as November’s London Living Wage week approaches, encompassing a broad range of private and public bodies. I will continue to support the London Living Wage during my tenure in office and take part in the annual Living Wage Week. * Apprenticeship structure Question No: 2994 / 2013 Jennette Arnold Firstly, I would like to thank you for raising the profile of apprenticeships in your Vision document. Secondly, I would like to know what action you have you taken to look at my proposal to consider a creation of a structured pan-London apprenticeship supported by a dedicated team of staff with its own department? Written response from the Mayor I do not think we need to establish a new department, not least because my Deputy Mayor for Business and Enterprise leads on this policy. We have an extremely strong working relationship with the National Apprenticeships Service, including co-location and secondment arrangements in place with City Hall’s Business Engagement team to create a one-team approach. Governance and oversight is provided through the Skills and Employment sub-group of the London Enterprise Panel and we work collectively to ensure that the complex network of apprenticeship providers, employers, national, city and local government work together to promote the importance of apprenticeships. * Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Question No: 2995 / 2013 Jennette Arnold Following the Police and Crime Committee’s five-point plan to help fulfil your manifesto promise to make London safer for women, what proposals will you implement to make London safer for women in London? Written response from the Mayor The proposals submitted by the Police and Crime Committee are currently being considered by MOPAC officers along with all consultation responses submitted under my violence against women and girls consultation. My updated VAWG strategy will be launched later this year. * Rising Cost of Living Question No: 2996 / 2013 John Biggs How have you helped Londoners meet the rising cost of living? Written response from the Mayor The rising cost of living for Londoners is a real concern. My plan to create 200,000 jobs in London by 2016, the building of thousands of homes and the creation of 250,000 Page 157 apprenticeships over the same period and my commitment to supporting the London Living Wage will all make a difference to Londoners lives. Earlier this year I launched the Oyster Apprentice Card for all apprentices in London offering a 1/3 off travel across the capital which is making a real difference to thousands of Londoners. * Cycle Superhighway 2 Question No: 2997 / 2013 John Biggs When are you going to order a review of the design of CS2 which will allow for the segregation of cyclists from motorists? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Sunday Tube Service Question No: 2998 / 2013 John Biggs Given the start times of tube services on Sunday mornings, many key workers, for example nurses, whose shifts start at 7am face lengthy additional journey times. In planning Sunday start times what account do you take of this issue? Written response from the Mayor TfL monitors passenger demand across all modes to ensure that there is adequate capacity available right across the transport network at all times. The demand for travel early on a Sunday morning is relatively low compared with other times. Of course, outside of the operating hours of the Tube, TfL continues to run a comprehensive network of bus services, including night buses, to ensure customers can complete their journeys. London Underground’s timetables are currently designed to make it possible for customers to reach central London by 7:30am on a Sunday morning. There is a need to balance the demand for Tube services with the need to allow adequate time for essential engineering and maintenance work that is necessary to ensure a safe and reliable service, as well as the delivery of improvements. However, as you know I am keen to see Tube services run for longer hours at weekends and TfL is now progressing the possibility of this. As the benefits of upgrade and improvement work continue to be realised, I have asked TfL to look at all available options. * Council Tax Cut Question No: 2999 / 2013 John Biggs Did your council tax cut do anything materially for the cost of living of Londoners, particularly when compared to your fare increases? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Page 158 * Cycle Hire Scheme Question No: 3000 / 2013 John Biggs The Cycle Hire Scheme has, to date, cost £225million. What has the economic benefit been and how is this measured? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Overground Extension Question No: 3001 / 2013 John Biggs What provision are you making to develop proposals for an Overground extension to Barking Riverside? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Liberty Arts’ Festival (1) Question No: 3002 / 2013 John Biggs Why were disability groups, in particular “Together! 2012 Disability Arts” excluded from taking part in the Liberty Disability Arts Festival 2013, part of National Paralympic Day, held on September 7th in The Queen Elizabeth Park, despite them having been assured a role by the LLDC Written response from the Mayor In developing the Liberty Festival the GLA and its producer GDF consulted with a number of groups, such as Attitude is Everything, Shape, Heart n Soul and Graeae, and have engaged with a variety of different disability arts groups to create a rich and varied programme. Following contact with Together 2012, the group was invited to take part this year and took a stall at the event. Feedback from representatives on the Together 2012 stall at the event on 7 September was very positive. * Liberty Arts’ Festival (2) Question No: 3003 / 2013 John Biggs What specific publicity was produced to ensure that disability groups and individuals were aware of the Liberty Disability Arts’ Festival 2013 held on September 7th and how was this communicated? Page 159 Written response from the Mayor A wide range of publicity has been produced for National Paralympic Day & Liberty, including posters on bus stop sites across London, postcards sent to various disability organisations, e-communications to a wide constituency, including disability groups and organisations, inclusion on various websites and press releases directed at mainstream and disability media. This campaign has been on-going through July and August. The GLA also conducted customer research on the day, to ascertain responses to the event, including effectiveness of publicity campaign. * Zero Hours Contracts Question No: 3004 / 2013 John Biggs Are any employees of the GLA on a Zero Hours Contract? If so, how many? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * East London Community Land Trust Question No: 3005 / 2013 John Biggs Following the success of the Shuffle Festival held in St Clements Hospital in August, would you lend your support to retaining the main building, which is under threat, as a community hub? Written response from the Mayor I agree that the Shuffle Festival was a great success. The future use of the main building at the front of the site is not under threat; in response to the community consultation, the submitted planning application proposes that this building includes community space, a café, commercial space and some residential space. This mix of uses helps to make the development of this listed building financially viable. My team is continuing to work with the Developer Linden Homes and the East London Community Land Trust to explore the potential to offer more community space in the front building whilst also delivering a financially viable project. * Government and Parliamentary Monitoring Service Question No: 3006 / 2013 John Biggs In the Mayor’s report to the Assembly, dated 4 July 2013 to 31 July 2013, DD1078 states that you will be awarding a contract for a government and parliamentary monitoring service. Will the Page 160 London Assembly have access to this facility? Written response from the Mayor The contract for the Government and Parliamentary monitoring is paid for through the GLA’s Government Relations Team budget and only they have access to the service. * Silvertown Crossing Question No: 3007 / 2013 John Biggs How do you envisage a Silvertown Crossing connecting into the trunk road network, and how do you envisage it ameliorating flows and pressure at the Blackwall Tunnel? Is detailed modelling and options work being carried out into these matters? Written response from the Mayor Plans are still being developed on the most useful form of crossing in this area. * One Housing Group Question No: 3008 / 2013 John Biggs Are you content with the performance of One Housing Group? Given your funding role can you advise what steps your office and the housing team at City Hall take to monitor the performance of, and secure good standards at, London’s social housing providers? Written response from the Mayor Between April 2011 and March 2013 One Housing Group delivered 1,120 affordable housing completions and is committed to delivering a further 400 affordable homes by March 2015. Providers of affordable housing in London are contractually bound to ensure that the homes they deliver comply with standards outlined in the Affordable Housing Capital Funding Guide and the London Housing Design Guide. Consumer standards for social landlords are governed by the Regulatory Framework of the Homes and Communities Agency. The performance of providers is assessed at quarterly and annual contract review meetings chaired by senior officers of the Housing and Land Directorate. * Fit and proper landlords Question No: 3009 / 2013 Tom Copley Why do you oppose the introduction of measures to ensure all landlords in London, regardless of whether they have signed up to your system of voluntary accreditation, are ‘fit and proper’ persons? Written response from the Mayor If tenants are at risk from unfit landlords there are a range of enforcement powers on the statute that local authorities can use to deal with the situation. The London Rental Standard will only be awarded to landlords who qualify as fit and proper persons. * Empty Homes (1) Question No: 3010 / 2013
Page 161 Tom Copley With reference to your response to question 2477/2013, for what reasons did your staff blame the boroughs (‘Boris Johnson’s empty homes scheme repairs only eight in a year’, Evening Standard, 21 June 2013) for the 99% underspend on your Empty Homes programme in 2012/13? Written response from the Mayor There were a number of outstanding contracts that required concluding with consortia of London boroughs. Working together - these have all now been signed for round one. * Empty Homes (2) Question No: 3011 / 2013 Tom Copley Can you provide details on the contracting process used by the GLA for the Empty Homes programme since it transferred from the Homes and Communities Agency? Written response from the Mayor The Empty Homes round one programme was procured in 2011-12, whilst the housing investment powers were still vested in the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). The assessment of bids was carried out by the HCA, with allocations carried over to the GLA. We have thus used a standard form contract, produced by the HCA. The allocation details and contracting parties are filled into the standard form contract, signed and appropriately executed by the delivery organisation and then returned to the GLA for execution and completion. All claims are processed through the GLA’s Investment Management System, which mirrors that of the HCA. * Rents Question No: 3012 / 2013 Tom Copley With reference to your response to question 2485/2013, is it not essential to the Greater London Authority’s responsibilities with regards to affordable housing delivery that it undertakes some forecasting of future private sector rent inflation? Written response from the Mayor The GLA currently monitors the market, but it’s not possible to forecast with accuracy future rent levels. * Mayor’s Housing and Land Directorate Question No: 3013 / 2013 Tom Copley How many members of staff work in the Greater London Authority’s Housing and Land Directorate now compared to the number of staff that fulfilled the same functions at the GLA, HCA, LDA and London Thames Gateway Development Corporation prior to the transfer of responsibilities in April 2012? Written response from the Mayor The Housing and Land Directorate contains 91 posts. It is not possible to make a direct comparison with the predecessor bodies given the different functions undertaken, although some broad comparisons can be made across the GLA.
Page 162 As at April 2008, the GLA had 776 posts. As at April 2013, the GLA had 788 posts. So, over a five year period, the GLA has gained a mere 12 posts while, over the same period, gaining responsibility for a substantial suite of housing and regeneration functions. In April 2008, there were approximately 1,400 posts in total across the GLA, HCA London, LDA and LTGDC. In April 2013, the GLA has fewer than 800 posts, a reduction equivalent to over 600 posts in that period and equating to a saving in excess of £30 million per annum on staffing. * Affordable Housing data (1) Question No: 3014 / 2013 Tom Copley Why have you thus far been unable to provide a breakdown of affordable housing delivery through your Affordable Housing Programme by bedroom size? Is the GLA now in a position to provide the breakdown of the GLA affordable house building statistics by tenure, bedroom-size and borough? Written response from the Mayor This information is available via the GLA website. * Affordable Housing data (2) Question No: 3015 / 2013 Tom Copley Please provide data for the number of 1, 2, 3 and 4 bed affordable housing units started in each year in London since 2008/09. Written response from the Mayor Affordable housing start-on-sites achieved by bedroom size, by year: 0 - 1 2 Beds 3 Beds 4 Beds Total Beds (homes) (homes) and (homes) above (homes) 2008-09 3,574 4,713 2,412 683 11,382 2009-10 4,293 6,483 3,628 1,225 15,629 2010-11 5,021 6,375 3,736 1,196 16,328 2011-12 1,152 1,721 888 256 4,017 2012-13 3,296 4,286 1,937 573 10,092 2013 -14 (up to end of August 2013) 263 263 115 31 672 London Total: 17,599 23,841 12,716 3,964 58,120 Note: Excludes Land and Property figures I am on target to build 100,000 affordable homes over my two Mayoral terms. * Family-sized housing (1) Question No: 3016 / 2013 Page 163 Tom Copley Anecdotally, I am told by housing associations that the so called ‘Affordable Rent’ model makes it very difficult for them to build family-sized ‘affordable housing’ in the more expensive parts of London. What information is there on the number of these homes being built in such parts of London, particularly inner-London? Written response from the Mayor There is nothing in the ‘Affordable Rent’ model itself that makes delivery of larger homes more difficult than it was previously. In fact the majority of larger homes are let at rents similar to target rents. Of the rented homes delivered from April 2011to 31 July 2013 6,129 homes (37 per cent) have had three or more bedrooms. I have an overall target of 36 per cent. Whilst, as you would expect due to average densities, higher proportions of larger homes are delivered in some outer London boroughs, high proportions of family sized homes have been delivered in some inner London boroughs such as Westminster (58 per cent), Tower Hamlets (46 per cent), Islington (37 per cent) and Southwark (35 per cent). * Family-sized housing (2) Question No: 3017 / 2013 Tom Copley In his report, the Inspector of your Revised Early Minor Alterations to the London Plan said that: “The Boroughs’ concerns that the better value offered by housing in outer areas could lead to a major shift in the provision of affordable homes, especially larger family units, away from inner London may well be realised.” Is the Inspector wrong? Written response from the Mayor Yes, for two reasons. Firstly, regardless of the funding programme, outer London is likely to see more family sized homes as a proportion of homes delivered than inner London due to the differing density and type of development in these areas. The second reason is because the London Plan prioritises delivery of affordable family homes across London and not just in outer London. In fact, of rented homes that have been completed to date, some inner London locations have high proportions of family homes as part of the mix, for example Westminster (58 per cent), Tower Hamlets (46 per cent), Islington (37 per cent) and Southwark (35 per cent). * Family-sized housing (3) Question No: 3018 / 2013 Tom Copley Your family-sized affordable housing target is for 3 bedrooms or more. The 2009 Strategic Housing Market Assessment found that there was no requirement for 3 bedroom social rented housing in London, but an overwhelming need for 4 bedroom properties. By not setting a target specifically for four-bed properties, is there a risk that real housing need in London is not met? Written response from the Mayor The interpretation that the 2009 SHMA shows a net zero requirement for 3 bedroom social rented homes would be one predicated on sufficient numbers of households currently occupying 3 bedroom homes moving out. In practice not all such moves have been realised so that a net requirement for 3 bedroom homes remains. In light of that requirement, I believe the current target for family sized homes strikes the appropriate balance between meeting acute needs and making the best use of available funding. Page 164 * London Housing Strategy Question No: 3019 / 2013 Tom Copley Why have you still not published a final version of your London Housing Strategy, the public consultation for which was published in December 2011? Written response from the Mayor I intend to publish a new draft Housing Strategy very shortly. Revised Early Minor Alterations to the London Plan Question No: 3020 / 2013 Tom Copley Is it fair to characterise your Revised Early Minor Alterations to the London Plan as jettisoning concerns over how affordable ‘affordable housing’ actually is for those who need it? Written response from the Mayor No it is not. The Alterations have been made to ensure we can continue to deliver affordable housing for Londoners despite funding constraints. Both the REMA and my affordable homes programme seek to maximise affordable housing delivery, making the best use of available resources and delivering as many family homes as possible at rent levels at or around those of traditional social rent. * Affordable housing rent levels (1) Question No: 3021 / 2013 Tom Copley What is the average rent being charged for Affordable Rent homes that are not funded by the Mayor, such as those being brought through section 106 agreements by private developers and new council homes? Written response from the Mayor Providers can only deliver ‘Affordable Rent’ properties in London where they are part of an agreed contract with the GLA. This could be as part of a funding package, through one of the Mayor’s housing programmes, or entirely grant-free, through a Short Form Agreement. No homes delivered through a Short Form Agreement have yet completed in London. * Affordable housing rent levels (2) Question No: 3022 / 2013 Tom Copley What is the average rent being charged for Affordable Rent housing in London since the start of the 2011/15 Affordable Housing Programme? Please provide an average for each bedroom size. Written response from the Mayor The below table shows the average rents charged at first let for Affordable Rent properties completed from 1 April 2011 to 31 July 2013. Please note that these rents are inclusive of service charges, unlike Target Rents which are generally expressed net of service charges. It covers 452 properties in total. This does not include the 136 social rented homes delivered in the Affordable Homes Programme in the same period. Page 165 One -bed Two -bed Three -bed All properties Affordable Rent £152 £159 £195 £168 * Landlord accreditation Question No: 3023 / 2013 Tom Copley How many London landlords are currently members of an accreditation scheme? Written response from the Mayor The last estimate we received from the accrediting bodies was 13,000. * Affordable Housing Question No: 3024 / 2013 Tom Copley Over the course of this year the Mayor has already switched £93 million of funding from delivering affordable housing for those on low incomes to investing in housing for middle-income households. Does the Mayor plan to redistribute any more funding over the course of the 2011/15 programme? Written response from the Mayor I will continue to proactively use headroom from my affordable housing programmes to maximise the delivery of affordable housing in London. Most recently, the third instalment of my Housing Covenant, Building the Pipeline, utilised some headroom from other affordable housing programmes, combined with additional resources from Government, to fund an additional 6,000 affordable homes. I intend to allocate further funding to this programme in the autumn. The average household income of Londoners that have previously accessed First Steps is approximately £33,000 per annum . * Mortgage Rescue Question No: 3025 / 2013 Tom Copley Why did the Mayor only spend 14% of the budget for his Mortgage Rescue programme in 2012/13 (an under-spend of over £15 million)? Written response from the Mayor Mortgage Rescue is a demand led product for which there is an indicative spend profile, but for which actual spend will always be determined by the number of households at risk of repossession who seek help from the scheme. Continued low interest rates and action by lenders to support those at risk has significantly limited those in need of support through this scheme. * Traveller pitch fund Question No: 3026 / 2013 Tom Copley Page 166 Why did the Mayor only spend 6% of his traveller pitch fund in 2012/13 (an under-spend of over £798,000)? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Custom build Question No: 3027 / 2013 Tom Copley Why did the Mayor fail to spend any of the money allocated to his ‘custom build’ fund in 2012/13 (an under-spend of over £5 million)? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Space standards Question No: 3028 / 2013 Tom Copley Is it your view that minimum space standards should be imposed for all new homes? Please explain your answer. Written response from the Mayor Yes. My London Plan outlines why I consider space standards to be important and makes clear that they should apply to new homes of all tenures. A more detailed explanation is provided in my Housing Supplementary Planning Guidance, together with advice on how the Plan’s policy should be implemented: http://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Housing%20SPG%20FINAL%20High%20Res_0 .pdf Affordable housing revenue Question No: 3029 / 2013 Tom Copley What is the average annual income stream generated by a social housing unit in (a) inner-London and (b) outer-London? Written response from the Mayor Based on the average weekly rent for a housing association general needs property in each area, the mean average annual income stream generated is approximately £5,785 in Inner London and £5,795 in Outer London. * Discretionary Fares Question No: 3030 / 2013 Tom Copley Thank you for your answer 1444 / 2013. Do you have information on the eligibility criteria for Page 167 Discretionary Freedom pass users, and if not will you agree to request this from London Councils? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Gifts from the Mayor of Sochi Question No: 3032 / 2013 Tom Copley Will you return the gifts you were given by the Mayor of Sochi to demonstrate your opposition, and that of Londoners, to the treatment of LGBT citizens by the Russian government? Written response from the Mayor Please see my response to 3376 / 2013. * Volunteering in the GLA Question No: 3033 / 2013 Len Duvall How many employees in the a) GLA, b) TfL, c) MPS, and d) LFEPA have been given time off work to take part in volunteering in 2012/2013? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Team London (1) Question No: 3034 / 2013 Len Duvall How are you evaluating the effectiveness of your marketing campaign been since it was launched and what are the outcomes of this? Written response from the Mayor The main aim of the campaign was to drive web traffic (15,000 unique visits) to the Team London website and to build awareness of volunteering opportunities in London. Traffic to the website was measured through statistics and trends measured by Google Analytics and weekly online reports as well as a post campaign analysis report. Quantitative pre and post tracking research was carried out, with a robust and representative London sample, to measure rates of awareness We found that overall, a total of 71,000 unique visits and over 800,000 page views were generated through the campaign. 57 per cent of respondents (pro-rata 4.56 mil Londoners) said they are now more aware about the range of volunteering opportunities in London after seeing the Team London marketing campaign. Page 168 * Team London (2) Question No: 3035 / 2013 Len Duvall How many volunteering opportunities have been posted on the Team London website since it went live? Can you provide a breakdown of this information by each month? Written response from the Mayor On 4 September, there were 506 individual volunteering opportunities on the Team London website. Opportunities can expire (i.e. if an opportunity is date-specific) and can also be temporarily removed from the site (i.e. if an opportunity is full, but then volunteers are required again), but the following breakdown shows the number of opportunities posted by month: March 9 April 45 May 163 June 115 July 65 August 104 September 5 The number of roles for individual volunteers from these 506 opportunities currently totals 40,443. * Team London (3) Question No: 3036 / 2013 Len Duvall Are you able to tell me, what type of volunteering has the most uptake in London? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Team London (4) Question No: 3037 / 2013 Len Duvall How many of the 900 oyster cards set out for Team London Ambassadors have been provided? Are you tracking their usage? Have they encouraged participation in volunteering? Written response from the Mayor 750 pre-paid Oyster cards were all issued to Ambassadors to cover zone 1 – 6 travel for a fixed block of shifts. The majority of the remaining cards were issued to Ambassadors and managers as they completed additional blocks of shifts. Although final figures have yet to be collated, the Oyster cards have enabled the Team London Ambassadors to provide between 16,000 and 18,000 hours of volunteering. * Team London Ambassadors in schools (1)
Page 169 Question No: 3038 / 2013 Len Duvall How effective have the Team London Ambassadors in schools been? Written response from the Mayor The Team London Schools’ Programme was piloted with 12 schools between Jan 2013 – June 2013, with volunteers placed in schools to inspire pupils to get involved in volunteering and to develop a passion for learning about London. All of the schools and volunteers engaged in the pilot phase are keen to remain involved in the programme. Nine schools participated in a very successful London Knowledge Quiz in July 2013 and pupil-led volunteering programmes in the schools are underway. From September 2013 the Team London Schools’ Programme will be rolled out across London, with 1,000 schools being engaged in the programme over the next two years. * Team London Ambassadors in schools (2) Question No: 3039 / 2013 Len Duvall What is the criteria for having the Team London Ambassadors in schools, and why were these schools chosen? Will you be adding any more schools to the list of participating schools? Written response from the Mayor 12 schools were engaged in the pilot phase of the Team London Schools’ Programme. This included primary and secondary schools. These schools were contacted because they are from a variety of London boroughs. From September 2013, the programme will be rolled out across London, with 1,000 schools from all London boroughs being engaged in the programme over the next two years. * Volunteering in London (1) Question No: 3040 / 2013 Len Duvall How many Team London volunteers have there been in London in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and so far in 2013? Written response from the Mayor In 2012 Team London reported that the GLA had delivered circa 100,000 volunteering opportunities since 2008. This included all the opportunities offered by the GLA group as a whole, for example Special Constables and the Team London Ambassadors recruited for the 2012 Games. Although Team London has not formally reported for 2013, we estimate that, since May 2013, the GLA on its own has enabled the recruitment of at least 7,000 volunteers. These opportunities have been provided by Team London funded projects or via the Team London website. This figure will increase significantly as once the Team London Schools Programme is underway. * Volunteering in London (2)
Page 170 Question No: 3041 / 2013 Len Duvall How many of the volunteers from the London 2012 Olympics have continued to regularly volunteer since the end of the Olympic and Paralympic Games? Written response from the Mayor In a recent survey, sent to all Team London Ambassadors who volunteered during the 2013 Olympic and Paralympic Games, 84 per cent of the 1,418 who completed the survey said they had volunteered since the Games. 37 per cent volunteered weekly or more often. * Volunteering in London (3) Question No: 3042 / 2013 Len Duvall How many new Team London volunteers that have no past experience of volunteering have there been in London in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and so far in 2013? Written response from the Mayor Team London only produces these statistics for those projects that it is directly funding. Figures will be made available following the end of each funded project (summer 2014). Of those that applied to be a Team London Ambassador, circa 50 per cent indicated that they had been inspired by the Games to volunteer for the first time. This is comparable with the figures for Team London more broadly. * Volunteering in London (4) Question No: 3043 / 2013 Len Duvall Can you provide me with a breakdown of the Team London volunteers by a) age, b) gender, ethnic background, d) disability and e) employment status in 2012/13? Written response from the Mayor For the current Team London funded projects, this information will be made available in summer 2014, one year after the re-launch. Figures for Team London in 2012 indicate: Age: 47% - 15-24 48% - 25-64 5% - 65+ Gender: 40% Male 60% Female 0% Transgender Ethnic background: 46% White
Page 171 12% Black 11% Asian 3% Mixed 17% Other Disability: 71% No stated disability 10% Disabled 19% Would prefer not to say Employment status: 43% In education or training 31% Employed 16% Unemployed 5% Retired * Volunteering in London (5) Question No: 3044 / 2013 Len Duvall What are your target number of Team London volunteers per year? Have you reached these targets? Written response from the Mayor My target number of Team London volunteers is 100,000 over the course of three years (2013-2016). Although we have not formally reported on Team London figures for 2013 we estimate that circa 7,000 volunteering opportunities have already been filled since the re-launch in May 2013. We expect the figures to significantly increase once the Team London Schools Programme is underway. * Team London Ambassadors (1) Question No: 3045 / 2013 Len Duvall Did you meet your target of over 900 Ambassadors this summer? Written response from the Mayor Of the 1,500 that applied, 750 Team London Ambassadors were selected and deployed at 11 locations over a 45-day period. Because of the vastly reduced timescales between recruitment and deployment, not all of the 900 Ambassadors were able to make their scheduled shifts because of other commitments. Volunteers that were not allocated shifts were offered other events opportunities e.g. RideLondon, meaning the number of Team London Ambassadors deployed over the summer was in excess of 900. * Team London Ambassadors (2) Question No: 3046 / 2013
Page 172 Len Duvall How many people applied to be a Team London Ambassador this year? How does this compare with the applications for the summer of 2012? Written response from the Mayor An invitation to apply for the 2013 summer programme was issued in April 2012 to the database of Team London ambassadors. 1,500 applications were received in the 3 week window that the offer was open. For the summer of 2012, there were 42,000 registrations to an open invitation to apply over a 6 month period in the second half of 2010. Of those 22,000 then applied for the role during the first quarter of 2011. * Team London code of conduct Question No: 3047 / 2013 Len Duvall The Team London code of conduct states that volunteering roles should not replace paid staff and should provide value added roles, that would not exist in the absence of volunteers. What checks are you carrying out to ensure that all volunteer roles promoted on the Team London website adhere to this code of conduct, and that volunteering is not replacing any existing or potential paid roles? Written response from the Mayor Organisers of all major events requiring Team London volunteers are asked to agree to the Team London code of practice, which requires that volunteers are used to provide value added roles and not to replace paid staff in roles such as stewarding and security. Team London is currently surveying volunteers at each of these events, as well as the organisers, to ensure that the code of practice is adhered to and that volunteers have an enjoyable and worthwhile experience. Initial findings are that volunteers have had a very positive experience. Team London will use the learning from these surveys to inform our approach moving forward. * Volunteering and employment (1) Question No: 3048 / 2013 Len Duvall Are you meeting your target of 10 per cent of volunteering positions going to young people not in education, employment or training? Written response from the Mayor Through our 10 per cent pilot and working with partners such as the East London Business Alliance and the Tottenham Foundation, we have been looking to ensure that 10 per cent of volunteers recruited to certain high profile events are young and unemployed. These volunteers are drawn from specific programmes that will make use of the volunteering experience offered at these events. Over 800 volunteers have been recruited to these events, of which over 80 have been young and unemployed.
Page 173 Over the course of the year we will be developing additional activity that will be targeting young volunteers who are not in employment, education or training. * Volunteering and employment (2) Question No: 3049 / 2013 Len Duvall What help are young Team London volunteers given to find a job afterwards? For example, are they given specific CV/interview training? Written response from the Mayor All Team London volunteers can download a volunteering CV from the website. The CV is signed by the Mayor, and provides a record of their experience. As set out in MQ 3048 /2013, we also source unemployed young volunteers from a range of partners in London. Many of these volunteers are receiving job readiness training. Team London is currently looking at the best way to support unemployed volunteers and will make announcements as new initiatives of this type are launched Volunteering and employment (3) Question No: 3050 / 2013 Len Duvall How many unemployed people volunteering go on to find employment? Written response from the Mayor This not something we are currently monitoring directly through Team London, however according to a recent Timebank study we know that 73 per cent of employers would employ someone with volunteering experience over someone without. We will publish employment statistics as Team London develops initiatives specifically focussed on providing employment. * Volunteering accessibility (1) Question No: 3051 / 2013 Len Duvall What facilities are in place to ensure that disabled Londoners can also volunteer? Written response from the Mayor The Team London website promotes a range of organisations that enable disabled people to take part in volunteering and is designed to be accessible to all. Regarding Team London Ambassadors (consistent with the guidance from the Employers Forum on Disability), everyone who was registered disabled was guaranteed an interview, training venues were selected that were accessible for all and appropriate support was provided to volunteers. Page 174 We are looking to build on this through the publication of a policy to ensure that Team London continues to support disabled Londoners to volunteer. * Volunteering accessibility (2) Question No: 3052 / 2013 Len Duvall How are you ensuring that willing volunteers are not priced out of volunteering? Written response from the Mayor All volunteers that take part in projects directly funded or delivered by Team London can claim expenses for their travel and refreshments. Team London encourages all organisations to pay appropriate expenses. If they do not then this is made explicitly clear within the description of the opportunity on the Team London website. Team London pays travel expenses for the unemployed volunteers detailed in MQ 3048 /2013. * Sky Blue recruitment agency Question No: 3053 / 2013 Len Duvall What percentage of personnel working on the construction of Crossrail have been recruited through Sky Blue recruitment agency? Written response from the Mayor I am informed that Crossrail Limited has not recruited any of its direct employees through the Sky Blue recruitment agency. Crossrail does not hold information relating to the use of individual recruitment agencies by contractors. * Sky Blue recruitment agency (2) Question No: 3054 / 2013 Len Duvall Can you provide a breakdown, by occupation, of those recruited to the Crossrail project through Sky Blue recruitment agency? Written response from the Mayor I am informed that Crossrail Limited has not recruited any of its direct employees through the Sky Blue recruitment agency. As Crossrail does not hold information relating to the use of individual recruitment agencies by contractors, no breakdown can be provided. * Race claims against the police Question No: 3055 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Will you now answer substantively Question No: 532/ 2013 from February repeated as Question No: 2043 / 2013, and as Question No: 2519 / 2013, “How much compensation has the Metropolitan Police paid in respect of race claims in each of the last 3 years in respect of each Page 175 of i) claims settled out for court, ii) as a result of court awards, iii) as a consequence of tribunal claims; to a) members of the public; and b) Metropolitan Police staff c) police officers d) PCSOs ; and in relation to each of these categories, how many cases were involved?” Your answers in similar terms to all these was to repeat “Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.” Is a wait for an answer from February to now “shortly”? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Fire brigade cuts Question No: 3056 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Who said on 25 January 2012, “under this mayor there will be absolutely no reductions in fire cover”? * Written response from the Mayor I did and I stand by that statement. Anti migrant poster vans Question No: 3057 / 2013 Andrew Dismore You are reported as supporting the Government’s advert vans against illegal migration . Barnet is one of the pilot boroughs in London where the vans operate. After the terrible racist arson fire that destroyed the Somali Bravanese Community Centre in Barnet only a few weeks ago, after which you condemned and offered support to the victim community, do you agree that the last thing Barnet needs is, what I consider, a whipping up of divisive anti immigrant hostility, which will be suffered most by perfectly legal migrants, as the racists who may be influenced by this shabby gimmick do not draw any fine distinctions. Do you also agree that the poster vans are clearly not aimed at the purported target audience anyway: not all illegal immigrants can read English well enough to understand a sign on the side of a fast moving van? Written response from the Mayor As I have said, I do not believe it is racist to point out that being an illegal immigrant is against the law, which should have consequences. There is no causal relationship between these trial posters and the outrageous arson attack on the Somali Bravenese Community Centre or any other racist attack. * SSSI sites Question No: 3058 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Do you agree that SSSI sites in London should be defended against unwelcome development? Written response from the Mayor Yes, although much will depend on the definition of ‘unwelcome’. My London Plan sets out clear policy on my approach to biodiversity. SSSIs are designated by Natural England who must be consulted on proposals affecting SSSIs, their view will be an important material consideration in determining a planning application.
Page 176 * Shop conversions Question No: 3059 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Do you agree with the Government planning minister that shops should be able to be converted to housing without planning permission? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. Written response from the Mayor received 19 September 2013 Increasing housing supply in London is a priority and I therefore support the Government’s efforts to help achieve this ambition. I also believe that reforms to the planning system must deliver the maximum possible benefits for London and, where required, there should be exemptions that take into account specific economic issues. That is why I supported key exemptions in London from the Government’s reform of permitted development rights which will allow conversions of offices to homes without the need for planning permission. My Outer London Commission is investigating how high streets can help contribute towards meeting housing need while providing Londoners with modern forms of shopping. The Commission’s work will help inform my response to the Government’s consultation on greater flexibilities for change of use. * Zero hours contracts Question No: 3060 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Do you agree that zero hours contracts are bad for employees in London? Written response from the Mayor This is a matter of national policy rather than for City Hall. * Plans to close ticket offices Question No: 3062 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Under your leaked plans to close ticket offices across London Underground, how many staffed ticket offices will be open to the public who do not want to, or are unable to, use automated ticket machines in a) Barnet and b) Camden? Written response from the Mayor Please see my response to question MQ 2894 /2013. * Police Uniform 1 Question No: 3064 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Do you think that, at a time when you are cutting the police budget by 20%, it was right to spend £660 on DAC Maxine De Brunner’s Napoleon style ceremonial hat?
Page 177 Written response from the Mayor The MPS is very proud of its long-standing history of riding in Royal ceremonial events and the police contribution has long been appreciated by the public and other participants such as the military. At all times the MPS has a duty to deliver value for money to the taxpayer. * Police Uniform 2 Question No: 3065 / 2013 Andrew Dismore How much did the Metropolitan Police spend on full dress, ceremonial, evening and dinner uniforms for senior officers above the rank of commander in the last year, and how much to date in the current year? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Hampstead police station 1 Question No: 3066 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Further to your answer to Question No: 2504 / 2013, As the Royal Free Hospital has been discounted as a possible police “contact point” as officers staffing the contact point might be called away to A and E incidents, what are you now doing to provide a contact point for this area? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Hampstead police station 2 Question No: 3067 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Potential purchasers of Hampstead Police Station had until 19 July 2013 to submit their bids. How many bids were submitted? Is there a preferred purchaser? Who is it, if so? What is the timetable now for its sale? Written response from the Mayor The disposal of Hampstead Police Station is being progressed and is now in the hands of MOPAC’s solicitors. Details of police stations with former front counters that are sold will be published on the MOPAC website once a sale is complete. * Police sirens Question No: 3068 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Residents have complained to me about police siren noise pollution at night in the small hours of the morning, with little traffic, there should be no need for the use of continuous sirens
Page 178 which probably disturb and upset more people, including those in hospital, than can be justified by their use. Why are flashing lights not good enough between say midnight and 5am? What instructions are issued as to the use of sirens at night? Written response from the Mayor The guidance states that exceeding the speed limit without the use of sirens can rarely be justified. It goes on to state that “during the hours of darkness, a silent approach is capable of greater justification; however this too remains an operational decision at the driver's discretion and must be balanced against the prevailing conditions and operational need”. Use of flashing lights is mandatory when exceeding the speed limit on police business. * 101 number Question No: 3069 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Further to your answer to Question No: 2502 / 2013, The 101 number to contact the Metropolitan Police for non-emergency calls is a premium rate telephone number and costs the person making the call at least 15p a time, and often very much more. Do you agree that it is iniquitous to charge citizens to telephone the police ,which will discourage the public from reporting crime, and flies in the face of your “new policing model”, which aims to stop people going to police stations. Will you ensure that the 101 number will operate at normal charging rates for Metropolitan Police calls in future? Written response from the Mayor The Home Office and ACPO agreed the National 101 rate (which is per call and not per minute) and the MPS simply subscribes to this service. 101 is a national number with a standard national call charge, which for the first time provides a single flat rate charge, previously varied from force to force. The 999 service is for emergency and life or death situations. It is right therefore that calls to 999 are free. Calls to 101 will cost 15 pence for the entire call, no matter how long the call or what time of day it is. This applies to both landlines and mobile phones. As an alternative to calling 101, crime can also be reported online or by attending a local police station. Communities with recurring ASB concerns are encouraged to liaise closely with their Safer Neighbourhood Teams and local authorities (either face to face, or via email or telephone.) * Camden Police Numbers 1 Question No: 3070 / 2013 Andrew Dismore As of 30 June 2013, how many full time sworn police officers were there in Camden; how many special constables; how many PCSOs; how many sergeants; how many non PCSO civilian staff were there; what were the comparable figures for 1st May 2010, and 30 June 2012; and what do you expects the figures to be on 30 June 2014? Written response from the Mayor The strengths for the relevant dates are set out in the table below: Page 179 01 May 30 June 30 June 30 June Employee Group 2010 2012 2013 2014 Police Officers 886.76 783.50 707.47 Sergeants 135.16 120.79 108.26 Not currently PCSOs 123.20 77.62 63.68 known MSC 180.00 257.00 209.00 Police Staff 164.04 113.45 69.56 At present we have no confirmed target strengths for 2014. However, under the Local Policing Model, Camden will have 751 budgeted police officer posts overall by 2015 with 157 posts in Safer Neighbourhood teams. The new Local Policing Model rolled out during 2013 will put in place new neighbourhood policing structures, but does not afford a direct comparison in terms of overall numbers with current structures at borough or Ward level. Moreover, borough policing is supported by a range of other specialist resources provided by the MPS overall, which are not captured in the above figures. * New policing model Question No: 3071 / 2013 Andrew Dismore When will you answer substantively Question No: 2514 / 2013 “When you answered Question No: 2060/2013 which repeated Question No: 1490 / 2013 “Under the new policing model shift pattern, what percentage of officers allocated to the new ward clusters will be on duty at any one time when they are in operation, allowing for scheduled leave, sickness, training and any other pre-arranged absences?”, you failed to specify what percentage of officers would be on duty. From your answer, the figure can be calculated to be 20% is this correct?” Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Barnet Police Numbers 1 Question No: 3072 / 2013 Andrew Dismore As of 30 June 2013, how many full time sworn police officers were there in Barnet; how many special constables; how many PCSOs; how many sergeants; how many non PCSO civilian staff were there; what were the comparable figures for 1st May 2010, and 30 June 2012; and what do you expects the figures to be on 30 June 2014? Written response from the Mayor The strengths for the relevant dates are set out in the table below: Employee 01 May 30 June 30 June 30 June 2013 Group 2010 2012 2014 Police Officers 595.18 536.26 553.68 Sergeants 98.73 89.48 81.68 Not PCSOs 176.76 97.02 85.80 currently MSC 133.00 152.00 155.00 known Police Staff 105.28 86.86 67.13
Page 180 At present we have no confirmed target strengths for 2014. However, under the Local Policing Model, Barnet will have 564 budgeted police officer posts overall by 2015 with 135 posts in Safer Neighbourhood teams. The new Local Policing Model rolled out during 2013 will put in place new neighbourhood policing structures, but does not afford a direct comparison in terms of overall numbers with current structures at borough or Ward level. Moreover, borough policing is supported by a range of other specialist resources provided by the MPS overall, which are not captured in the above figures. * Charging for demonstrations Question No: 3073 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Do you know how many organisers of demonstrations in London have been required to cover the cost of publishing external Traffic Orders in local newspapers; how many have been required to cover the cost of professional traffic stewards, a service which had traditionally been provided by the Metropolitan Police at no cost to the organisers; and in each case how many were not required to cover such costs? Written response from the Mayor The MPS does not hold the information you have requested. Traffic Orders are administered by local authorities who therefore will hold information on the number of organizers that have been required to cover the cost of publishing Traffic Order’s in newspapers and stewarding is the responsibility of an event organizer, to ensure the safety of the public and those attending the event. * Policing of demonstrations Question No: 3074 / 2013 Andrew Dismore What criteria are applied to decisions by the police as to whether a demonstration should be policed by police officers as opposed to requiring the organisers to hire professional traffic stewards? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Safer Neighbourhood Panels Question No: 3075 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Will you now answer substantively Question No: 1035 / 2013 “What will be the future role and powers of Safer Neighbourhood Panels under the local policing model you are promoting? Written response from the Mayor Ward Panels continue to be the bedrock of police and community engagement and their methodology is being revisited to ensure they are fit for purpose and aligned to the local policing model. The MPS is working with local people to ensure they better represent their local communities and increasing accountability and transparency by ensuring Panel meetings are
Page 181 held in public on a bi-monthly basis. The ward Panels will continue to set and review the delivery of the tasks - ‘promises’ as they will be known - required of the police at the ward level. These will run alongside a Neighbourhood Panel made up of representatives from a group of wards who will meet quarterly and set three ‘priorities’ – medium to longer term problem-solving tasks, which may require the resources of the enlarged Safer Neighbourhood Team resource. * Peel Centre 1 Question No: 3076 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Will you now answer substantively Question No: 2034 / 2013, “Further to your answer to question No: 1446 / 2013 and the review MOPAC is undertaking of the development for the remaining site and preparing a planning brief in support of the LB Barnet Colindale Area Action Plan when will this work be completed and published?” Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Orbital light rail system Question No: 3077 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Do you agree with Isabel Dedring that an orbital light rail system is badly needed for outer London; and if so what are you doing about it? Written response from the Mayor The Deputy Mayor’s point related to rail generally, not necessarily light rail. It relates to handling expected population and jobs growth over the coming decades. I am very much in favour of improving connections between different parts of outer London. Work on the long-term infrastructure plan is at a very early stage and a new orbital railway is one of many options that will be considered. * Junction Road station Question No: 3078 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Will you look at reopening Junction Road station which would provide a useful link with the Northern Line a mere 100 yards away at Tufnell Park Station? Written response from the Mayor Improving connectivity and interchange is a priority for me, as highlighted in my Transport Strategy.
Page 182 However, TfL is yet to be convinced that a new station at Junction Road would offer sufficient value for money to justify its construction and operation. No traces remain of the original station, meaning there would be substantial cost in reinstating it. Interchange between the Northern line and Gospel Oak – Barking line is already available at nearby Archway and Upper Holloway stations, and Tufnell Park station already provides excellent connectivity for the immediate neighbourhood to central London and elsewhere. Furthermore, any new station stop would extend journey times for other passengers on the Gospel Oak – Barking line. TfL will, of course, keep the request under review. * Parking on double yellow lines Question No: 3079 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Do you agree with Eric Pickles, that parking on double yellow lines for 15 minutes should be permitted; and will you be introducing such measures on TfL roads; and on TfL red routes? Written response from the Mayor I certainly agree that the on-going need for double yellow lines should be actively reviewed and, like TfL, Councils should apply a pragmatic and common sense approach to enforcement where warnings are issued, and apply a level of discretion where possible before issuing a penalty. However, I am pleased that TfL is progressing with implementing, jointly with the boroughs and where the boroughs want to see this, my commitment to increase by a third the time drivers can park in ‘Stop and Shop’ bays across London’s red route network, which is currently subject to a statutory consultation period ending on 16 September. * Finchley Memorial Hospital transport links 1 Question No: 3080 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Further to your answer to Question No: 2028 / 2013, will you consider the 382 single decker, making a very short detour as it already has a very nearby route and could easily incorporate Finchley Memorial Hospital in its route? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Finchley Memorial Hospital transport links 2 Question No: 3081 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Further to your answer to Question No: 2028 / 2013, will you consider the proposal of Barnet Community Transport to provide a service on behalf of TfL , to serve Finchley Memorial Hospital? Written response from the Mayor This was discussed in a recent high-level meeting between the London Borough of Barnet, TfL and the GLA. I have therefore asked TfL to investigate this proposal. Page 183 * Aviation fuel trains Question No: 3082 / 2013 Andrew Dismore In light of the Canadian fuel train explosion will the Mayor as Chair of TfL, review the running of aviation fuel trains across London , which trains run at about 4am, several times a week, sometimes every night; occasionally there are two trains a night and empty trains run back during the day? Heathrow was supplied by pipeline until the Buncefield fire of 2005. As an emergency, Heathrow had to be supplied by rail (perfectly reasonably) but when the pipelines were back in use, Total Oil refused to switch back because it was cheaper and more profitable to carry on sending fuel trains across London . This is potentially hazardous to Londoners living near the rail lines. Written response from the Mayor The operation of any such trains is outside my jurisdiction. I have confidence in Network Rail, train operators and the relevant safety authorities to ensure that any such transportation is carried out safely. * Stirling Corner Question No: 3083 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Further to your answer to Questions No: 4161/2012 “I cycle the whole of London. When I next do Stirling Corner I will give you a report” and your answers to questions 261/2013, 522/2013, 1041/2013, 1464/2013 and Question No: 2039/2013 and Question No: 2497 / 2013 referring back to your non- answers to my invitation to you to attempt to go round Stirling Corner on your bike, and your repeated answer “I have nothing to add to MQ 4161/2012.”, have you ever cycled round Stirling Corner? Have you cycled round Stirling Corner yet since you promised to do so; if not why not; and if not when do you expect to cycle round Stirling Corner? Or is it that you have no intention of doing so in the foreseeable future and just want to pretend you are a keen cyclist with cyclists’ concerns at heart and have no intention of honouring your commitment to do so, so that your original answer can be seen as nothing more than a fobbing off exercise? Or are you frightened of doing so, as it is too dangerous? Why do you have nothing to add? Aren’t you embarrassed by your non-response when reminded of your promise? Written response from the Mayor As I have made clear, I cycle the whole of London and when I next pass through Stirling Corner I will be sure to give you a report. * Stirling Corner bus stop Question No: 3084 / 2013 Andrew Dismore A constituent has complained to me that a bus stop, Stop G on Barnet Road, by Stirling Corner roundabout, which was destroyed by a car crash in late July will now take three months to replace. It is essential that this bus stop is reinstalled at the earliest opportunity as the stop only serves residents living on the Arkley Mobile Home Park, which is almost entirely populated by elderly residents, many of which have no alternative transportation. Will you ensure this bus stop is repaired promptly, and explain why the constituent was told Page 184 repairs would take 3 months? Written response from the Mayor TfL recognises how important bus stops and shelters are to the communities they serve, and is pleased to confirm its supplier has fabricated a replacement to the damaged shelter and all the necessary approvals are in place for installation in early September (September 11). The bus stop was not damaged in the incident. Working with its contractors, TfL’s Bus Infrastructure team always endeavours to minimise the time between an incident and replacement equipment being installed, allowing for the fact that a replacement unit has to be manufactured, and traffic and street works approvals obtained before the installation can take place. * Boris Island Question No: 3085 / 2013 Andrew Dismore How much is airports adviser Daniel Moylan being paid to advise you on, what I consider, your Boris Island vanity project? Written response from the Mayor Please see my response to MQ 4352 /2012. * Beds in sheds Question No: 3086 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Further to your answer to Question No: 2498 / 2013 that you “ will ask my Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property to raise this issue at the next meeting of the Beds in Sheds Ministerial Taskforce, of which he is a member” has this meeting taken place; if so, with what result; and if not, for when is it scheduled? Written response from the Mayor Government has yet to set a date for this meeting but currently advise that it is likely to be in November or December. * Spitalfields Market Question No: 3087 / 2013 Andrew Dismore What are you doing to save old Spitalfields Market, a protected and historic area of London. in light of the campaign to save it from the depredations of developers? Written response from the Mayor My views on Smithfield Market are contained in the GLA stage 1 and 2 planning reports (referenced 3101a/01 and 3101a/02). I share the English Heritage opinion that the recent application proposals to develop the site would strike the most appropriate balance between restoration of the original fabric of the buildings and their viable return to an economically beneficial use to meet the growth and regeneration that will emerge from the introduction of a Crossrail/Thameslink interchange at Farringdon Station. As you know, the planning application
Page 185 has since been ‘called- in’ for determination by the Secretary of State, to whom my representation will comprise the GLA stages 1 and 2 reports. * Avanti House School Question No: 3088 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Now that Avanti House School have decided to relocate to a temporary site other than in the Fairway, Mill Hill, do you not feel foolish branding residents as nimbys and will you apologise? Written response from the Mayor I am pleased that Avanti House have secured temporary premises on the former Peterborough and St Margaret’s School site, and that the site will serve as permanent premises for the primary part of this all-through school. I understand the Education Funding Agency is considering several options for the secondary site, and I am sure a site can be found which suits residents. * 111 service Question No: 3089 / 2013 Andrew Dismore As NHS direct have pulled out of the 111 service, what are you doing to ensure that the people of London have an efficient NHS help line? Written response from the Mayor My health team continue to seek assurances from NHS England (London) concerning NHS 111. I have been assured that callers to 111 will continue to receive a safe, high quality service. NHS Direct is responsible for around 30 per cent of calls across the capital so the majority of London will not be affected by the changes. Furthermore, London’s Clinical Commissioning Groups have been working with NHS Direct for some time to enable a seamless transition to new providers to ensure the continued safe provision of 111 services to Londoners NHS Direct’s current contracts will come to an end in a planned and managed way throughout 2013/14. * Emirates cable car contract 1 Question No: 3090 / 2013 Andrew Dismore On 26 June, Amnesty and Human Rights Watch issued their most serious statement on the UAE, detailing allegations of “systematic” torture, based on hand-written letters smuggled out of their jails. They report that “The mistreatment described in the letters is consistent with other allegations of torture at UAE state security facilities and indicates that torture is a systematic practice at these facilities”. in view of these findings, do you still consider it appropriate to accept sponsorship from Emirates for the cable car? Written response from the Mayor The sponsorship agreement is with the airline Emirates, an internationally respected brand. * Emirates cable car contract 2
Page 186 Question No: 3091 / 2013 Andrew Dismore I see from the evidence of Howard Carter to the Oversight Committee on 18/7/13, that the “Emirates want to have a discussion about whether something else replaces it”, “it” being the Israel boycott clause . What has been done to satisfy this request, and when will you publish the reworded contract? Written response from the Mayor Following concern about the way text in the contract was worded, TfL has agreed alternative wording with Emirates. The text as it stood would not have constrained how TfL does business, however, to avoid any confusion it has now been rewritten. The contract amendment is now available on the TfL website at: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/foi/26621.aspx . * Emirates cable car contract 3 Question No: 3092 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Will you now review all contracts that the GLA and TfL are engaged in to ensure that the GLA is in full compliance with the Race Relations Act, Equality Act, and EU Trading agreements; and what is being done to review all other GLA and TfL contracts, to see if a similar Israel boycott wording has “slipped through”? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Emirates cable car contract 4 Question No: 3093 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Please explain how the original Israel boycott clauses came to be included in the contract. What legal advice was obtained on the contract and its implications before it was signed? Was advice obtained from external lawyers or internal legal officers only? Will you publish the legal advice obtained on the contract? If not why not? Written response from the Mayor The clause in the Emirates contract with TfL was put in place to protect the commercial interests of the Emirates brand in the event that the Emirates Air Line is sold to a third party. The provision in question provided such protection without constraining TfL from entering any contracts with any other body or organisation of its choosing. Following concern about the way text in the contract was worded, TfL has agreed alternative wording with Emirates. The text as it stood would not have constrained how TfL does business, however, to avoid any confusion it has now been rewritten. The contract amendment is now available on the TfL website at: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/foi/26621.aspx . Emirates cable car contract 5
Page 187 Question No: 3094 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Why did you not read the contract of, what I consider, one of your flagship vanity projects prior to signing? Were you aware of the boycott clause when you approved the contract? if not, why not? Written response from the Mayor I was unaware of the clause as the details of the contract were drawn up with Emirates by TfL officials. However, once I was made aware, I asked Sir Peter Hendy to speak to Emirates and following those discussions Emirates and TfL agreed to rewrite the clause. Following concern about the way text in the contract was worded, TfL has agreed alternative wording with Emirates. The text as it stood would not have constrained how TfL does business, however, to avoid any confusion it has now been rewritten. The contract amendment is now available on the TfL website at: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/foi/26621.aspx . Emirates cable car contract 6 Question No: 3095 / 2013 Andrew Dismore What action have you taken to hold to account those responsible for, what I consider, the fiasco of the Israel boycott clause? What steps have you taken to ensure there is no repetition of these serious errors? Written response from the Mayor The clause in the Emirates contract with TfL was put in place to protect the commercial interests of the Emirates brand in the unlikely event that the Emirates Air Line is sold to a third party. The clause was not intended to discriminate against any particular person, religion or country. Given the misinterpretation, the contract has now been amended to make the intention behind each clause clear. Furthermore, TfL’s other sponsorship arrangements have been reviewed and it has been confirmed that they do not contain similar rights of termination for the sponsor, save in relation to TfL’s dealings with competitors. Following concern about the way text in the contract was worded, TfL has agreed alternative wording with Emirates. The text as it stood would not have constrained how TfL does business, however, to avoid any confusion it has now been rewritten. The contract amendment is now available on the TfL website at: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/foi/26621.aspx . * Emirates cable car contract 7 Question No: 3096 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Do you agree that this discriminatory deal is going to undermine your trade mission to Israel next year? Written response from the Mayor
Page 188 I am not travelling to Israel in 2014. The wording has been rewritten to avoid any confusion, and I am pleased that Emirates and TfL moved quickly to clarify the situation. * Emirates cable car contract 8 Question No: 3097 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Why the contract was kept secret for two years? Written response from the Mayor The contract was not kept secret. TfL released the contract as soon as it received a request for it to do so. Following concern about the way text in the contract was worded, TfL has agreed alternative wording with Emirates. The text as it stood would not have constrained how TfL does business; however, to avoid any confusion it has now been rewritten. The contract amendment is now available on the TfL website at: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/foi/26621.aspx . As an initiative to further improve transparency, TfL is working towards publishing all future major contracts, wherever feasible, on its website as a matter of course. * Emirates cable car contract 9 Question No: 3098 / 2013 Andrew Dismore When you led your 5 day trade mission to the UAE from 14th April this year, were you aware that you could be leading UK companies inadvertently to make deals including the Israel boycott clause in the same way as your contract with Emirates did? Did you make these companies aware of the consequences of doing so including potential breaches of US law, should they conduct business in the USA? If not, why not? Written response from the Mayor I was unaware of the clause in question when I visited the UAE, which has since been reworded to avoid any confusion. I am pleased that Emirates and TfL moved quickly to clarify the situation. * Emirates cable car contract 10 Question No: 3099 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Why were you chasing business in a country like UAE that requires a boycott of Israel as a standard term of doing business with companies based there and has an appalling human rights record? Written response from the Mayor Engaging with high growth economies – including the UAE - is part of my ambition to attract more investment to the capital, creating jobs for Londoners and generating sustained economic growth for London.
Page 189 The key to promoting human rights and democratic processes in all parts of the world is not to shut ourselves off. I believe that we can better challenge prejudice through engagement. Isolation will not achieve change. * Emirates cable car contract 11 Question No: 3100 / 2013 Andrew Dismore What was the role of Lynton Crosby in accompanying you on your trade mission to UAE? What was his involvement in setting up the visit? What role did he play on the visit? What meetings did he attend with you on the visit? What meetings did he hold in UAE at which you were not present? Written response from the Mayor Lynton Crosby had no role with the planning of the visit. Along with other London businesses which formed the business delegation, he joined meetings with Masdar, the Minister of Culture, Mubadala, a reception hosted by the British Business Group in Abu Dhabi, DP World, Emirates group and the Investment Corporation of Dubai Emirates cable car contract 12 Question No: 3101 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Why did you accept Mr Crosby’s money to pay for your flight back to the UK to attend Lady Thatcher’s funeral? And why did you accept a free flight form Emirates to return to the UAE? In hindsight, do you consider this expensive financial support to have been wise? Written response from the Mayor I was invited to Baroness Thatcher’s funeral as Mayor of London and wanted to be in London to oversee the security and transport arrangements surrounding the funeral. The flights were arranged in this way to avoid any cost to the public purse. * Emirates cable car contract 13 Question No: 3102 / 2013 Andrew Dismore What lessons have you personally learned, as a result of, what I consider, the Emirates cable car contract fiasco? Written response from the Mayor Please see my response to MQ 3095 /2013. * West Hendon Question No: 3103 / 2013 Andrew Dismore Did you read my letter to you on the West Hendon regeneration planning proposal before
Page 190 granting permission to Barnet Council to approve its own application? Written response from the Mayor I did read your letter regarding West Hendon. My final decision on this application was delegated to the Deputy Mayor for Planning as I was unavailable when this application needed to be considered. The Deputy Mayor was made aware of your concerns. * Green Belt (1) Question No: 3104 / 2013 Nicky Gavron How many planning applications on Green Belt have come before you for a stage II so far in this Mayoral term? Can you please provide PDU reference numbers and indicate whether you: directed the Local Planning Authority to refuse the application; directed that you are to act as the Local Planning Authority; or take no further action. Written response from the Mayor This information is currently being collated and verified and will be provided as soon as possible. * Green Belt (2) Question No: 3105 / 2013 Nicky Gavron For each planning application on Green Belt that you let the local planning authority’s decision stand at stage II so far in this Mayoral term, what were the “very special circumstances”? Written response from the Mayor When the list of cases is provided to you (as requested in 3104/2013) you will be able to refer to each case report on the GLA website, which will set out the very special circumstances. * Metropolitan Open Land (1) Question No: 3106 / 2013 Nicky Gavron How many planning applications on Metropolitan Open Land have come before you for a stage II so far in this Mayoral term? Can you please provide PDU reference numbers and indicate whether you: directed the Local Planning Authority to refuse the application; directed that you are to act as the Local Planning Authority; or take no further action. Written response from the Mayor This information is currently being collated and verified and will be provided as soon as possible. * Metropolitan Open Land (2) Question No: 3107 / 2013 Nicky Gavron For each planning application on Metropolitan Open Land that you let the local planning authority’s decision stand at stage II so far in this Mayoral term, what were the “very special circumstances”? Written response from the Mayor
Page 191 When the list of cases is provided to you (as requested in MQ 3104 / 2013) you will be able to refer to each case report on the GLA website, which will set out the very special circumstances. * Change of use (1) Question No: 3108 / 2013 Nicky Gavron Do you support the Government’s plans to create permitted development rights allowing owners to convert shops into housing without planning permission? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. Written response from the Mayor received 19 September 2013 Please see my response to MQ 3059/2013. * Change of use (2) Question No: 3109 / 2013 Nicky Gavron Do the Government’s plans to create permitted development rights allowing owners to convert shops into housing without planning permission mean that you will need to update London Plan policy on town centres? Written response from the Mayor Not necessarily; it depends on how Government responds to consultation on its recent proposals. However, I will be updating London Plan policy on town centres more generally as part of the Further Alterations to the London Plan. * Change of use (3) Question No: 3110 / 2013 Nicky Gavron Do you plan on making representations to Government as part of the consultation on new permitted development rights allowing conversion from shops to homes? Written response from the Mayor Yes. * Incineration (1) Question No: 3111 / 2013 Nicky Gavron What role do you envisage incineration playing in the future of London’s waste? Written response from the Mayor I expect incineration to play a decreasing role in the management of London’s waste as recycling performance increases and emerging more efficient thermal technologies including anaerobic digestion and gasification come to market.
Page 192 * Incineration (2) Question No: 3112 / 2013 Nicky Gavron In light of your deputy’s decision to allow the proposed Beddington incinerator, do you agree that London Plan and waste management strategy policies need to be updated to strengthen protections against future incineration facilities? Written response from the Mayor No. * Earls Court Question No: 3113 / 2013 Nicky Gavron What is Transport for London’s role in the redevelopment of the Earls Court Opportunity Area? Written response from the Mayor TfL has a role as a statutory transport and public transport authority as is usual with any large development in London. In this role, it has engaged with the councils and the developer to assess the impact of the development and to agree mitigation measures. TfL will be a party to the S.106 agreement which will provide for any transport measures needed to mitigate impacts arising from the development. In this role TfL was also involved in developing the Earls Court and West Kensington Masterplan, which was adopted jointly by the councils in 2012. London Underground Limited also has a role as land owner as it owns the freehold to Earls Court 1 and 2 and Lillie Bridge Depot. * Beddington incinerator (1) Question No: 3114 / 2013 Nicky Gavron Sutton Council has committed £4.5 million to pay for pipes to the Felnex development as part of the heat network envisaged at the Beddington incinerator. What exactly will this pay for? What contribution will Viridor make? Who is paying for the pipework from the edge of the application boundary to Felnex? Written response from the Mayor Whilst not a party to these discussions or negotiations, I understand that Sutton Council has secured funding to enable it to set up Opportunity Sutton Ltd Energy Service Company (an ESCo) that would fund the installation of pipework from an agreed location on the existing landfill site to the Felnex development in Hackbridge, thereby enabling heat from the landfill to be provided to the new homes. Sutton Council may be able to provide further details on this project and the sums it has committed. Viridor would be responsible for installing the pipes within the landfill gas engines, and when the ERF facility is commissioned, the ESCO would then put in the pipes that link the ERF to the landfill pipes and enable heat from the ERF to be distributed. *
Page 193 Beddington incinerator (2) Question No: 3115 / 2013 Nicky Gavron The planning report (D&P/2600/01) states that the Beddington incinerator must be “CHP ready” as soon as construction is done. Does that mean that the piping must already be installed? Will the facility be able to commence operations if a heat network is not yet operable? Written response from the Mayor There is a specific planning condition included in the decision notice requiring the applicant to demonstrate that once constructed, the ERF is “CHP ready”. A CHP Feasibility Review is also required and a CHP Working Group would be set up, with the applicant paying £100,000 towards this. An ESCo (likely to be Sutton Council) would be responsible for installing the pipe network – initially from the landfill gas engines to heat users (and then from the ERF), once customers are identified. * Beddington incinerator (3) Question No: 3116 / 2013 Nicky Gavron Do the planning conditions attached to the Beddington incinerator provide a timeframe for CHP? * Written response from the Mayor The planning conditions do not provide a timeframe for CHP delivery as there was no end user guaranteed at the time of decision. The CHP Working Group, on which the GLA would be represented, would provide a forum to address the technical, economic and commercial aspects of CHP delivery. Beddington incinerator (4) Question No: 3117 / 2013 Nicky Gavron Sutton aims to be recycling at a rate of 70 % by 2025. Assuming similar rates are achieved by the other three boroughs of the South London Waste Partnership, this means that around 127,439 tonnes of residual waste will be produced every year. Considering the current and future levels of residual waste produced in the area, why have you allowed a 300,000 tonnes per annum incinerator? Written response from the Mayor The facility has been designed to factor in increases in recycling rates, which are already quite high. The scheme also includes provision to source additional commercial and industrial waste from its catchment, noting the need to also divert increasing amounts of such waste from landfill in the future. Having capacity to import some waste from outside London to off-set some of London’s waste exporting assists in contributing to the London Plan target of “net self-sufficiency”. Some additional capacity also assists with future projections and population growth as well. Page 194 * Beddington incinerator (5) Question No: 3118 / 2013 Nicky Gavron Surrey is building a 60,000 tonnes per annum plant in Shepperton as part of an eco-park development, which also includes an anaerobic digestion plant. What talks have you or the GLA, the developer, or the South London Waste Partnership engaged in with the developers of that site? Written response from the Mayor I have not had any talks with the developers of the plant in Shepperton and there is no requirement for Surrey County Council to consult me on such an application. I do not know whether Viridor or the South London Waste Partnership have had any conversations and you would need to enquire with them directly. * Beddington incinerator (6) Question No: 3119 / 2013 Nicky Gavron The Surrey eco-park includes an anaerobic digestion plant, and there are others with planning permission in England and Scotland. Did you require Viridor to consider such alternatives? Written response from the Mayor The applicant came forward with this proposal following the selection process by the South London Waste Partnership and I did not require Viridor to consider alternative technologies. In terms of waste management, my policies confirm that I am technology neutral in relation to what process is used. I do note that anaerobic digestion plants treat food waste, whilst this facility is intended to treat other non-recyclable household waste that would otherwise be destined for landfill. There are other anaerobic digestion facilities, either existing or proposed, including SITA in Mitcham that I approved recently, that are intended to deal with South London’s food waste. * Health considerations in housing policy Question No: 3120 / 2013 Nicky Gavron To what extent have considerations over health factored into your housing policies? In particular, what specific health studies were used when devising your London Plan housing policies and those contained within your draft housing strategy? Written response from the Mayor The new draft Housing Strategy that is to be published shortly has been informed by a range of evidence and studies around health as well as input from a public health specialist in our Health Team. * Transfers out of the MPS to other forces Question No: 3121 / 2013 Joanne McCartney Please provide a breakdown by year since 2008/9 the number of transfers out of the MPS to other police forces in the UK. Please list the rank of the officers and which force they have Page 195 transferred to. Written response from the Mayor The information provided in the attached table has 211 officers over 4 years whose transferring destination is known. Additionally, each year there is a ‘not recorded’ row with about 261 officers over 4 years whose destination is not known. * Police Contact Points (1) Question No: 3122 / 2013 Joanne McCartney In January 2013 I asked you what equipment would be available at your new police contact points (eg police computer, IT links etc) and what the cost of providing and installing any such equipment would be. You did not answer. Now that contact points are being rolled out across the London Boroughs can you tell Londoners what equipment will be available and what the cost of providing and installing the equipment is? * Written response from the Mayor Contact Points are locations for non-urgent face-to-face contact, where the public meet their local police at regular, known times. The nature of the services offered at these is such that no specialist equipment is required and no expenditure has been made in providing IT equipment at these contact points over and above existing IT infrastructure that may already be in place. Police Contact Points (2) Question No: 3123 / 2013 Joanne McCartney In your new contact points that are being rolled out across London Will your new police contact points have a private space where victims can report details of crime in a private and confidential manner? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Police Contact Points (3) Question No: 3124 / 2013 Joanne McCartney How many of your police contact points will be staffed either wholly or in part by volunteers? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Contact points Question No: 3125 / 2013 Joanne McCartney In the interests of transparency please list all of the contact points that have been agreed across London, broken down by Borough in one searchable document. Page 196 Written response from the Mayor Details of all contact points are published on a borough by borough basis at: http://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/policing-crime/mission-priorities/police-and-crime-plan enabling Londoners to easily access details of their local contact points. * MPS Special Constables Question No: 3126 / 2013 Joanne McCartney Can you provide a breakdown of the amount of hours per month worked by special constables across the Metropolitan Police Service since November 2012? Written response from the Mayor A breakdown of the amount of hours per month worked by Special Constables since November 2012 is shown below. Month Hours Nov-12 91,572 Dec-12 74,828 Jan-13 88,465 Feb-13 79,474 Mar-13 90,078 Apr-13 87,370 May-13 84,167 Jun-13 80,121 Jul-13 81,891 * Police Front Counters in Post Offices Question No: 3127 / 2013 Joanne McCartney You have previously stated (Question No: 344 / 2013) that the model of police front counters in post offices would be piloted in July 2013. Is this pilot underway? If not, when do you expect this pilot to take place? Written response from the Mayor MOPAC continues to actively engage with the Post Office on piloting front counter and other transactional services and a pilot is expected to commence once all parties agree a start date. * Third Party Payments for Police Officers Question No: 3128 / 2013 Joanne McCartney How many police officers are currently paid for by third parties? Please provide a breakdown of these third parties and the number of police officers they support. Please also provide details of when these contracts are expiring and any details of whether any third party is seeking to reduce its future funding. Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Page 197 * Third Party Payments for PCSOs Question No: 3129 / 2013 Joanne McCartney How many PCSOs are currently paid for by third parties? Please provide a breakdown of these third parties and the number of police officers they support. Please also provide details of when these contracts are expiring and any details of whether any third party is seeking to reduce its future funding. Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * MOPAC Properties Question No: 3130 / 2013 Joanne McCartney I recently asked you about the 10 properties in the MOPAC Estate that are set aside for the use of ACPO officers. These properties were valued at 2.34million in 2011/12. Have these properties specifically been prioritised for savings in your Estates Strategy? Please provide the details. Written response from the Mayor There are 8 properties in the MOPAC Estate that are set aside for the use of ACPO Officers. The 8 properties are in two of the blocks of flats held by MOPAC as part of their residential estate. As part of the 2013/16 MOPAC/MPS Estates Strategy the residential estate will be reduced from the 831 properties currently owned to a maximum of 200 individual properties. These will be retained for operational and welfare needs and will include the 8 properties currently set aside for the use of ACPO Officers. * Recruitment Question No: 3131 / 2013 Joanne McCartney At the recent London Assembly Plenary you stated “We need, I think, [to recruit] the thick end of 5,000 officers and we want them to be Londoners. There is a huge opportunity for Londoners to get jobs in our police service. There are many people who want to serve in the police. They should prick up their ears, get online and look at the opportunities.” How many applicants have so far passed the Certificate of Knowledge of Policing? Written response from the Mayor I can confirm that during the recent recruitment campaign, 146 candidates have indicated that they hold the CKP or the Police Law Certificate and 881 candidates have indicated that they are currently undertaking the CKP. * Pan-London investigative units Question No: 3132 / 2013 Joanne McCartney
Page 198 In answer to Mayor’s questions 360-362/2013 you said “All pan-London investigative units and their areas of responsibility are being reviewed under the “Met Change” programme. Once plans have been outlined, I will be in a position to share these.” In answer to question 585 / 2013 you said that “Detailed proposals of the “Met Change” programme will be ready by July 2013.” Will you now share the details of Met Change specifically detailing the Changes made to the Pan-London investigative units? Written response from the Mayor Work under the Pan London strand of the MPS change program continues and all strands of the work, including investigative units are being developed. Until plans are finalised it would not be appropriate to publish them. * Cost of becoming a police officer (2) Question No: 3133 / 2013 Joanne McCartney To follow on from question 2544 / 2013 on average how much does it cost the MPS to train a new recruit to become a fully qualified police officer including wages, uniform, accommodation, equipment etc? Written response from the Mayor On average to become a fully qualified police officer it costs £15,422 to train a PCSO, £12,000 for a Special Constable and £16,188 for an external recruit. * MOPAC Diversity Taskforce Question No: 3134 / 2013 Joanne McCartney Please provide the details of the parameters of the taskforce that you have asked Ray Lewis to form “to develop sustainable and creative initiatives aimed at increasing the diversity of MPS police officers.” Please specifically refer to • What you envisage the membership of the taskforce to be? • When you envisage that the taskforce will be operational? • What issues you envisage the the taskforce will look at? • How often is it envisaged that the taskforce will meet? And include any other details you deem relevant to Londoners at this stage. Written response from the Mayor
Page 199 The remit of the Taskforce is to: • Advise and inform the positive action initiatives being developed by the MPS; • Work with the MPS to understand why some communities are under-represented and identify the barriers to entry; • Establish a programme of work to ensure the MPS can reach those communities and seek to address the issues identified; • Actively engage as ambassadors for MOPAC within London’s diverse communities; and • Propose further options for increasing interest in the MPS as a viable career option amongst every community of Londoners. The membership of the Taskforce consists of the: • Ray Lewis, Mayor’s senior advisor on mentoring; • Sonia Brown, Chair of the National Black Women’s Network; • Richard Tyre, Founder and CEO of Good People; • Iqbal Wahhab, Founder of Roast and Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce; • Shaun Bailey, Government’s Communities and Youth Engagement Champion; The taskforce is engaging widely and bringing in external advice and support as necessary. The taskforce is supported by: • Deputy Director of MPS HR; and • MOPAC Head Strategy and Corporate Planning. The Taskforce became operational on 25th July 2013 and has so far met three times. The frequency of the meetings is determined by the work programme. * Unanswered Questions from July Question No: 3135 / 2013 Joanne McCartney Please answer the following questions- which I put to you in July: Contact Points (2) What is the cost to the MPS so far of the contact points that have been agreed across London? * Contact Points (3) You have stated that “the individual cost of contact points is dependent on a number of factors and will vary from location to location”. Please list the individual costs of the Contact Points agreed so far. * Cost of becoming a police officer (1) What is the estimated cost to a candidate to become a fully qualified Police Constable? Please provide a breakdown of how you arrive at this estimate. Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Page 200 * Cycling provision in Tottenham (1) Question No: 3136 / 2013 Joanne McCartney I am sure that you will agree that we need to do all we can to encourage cycling in the capital by making this form of transportation easier and safer for Londoners. To make sure that Tottenham gets the most out of the current regeneration plans; what are you doing to ensure that that there will be sufficient and well thought out cycling provision for those travelling by bike in Tottenham? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Cycling provision in Tottenham (2) Question No: 3137 / 2013 Joanne McCartney A constituent has contacted me with some suggestions for a cycle hub near White Hart Lane Station as it has an abundance of vacant railway arches and adjacent land controlled by Network Rail. The constituent believes that a cycling hub in this location offers excellent connections to the Victoria Line and to Liverpool Street. This cycling provision would be available for commuters, Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium users and residents, and people could continue their journey on public transport. Would you be able to look into this suggestion please? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Benefit changes in London (1) Question No: 3138 / 2013 Joanne McCartney Further to Questions 1587/2013 and 1120/2013, would you be able to tell me the breakdown of monies allocated to each London Borough from the £25 million concessionary measures you won to ease the transitional period of welfare reform in 2012/13? Written response from the Mayor Allocation of this or any Discretional Housing Payment funding is made by the Government directly to London boroughs rather than by me, therefore the detail of individual allocations is held by the Government. * Benefit changes in London (2) Question No: 3139 / 2013 Joanne McCartney Can you tell me how many Londoners you have assisted with your £25 million concessionary measures, by breakdown of London Borough and how this money was used to help struggling Londoners? Written response from the Mayor
Page 201 This funding was allocated directly from Government to boroughs, not by me. Individual boroughs will hold detail on its use. * Benefit changes in London (3) Question No: 3140 / 2013 Joanne McCartney Further to Question 1120/2013, how many Londoners have been exempt from the benefit cap since losing their job in London, and in Enfield and Haringey? Written response from the Mayor This information is not held by the GLA. * Benefit cap and relocation Question No: 3141 / 2013 Joanne McCartney In the first two months after the benefit cap was introduced in Enfield, 15 families with 46 children were moved out of London and the Enfield Council estimate that 2,700 families, including 4,000 children are currently financially worse off as a result of the Government’s changes to housing benefit. Do you think this is acceptable? What are you doing to ensure that more people are not forced to relocate out of London as a result of the benefit cap? Written response from the Mayor I have secured significant increases in funding for Discretionary Housing Payments to enable local authorities to support vulnerable households affected by the cap, including those whose children are at a critical stage of their education. The pot provided £25 million for London boroughs in 2012/13, and an expected £115 million over the next two years. I have also secured incentives for landlords to reduce their rents, exemption from the shared accommodation rules for formerly homeless people and a grace period from the total benefit cap for people who lose their jobs. * Benefit changes in Enfield and Haringey Question No: 3142 / 2013 Joanne McCartney Further to Question 0991/2013, can you provide me with an update on your monitoring of the benefit changes in Enfield and Haringey, your regular discussions with the Department for Work and Pensions, and tell me what information you are monitoring? Written response from the Mayor My officers monitor a range of information including trends in statutory homelessness and housing benefit caseloads – information that is publicly available. Officers also attend regular meetings with the boroughs and with DWP at which welfare reform is discussed. * Citizens Advice Bureau Haringey Question No: 3143 / 2013 Joanne McCartney The Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) in Haringey have seen a 50 per cent increase in people seeking help and advice, with the two CAB offices helping 2,304 people seeking advice on benefits and debt problems in the three months to June – 726 more than the same period last Page 202 year. Haringey CAB believes this is a direct result of the implementation of the benefit cap. Do you agree that the benefit cap is adversely affecting Londoners? Written response from the Mayor I welcome the fact that the overall benefit cap exempts those who work enough hours to qualify for Working Tax Credit, those who are above the qualifying age for Pension Credit and those who get certain benefits for sickness or disability or a war pension. Discretionary Housing Payments also allows local authorities to support vulnerable households who may be impacted by the cap. * Youth stereotyping Question No: 3144 / 2013 Joanne McCartney Positive Youth News in Haringey have been working hard to change the negative stereotypes often attributed to young people by the media and society, this particularly affected Haringey after the riots in 2011. Haringey’s Borough Commander let young people take over his diary last month and is working to change these perceptions. What are you doing as Mayor to challenge the stereotyping of young people? Written response from the Mayor My Peer Outreach Team is currently engaged in and leading on nearly thirty, pan-London projects, all of which aim to effect change and challenge the negative stereotypes that some people have about young people. On a regular basis, the Team engages with and works alongside varied projects and programmes that provide services to young people. These include the Youth offending Team, Youth Entrepreneurship, media and promotional activities in the Borough of Haringey. Several Peer Outreach Team members are Haringey residents who currently volunteer on other projects within their Borough and across London. * 639 High Road, Tottenham Enterprise Hub Question No: 3145 / 2013 Joanne McCartney Since 639 opened earlier this year, how many people has the Enterprise Centre provided assistance to? Please give details of the nature of the assistance offered. Written response from the Mayor The 639 Tottenham High Road Enterprise Centre was officially launched by me on 8 May 2013. The figures below are as of August 2013. The 639 Enterprise centre is over 70 per cent occupied. There are currently 21 new businesses operating out of 639 (all different sizes) along with 7 business partners. 164 people have received some form of business start-up support at 639 (70 have received this support from partners). The type of support is tailored to the person or business receiving the support. In general it consists of; advice on preparing business plans; how to secure finance, how to run a small business, guidance on tax, vat etc… IT support, preparing your CV, filling out job application forms. These people are offered a small Shared Desk space at a significantly reduced rental level to help plan their business start-up.
Page 203 The London Youth Support Trust (the operator) along the 7 business partners run a series of training and networking events from the 639 building. These events take place on a regular basis and are open to anyone to attend both for 639 businesses and the wider area. * Mayor’s Mentoring Scheme Haringey Question No: 3146 / 2013 Joanne McCartney Following on from Question 2563/2013, can you provide me with the validated figures for the first quarter of this financial year of the number of young boys referred to the Mayor’s Mentoring Scheme in Haringey? Written response from the Mayor In Quarter 1 of FY 13-14 (April – June) 61 boys were referred to my Mentoring Programme in Haringey, bringing the cumulative total of boys referred to the programme in that Borough to 112. * Mayor’s Mentoring Scheme Question No: 3147 / 2013 Joanne McCartney Following on from Questions 2563/2013 and 2561/2013, can you provide me with the validated figures for the first quarter of this financial year of the number of 1. Young boys referred to the Mayor’s Mentoring Scheme? 2. Mentors trained and ready for pairing? 3. The number of successful matches? Written response from the Mayor In Quarter 1 of FY 13-14 (April – June) there were: • 283 Young boys were referred to the Mayor’s Mentoring Programme; • 328 mentors were trained, vetted and are ready to be matched; and • 160 new matches were created. * Mayor’s Mentoring Scheme (2) Question No: 3148 / 2013 Joanne McCartney How else are you measuring and monitoring the success of the scheme other than by meeting your target of 1000 matched relationships? Written response from the Mayor Through the MMP evaluation a qualitative analysis will be undertaken which will involve gathering data from mentors, mentees, parents/guardians and schools about the impact the mentoring relationship has had on both soft (confidence, social skills, emotional resilience and hard (reduction in anti-social behaviour, improved behaviour in school) outcomes for the mentee. In addition, the benefits to the volunteer mentors will also be captured and analysed. * Page 204 Mayor’s Mentoring Scheme (3) Question No: 3149 / 2013 Joanne McCartney The update on the scheme notes that Ray Lewis, Mayoral Advisor on Mentoring, is leading a mentor recruitment drive through a series of events with local delivery partners. Can you provide me with a complete list of the events that have taken place, the outcome of the events, and how many of these Ray Lewis attended? Written response from the Mayor Ray Lewis has hosted several events both at City Hall and at local delivery partners’ venues, details of which are below. • MMP Event at City Hall, Thursday 14 March 2013 (Attendance 40) • Brent Event Saturday, 13 April 2013 (Attendance 200) • MMP Event at City Hall Friday, 10 May 2013 (Attendance 100) • Soul Project Walthamstow Wednesday, 15 May 2013 (Attendance 30) • Mentoring Recruitment Event Southwark , Saturday 13 July (Attendance 45) * Mayor’s Mentoring Scheme (4) Question No: 3150 / 2013 Joanne McCartney The figures in the update on the scheme show that the number of referrals, mentors and matches are behind target. What measures will you take to ensure your targets are met if the figures in future quarters show that the scheme is still behind target? Written response from the Mayor While the Q1 targets were not met for mentees and matches, the target for volunteer mentors was exceeded. The GLA project staff and the managing agent for the programme work closely with each local delivery partner to meet their specific delivery needs with bespoke support. LDPs are also offered tailored support to encourage recruitment, whether it is marketing advice on how to attract volunteers and better promote the programme or facilitating introductions to schools or community organisations to support the recruitment of mentors and mentees. * Mayor’s Mentoring Scheme (5) Question No: 3151 / 2013 Joanne McCartney Can you provide me with the figures on referrals, mentors and matches for the second quarter of the mentoring scheme? Written response from the Mayor Quarter two figures (July to September) are not yet available. Confirmed numbers will be available in November. * Shale Gas Page 205 Question No: 3152 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Is the Mayor in possession of any data on how much shale gas lies under Greater London that could be available by fracking and what its financial value might be? Written response from the Mayor My officers are in contact with the Office of Unconventional Gas and Oil at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). We are awaiting the British Geological Survey’s detailed assessment of the potential shale gas reserves in South-east England. * Automatic Rollover Contracts Question No: 3153 / 2013 Murad Qureshi As Chair of the LEP, has the Mayor lobbied the big six energy companies to cease the practice of automatic rollover contracts which often result in struggling SMEs tied into long and expensive contracts? Written response from the Mayor No. * Green Bus Fund (1) Question No: 3154 / 2013 Murad Qureshi As Chair of TfL, can the Mayor confirm how much money he has received through the Department for Transport’s “Green Bus Fund”? Written response from the Mayor TfL has bid under all four previous Green Bus Fund rounds and has been allocated a total of £23 million. * Green Bus Fund (2) Question No: 3155 / 2013 Murad Qureshi As Chair of TfL, can the Mayor provide a breakdown of how monies received through the Green Bus Fund have been spent? Written response from the Mayor Green Bus Fund 1, 2 & 3 have been used to part fund the additional on-cost of 244 Hybrid Buses. Green Bus Fund 4 will be used to part fund an additional 90 Hybrid buses and 4 full electric buses. * Cuts Question No: 3156 / 2013 Murad Qureshi
Page 206 With reference to your answer to question 2568/2013 please provide a breakdown of what sources the GLA environment team receives monies from external to the GLA Budget for the past six financial years. Please include levered and match funding and also outline how much money comes from each source. Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Welfare reform Question No: 3157 / 2013 Murad Qureshi With reference to your answer to MQ 2570/2013 please provide data to evidence your assertion that welfare reform in London will not result in an increase in fuel poverty? Written response from the Mayor Please refer to the Government's Impact Assessment for welfare reform: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/series/welfare -reform-act-2012-impact-assessments * London Energy Efficiency Fund (1) Question No: 3158 / 2013 Murad Qureshi With reference to your answer to MQ 2573/2013 can you explain why only one scheme has been awarded funding through the London Energy Efficiency Fund? Written response from the Mayor Many projects have undergone consideration by the London Energy Efficiency Fund (LEEF) over the last two years. But the economic climate combined with ultra-low interest rates, including those for the Public Works Loan Board, has led to a slower investment rate to that originally envisaged. However, the pipeline remains robust and investment in further projects is expected before the end of this calendar year. By way of illustration, a £20 million loan to the London Borough of Croydon to retrofit schools, libraries and civic buildings was agreed on Friday 13 September. * London Energy Efficiency Fund (2) Question No: 3159 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Of the £50miilion EU funding available through the LEEF how much has been spent? Written response from the Mayor LEEF has received £25 million ERDF, of which approximately £9 million has been invested thusfar. Further investment is imminent, as outlined in MQ 3158 /2013. * London Energy Efficiency Fund (3)
Page 207 Question No: 3160 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Can the Mayor provide details on which consultancy companies are currently involved in the management of the £100m London Energy Efficiency Fund, and how much they have been paid for each financial year the fund has operated? Written response from the Mayor LEEF is managed by Amber Infrastructure Ltd, with technical advice from Arup. The exact sums paid are commercially in confidence but are below 1 per cent per annum, which is substantially lower than the 3 per cent yearly average management costs’ ceiling set out in EU regulations. London Energy Efficiency Fund (4) Question No: 3161 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Can the Mayor provide details of who sits on the London Energy Efficiency Fund (LEEF) Advisory Committee, how many times has the Committee met to date, and can the minutes and all other associated papers from these meetings be published on the LEEF website? Written response from the Mayor The Advisory Committee’s Membership consists of representatives from the European Investment Bank, Amber, the GLA, Royal Bank of Scotland, Arup and an independent representative. It has met 8 times. The papers themselves contain details of projects under consideration, and are thus commercially confidential. * London Energy Efficiency Fund (5) Question No: 3162 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Can the Mayor provide details of the reasons behind the decision, announced in July 2013, to extend London Energy Efficiency Fund (LEEF) loans to the private sector - going beyond the original brief of LEEF funding - with its focus on public sector loans? On what terms will these loans be provided to private sector organisations? Written response from the Mayor The Fund was procured and set up on the basis that the investment strategy could evolve to also support private sector building owners and decentralised energy systems, including district heating. The recent change was made as part of a package of adjustments to LEEF’s investment strategy including the addition of these activities. This allows potential support for retrofitting business premises including for SMEs. The terms for private sector organisations would depend on, among other things, the nature of the project and the borrower; but will be in line with EU-wide state aid requirements. London Energy Efficiency Fund (6) Question No: 3163 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Can you provide details of the terms of the loan of the sole transaction the London Energy
Page 208 Efficiency Fund has completed to date? Written response from the Mayor The loan supports retrofitting and installation of energy saving measures and low carbon infrastructure to support development at an iconic cultural institution. This includes a range of innovative energy saving measures, including waste heat recovery from an electricity substation (the first time such technology has been used) and 10m deep boreholes into the river Thames used for both direct cooling and as a heat source. Details of the loan itself are commercial in confidence. * Green Deal (1) Question No: 3164 / 2013 Murad Qureshi With reference to your answer to MQ 2575/2013 what actions have you taken to date to stimulate demand for Green Deal Finance packages? Written response from the Mayor We are continuing to work with boroughs to deliver trials using Green Deal Pioneer Places which is focused on installing Green Deal measures. Lessons learned from this will be used to develop a funding bid, again in tandem with the boroughs, for the latest round of the Department for Energy and Climate Change Green Deal Communities scheme funding. This scheme aims to help local authorities drive street-by-street delivery of the Green Deal. * Green Deal (2) Question No: 3165 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Further to MQ 1798/2013 can the Mayor provide an update on his progress in obtaining a Green Deal assessment for his home? Is he one of the four people in the UK, as reported by Government, to have a signed a Green Deal agreement? Written response from the Mayor I have not yet had a Green Deal assessment, although I had an assessment under the previous Carbon Emission Reduction Target scheme. * Managing Flood Risk Question No: 3166 / 2013 Murad Qureshi With reference to your answer to MQ 2601/2013 will the Mayor consider working with other communities at significant flood risk to enhance resilience help them better manage flood risk? Written response from the Mayor Yes. * Rainwater Harvesting Question No: 3167 / 2013 Murad Qureshi What lessons have been learnt from the pilot of the GLA’s Water for Schools’ Programme? Page 209 Written response from the Mayor From the work done through the Water for Schools’ Programme, it is clear that schools are very open to engagement on water topics, and on being water efficient. * Drought Strategies Question No: 3168 / 2013 Murad Qureshi With reference to your answer to MQ 2606/2013 can you confirm if the “Water Resources in the South East” working group has produced a South East England drought strategy that is publicly available? Written response from the Mayor No. The only publically available drought plans covering London are the Environment Agency’s South East England Drought Plan and the drought plans produced by the four water companies supplying London. * Climate Change Strategy Question No: 3169 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Action 5.1 of your London Climate Change Adaptation Strategy states that “The Mayor will work with partners to improve our understanding of how climate change will affect summer temperatures in the future, and to identify and prioritise areas of overheating risk and risk management options” Can the Mayor confirm what specific action he has taken to further this commitment? Written response from the Mayor This action is being delivered through 4 strands of work: 1. My officers worked with the London Climate Change Partnership to produce a report on Overheating Thresholds for London, which was completed and published in June 2012. 2. My officers worked with academic partners on LUCID (The Development of a Local Urban Climate Model and its Application to the Intelligent Design of Cities) and ARCADIA (Adaptation and Resilience in Cities: Analysis and Decision making using Integrated Assessment) projects to better understand London’s urban heat island and its impacts 3. My officers worked with academic partners through the CREW (Community Resilience to Extreme Weather) project to understand how to manage the expected increasing risk of overheating in housing 4. My officers are working with academic partners to develop an overheating risk index that will identify where there are ‘hotspots’ of overheating risk. * Green Roofs Interactive Map Question No: 3171 / 2013 Murad Qureshi With reference to MQ 2610/2013 can the Mayor provide a timescale for the development of an interactive map displaying information on green roofs in London?
Page 210 Written response from the Mayor We aim to publish such an online map in early 2014. The dataset will be regularly updated as further information on green roof installations is provided to the GLA. * Cool Roof Technology Question No: 3172 / 2013 Murad Qureshi With reference to MQ 2613/2013 will the Mayor look at how data on how many buildings in London utilise cool roof technology could be collated? Written response from the Mayor Yes. Please note that anecdotal evidence suggests that to date the only roofs with such technology installed are part of discrete research projects. * Responding To Heatwaves Question No: 3173 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Please confirm how many communities have been contacted so far as part of the Mayor’s commitment to review the best way to encourage a community-level response to heatwaves and what concrete steps have been agreed? Written response from the Mayor My officers have supported the Community Resilience to Islington South Project (CRISP), led by LB Islington and North London Cares to understand the vulnerability of social housing residents in South Islington to heat and floods and help them prepare. The project engaged 466 residents. * Health Building Question No: 3174 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Can the Mayor please publish the Technology Strategy Board’s response to the joint bid for funding to retrofit St Charles’ Hospital and any reasons given for the application being rejected? Written response from the Mayor The lead applicant on the bid was the Sustainable Development Foundation, not the GLA and so we did not deal with the Technology Strategy Board directly. My officers received notification from the Sustainable Development Foundation that the submission was unsuccessful. * Flood Risk Review of London Underground Question No: 3175 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Can the Mayor confirm when the Comprehensive Flood Risk Review of London Underground will be published? Written response from the Mayor Page 211 Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Ministerial Correspondence on blackouts Question No: 3176 / 2013 Murad Qureshi With reference to your answer to MQ 2635/2013 could you please publish your letter to the Secretary of State and his subsequent reply? Written response from the Mayor I am pleased to publish my letter to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and his reply. Please see the attached Appendix 6. * Removal of Diesel Particulate Filters Question No: 3177 / 2013 Murad Qureshi What representations has the Mayor made to the Government to tackle the growing problem of the removal of factory fitted diesel particulate filters from cars? Written response from the Mayor This is an important issue which has the potential to undermine many of the measures I am taking to improve air quality in London. I have written to both the Secretary of State for Transport and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs raising the issue and calling for the removal of manufacturer-fitted pollution abatement systems to be an offence subject to a penalty (with limited exceptions, e.g. for those fleets fitting additional or enhanced retrofit equipment). I also believe that the Government should act to stop the advertisement of these services. The issue has also been raised at an officer level and discussions are on-going. * Visits by Mayor’s Environmental Advisor (1) Question No: 3178 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Has the Mayor’s Environmental Adviser visited the Citigen Combined Heat and Power district heating scheme in Smithfields operated by E.ON? Written response from the Mayor No. This question was last asked for MQ 2592 /2013 and a similar question was asked in MQ 1592 /2013. * Visits by the Mayor’s Environmental Advisor (2) Question No: 3179 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Page 212 Has the Mayor’s Environmental Adviser visited the Kings Cross Combined Heat and Power district heating scheme developed by Argent? Written response from the Mayor No. * NEW Support Programme Question No: 3180 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Can the Mayor provide details of the operation of the new RE:NEW support programme, including budget allocated, a full list of consultants being used and budget allocated to these consultancies? Written response from the Mayor The RE:NEW Support Team services have been contracted to Capita Symonds with a budget of £140,000. An additional £10,000 was paid to Verco (energy and carbon advisory services) to enable support to be provided to the boroughs and housing associations prior to the contracting of Capita Symonds. * RE:NEW (1) Question No: 3181 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Can the Mayor provide details of why Capita Group were chosen to manage the new RE:NEW programme? Written response from the Mayor Capita Group was chosen through a procurement process (a mini-competition) run against the GPS framework: RM 457 Project Management & Full Design Team Services. The evaluation team felt that the bid demonstrated a good understanding of the aims and objectives, and the methodology backed this up. A particular strength was the experience with regards to social housing asset management and a clear understanding of the requirement to dovetail this with retrofit activity. * RE:NEW (2) Question No: 3182 / 2013 Murad Qureshi What targets have been set in place for the new RE:NEW programme? Written response from the Mayor
The following targets have been agreed for RE:NEW: 1,500 tCO 2 per annum by 31 December 2013 through the interim Support Team. Targets for the full Support Team will be set during the procurement process later this year. * Energy Efficiency Question No: 3183 / 2013 Murad Qureshi What was the cost of producing your new guide ‘Using Local Powers to Maximise Energy Page 213 Efficiency Retrofit - How to’ materials for London’? Written response from the Mayor The cost to produce the guide was £17,162.50 including the surveys, interviews and workshops that informed the report. * Updating the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Question No: 3184 / 2013 Murad Qureshi In response to a recent study on cities preparedness on climate change, the Mayor’s Environmental Adviser wrote on 14 August 2013 that “Climate resilience will become as important as a city’s business laws, taxation system and the skills of its workforce in attracting and retaining business and investment.” With this in mind, when will the next update to the Mayor’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy be published? Written response from the Mayor My priority is to continue to implement rather than review the adaptation strategy. * London Underground Electricity Supply Question No: 3185 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Can the Mayor provide details of which companies currently supply electricity to London Underground, how much power is contracted, and what the total spend is projected to be in 2013/14? Written response from the Mayor London Underground procures its electricity through the public sector buying organisation Government Procurement Service (GPS). The suppliers below are the current GPS framework electricity suppliers: • EDF Energy Customers PLC (volume contracted to London Underground: 1,321,291 megawatt hours) • British Gas (volume contracted to London Underground: 250 megawatt hours) The total spend projected for the financial year commencing 1 April 2013 is £105 million. * Fuel Poverty responses Question No: 3186 / 2013 Murad Qureshi With reference to MQ 2119/2013 from June 2013, it doesn’t appear that the Mayoral responses to Government on fuel poverty are as yet available on the GLA website. Why is it taking several months for documents to be simply posted online on the GLA website? Written response from the Mayor I have recently made changes to the london.gov.uk website and the process for officers to upload documents. The document is now online.
Page 214 * London Energy and Greenhouse Gas Inventory Data Question No: 3187 / 2013 Murad Qureshi MQ 1645/2013 stated that the latest release of the London Energy and Greenhouse Gas Inventory (LEGGI) would be published on the GLA website in June 2013. Has it in fact been published online as yet? Written response from the Mayor Yes. This information is available on the London Datastore. * Brixton Energy Question No: 3188 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Will the Mayor join me to congratulate Brixton Energy for winning the British Renewable Energy Awards 2013 Community Award, where the judges stated that they were particularly impressed by the skills and employment opportunities created for Brixton residents, and the role projects played in bringing energy awareness to hundreds of social housing tenants? Will the Mayor work to secure growth in similar schemes across London? Written response from the Mayor Yes, I join you in congratulating Brixton Energy. This initiative grew out of the GLA supported Brixton Low Carbon Zones and officers are considering how Mayoral input may spread this success in London. * Community Energy Question No: 3189 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Did the Mayor respond to the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s recent Community Energy - Call for Evidence consultation? Written response from the Mayor No. * Climate Change Adaptation Question No: 3190 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Can the Mayor provide details of what the £145k programme budget on climate change adaptation will go towards? * Written response from the Mayor The £145,000 is composed of 6 activities: Page 215 • £30,000 contribution to the London Climate Change Partnership to support projects on working with commercial landlords, social housing providers and understanding the ‘adaptation economy’ • £45,000 to support working with Business Improvement Districts and other partners to promote and implement green infrastructure • £10,000 to run a seminar programme to facilitate implementation of the All London Green Grid • £10,000 annual subscription to the Greenspace Information for Greater London (GiGL) • £25,000 towards research to further understand the ‘green economy’ and how to support its growth. • £25,000 from a mix of other projects delivering green infrastructure through wider projects. Electric Vehicle Charging Points (1) Question No: 3191 / 2013 Murad Qureshi How much money was spent by consumers charging their electric vehicles at electric charging points in London in 2012/13 and in 2013/14 to date? Written response from the Mayor Source London scheme members pay an annual fee of £10 to join the scheme, after which there is no cost to charge an electric vehicle at the 1300+ charge points now installed across London. As such, no money has been spent by consumers charging their electric vehicles at electric charging points in London in 2012/13 and in 2013/14 to date. * Electric Vehicle Charging Points (2) Question No: 3192 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Who supplies electricity to London’s electric charging points? Are there requirements within this supply contract for the provision of low-carbon or renewable electricity or supply from London specific low-carbon generators? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Fuel Poverty Action Plan Question No: 3193 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Lancashire County Pension fund recently invested £12m in the world’s largest community-owned solar power station. Will the Mayor liaise with the London Pension Fund Authority to consider whether similar investments in community led renewable and low-carbon projects in London could be undertaken? Written response from the Mayor Page 216 Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Changes To Building Regulations Question No: 3195 / 2013 Murad Qureshi How will the Department for Communities and Local Government’s recent proposals to dilute 2013 building regulation Part L energy efficiency targets affect the Mayor’s own ‘be lean’ requirements in the London Plan? Written response from the Mayor The Government’s published update to Part L of the Building Regulations will not affect the application of the Mayor’s carbon dioxide reduction targets and energy hierarchy (the first step being ‘be lean’) as set out in Policy 5.2 of the London Plan, as the Mayor’s targets and energy hierarchy have been adopted through the planning system and therefore are also negotiated and secured through the planning system. The Government’s diluted Part L of the Building Regulations does not amend adopted planning policy. However, the Government’s Housing Standards review currently out to consultation may have an impact on the Mayor’s carbon dioxide targets and elements of his ‘be lean’ approach to housing through the planning system in the future. * Fracking Question No: 3196 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Please list all meetings you have attended where fracking has been discussed since 2008. Please also state with who the meeting was held and the venue. Written response from the Mayor I have had no official meetings where fracking has been on the agenda. However, I have discussed fracking a number of times with my team as part of wider conversations on London’s – and the indeed the UK’s – future energy security. * New Substations Question No: 3197 / 2013 Murad Qureshi In your 2020 Vision you state “we need six new £40m substations urgently”. Please can you confirm: 1. How many substations London has presently. 2. What plans are there to build the six substations required. 3. If any scoping has been done as to where the stations would be sited. Written response from the Mayor There are about 30 primary substations owned by UK Power Networks (UKPN), London’s main electricity distribution network operator. UKPN’s Business Plan submission to Ofgem for the period 2015-2023 accounts for the provision of four of the six substations originally proposed in their draft Business Plan, and the company has scoped areas where they would be located.
Page 217 * Air Quality Guidance for boroughs Question No: 3198 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Please confirm when all the air quality guidance documents for public health professionals in each borough will be available from the London.gov website? Written response from the Mayor My officers hope to complete the guidance documents for all boroughs by the end of the year. * Policing the Ecuadorian Embassy Question No: 3199 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Under Swedish law, the Swedish police or prosecutor could interview Julian Assange in the UK. Such a move would help precipitate an end to the current stalemate and as a result save the tax payer £11,000 per day spent by the MPS in policing costs. Have you or will you, as the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, consider making representations to Government along these lines to help bring about a solution? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Value of properties in Zone 1 added by access to tube stations Question No: 3200 / 2013 Murad Qureshi It is estimated that £229,286 is the price which homebuyers pay in order to be located near a tube stop (Source: Financial Times July 12). How do you capitalize on this appreciation in value which homeowners enjoy, for the benefit of Londoners as a whole? Written response from the Mayor I have called for the receipts from Stamp Duty Land Tax to be devolved to London, so that some of the proceeds of London’s rising housing market can be used to directly benefit those Londoners who need help with their housing. This reform, as with other potential reforms of property taxation, remains a matter for the Government. * Depreciating pound’s effect on the London Housing market Question No: 3201 / 2013 Murad Qureshi It was recently reported that around 65-70 per cent of new build homes in London have gone to overseas purchasers in the last two years. In your opinion, given your role in planning and housing, is the relatively weak pound helping to price Londoners out of the housing market and, if so, what action do you recommend in respect of this issue? Written response from the Mayor Any change in exchange rates inevitably results in changes in the relative costs of overseas investment. But this does not mean that we should regulate to limit overseas investment in London’s housing, or British investment in overseas markets. Page 218 * Expenditure on EDL demo’s Question No: 3202 / 2013 Murad Qureshi How much has been spent by the Metropolitan Police in policing EDL marches and demonstrations in 2012 and 2013? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Chiswick Police Station Question No: 3203 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Who owns Chiswick police station? Written response from the Mayor Chiswick Police Station is owned by MOPAC. Toilet signs on the Tube map Question No: 3204 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Will you reconsider your response to my question 2722/2012 about tube maps with toilet signs? Although it is useful for the pocket maps to show stations with toilet facilities, my view is that the primary source of information for commuters while travelling are maps located at the stations and on trains. Written response from the Mayor The Tube map provides information designed primarily to help customers plan and navigate their journeys. The pocket Tube map, which does carry information about toilets, is readily available at TfL stations and a Toilet Guide is also available to download from the TfL website, alongside other useful accessibility information. Please see: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/accessibility-guides/default.aspx ) * Access to Gunnersbury Tube station Question No: 3205 / 2013 Murad Qureshi I have been contacted by West Chiswick and Gunnersbury Society about access into Gunnersbury Station at peak demand time. Their clear view is that the station meets neither Page 219 current nor future needs with respect to passenger access and safety, particularly resulting from the significantly increased passenger numbers from the Chiswick Business Park and other business developments in the area. The proposal leaves the station with a single narrow set of stairs servicing commuters both entering and leaving the platform which means that passengers are unable to descend to the platform for several minutes when arriving passengers surge up the stairs. They recommend that provision is made for platform access to and from Wellesley Road. Will you commit your officials to meeting with both Network Rail and TFL to discuss this matter and with a view to ensuring that future investment plans include provision for increased access to platforms? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Empty properties in the London Borough of Camden Question No: 3206 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Will you support Camden Council’s bid to reduce the number of properties lying empty in their borough by asking Government to permit Camden to increase their council tax charge by 100 per cent after 1 year? Written response from the Mayor Since election I have encouraged boroughs to remove the empty homes discount, but if individual boroughs what to impose increases in tax or any other tactic to address this issue, that is an individual borough and elected member decision. Long term empty homes now represent just 0.7 per cent of London’s housing stock. * Backlash attacks on Muslims Question No: 3207 / 2013 Murad Qureshi I have still not received a response to my question 2140/2013 submitted in June about backlash attacks. Is this an indication that MOPAC does not have a grip on the scale of attacks against Muslims in London since the brutal killing of Lee Rigby? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Eid Celebration 2013 at Trafalgar Square Question No: 3208 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Who was in attendance on behalf of the Mayor at the Eid celebration 2013, Trafalgar Square on the 17th of August?
Page 220 Written response from the Mayor GLA officers attended the Eid celebration, which was a success again this year. TfL Public Toilet data Question No: 3209 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Before the last election, the Health & Public Services Committee investigated London’s public toilets and put forward certain recommendations to you. One of these was an open dataset from Transport for London about public toilets within their network, which you committed to providing in spring 2012. This has still not materialised, despite being extremely important accessibility information for people who rely on such facilities to travel around the city. Can you confirm when you will deliver on this promise? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Loss of tennis courts in Chiswick Question No: 3210 / 2013 Murad Qureshi The London Plan (3.19b) says that proposals which result in net loss of sports and recreation facilities should be resisted. Will you therefore consider calling in the proposal to replace 14 grass tennis Courts in Chiswick with an artificial football pitch? Written response from the Mayor I can only deal with applications that fall within the criteria for applications of potential strategic importance as set out in the 2008 Mayor of London Order. This application has not been referred to me and from the description it would not appear to meet the criteria for referral, therefore I have no powers to consider it. * Impact of Regent House development Question No: 3211 / 2013 Murad Qureshi I am surprised at how readily TfL appear to have surrendered 3 metres of pavement along the boundary of the Regent House development which falls along a part of the Edgware Road and which is heavily used by pedestrians, especially during the evenings. Will TfL request the developers to pay any compensation for the loss of this land? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * No piers in Hounslow Question No: 3212 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Why does your River Action Plan make no mention of any proposed pier stop along the riverside in Hounslow?
Page 221 Written response from the Mayor The commercial viability of regular boat services this far west on the Thames is currently poor, reflected by the fact that west of Putney these are limited to summer-only tourist services to Hampton Court. The river depth west of Wandsworth Bridge means navigation can be affected by tidal conditions, particularly for larger vessels. For example, at certain states of low tide, pier access can be affected. At certain states of high tide, bridge heights can become problematic. There is also a blanket eight knot speed limit west of Wandsworth Bridge, which would make journey times unattractive for regular travellers. For these reasons Hounslow was not included in the River Action Plan as a priority location for a pier stop. * Metropolitan Police dismissals in Westminster Question No: 3213 / 2013 Murad Qureshi The West End Extra (16 August) reported that thirteen police officers have been subject to disciplinary action in Westminster. The result was the immediate dismissal of 10 officers, a final written warning for 2 and a first written warning for 1 officer. Were all or any of these cases related in any way? Written response from the Mayor No, none of the cases were related, and there is no overarching pattern of behaviour in relation to the cases as a whole. * Metropolitan Police dismissals Question No: 3214 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Can you provide me with a breakdown by borough of the number of Met police officers dismissed from their job in the last three years and the reason given? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Assessing A&E Question No: 3215 / 2013 Onkar Sahota Given your role in addressing health inequalities across London, is five weeks’ data enough to provide an objective and balanced assessment of care trends in London’s A&Es? Written response from the Mayor I am assured by NHS England (London) that performance in A&E is looked at on a quarterly and annual basis. Analysis carried out by NHS England (London) has included data over several years.
Page 222 As you’ll be aware my Health Team has regular meetings with NHS England’s London Regional Director, Anne Rainsberry, and will be asking for an update on progress in developing London’s Urgent Care Boards and the data on which they are developing their local strategies. * Free travel for London Ambulance Service Question No: 3216 / 2013 Onkar Sahota The London Ambulance Service struggles to recruit staff because of the high cost of living in London, which is exacerbated by London travel costs. Bearing in mind your answers to MQs 4209/2012 and 2639/2013 regarding free travel for Metropolitan Police personnel where you state that: “TfL does not consider there is a cost associated with this concession, which provides a welcome additional security measure for users of TfL services” Then considering the additional health benefit of having paramedics travelling on the transport network, would you consider giving parity with the Metropolitan Police and agree to grant free travel to LAS staff? Written response from the Mayor I am not convinced that the benefits which accrue from police officers having free travel extend to ambulance personnel. There are, of course, many deserving groups for whom one could make the case for free travel, but the costs would have to be paid through higher fares elsewhere or cuts in services or investment. My policies are aimed at keeping fares down in the longer term, to the benefit of all Londoners. I have protected the most vulnerable members of society through my various concessionary schemes and will continue to do so. * Winter resilience planning Question No: 3217 / 2013 Onkar Sahota What discussions have you had to ensure plans are in place to anticipate increased demand on London’s emergency health care this coming winter? Written response from the Mayor I understand that national work is ongoing to address sustained A&E performance throughout 2013/14, including preparing for winter pressures. Regional panels have been established to review and assure Recovery and Improvement Plans produced by Urgent Care Boards which have been set up across London with multi-agency membership. In addition the Government has allocated an additional £500 million over the next two years to ensure A&E departments across the UK are prepared for winter. * Winter resilience planning II Question No: 3218 / 2013 Onkar Sahota How confident are you that London’s Ambulances and A&E departments will be able to cope Page 223 with increased demand this coming winter? Written response from the Mayor I understand that NHS England (London), together with the NHS Trust Development Authority and Monitor, is working with Clinical Commissioning Groups and NHS Trusts, including the London Ambulance Service, on the final elements of their planning to address sustained performance of the A&E four hour standard throughout 2013/14, including during winter. In addition the Government has allocated an additional £500 million over the next two years to ensure A&E departments across the UK are prepared for winter. As you’ll be aware my Health Team has regular meetings with NHS England’s London Regional Director, Anne Rainsberry, and London Ambulance Service Chief Executive, Ann Radmore and will be asking for an update on preparations for the coming winter. * London Resilience Question No: 3219 / 2013 Onkar Sahota Following the devolution of funding and responsibility in April 2013, how is London’s resilience capability now being funded? How will you ensure that London’s resilience is not undermined by the current fragmentation of responsibility for resilience funding? Written response from the Mayor The devolution of responsibility for London Resilience from Whitehall to the GLA did in fact take place in 2010 following the Government’s announcement that it would be abolishing the Government Office for London. The GLA received a one-off grant to assist in the transition process but has not been provided with any on-going annual grant for the function. The costs of establishing the posts in the London Resilience Team have therefore been met by growth to the GLA budget. The London Resilience Team works closely with colleagues in the London Fire Brigade Emergency Planning unit (known as LFB – EP) in LFEPA. LFB-EP co-ordinates pan-London emergency arrangements not only for LFEPA but also for London boroughs. Government funding is available for the borough work undertaken by LFB-EP. In 2014-15 this will amount to £450,000 and will cover approximately half of the running costs of LFB-EP. The remainder is met by LFEPA . The other bodies involved in resilience work fund their own activities in this regard. The London Resilience Forum, chaired by James Cleverly AM, brings together the work of all partner bodies and ensures a joined up approach across the capital. * Early death rates in London Question No: 3220 / 2013 Onkar Sahota I was shocked to see the number and disparity between early death rates in London. How do you think this disparity has come about and what will you do to address this problem? What changes do you intend to make by this time next year?
Page 224 Written response from the Mayor These figures have been compiled by Public Health England. London has significant challenges with heart disease and stroke, cancer, lung disease and liver disease. A person’s likelihood of dying early varies widely between boroughs due to differences in risk factors such as being overweight, lack of exercise, excessive alcohol consumption and smoking, and these are closely linked to economic deprivation. London boroughs will be working through local Health and Well-Being Boards to develop effective plans to address this picture of Londoners’ early death rates and I will support them in key areas where I am best placed to help. I shall be refreshing the delivery plan for the London Health Inequalities Strategy. As the new London Health Board develops and starts addressing key challenges for London it will also support effective action. * A&E capacity in London I Question No: 3221 / 2013 Onkar Sahota London has already lost one A&E department and is set to lose another seven, and yet UCH needs to double the size of their A&E department to cope with increased demand. Given your role in addressing health inequalities across London, will you demand that a review of Londonwide A&E capacity takes place before any further closures take place? Written response from the Mayor Please see my answer to MQ 2391 / 2013. My Health Team is due to meet Anne Rainsberry later this month and will be requesting a progress update. * A&E capacity in London II Question No: 3222 / 2013 Onkar Sahota Do you have any concerns about the number of ambulances being turned away from London A&E departments and the length of time patients are waiting to be seen in A&E? Written response from the Mayor Of course I am concerned if ambulances are being turned away from A&E; however I understand from NHS England (London) that London has recovered its A&E performance and currently stands at 96 per cent for quarter 2 (July-Sept), which is above the required 95 per cent for the A&E 4 hour standard. A&E waiting times are a complex issue affecting the whole country. There is unlikely to be a single cause or solution. MQ 1452/ 2013 and MQ 2391/2013 set out my understanding of the way in which NHS England (London) is leading the process. My Health Team is due to meet Anne Rainsberry later this month and will be requesting a progress update. Page 225 * London Health Board I Question No: 3223 / 2013 Onkar Sahota How will you measure the success of your new London Health Board? Written response from the Mayor The London Health Board was set up to provide leadership on health issues of pan-London significance, where this adds value to decisions, agreements and action at local level. The Board will review its impact after the first year in relation to the priorities set out in the first meeting. * London Health Board II Question No: 3224 / 2013 Onkar Sahota In answer to MQ 1659/2013 you told me “It is for the Board to decide its final terms of reference which will include whether to meet in public.” As you are Chair of the London Health Board are you please able to advise what the Board has decided and whether future meetings will be held in public? Written response from the Mayor Future meetings of the Board will be held privately in order to give the Board space to develop and discuss ideas on sensitive issues. However, minutes of the meetings are published on www.londonhealthboard.org.uk . * London Health Board III Question No: 3225 / 2013 Onkar Sahota You have said you will Chair the new London Health Board, but you said that about the London Waste and Recycling Board and, in my opinion, soon got bored of it, leaving an embarrassing constitutional problem when you couldn’t be bothered to turn up to meetings. How long will you commit to Chair the London Health Board for and what constitutional arrangements are in place for a deputy to step in should you find yourself with a better offer on any particular day? Written response from the Mayor The London Health Board is set to run for one year, at which point a decision will be made as to whether it will continue and in what form. I am the Chair of the London Health Board for that year. * London Ambulance Service Question No: 3226 / 2013 Onkar Sahota As Mayor, have you received any briefings on why, in these cost-conscious times, the London Ambulance Service has secured an additional £14.8 million over two years and if so, can you share it with us? Written response from the Mayor
Page 226 I understand from NHS England (London) that the London Ambulance Service (LAS) has been commissioned to deliver an increased level of service because of a rise in activity (i.e. more calls and conveyances). Funding for LAS has increased to reflect this. I also understand that the London Ambulance Service is nevertheless required to improve efficiency and modernise its services and that it has an active programme of modernisation and staff training to achieve this. * Health and Wellbeing Strategies Question No: 3227 / 2013 Onkar Sahota London boroughs have taken very different approaches when producing their Health & Wellbeing Strategies. Given your role in addressing health inequalities across London, how can you be sure there won’t be a similar variation between local health outcomes? Written response from the Mayor It is appropriate for different boroughs to take different approaches reflecting their own local needs and priorities. We will be considering current approaches to tackling health inequalities across London as part of the refresh of the London Health Inequalities Strategy delivery plan . Health standards Question No: 3228 / 2013 Onkar Sahota With the demise of NHS London, how will standards be set, maintained and improved in London in the future? What will you be doing to ensure they are? Written response from the Mayor I am aware that the King’s Fund and others have highlighted the leadership challenges in light of the closure of NHS London. My Deputy Mayor Victoria Borwick is meeting with the King’s Fund’s Chief Executive later this month. My overall concern is that Londoners have access to the high quality care that they need, both now and in the future. As stated in MQ 2652 / 2013, my understanding is that NHS reforms are designed to empower clinicians to lead commissioning of services as they have the best understanding of their patients’ needs. The London Health Board aims to provide an important pan-London leadership role where key leaders from across health and social care in the capital convene to ensure that the main issues are being discussed for the benefit of Londoners. * London Transport Bus Blinds (1) Question No: 3231 / 2013 Navin Shah I have been contacted by a constituent of mine who is concerned about the destination blinds on all new buses, which now have white lettering on a black background. This replaces the day-glow yellow which has been used for many years, and which was selected because it has the highest possible visibility.
Page 227 Due to the change many bus users have been seriously concerned about the poor visibility. A) Why was the change made? B) Who did TfL consult about the change? C) Now that the serious problem with the new destination blinds is found what action do you propose to take? Written response from the Mayor White lettering on a black background is the maximum contrast available, and TfL is using this format on bus destination blinds for all new buses entering service, following improvements to powerful LED lighting used to back-illuminate blinds. TfL previously used ‘dayglo’ yellow on black at a time when they were illuminated by ordinary bulbs or fluorescent tubes. Since then, TfL has reduced the number of words displayed and introduced much larger numbers and very bold destinations to increase visibility. There are some other advantages of black and white over dayglo yellow which are not immediately apparent. Dayglo yellow fades over time. The route numbers fade more quickly as they are changed less often than destination, thus resulting in inconsistency across vehicles. The white on black that will now be used as the standard for new vehicles fully complies with the Equality Act, as well as meets legibility standards. In addition, the heritage Routemasters on routes 9 and 15 have always retained their black and white blinds, and the prototype New Bus for London vehicles on route 38 were introduced with them. * London Transport Bus Blinds (2) Question No: 3232 / 2013 Navin Shah Have you had complaints about the bus blinds from other parts of London? If yes, how many and from which parts of London? Written response from the Mayor A review of complaints for the period January 2013 to August 2013 has identified a total 21 relating to bus blinds with issues ranging from incorrect route number, to missing or misaligned blinds. Only one of the 21 complaints received relate to the new white on black destination blinds in Bromley. * RE:FIT Schools Energy Efficiency Programme (1) Question No: 3233 / 2013 Navin Shah I see that the RE:FIT Schools Energy Efficiency Programme is offering schools and academies in Harrow the opportunity to see where energy savings could be made and free technical support made available to make these changes. What has been the outcome of this? Written response from the Mayor RE:FIT Schools Energy Efficiency Programme is a London-wide schools energy reduction initiative. The programme can work with local authorities, if they are coordinating a project on behalf of their schools, or directly with schools.
Page 228 The London Borough of Harrow developed and delivered a retrofit project across 8 buildings, completed in July 2013. Works on 6 Harrow schools were completed as part of this phase of activity. * RE:FIT Schools Energy Efficiency Programme (2) Question No: 3234 / 2013 Navin Shah Do you plan to implement a similar programme in Brent schools? Written response from the Mayor RE:FIT Schools Energy Efficiency Programme is a London-wide schools energy reduction initiative. The programme is available to all London boroughs who would like to coordinate a project on behalf of their schools in their locality. Alternatively schools can approach the programme directly. I encourage those in Brent to apply. * Northwick Avenue (1) Question No: 3235 / 2013 Navin Shah I have been contacted by many residents concerned about the disturbance on Northwick Avenue from a double decker bus route. I understand this issue has been going on for years and TfL has been made aware of the problems. The residents state that the area is not habitable and the increased timetable of double deckers travelling up Northwick Avenue is very disruptive; furthermore TfL carry out rail works throughout the year. Will you instruct your officers to meet with the concerned residents and myself to address the issues as a matter of urgency? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Northwick Avenue – Bus route H18/H19 (2) Question No: 3236 / 2013 Navin Shah May I have data on the bus capacity for route H18/H19? I have been informed that the buses are practically empty and that a single decker bus service will be sufficient enough. Written response from the Mayor The H18 and H19 were introduced in 2006 and use single deck buses. Since introduction weekday usage has increased by around 50 per cent. This has led to capacity issues at peak times in the Belmont and Harrow Weald areas. At the end of August the Monday to Saturday daytime frequencies were increased from a bus every 30 minutes to a bus every 20 minutes to provide sufficient capacity. * Accessibility on the new London buses Question No: 3237 / 2013 Navin Shah I recently met service users of a voluntary sector organisation in Brent that works with and on behalf of people of all ages with a learning disability. The members have stated that the new London buses have much restricted space compared to the older model buses with regards to Page 229 wheelchair users. Why are the new buses so poorly designed and what are you doing to rectify this problem for the new buses in operation now? Will you get the future stocks redesigned to overcome the deficiency and ensure that there is sufficient room on the buses to park both wheelchairs as well as prams? Written response from the Mayor TfL has received many comments from wheelchair users praising the latest design of buses and their accessibility features; however comments have been received about the hand pole which provides lateral restraint for wheelchair users and how this can reduce manoeuvrability for some users. TfL is investigating options to further improve the accessibility and usability of the wheelchair bay within the constraints of the regulatory requirements. TfL will continue to review current and proposed vehicle specifications to ensure we take a balanced view in catering for the needs of all customers. * Removal of Fire Engine from Willesden Fire Station (1) Question No: 3238 / 2013 Navin Shah I am disappointed to hear that fire engine has been removed from the Willesden fire station. Can you please confirm if this is in anticipation of the potential dispute / strike action? Do you not agree that this will put the safety of residents in Brent in danger, especially as it already has one of the highest in London in terms of fire deaths? Written response from the Mayor The temporary removal of one fire engine from Willesden Fire Station is part of the Brigade’s contingency arrangements in response to the FBU’s decision to ballot for strike action in their dispute with Government regarding proposals for changes to the Firefighters Pension Scheme. I have confidence in Commissioner Ron Dobson to ensure these temporary operational plans do not impact on the safety of residents in Brent. The Brigade has increased the number of HFSVs it carries out in Brent by 50 per cent over the past four years, which have reduced fires in the home by nearly half. The Brigade will maintain this level of community safety work to continue to prevent fires in Brent and will ensure it targets its resources at high risk and vulnerable people. * Removal of Fire Engine from Willesden Fire Station (2) Question No: 3239 / 2013 Navin Shah The Commissioner mentions maintaining the 6 minute target response time. However Brent is already missing that target time in around 40% of all callouts with current capacity. How much worse will this get when you remove an appliance from Willesden Fire Station? Written response from the Mayor First appliance attendance times in Brent are met on 60 per cent of occasions. The temporary removal of one fire engine from Willesden Fire Station, as part of the Brigade’s contingency arrangements in response to the FBU’s decision to ballot for strike action in their dispute with Government regarding proposals for changes to the Firefighters Pension Scheme, has had a limited impact. Only 4 per cent more incidents are now outside the first appliance attendance time of six minutes. The average attendance time for the first fire engine in Brent has increased by only four seconds and is now 5:56 minutes, and therefore still within the Brigade’s first appliance attendance time target. Page 230 I have confidence in Commissioner Ron Dobson to ensure these temporary operational plans do not impact on the safety of residents in Brent. * 2020Vision - Harrow (1) Question No: 3240 / 2013 Navin Shah Further to your answer to Question No: 2659 / 2013, if economic growth for the suburban areas like Harrow is important how come you have not mentioned even a single Intensification Area in your vision document? In my opinion, this proves that Suburban areas like Harrow are your least priority. Written response from the Mayor The London Plan makes very clear the priority I attach to realising the potential of London’s suburbs, not least through the contribution of its Intensification Areas. The Outer London Commission is currently investigating how this potential can be developed further, including making most effective use of the transport infrastructure mentioned in the 2020 Vision. * Free Schools at Fire Station Sites Question No: 3241 / 2013 Navin Shah Further to your answer to Question No: 2667 / 2013, when will LFEPA and the GLA be able to determine whether any of the sites earmarked for disposal might be suitable for Free Schools? Can you provide a date / timetable? Written response from the Mayor The London Fire Brigade does not currently have any sites earmarked for disposal other than 8 Albert Embankment which is subject to a Development Agreement. London Fire Brigade officers have held early discussions with GLA officers about whether any of our sites might be suitable for Free Schools if they became available for disposal. * Change of use from Office to Residential Question No: 3242 / 2013 Navin Shah Harrow is already seeing huge uncontrolled increase (in hundreds) of increase in proposals for flats under the government policy for the change of use without requiring planning consent? Do you share my concerns that this will result in serious loss of employment related uses affecting economic growth, adverse impact on local vibrancy (in areas like High Streets / Local District Centres) and substandard residential accommodation? Don’t you think that you were wrong in not asking the Government to exempt all London Boroughs from this ill-conceived policy? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. Written response from the Mayor received 19 September 2013 Increasing housing supply in London is a priority and I therefore support the Government’s efforts to help achieve this ambition. I also believe that reforms to the planning system must
Page 231 deliver the maximum possible benefits for London and, where required, there should be exemptions that take into account specific economic issues. That is why I supported key exemptions in London from the Government’s reform of permitted development rights which will allow conversions of offices to homes without the need for planning permission. My support was delivered following close working with all London’s boroughs to ensure a strategic overview and submission based on the capital’s needs, which took into account the Government’s criterion for any requests for exemptions to be limited to the smallest geographical area possible. A request for all London boroughs to be excluded would have been counter-productive in light of this. I am now working with the boroughs and others to monitor the impact of this policy carefully. * Future of Celebrations on Trafalgar Square Question No: 3243 / 2013 Navin Shah Concerns have been raised to me about scrapping of the Annual celebrations on Trafalgar Square. Can you confirm that the programme of future celebrations like the Diwali and Eid on Trafalgar Square will not be threatened from your budget cuts? Written response from the Mayor The events budget for 2014/15 has not get been agreed, and will be done as part of the wider GLA budget process. However, there is currently no intention to cut these events from the programme. * TfL cuts are ‘insane’ Question No: 3244 / 2013 Valerie Shawcross Do you stand by your comments, made in Canary Wharf at the end of May, that cuts to the capital’s transport budget are ‘insane’ and risk damaging the wider economy? Written response from the Mayor After successful negotiations, the outcome of the Spending Review means I do not need to cut any elements of TfL’s Investment Programme. The six-year capital investment deal means the modernisation of the Tube continues, Crossrail drives ahead and major investment in the road network and cycling moves forward. Londoners will also benefit from further improvements to our bus, DLR, London Overground and Tramlink networks. This continued investment into London will benefit not just Londoners, but the wider UK economy, with the capital being the key driver of growth across the country. Including business rate funding, the reduction in funding to TfL’s grant was 8.5 per cent or, in cash terms, £222 million and below the average 10 per cent cut nearly all Government departments received. To meet this, TfL will continue with its major programme of efficiencies and savings to demonstrate value for the taxpayer, without compromising the projects London so urgently needs.
Page 232 * Blackfriars 20mph speed limit Question No: 3245 / 2013 Valerie Shawcross In the 13th Mayor’s Report to the Assembly you state “cycles make up almost half of all northbound traffic crossing Waterloo, Blackfriars and London bridges”. You also highlight the new road safety plan that will see TfL introduce 20mph limits over the next few years. Because of the popularity of Blackfriars bridge with cyclists, will you introduce a 20mph limit there? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Conductors (1) Question No: 3246 / 2013 Valerie Shawcross How many of the 600 new Routemaster buses will have a conductor operating when in service? How many conductors are you planning to appoint in the next two years for these New Buses? What will be the total annual cost when they are all in post? Written response from the Mayor Please refer to answer provided to MQ 2980 /2013. * Conductors (2) Question No: 3247 / 2013 Valerie Shawcross Can you confirm how many conductors are currently employed by LOROL? And can you confirm the total cost to TfL of employing each conductor? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Conductors (3) Question No: 3248 / 2013 Valerie Shawcross How many Conductors post are you planning to cut from LOROL in the near future? What is the total annual cost of these posts? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Ride London Question No: 3249 / 2013 Valerie Shawcross
Page 233 Why were the docking stations for the Cycle Hire Scheme along the Ride London route suspended while the event was in progress? It means that members of the public who wanted to join in with the ride could not hire bikes out which defeats the object of the event. Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Bike Hire Scheme expansion Question No: 3250 / 2013 Valerie Shawcross I have been contacted by a resident in Herne Hill who would like to see the bike scheme expanded there, and suggesting that Brockwell Park would make a good location for a new docking station. Have any discussions been had with the relevant boroughs in this regard? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Herne Hill flood recovery Question No: 3251 / 2013 Valerie Shawcross What assistance have you as Mayor of London offered to those businesses in Herne Hill affected by the burst water main earlier this summer? Written response from the Mayor My Senior Adviser for Environment and Energy has spoken with Thames Water who has assured him that they are working with the Borough, local residents and businesses to provide support to those affected by this serious infrastructure failure. * 255 bus extension Question No: 3252 / 2013 Valerie Shawcross Please clarify why the extension of the 255 bus has been delayed again, and when bus users can now expect the extension to begin. Written response from the Mayor TfL has written to all key stakeholders and affected residents and businesses in the London Boroughs of Lambeth and Wandsworth stating it will be proceeding with the scheme to extend route 255, and giving access to the 2009 and 2011 consultation reports. The London Borough of Wandsworth has expressed further concerns and TfL has asked for any final comments relating to changes to the first and last times of buses on the extended route to be sent by 20 September. The London Borough of Lambeth plans to do the necessary work to facilitate new bus stops in the Borough in October. TfL is planning to extend the service from 26 October, dependent on the completion of the bus stop works. Page 234 * New Sainsbury’s store, Brixton Water Lane Question No: 3253 / 2013 Valerie Shawcross I understand that Sainsbury’s have generously agreed to fund a new pedestrian crossing near their new store in Brixton Water Lane, which has been agreed with Lambeth council, who have accepted that there may be some traffic delays, but that pedestrian facilities will be improved. I understand that TfL are causing delays to progress on the new crossing, please can this now be expedited? Written response from the Mayor A TfL signals engineer met with representatives of Sainsbury’s and London Borough of Lambeth on 7 August where an approach to signalling the pedestrian crossing was agreed. TfL is currently awaiting a formal submission from Sainsbury’s. Once received, TfL will progress the delivery of the scheme. * Tulse Hill gyratory Question No: 3254 / 2013 Valerie Shawcross Further to question number 4347/2012 what discussions have taken place between TfL and Lambeth regarding Tulse Hill gyratory and what were the results of these discussions? Written response from the Mayor Following MQ 4347 /2012, I asked TfL to look into the concerns raised regarding Tulse Hill Gyratory. TfL has been undertaking a comprehensive safety study (including lighting and speed surveys to be undertaken in the coming weeks) considering all arms of the junction and possible interventions which could be made. Since the study commenced, TfL and London Borough of Lambeth have been in regular discussion regarding the gyratory, and are planning to meet on site with councillors on the 9th September 2013 to discuss your concerns including pedestrian crossing facilities, possible traffic calming measures and facilities for cyclists. Following this, and once the results of the outstanding surveys are known, TfL will provide high level outcomes of the study and advise as to what the next steps will be. It is anticipated that an update will be available by the end of October 2013. * Peabody Hill estate bus request Question No: 3255 / 2013 Valerie Shawcross Further to question number 2722/2013 what progress has been made with regard to discussions between TfL and Lambeth council regarding a bus service for the Peabody Hill estate? Written response from the Mayor TfL has been in contact with the London Borough of Lambeth and they will be meeting in September. *
Page 235 Bus blinds Question No: 3256 / 2013 Valerie Shawcross I have noticed that a number of buses on numerous routes are now beginning to use the new ‘white on black’ bus blinds rather than ‘yellow on black’. How is this change being rolled out and how are buses selected to have the new blinds installed? Written response from the Mayor Please see my response to MQ 3231 /2013. * Bus blinds 2 Question No: 3257 / 2013 Valerie Shawcross What has been spent on providing new ‘white on black’ bus blinds so far and how much will it eventually cost to install them on all London’s buses? Written response from the Mayor Please see my response to MQ 3231 /2013. * Catford loop train services Question No: 3258 / 2013 Valerie Shawcross I understand that train services on the ‘Catford loop’ are due to be transferred to the new Thameslink/Southern franchise when this is relet. Will you write to the Department for Transport in support of local calls for the Department for Transport to use the opportunity of a new service specification to deliver more services for the Catford loop – in particular the previously proposed Victoria-Bellingham/Bromley South service? This would help a huge number of South London rail passengers by reinstating direct train services to Victoria for Clapham High Street and Wandsworth Road and providing more trains for Peckham Rye and Nunhead. Written response from the Mayor As you know, I am strongly in favour of this new service, and I will ask TfL to – again – make the case for it to the Government. Any service to Victoria on the Catford Loop will in fact remain the responsibility of the southeast London train operator. Nonetheless, the Government is planning to directly re-award that franchise for four additional years from April next year, and we will lobby for an off-peak Victoria – Bromley South service to be introduced. Of course, my proposals for TfL to have more responsibility for rail services in southeast London include exactly this service, and I am continuing to work towards these in the longer term. * Apprentices Question No: 3259 / 2013 Fiona Twycross Have you now considered how you are going to publish information on apprenticeship
Page 236 completion? When will you do this? Written response from the Mayor Apprenticeships completion data broken down at the regional level will be published as part of the annual report from the National Apprenticeships Service. Publication dates are not available yet. For the direct recruitment of GLA group apprentices we are now capturing completion information and this information will be published at the end of each reporting period. The 2013/14 information will be published in April 2014. * Pay Day Lenders (1) Question No: 3260 / 2013 Fiona Twycross Will the Mayor block access to websites providing high interest pay day loans in the GLA? Written response from the Mayor These sites are currently not blocked and there are no immediate plans to block them. The matter will be reviewed by the Governance Steering Group later in the year. Pay Day Lenders (2) Question No: 3261 / 2013 Fiona Twycross Does the Mayor support the Archbishop of Canterbury’s commitment to put pay day lenders out of business? Will he show support for the aims of his campaign by ensuring that pay day lenders such as Wonga are no longer able to advertise through TfL? Written response from the Mayor As I understand it, the Archbishop of Canterbury wants to compete with pay day lenders to provide a less expensive way of lending people money when they really need it. I am supportive of the Archbishop’s approach, potentially bringing more competition into the market, and congratulate him on his drive and vision. With regard to preventing pay day lenders from advertising on TfL property, I have previously responded to similar questions on this matter. Please see my response to MQ 1959 / 2012 at: http://mqt.london.gov.uk/mqt/public/question.do?id=41715 . My advice to Londoners is that they should always be careful when borrowing money and to be particularly cautious of punitive interest rates. * Help to Buy Question No: 3262 / 2013 Fiona Twycross Do you think ‘Help to Buy’ is inflating the property market and exacerbating a property bubble
Page 237 in London? Written response from the Mayor No. The current phase of Help to Buy is limited to new build only and housebuilders are saying it is already helping them bring forward additional supply. Thames Water Question No: 3263 / 2013 Fiona Twycross Given the devastation caused by recent flooding in Herne Hill, what assurances have you sought from Thames Water they are properly addressing all the factors that led to the flood to avoid a similar occurrence happening elsewhere in London? Written response from the Mayor I continue to maintain pressure on Thames Water to identify and replace mains at high risk of bursting, and to fix the leaks that do occur as swiftly as possible. * Lewisham Hospital Question No: 3264 / 2013 Fiona Twycross Does the Mayor support Jeremy Hunt MP’s appeal of the judicial review decision on Lewisham Hospital? Written response from the Mayor It is not appropriate for me to comment on the Secretary of State’s decision to appeal the Judicial Review decisions. * Tuberculosis Question No: 3265 / 2013 Fiona Twycross According to figures from Public Health England (PHE), London has the worst rates for tuberculosis in Western Europe. Given your role in addressing health inequalities across London, how do you plan to take control of this public health emergency and reduce the level of TB in years to come? Written response from the Mayor Controlling the spread of TB remains a public health priority for London. Public Health England will be working with key partners to make concerted efforts to significantly reduce the level of TB in London in the coming years. I understand that this will include: • Co-ordinating the commissioning of screening services to identify latent TB including good access to screening and diagnostic services for people from ‘high-incidence’ countries. • Initiatives to tackle TB amongst hard-to-reach, high risk groups including homeless people and those misusing drugs and alcohol. * Physical Activity Question No: 3266 / 2013 Page 238 Fiona Twycross According to UCL researchers, 51% of 6,500 children achieved the recommended hour of physical activity, however for girls the figure was just 38% compared with 63% for boys. Given your pledges regarding Olympic legacy and sport for children, can you do anything to encourage children in London to be more active? Written response from the Mayor A significant proportion of my £22.5 million Sports Legacy Programme is devoted to increasing sports participation amongst London’s young people. Through the £16.5 million invested to date, we have: trained 13,000 sports coaches and officials to deliver grassroots sport; built or improved 77 sports facilities across every London Borough; and delivered participation programmes that have benefitted in excess of 250,000 Londoners (approximately 20 per cent of whom were previously inactive). Many of the projects have been targeted specifically at young people and I will continue to invest in grassroots sports projects to get more girls and boys participating in sport and physical activity. * ”Bedroom Tax” (1) Question No: 3267 / 2013 Fiona Twycross Does the Mayor agree with Andrew George MP that the “bedroom tax” is ‘wrecking communities’? Written response from the Mayor No. The spare room subsidy will help those suffering overcrowding, by ending the unfairness of allowing those in subsidised social rented housing to stay indefinitely in homes larger than they need. * ”Bedroom Tax” (2) Question No: 3268 / 2013 Fiona Twycross What, if any, concerns has the Mayor raised with Minsters over the impact of the “bedroom tax” on Londoners? Written response from the Mayor I support the introduction of the spare room subsidy. * Academies Question No: 3269 / 2013 Fiona Twycross Why are you dropping your involvement with Academies? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. Written response from the Mayor received 19 September 2013
Page 239 The Academies programme is well established in London and I no longer need to be involved in the governance of any single school. Following the Education Inquiry my focus will be on supporting London schools on a more strategic level. I will continue to provide grant funding to the four Academies for delivery of the Three-Part Offer, to provide their students with the skills and knowledge required for a successful transition from secondary school into further and higher education and then employment. * Beddington Incinerator Question No: 3270 / 2013 Fiona Twycross Why did you refuse to stop planning permission for the Beddington Incinerator? Written response from the Mayor Having assessed the scheme against relevant strategic and local planning policies, it was considered to be in accordance with the London Plan and there were insufficient grounds on which to direct Sutton Council to refuse the planning application. This is as set out in the officers report which you can view at: http://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/planning/strategic-planning-applications/mayors-planni ng-decisions/beddington-farmlands-waste-management-facility . * Emirates Airline Question No: 3271 / 2013 Fiona Twycross Will you lower the cost of the Emirates Airline to encourage more people to use it as part of their daily commute? * Written response from the Mayor Please see my response to MQ 2421 /2013. Mentoring Programme (1) Question No: 3272 / 2013 Fiona Twycross What recent evaluation of the Mentoring Programme for black teenage boys has taken place? Written response from the Mayor The Mayor’s Mentoring Programme (MMP) Evaluation commenced in February 2013 and is being delivered by the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion – who are experts in measuring the impact of mentoring. The first interim report is due in January 2014. * Mentoring Programme (2) Question No: 3273 / 2013 Fiona Twycross What form does evaluation of the Mentoring Programme take? Written response from the Mayor
Page 240 The evaluation will consist of an Impact Evaluation of the MMP; this includes surveys, focus groups and interviews with mentors, mentees and other relevant individuals in addition to quantitative data analysis and a literature review. The evaluation will evaluate the model of programme implementation in addition to evaluating the effectiveness of the intervention. * Overground Operating hours Question No: 3274 / 2013 Fiona Twycross Does the Mayor have any plans to extend the London Overground network including both track and hours of opening? Written response from the Mayor London Overground’s operating hours are being considered as part of TfL’s wider assessment of greater night time rail operations. TfL is actively making the case for an extension of the Gospel Oak – Barking line to Barking Riverside – please see MQ 3001/2013 for more information. Additionally, of course, the Secretary of State has announced his decision in principle that rail services linking Liverpool Street to Enfield Town, Chingford and Cheshunt (via Seven Sisters) will be devolved to TfL from 2015. * Homeshell Houses Question No: 3275 / 2013 Fiona Twycross Does the Mayor think that Homeshell houses provide a potential solution to London’s housing problem? Written response from the Mayor Homeshell houses may be a suitable design solution for a number of schemes/sites in London and indeed some of our investment partners are using this building technique but, in isolation, the product is unlikely to represent a solution to the housing challenges London faces. * Cycle Hire Scheme Question No: 3276 / 2013 Fiona Twycross What is the timescale for extending the cycle hire scheme to Outer London? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Fuel Question No: 3277 / 2013 Fiona Twycross What action are you taking to support the industry in London that makes fuel from used Page 241 cooking oil? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Financial Inclusion Question No: 3278 / 2013 Fiona Twycross What will you do to commit to increasing financial inclusion in the capital? Written response from the Mayor Financial inclusion remains important for Londoners. The Centre for Financial Inclusion defines financial inclusion as ‘a state in which everyone who can use financial services has access to a full suite of quality financial services, provided at affordable prices, in a convenient manner, with respect and dignity. Financial services are delivered by a range of providers, in a stable, competitive market to financially capable clients’. A project in numeracy is due to be commissioned in October and aims at bringing math clubs in primary schools. Partnerships with institutions such as TheCityUK and the City of London work towards strengthening the contribution of the sector to society and increasing the number of people that have access to financial services. * Vickers Report Question No: 3280 / 2013 Fiona Twycross As Mayor, which recommendations of the Vickers Report do you support? Written response from the Mayor I have analysed the proposals in the Vickers Report and I recognise the need of ensuring a sound banking system. Financial Services, of which banks form the major part, are absolutely central to the London economy. Banks are a vital provider of funds to businesses and consumers; and are also a significant employer. While it is important for new regulations to ensure more stability in the sector, they should not do any damage to the growth of this key sector. Raising capital requirements is an important aspect of strengthening the UK banking sector, but this should be done without hurting the competitiveness of the banks based here. * Banking Reform Bill (1) Question No: 3281 / 2013 Fiona Twycross What representations have you made to the government regarding the Banking Reform Bill, and over what concerns are you still lobbying the government? Written response from the Mayor Along with the Vickers report, I have reviewed the Banking Reform Bill and welcome the measures designed to strengthen this vitally important industry. Nevertheless, while stability in the banking sector is important, so is its potential for growth. A key point to Government is the need to distinguish deposit-taking banks from other non-bank financial institutions as we need
Page 242 to ensure well-functioning capital markets. Both the Banking Reform Bill and the Vickers Report distinguish between them. * Banking Reform Bill (2) Question No: 3282 / 2013 Fiona Twycross From whom within the financial services sector have you received representations regarding the report by the Independent Commission on Banking, the Banking Reform white paper and the Banking Reform Bill? Written response from the Mayor I have received representations from Standard Chartered and HSBC. * Unemployment (1) Question No: 3283 / 2013 Fiona Twycross What are you doing to reduce unemployment amongst young black males in London? Written response from the Mayor Please see my response to MQ1301 / 2013. Unemployment (2) Question No: 3284 / 2013 Fiona Twycross What are you doing to reduce unemployment amongst disabled people in London? Written response from the Mayor This answer was also provided for previous MQ 1300/2013. The Government provides mainstream support for disabled Londoners looking to find employment. In addition a number of projects are funded through my European Social Fund (ESF), each with equalities targets including 22 per cent participation of disabled groups. To date, this target has been exceeded at 28 per cent. Support for disabled groups will continue to be a priority for ESF in the next programming period (2014-2020). * Employment Question No: 3285 / 2013 Fiona Twycross What estimate can the Mayor provide for the number of people who will be in work in London in May 2016 compared to May 2012? Written response from the Mayor In March 2012 (the last data point before May 2012) there were 5.032 million workforce jobs in London (that is, jobs located in London whether or not they are taken by residents of
Page 243 London). By March 2013 (the latest date for which data is available) this figure had risen to 5.140 million jobs - an increase of 108,000. Looking forward, GLA Economics’ latest medium term forecast (published in London’s Economic Outlook in July) forecasts annual growth in workforce jobs of 0.7 per cent in both 2014 and 2015 (there is no forecast for 2016). Using the March 2013 jobs figure, this would account for another 72,000 jobs (taking total jobs in London to over 5.2 million in 2015). * ‘Know Your Rights’ campaign Question No: 3286 / 2013 Fiona Twycross Please provide an update of the activity taken through your ‘Know Your Rights’ campaign since the 2012 mayoral election. Written response from the Mayor My Know Your Rights take-up campaign, aimed at helping older people claim benefits, was launched in January 2013. The campaign comprised television and radio coverage, adverts in free local newspapers, distribution of over 50,000 posters and leaflets to GP surgeries, community centres, town halls and libraries across London, a dedicated web page and social media activities and several benefit take-up events hosted by local Age UK centres. * Debt Question No: 3287 / 2013 Fiona Twycross Do you still plan to host a debt conference? If so, when? Written response from the Mayor There are no plans to host a debt conference. Food banks Question No: 3288 / 2013 Fiona Twycross Will you visit a food bank? Written response from the Mayor Please see my response to question 17 /2013 from the London Assembly Plenary on 24 July. * Zero-hours contracts (1) Question No: 3289 / 2013 Fiona Twycross Do you believe that the growing use of zero-hours contracts in London is acceptable? Written response from the Mayor This is a matter of national policy rather than for City Hall. * Zero-hours contracts (2)
Page 244 Question No: 3290 / 2013 Fiona Twycross How many employees of the Greater London Authority and its functional bodies are employed on zero-hours contracts? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Zero-hours contracts (3) Question No: 3291 / 2013 Fiona Twycross How many employees of those contractors used by the Greater London Authority are employed on zero-hours contracts? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Zero-hours contracts (4) Question No: 3292 / 2013 Fiona Twycross Does the Mayor stipulate that companies receiving funding from the Greater London Authority, for example through the Affordable Housing Programme, must not use zero-hours contracts? If not, would the Mayor consider implementing such a requirement and does he have an estimate for the number of people currently employed on this basis within companies in receipt of GLA funds? Written response from the Mayor The GLA does not stipulate that companies that receive GLA funding use zero-hours contracts. The use of these contracts is a matter of national policy rather than for City Hall. Zero-hours contracts (5) Question No: 3293 / 2013 Fiona Twycross Are you able to tell us how many Londoners are currently employed on zero-hours contracts? Written response from the Mayor No. Current estimates of the number of people currently employed on zero-hour contracts are only available at the UK level (not regional level). The Office for National Statistics have announced plans to publish an additional regular estimate of the number of ‘zero-hours’ employment contracts in the UK workforce from early 2014 - undertaking a short consultation exercise in September 2013 to clarify data requirements. * Food Poverty (2) Question No: 3294 / 2013 Fiona Twycross Page 245 Following the publication of the London Food Board report, ‘Child Hunger in London: Understanding Food Poverty in the Capital’, what steps are you going to take to alleviate food poverty amongst children? Written response from the Mayor Alleviating the effects of food poverty upon London’s children is a key priority for the Food Board and the Mayor’s Fund for London. In addition to existing work, such as that on supporting breakfast clubs, initiatives being planned include inviting London boroughs to apply for flagship status to help improve school food (and increase uptake of school meals) as part of the implementation of the Government’s School Food Plan; helping to make every school in London a food-growing school; launching a pilot to double the value of Healthy Start Vouchers when they are redeemed for fresh fruit and vegetables; and working with retail and charity sector partners to set up a network of social supermarkets to improve access to food for those most in need. I know that you have work on food poverty planned this autumn and I am glad that your team and Rosie Boycott’s will continue to work closely together on these issues. * Cost of living in London Question No: 3295 / 2013 Fiona Twycross For the last Mayor’s Question Time I submitted a question (reference 2739/2013) sent to me by a constituent: “Could you survive in London working 25 hours a week at only £7 an hour before tax and National Insurance if you also had to find money for rent, council tax, bills, and food?” With the greatest of respect, I do not believe you answered this question. Could you please provide an answer? Written response from the Mayor As I set out in my Vision, I think that it is right that as many London businesses as possible should pay the London Living Wage in order to reflect the exceptional cost of this city to those on low incomes. Regional growth Question No: 3296 / 2013 Fiona Twycross Has the Mayor advised the government on regional policy and, if so, what has he advised them? Written response from the Mayor I regularly advise Government on regional policy in relation to London. Specifically, my London Enterprise Panel published its ‘Jobs and Growth Plan for London’ in April this year. This document, in partnership with my Vision 2020, sets out my ambitions for supporting growth in the capital. * Football Hooliganism Question No: 3298 / 2013 Fiona Twycross Why does the Mayor think football hooliganism on the tube is rising? What is the Mayor doing to tackle increased football hooliganism on the tube? Page 246 Written response from the Mayor Figures released from the British Transport Police (BTP) in August show there has been an increase in the number of reported football-related incidents over the last year – nationally and in London. The BTP believes this increase is largely due to increased reporting by staff and passengers, rather than an increase in the level of football-related crime and antisocial behaviour. The majority of fans cause no trouble but there is a disruptive minority who do cause problems and are intimidating to other rail passengers. The public are becoming less tolerant of this antisocial behaviour and are reporting it. The BTP has introduced new reporting methods such as the BTP text reporting service and Twitter to make it easier and quicker to report and are encouraging staff and passengers to report issues so the police can take action. The reports are used to better inform police deployments and operations. The BTP use a broad menu of tactics to tackle football-related crime and antisocial behaviour including increased uniform and plain clothes patrols, CCTV and Football Banning Orders to deal with known offenders. * High Speed Question No: 3299 / 2013 Fiona Twycross In the light of the Institute of Economic Affairs estimate that the cost of HS2 will be closer to £80bn than the original estimate £50.1bn, do you support the HS2 High Speed Rail link? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Mayoral Direction – Fire Cuts Question No: 3300 / 2013 Fiona Twycross Why did you issue LFEPA with a Mayoral Direction to attempt to force your fire cuts through? Written response from the Mayor My direction demonstrated my full support for the London Fire Commissioner’s proposals for the Fifth London Safety Plan, which have now been adopted by LFEPA and under which more boroughs are brought within the average target response time targets. The full reasoning behind my direction is contained in MD1238, available via: http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor-assembly/mayor/mayoral-decisions/MD1238 As stated in my letter to LFEPA of 2 August 2013, I remain open to any alternative proposals LFEPA puts forward for savings. Any proposals would be considered in the light of the professional advice provided by the London Fire Commissioner. I have yet to receive any such proposals from LFEPA despite the opportunities provided to LFEPA Members to do so at LFEPA meetings held on 22 November 2012, 21 January 2013, 18 July 2013 and 12 September 2013.
Page 247 It is important to note that, comparing London statistics for 2012 with 2000, fires have reduced by 56 per cent over that period, total incidents by 39 per cent and fatalities by 25 per cent. This has happened within the context of a 15 per cent growth in population. Furthermore, in the period from 2003 to 2012, the metropolitan fire services outside the capital have reduced their numbers of firefighters by between 13 and 23 per cent. In London the equivalent reduction has been one per cent. * New Bus for London – wheelchair access Question No: 3304 / 2013 Darren Johnson During the 2011 trials carried out on full-scale mock-ups of the New Bus for London, disability charities raised concerns about accessibility for users of large wheelchairs. In light of these concerns, TfL confirmed that changes had been made to the wheelchair bay design, including the removal of several rails and seats. However, users of larger powered wheelchairs using the buses that are now driving on routes in London have reported that the wheelchair bay is of inadequate size and that handrails have been installed in awkward places. Can you provide evidence which shows that TfL did indeed act upon the concerns raised back in 2011 by changing the designs and then producing buses to the new specification? Written response from the Mayor Design of the new bus has evolved following extensive engagement with user interest groups from the end of 2010 to the start of 2011. This involved a large number of users including disabled passengers trying out a full mock-up of the vehicle and re-testing it when modifications were made such as repositioning the vertical pole adjacent to the wheelchair bay. All of the original stakeholders were subsequently able to manoeuvre into the bay more easily as a result. TfL has received many comments from wheelchair users praising the latest design of buses which includes a wheelchair bay greater than the minimum statutory requirement. The lateral pole to the side cannot be removed, however, as it is a legal requirement and buttresses wheelchairs or scooters from moving sideways. TfL is investigating options to further improve the accessibility and usability of the wheelchair bay within the constraints of the regulatory requirements. TfL will continue to review current and proposed vehicle specifications to ensure we take a balanced view in catering for the needs of all customers. * New Bus for London – promotion Question No: 3305 / 2013 Darren Johnson You have so far spent £160,000 promoting the New Bus for London being rolled out onto routes 24 and 11. Are you planning a similar level of promotion when it is rolled out on other routes? Written response from the Mayor The communications plans are still in progress for routes 9 and 390 which are launching later this year, but it is anticipated there will be a reduced budget spent on media. This is because
Page 248 TfL is not intending to produce the postcard and accompanying activity for these routes, and also as a result of reduced poster site availability in proximity to the routes being launched. * Ventilation on New Bus for London Question No: 3306 / 2013 Darren Johnson Please outline the measures TfL have taken in response to passenger complaints of severe overheating on the new Routemaster buses across London this summer. Written response from the Mayor There were a number of faults discovered with the air chill system on some of the buses on route 24 after they entered service. These faults were quickly corrected and an improved quality assurance process has now been put in place by the manufacturer for future vehicles. In addition, an improved fresh air flow rate has been introduced to both the upper and lower decks. * Cycling sensitive streets Question No: 3307 / 2013 Darren Johnson Will you proactively approach boroughs to encourage them to trial the ‘Cycling sensitive streets’ initiative on designated routes, so that the effects of lowering the threshold for surface defect intervention on the safety of vulnerable road users can be assessed? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Encouraging use of cargo bikes - incentive scheme Question No: 3308 / 2013 Darren Johnson Increasing the usage of cargo bikes in London would go some way to reducing the estimated £2 billion city businesses lose annually due to congestion whilst reducing carbon emissions. Will you therefore give serious thought to creating an incentive scheme to encourage the major delivery companies to utilise cargo bikes rather than diesel vans for the delivery of small and medium sized packages? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Encouraging greater use of cargo bikes - municipal services Question No: 3309 / 2013 Darren Johnson A variety of municipal services - for example litter picking and green space maintenance - can be delivered cost effectively and cleanly using cargo bikes. Will you encourage the inner London boroughs to implement trials using cargo bikes to deliver these services? Written response from the Mayor Page 249 Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Removal of conductors from London Overground trains Question No: 3310 / 2013 Darren Johnson The Managing Director of London Overground Rail Operations Limited (LOROL) cited the helpfulness and attitude of team members as a factor in the 92 per cent satisfaction rate the service achieved in a recent customer survey. I am told there are now plans to remove 126 conductors from London Overground services from December 2013 onwards. Will you as chairman of TfL intervene and ensure that the conductors remain and that passengers continue to benefit from the high levels of customer service which they provide? Written response from the Mayor Customer satisfaction is influenced by a wide variety of factors including punctuality, reliability, value for money and cleanliness of stations and trains, which will remain unchanged by this proposal. The highly skilled and dedicated LOROL staff will continue to play a significant role in maintaining high levels of satisfaction. All London Overground managed stations will continue to have visible trained staff available at all times while services operate to assist passengers. * DLR extension to Bromley Question No: 3311 / 2013 Darren Johnson Please provide an update on the latest stage of TfL’s engagement with Bromley and Lewisham in developing funding and feasibility studies for a potential DLR extension to Bromley. Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * TfL consultation - Piccadilly line upgrade Question No: 3312 / 2013 Darren Johnson A constituent has suggested that implementing an all day stopping service at Turnham Green station as part of the Piccadilly Line upgrade would reduce crowding at Hammersmith and Acton Town stations during peaks hours, reduce journey times for passengers using intermediary stations and reduce journey times for Chiswick and Acton residents. Will you ask TfL to investigate this suggestion? Written response from the Mayor I made a commitment to this during my 2012 election campaign. I have therefore asked TfL to consider this suggestion as part of the current consultation on the Piccadilly line. * River Crossings (1) Question No: 3313 / 2013
Page 250 Darren Johnson Have you, or Transport for London, rejected any individual scheme, or package of schemes, outlined in your options paper and the public consultation on the river crossings? If so, which ones are no longer being considered? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * River Crossings (2) Question No: 3314 / 2013 Darren Johnson Please summarise which schemes for encouraging public transport use and reducing road demand might yet be adopted and/or form the subject of a further public consultation, other than the identified option of user charging at the Blackwall Tunnel in conjunction with new road infrastructure? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * River Crossings (3) Question No: 3315 / 2013 Darren Johnson Will any options which do not involve increased road capacity be subject of any future river crossings consultation exercise? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Construction consolidation centres Question No: 3316 / 2013 Darren Johnson Construction consolidation centres are distribution facilities through which material deliveries are channelled to construction sites. What plans, if any, do you have to create more consolidation centres in London, given that this would help to rid our inner city streets of many of the large construction vehicles which currently threaten pedestrians and cyclists? Written response from the Mayor I fully support any initiative that manages the number of construction lorries on London’s roads and improves the safety of vulnerable road users. TfL established the first London Construction Consolidation Centre (LCCC) at Bermondsey in 2005 and the facility demonstrated a 68 per cent reduction in the number of construction vehicles delivering to sites as a result. The full results are available at: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/microsites/freight/documents/publications/LCCC_final_report_July_20 09.pdf This facility remains fully functional and has since relocated to Silvertown, where it is operated on a commercial basis. Page 251 TfL has recently launched Construction Logistics Plans (CLP) guidance (http://www.tfl.gov.uk/microsites/freight/documents/construction-logistics-plan-guidance-fo r-planners.pdf ) which promotes the use of consolidation centres and road safety requirements for construction vehicles through planning policy. All referable planning applications within London are now encouraged to implement CLPs as a planning condition. I would urge all borough planning departments to insist on consolidating construction deliveries through CLPs for all new developments. * Tax dodging contractors Question No: 3317 / 2013 Darren Johnson In your response to Q1926/2013 you stated that Sir Peter Hendy has looked in detail into allegations of tax dodging which had been levelled at Arriva. Please share the outcome of Sir Peter’s investigation and what actions, if any, you as chair of the TfL board or Sir Peter as TfL commissioner intend to take on this matter. Written response from the Mayor The Arriva Chief Executive provided Sir Peter Hendy with full assurances about the integrity of their business and tax affairs, and that they pay tax at the group company level. Given this assurance, TfL does not consider that action is necessary. * London Affordable Rent definition Question No: 3318 / 2013 Darren Johnson You committed to working with London Citizens and others to define a London Affordable Rent and publish the figure annually. What progress have you made on this? Written response from the Mayor My new draft Housing Strategy, to be published shortly, will set out my approach to affordability. Affordable rent conversions Question No: 3319 / 2013 Darren Johnson Thank you for your answer to question 2251/2013. Can you provide figures for homes converted from social rent to affordable rent as agreed with registered providers as part of the Affordable Homes programme, broken down by financial year and borough? Written response from the Mayor No. The HCA, in its role as Social Housing Regulator, collects information on conversions from social rent to affordable rent but the only geographical split is London/outside of London.
Page 252 * Progress with opportunity areas Question No: 3320 / 2013 Darren Johnson Which developments in your 33 opportunity areas are already on sale, or do you expect to go on sale in the next few years? Written response from the Mayor We do not keep information on sales but I am aware of developments in the Opportunity Areas. * Social housing in opportunity areas Question No: 3321 / 2013 Darren Johnson How many (a) social rent and (b) affordable rent homes do you expect to deliver on the 33 opportunity areas, as part of the 201,300 homes mentioned in answer to question 1969/2013? Written response from the Mayor We will seek to maximise the delivery of affordable homes in these areas. The actual mix on each site will be agreed on a case by case basis, taking into account local circumstances including viability. House prices in opportunity areas (1) Question No: 3322 / 2013 Darren Johnson For the 33 opportunity areas where sales prices are known, what is (or was) the starting price for one bed flats in each of the developments? Where opportunity areas include multiple developments (e.g. Trafalgar Place and One the Elephant in Elephant & Castle) please cite each development separately. Written response from the Mayor My officers do not keep records of the sales prices of individual flats within developments and so I am unable to provide that information for you. It should be available through the land registry. In the White City and VNEB Opportunity Areas, Development Infrastructure Funding Studies (DIFS) have been completed that make assumptions about residential values more generally but not at the level that you are requesting. * House prices in opportunity areas (2) Question No: 3323 / 2013 Darren Johnson For the 33 opportunity areas where sales prices are known, what is (or was) the average price per square foot in each of the developments? Where opportunity areas include multiple developments (e.g. Trafalgar Place and One the Elephant in Elephant & Castle) please cite each development separately. Written response from the Mayor My officers do not keep records of sales prices achieved per square foot in the Opportunity Areas. The sales prices achieved of individual units should be available through the land registry. Page 253 * Buy-to-let tax breaks Question No: 3324 / 2013 Darren Johnson You support buy-to-let landlords that buy new homes because you say they help to bring forward development. Would you support an end to tax breaks for buy-to-let mortgages on existing properties? Written response from the Mayor No. Increasing costs for landlords is not the way to address London’s housing challenges. * Car club bays in new developments Question No: 3326 / 2013 Darren Johnson How many car club bays will there be in the Earl’s Court Development, the Heygate Development and the Olympic Park development respectively? Written response from the Mayor Earls Court – 20 bays, with potential for additional bays if deemed necessary as part of monitoring by the Transport Review Group and reasonably practicable. Heygate – The Section 106 agreement requires a car club scheme for the delivery of spaces to be submitted for each reserved matters application in accordance with the car club principles set out in the agreement. Olympic Legacy scheme – 1 car club bay per 150 residential units. * TfL funding to car clubs Question No: 3327 / 2013 Darren Johnson Further to your response to question 2405 / 2013, please detail how many of the 2,500 car club vehicles mentioned are based in the inner London boroughs and what action are you now taking to support the roll out of car club type services in outer London? Written response from the Mayor As of July 2013, 1376 car club vehicles are in Inner London (Camden, City of London, Hackney, Hammersmith & Fulham, Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth and Westminster). In addition, there are some 500 floating car club vehicles not assigned to a dedicated car club parking bay. London has the largest car club market in Europe and I am fully committed to the continued growth of this industry across the whole Capital. In my Mayoralty TfL has provided around £2m in funding to support the roll out of dedicated car club bays across the Capital and continues to fund car club accreditation and research. TfL also works with boroughs across London to encourage expansion of car club provision through the planning process.
Page 254 TfL is working very actively with the car club industry to promote car clubs as a viable option for all Londoners including developing a number of marketing and stakeholder initiatives this year as well as exploring a wide range of other measures. * Pay as you go driving Question No: 3328 / 2013 Darren Johnson Your Roads Task Force recommends that “proper consideration is given to the wider use of smarter charging in the longer-term as a means to manage demand and make more efficient use of the road space.” Do you agree that this is a crucial discussion for Transport for London and a future Mayor? Written response from the Mayor I have always said that road user charging can be effective in managing travel patterns and can be tailored to support sustainable transport objectives. This position is reflected in my Transport Strategy. Smarter charging may be one potential way of managing a range of issues on London’s roads. I am also committed to linking in to the national debate on the future means for paying for road infrastructure which the Government is investigating. In addition, I have instructed TfL to undertake feasibility studies to explore: • potential future stages of the current Low Emission Zone to cut further harmful air pollution; and • options for an Ultra-Low Emission Zone by 2020 to encourage ultra-low emission vehicles in the capital. * Taxi emission reductions Question No: 3329 / 2013 Jenny Jones The policies in your Air Quality Strategy, alongside natural improvement to the taxi fleet, were due to help PM10 emissions from London’s taxi fleet by 50% between 2008 and 2015. Given what the Kings College report for DEFRA says about the reality of Euro vehicle standards for taxis, what is your new estimate of the reductions resulting from these policies? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Eco-driving course for taxi drivers Question No: 3330 / 2013 Jenny Jones Can you please update me on the eco-driving course for new taxi drivers, as outlined in question 0822/2011? How many new drivers have taken the course and how many existing drivers? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Page 255 * Taxi age limit - impact of measures, taken from TfL consultation response Question No: 3331 / 2013 Jenny Jones One of the aims of your 2010 Air Quality Strategy was to ensure that all new taxis had a 60% fuel economy compared to existing vehicles. Can you report on your progress in achieving that goal? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Taxi emissions Question No: 3332 / 2013 Jenny Jones Do you accept that a Euro 5 taxi will generally emit more NO2 pollution than some older black cabs? Which types of black cab emit less NO2 according to the recent King College study for DEFRA? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * TfL emissions Question No: 3333 / 2013 Jenny Jones What progress has been made by Transport for London in meeting their target to reduce NOx emissions by 40% from TfL’s own operations by 2017/18? What further action are they taking to achieve this? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Air Pollution standards Question No: 3334 / 2013 Jenny Jones In evidence to a Parliamentary Select Committee in June 2011 you state that “A Euro 5 car, for example, emits around five times as much direct NO2 as a fifteen year old car.’’ Can you explain why you agreed to impose the taxi age limit, based upon the outdated modeling of taxi pollution reduction which supported your Air Quality Strategy, when you knew that the emission factors would need to be updated? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Page 256 Portable Emission Measurement Systems (1) Question No: 3335 / 2013 Jenny Jones The European Commission has now recognised that the test protocols used for approval of vehicles does not reflect their use in urban environments. Does Transport for London also accept this fact? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Portable Emission Measurement Systems (2) Question No: 3336 / 2013 Jenny Jones The European Commission has recently conducted Portable Emissions Measurement System testing to show real-life emissions levels. Do you think Transport for London should conduct its own random sampling approach to bus and taxi emissions in real life conditions, using similar equipment? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * On the road conformity testing of SCR buses Question No: 3337 / 2013 Jenny Jones Since the completion of the retro fitting of Selective Catalytic Reduction units to buses travelling through Putney High Street, emissions of NO2 have exceeded the annual limit values of no more than 18 hourly permitted exceedances per year (hourly mean >200ug/m3). Between the 9th July and 23rd August, the number of hourly exceedances recorded was 150 times. In order to test the ‘on road’ effectiveness of the £10m SCR roll out will you undertake to commission the use of a Remote Sensing Device (RSD) study in London, as recently used by DEFRA? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Buses and SCR Question No: 3338 / 2013 Jenny Jones Are you concerned that manufacturers of buses being used in London have fitted Selective Catalytic Reduction systems which are not suitable for urban environments, but enable them to obtain a Euro 4 standard? Will you aim to retrofit these hundreds of buses with replacement SCR equipment which is suitable for urban conditions? Written response from the Mayor Page 257 Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Road safety budget Question No: 3339 / 2013 Jenny Jones Will you reverse the £36m annual cut you made to the London road safety budget in order to make the actions in your Road Safety Action Plan a reality? Written response from the Mayor As I have previously said, I have doubled planned spending on London’s roads over the next 10 years. Leaving aside the millions of pounds we are spending on a range of cross-cutting programmes such as the Better Junctions programme, which will deliver safety benefits, more than £100 million of additional spending over the period of the current Business Plan is specifically for road safety improvements. Good progress is already being made delivering the actions from the Road Safety Action Plan. * Central London 20mph Zone Question No: 3340 / 2013 Jenny Jones Your Road Task Force called for a short term aim of introducing a 20mph speed limit across central London to improve safety. When will you start consultation on the size and shape of this area? Written response from the Mayor Many roads in central London already have a speed limit of 20 mph and I am pleased that, in its response to the Road Task Force report, TfL has confirmed its support for the rollout of 20mph on borough roads and its willingness to consider 20 mph on the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) at specific locations. A number of boroughs are looking into extending the use of a 20mph limit on their roads and are responsible for the consultations included in this process. The TLRN also already has a number of 20mph limits, including Tower Bridge, New Cross Road by New Cross Gate station, Camden High Street and the Waterloo IMAX roundabout, which was recently introduced. TfL will continue to work closely with the boroughs – as the relevant highway authorities for local roads – to support appropriate speed limits in Central London, including 20mph where appropriate. * Local Authorities and local roads Question No: 3341 / 2013 Jenny Jones The report by your Roads Task Force called for certain categories of road to be 20mph, including local streets, city streets and places. Will you encourage all local authorities London Boroughs to adopt this approach and fund all borough requests to make this happen? Written response from the Mayor
Page 258 In line with new DfT guidance, and as a key action of the recently published Road Safety Action Plan, TfL will continue to work with the boroughs to support the installation of 20mph zones and limits on borough roads where appropriate, and in keeping with the wider functions of the local road network, and their potential “street type”, as outlined by the Roads Task Force. The Local Implementation Plan process provides a funding mechanism by which all London boroughs receive support for traffic and highways schemes that meet local needs and priorities while also satisfying my Transport Strategy objectives. * Cycle Parking at City Hall (1) Question No: 3342 / 2013 Jenny Jones In your cycling vision you pledged to ‘deliver 80,000 additional cycle parking spaces in residential locations, stations, workplaces and other trip destinations by 2016’. Please outline your timetable for increasing cycle parking capacity in City Hall. Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Cycle Parking at City Hall (2) Question No: 3344 / 2013 Jenny Jones Are you aware that costed plans already exist for the motorcycle parking spaces at City Hall to be replaced by additional cycle parking? Will you instruct your cycling commissioner to meet with relevant GLA officers to discuss these plans and then report back to you? Written response from the Mayor I am aware that some plans exist to replace the existing motorbike spaces with bicycle parking in the City Hall loading bay. These plans were part of a package that was put together to review all the bike spaces. At the time the demand for increased cycle parking was met by removing some redundant lockers. I will ask the Executive Director of Resources to investigate these plans further and to look into the demand on cycle spaces in City Hall. * Cycle parking on More London Estate Question No: 3345 / 2013 Jenny Jones Do you agree that the number of cycle parking spaces on the More London Estate (64) is inadequate and, if so, will you begin working with the estate’s management to encourage them to increase capacity?
Page 259 Written response from the Mayor The Head of Facilities Management has discussed the need to increase the number of parking spaces on the More London estate with the landlords previously. However, they feel that there is an adequate provision on the estate, particularly as each building also has its own parking for their tenants. I will ask the Head of Facilities Management to discuss this with them again to highlight your concerns. Fracking in London – removal of local planning controls Question No: 3346 / 2013 Jenny Jones Are you concerned by recent reports that the regulation of shale gas exploration is to be taken out of the hands of councils and put under the control of DECC, the HSE and the Environment Agency? Will this apply to London? Written response from the Mayor As far as I am aware, according to the current state of geological knowledge, there is not thought to be potential for commercial production of unconventional oil or gas in London. However the Planning Practice Guidance for Onshore Oil and Gas (CLG, July 2013) retains a role for councils in decisions on applications. * Fracking in London Question No: 3347 / 2013 Jenny Jones With reference to your answer 2367/2013, when do you expect the British Geological Survey report for south-east England to be available? Written response from the Mayor The Office of Unconventional Gas and Oil at the Department of Energy and Climate Change suggests the Weald Basin study will be released in the spring of 2014. * Green Deal Question No: 3348 / 2013 Jenny Jones Have you set any targets for the number of properties assessed and/or retrofitted in London under the Green Deal in 2013/14? Written response from the Mayor My energy efficiency retrofit programmes aim to support delivery of my Climate Change Mitigation and Energy Strategy. As such, the targets for my RE:NEW Support Team are set in terms of carbon savings achieved through domestic retrofit, rather than the number of homes. My RE:NEW programme is funding neutral and aims to secure a fair portion of funding secured for London from the Energy Company Obligations (ECO), which can be leveraged with a combination of other financing mechanisms that could include Green Deal finance among other
Page 260 funding options. Therefore I have not set a target for the number of properties assessed and/or retrofitted in London under the Green Deal. * Energy Company Obligation Question No: 3349 / 2013 Jenny Jones How much ECO budget is potentially available for London in 2013/14, based on London drawing down a fair share equal to its proportion of the UK’s housing stock? Written response from the Mayor Government estimates that energy suppliers will need to pay £1.3 billion per annum to meet their ECO carbon reduction and bill saving targets, however this is not a budget and delivery could cost significantly more or less. ECO is delivered in England, Scotland and Wales; 13 per cent of these households are in London. However, London has approximately 25 per cent of the UK’s hard to treat homes, relating to the largest ECO target; 13 per cent of the ECO Carbon Saving Community Areas and 10 per cent of the nation’s fuel poor homes. In relation to the various ECO targets, I therefore believe that London’s fair share of ECO delivery is 20 per cent, or £260 million/annum through March 2015. * GLA Retrofitting team Question No: 3350 / 2013 Jenny Jones How many dedicated GLA officers are dealing exclusively with the uptake of the Energy Company Obligation and Green Deal programmes? Written response from the Mayor There are two GLA officers dedicated to domestic retrofit work; one focuses on driving retrofit delivery at scale, leveraging other funding sources including the uptake of the Energy Company Obligation and Green Deal programme. The other focuses on influencing policy, monitoring impacts, reducing barriers and sharing best practice for domestic retrofit. * RE:FIT – GLA family buildings Question No: 3351 / 2013 Jenny Jones Can you provide a list of all the LFEPA, MPA and TfL buildings that have been retrofitted under the RE:FIT programme, indicating the date of completion? Written response from the Mayor To test and demonstrate the concept of RE:FIT, pilot projects were delivered on 42 buildings across the GLA estate. LFEPA and MPA provided 10 buildings each, TfL provided 22 buildings. This project was completed in 2010. LFEPA have since undertaken a second phase of work across 23 buildings. This work was completed in December 2012. A list of these buildings has been provided in Appendix 5.
Page 261 In addition we are currently working with TfL on a new phase of work. They have currently identified 37 buildings for inclusion and hope to tender for development of this project in the Autumn 2013. * RE:FIT – Carbon savings Question No: 3352 / 2013 Jenny Jones Please provide the annual carbon savings achieved through each of your climate change programmes since 2008/09. Written response from the Mayor Please see the table below:
tCO2 p.a. 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13
RENEW 0 3,537 3,537 14,556 18,801
REFIT 0 0 7,228 8,737 12,378
Decentralised 0 0 463 2,220 9,305 Energy * Incineration in London Question No: 3353 / 2013 Jenny Jones According to DEFRA’s local authority collected waste statistic in 2008 (when you came to office) the proportion of London’s municipal waste sent to Incineration with ‘energy from waste’ was 22%. According to latest data this has risen to 35% in 2011/12. What proportion of London’s municipal waste do you expect to be incinerated at the end of your term of office in 2016? Written response from the Mayor The increase in London’s municipal waste going to incineration during my first term is mainly the result of the Belvedere incinerator in Bexley (approved by the previous administration), opening in 2011. This facility has capacity to treat circa 585,000 tonnes of waste per annum. I expect the proportion of London’s non-recycled waste sent to incineration in 2016 will be similar to current proportions with a slight increase should the Beddington Lane incinerator go ahead. * IPCC – 5th Report Question No: 3354 / 2013 Jenny Jones If as expected, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s forthcoming fifth assessment report indicates that their earlier predictions had underestimated the dangers and effects of climate change, will you urgently update your London Plan and climate mitigation and Page 262 adaptation policies accordingly? Written response from the Mayor My London Plan already sets stretching targets towards zero carbon development and seeks to ensure developments consider the potential risks from climate change such as flooding, less water resources and overheating. These policies in my London Plan are further supported by my draft Supplementary Planning Guidance on Sustainable Design and Construction. Therefore, at this stage I do not consider it necessary to update my London Plan and mitigation and adaptation policies. * Trees planted and felled by London councils (1) Question No: 3355 / 2013 Jenny Jones Are you actively collecting data from local authorities in London on the numbers of trees they plant and fell each year? And the net change? Written response from the Mayor We have requested tree data directly from local authorities and will continue to do so. However, the only complete datasets on trees planted by local authorities that we can guarantee to collect on an annual basis are those directly funded by mayoral initiatives, such as the Mayor’s Street Tree Initiative or Local Implementation Plans (LIPs). * Trees planted and felled by London councils (2) Question No: 3356 / 2013 Jenny Jones Can you supply the most recent annual data available on the number of trees local authorities in London planted and felled? Written response from the Mayor The most recent London-wide data is that collected by the Assembly for the 2011 Branching Out Report, which focuses on street tree numbers in London. * London’s Tree canopy cover Question No: 3357 / 2013 Jenny Jones What is your baseline year for carrying out aerial imagery of tree cover across London? Written response from the Mayor We conducted an analysis of vegetation, including tree cover, across London using aerial imagery acquired in 2010. Future analyses undertaken using the same methodology will be compared to this 2010 imagery. Page 263 * Two million more trees in London by 2025 Question No: 3358 / 2013 Jenny Jones Excluding trees planted under your street tree programme, how many new trees have been planted towards your strategic goal of an additional two million trees in London by 2025? Written response from the Mayor Tree planting across London is undertaken by a very wide range of partners and stakeholders. Therefore it is not possible to collect definitive data on the numbers of trees planted. However, based on an analysis by Trees for Cities (between 2003 and 2007) of trees planted by boroughs and other key partners, it has been estimated that 75,000 -120,000 trees are planted across London every year. This rate of planting, augmented by initiatives such as my Street Tree programme and the Government’s Big Tree Plant, will deliver the additional 2 million trees by 2025. * Two million more trees in London by 2025 (2) Question No: 3359 / 2013 Jenny Jones To achieving your strategic goal of an additional two million trees in London by 2025 have you set any interim tree planting/canopy cover targets? Written response from the Mayor No. Please see my answer to MQ 3358 /2013. * Ash Tree Die Back working group Question No: 3360 / 2013 Jenny Jones With reference to your answer to 3515/2012, can you provide an update on what progress you have made in forming a working group on Ash Dieback? Written response from the Mayor A joint conference with the Forestry Commission, City of London and the GLA on tackling the threats to London's trees from pests and diseases was held on the 24 th January 2013. My officers continue to liaise with the Forestry Commission and other stakeholders on how best to deal with pests and diseases affecting London’s trees. This includes Ash Die Back (Chalara), although no incidence has been confirmed in the Greater London Area since the disease was first recorded in the UK’s wider natural environment in October 2012. A key focus during 2013 has been to control Oak Processionary Moth (OPM). The GLA is represented on an OPM Advisory Group. * Ash Tree Die Back Question No: 3361 / 2013 Jenny Jones According to an open letter to you from the London Tree Officers Association, dated 14th
Page 264 November 2012, ‘it is just a matter of time before hundreds of thousands of London trees are under threat’ from Ash Die Back. What additional resources have you put into place to combat this unprecedented challenge facing Ash trees? Written response from the Mayor No incidence of Ash Die Back (Chalara) has been confirmed in the Greater London Area since the disease was first recorded in the UK’s wider natural environment in October 2012. The Government published the first Chalara Management Plan in March 2013 and will publish a revised plan no later than the end of March 2014. This will focus on non-woodland trees. My officers will continue to liaise with the Forestry Commission and other relevant bodies, including the LTOA, to ensure a response in London builds on the knowledge that has built up over the last 12 months on how best to deal with the disease in urban areas. I continue to provide resources to support the management and planting of trees through the RE:LEAF programme (including funding the planting of an additional 10,000 street trees by March 2015). * New York Tree Planting Programme Question No: 3362 / 2013 Jenny Jones The Mayor of New York through his MillionTreesNYC programme is planting trees at a rate of around 100,000 each year over a ten year period. Since it was launched in 2007, New York has planted over 750,00 trees. Given the impending loss of London’s trees from Ash Die back and from other new tree diseases that threaten to actually reduce London’s overall tree canopy cover, will you urgently look at the New York programme and funding model with a view of developing a similar scheme in London? Written response from the Mayor The New York programme and funding framework is predicated on a very different model of city governance. New York City is planting 70 per cent of the proposed I million trees on land owned and managed directly by the city authority. My RE:LEAF initiative aims to encourage, stimulate and support partnership working by boroughs, NGOs, and Londoners to plant more trees, and increase the amount of planting delivered by regeneration and new development. * London Business Advisory Council Question No: 3363 / 2013 Jenny Jones Please list the current and past members of this council, listing the period of their membership and the economic sector their company is in. Written response from the Mayor A list of current and past members of LBAC is list below:
Page 265
Membership Name Job Title Organisation details Sector Sara Parker Director CBI Current Business Group Professional Services (engineering, consulting, Philip Dilley Chairman CBI Previous technical) Susan Taylor-Martin CBI London Chair CBI Current Media Colin Stanbridge Chief Executive LCCI Current Business Group
Director of Policy and Sean McKee Public Affairs LCCI Current Business Group Sir Adrian Montague Chairman London First Previous Recruitment/ Utilities Professional Services (engineering, consulting, Philip Dilley Chairman London First Current technical) Baroness Jo Valentine Chief Executive London First Current Business Group
Director of Strategy & John Dickie Policy London First Current Business Group Business Group & Chair, London Policy Creative, Marketing, Sue Terpilowski Unit FSB Current Communications Sector
Senior Development Matthew Jaffa Manager for London FSB Current Business Group * Chief Police Officers’ guidance undercover police relationships (1) Question No: 3364 / 2013 Jenny Jones Thank you for your answer to my question 2385/2013, please could you confirm when the Commissioner committed to following the Association of Chief Police Officers’ guidance mentioned in your answer and when the ACPO guidance was written? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Chief Police Officers’ guidance undercover police relationships (2) Question No: 3365 / 2013 Jenny Jones Thank you for your answer to my question 2385/2013, please could you confirm that pre-authorisation for a sexual relationship between an undercover police officer and the person they are targeting would never be given? Written response from the Mayor The MPS should not pre-authorise a sexual relationship between an undercover operative and the subject(s) of their deployment. This would be unacceptable. It is also important to reiterate that sexual relationships should not occur on any undercover deployment.
Page 266 Before they are deployed all officers are expressly told what the terms of their deployment allow them to do, they then have to sign to agree that they have understood. If a situation arose where any of these terms of deployment were breached, then there are sufficient regulations within the police disciplinary code to deal with these breaches. * Chief Police Officers’ guidance on restricted duties (1) Question No: 3366 / 2013 Jenny Jones Please can you outline how the ACPO plans for police officers on restricted duties are different from those outlined in the second part of the Winsor Review into police pay and conditions, and which set of guidance MOPAC wants the MPS to follow? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Chief Police Officers’ guidance on restricted duties (2) Question No: 3367 / 2013 Jenny Jones Please could you explain what the ACPO proposed plans are for police officers on restricted duties and how the impact of these plans would affect the MPS? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Chief Police Officers’ guidance on restricted duties (3) Question No: 3368 / 2013 Jenny Jones Will the MPS be following the ACPO guidance on restricted officers or that of Tom Winsor in the second Winsor review? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Territorial Support Group budget Question No: 3369 / 2013 Jenny Jones What is the budget for the Territorial Support Group in the Metropolitan Police Service in 2013/14, and the proposed budget for 2014/15? Written response from the Mayor The gross budget for the Territorial Support Group in 2013/14 is £44 million. Budget proposals for 2014/15 are currently being developed. Page 267 * Public Order trained police Question No: 3370 / 2013 Jenny Jones How many public order level 1 & 2 trained officers are there in the Metropolitan Police Service? Written response from the Mayor As at 5 September 2013 the numbers were as follows: Level 1 – 673 officers are trained Level 2 – 4468 officers are trained * Metropolitan Police Service Overtime expenditure Question No: 3371 / 2013 Jenny Jones What was the 2012/13 expenditure on overtime for each of the following categories: police officers, police staff, PCSOs and traffic wardens? Please provide a breakdown by directorate. Within this breakdown, can you also provide a breakdown of how much of this spending was linked to public order policing? Written response from the Mayor Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. * Metropolitan Police Service Flights, cars and drivers Question No: 3372 / 2013 Jenny Jones What is the planned budget for the Metropolitan Police Service 2014/15 for a) flights, b) cars for senior officers, c) drivers, d) hotels? Written response from the Mayor Budget proposals for 2014/15 are currently being developed. MPS Directorate of public affairs Question No: 3373 / 2013 Jenny Jones What is the planned budget for the Metropolitan Police Service Directorate of public affairs for 2014/15? Written response from the Mayor Budget proposals for 2014/15 are currently being developed. Infant mortality rates Question No: 3374 / 2013 Jenny Jones Given your role in addressing health inequalities across London, would you be able to publish electoral ward-level data showing the 2002-2011 infant mortality rates in London? Page 268 Written response from the Mayor I understand that ward level infant mortality figures are not routinely published as the figures would not be statistically significant. Infant mortality rates by borough are available at www.phoutcomes.info . * Fuel Poverty Action Plan Question No: 3375 / 2013 Murad Qureshi Along with further projected increases in domestic gas and electricity costs, the Government’s welfare and housing reforms are leading to, what I consider, a ‘perfect storm’ for the fuel poor - which will most especially be felt by Londoners. The May 2013 RE:NEW evaluation summary report clearly shows the programme is not geared up to helping fuel poor households. Will the Mayor therefore take the issue of fuel poverty seriously and as a matter of urgency, commit to producing a London Fuel Poverty Action Plan in run-up to this winter? Written response from the Mayor My Climate Change Mitigation and Energy Strategy sets out the actions I am taking on fuel poverty and I have agreed with the London HECA Network, formerly London Carbon Action Network, an Affordable Warmth and Health Action Plan. I am committed to tackling fuel poverty. My RE:NEW programme has recently allocated £5.3 million DECC funding to finance energy efficiency measures in London’s fuel poor homes. I will shortly be publishing my Better Environment, Better Health guide for boroughs to integrate fuel poverty, among other environmental indicators, into their new public health powers and priorities. I have reinvigorated my RE:NEW programme with a Support Team that will work directly with social housing providers and boroughs to deliver energy efficiency programmes at a larger and faster scale, currently £187 million projects are in the pipeline. * Twinned city status with Moscow Question No: 3376 / 2013 Darren Johnson Will you pledge to end the “twinned city” link between London and Moscow unless the Russian Government ends what many people consider discrimination and hostility against LGBT people? Written response from the Mayor I am proud that London is a fantastically diverse city, with all Londoners, regardless of their age, sexuality, religion, gender or race, able to benefit from the progress London has made over the past few years. We stage events to bring communities together, including Maslenitsa, as well as vibrant and visible Pride celebrations. I also supported the bid to stage the 2018 Gay Games in London. I do share your deep concern about the abuse of LGBT people in Moscow and throughout Russia. However, I believe that we can better challenge prejudice through engagement. Isolation will not achieve change. * Identifying Land For Renewable Technologies Question No: 3377 / 2013
Page 269 Murad Qureshi Will the Mayor undertake a study of brownfield land owned by the GLA Group which could be suitable to host renewable and low carbon technologies? Written response from the Mayor Brownfield sites owned by the GLA Group are already identified in the London Heat Map as potential sites for decentralised energy. This can be cross-referenced with my Decentralised Energy Capacity Study (2011), which maps opportunities across London. The anaerobic digestion plant on the Sustainable Industries Park provides an example of renewable technology on GLA Group land. *
Page 270 Agenda Item 6
Appendix 1 Policing and Community Safety Predictive Policing Question Number: 2888/2013 11 September 2013 Roger Evans Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. I mean, obviously I think it would be a little bit unfortunate to try to compare crime rates with Los Angles with crime rates in London, Roger. Not even the most indefatigable British Conservative admirer of American policing could possible think that they are doing better than us, because they are not. Our City is far safer and we have far less crime of virtually every type in London than they do in Los Angles. That is why I slightly resist these sorts of slavish comparisons with great American urban success stories. Actually London has a very, very good record of driving down crime and we are going to continue to do it. This technique of using predictive policing maps is very interesting and we are certainly exploring it, as I say, and it will be on stream in full next year. Confidence in the Metropolitan Police Service Question Number: 2433/2013 17 July 2013 Joanne McCartney Jennette Arnold OBE (AM): The Metropolitan Police Service said he was facing them; they shot him in the back of the head. The campaigners have written to me and said, can you assure them that the Metropolitan Police Service did not try to smear both the Stanley family and the campaigners working for justice for the Harry Stanley campaign. Will you write to me once you have investigated these things? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I will certainly do that, Jennette. Confidence in the Metropolitan Police Service Question Number: 2433/2013 17 July 2013 Joanne McCartney Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am not some sort of human sponge to sit here and take abuse from somebody who, as I say, from bitter and long experience, peddles a load of nonsense. If you are right, Jenny, that the Metropolitan Police Service have not taken account of what Tom Winsor has said - and I doubt very much that you are right - but if you are right then I will certainly take it up with them. MPS Diversity Question Number: 1965/2013 19 June 2013 Joanne McCartney Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Thanks, Joanne. Yes, there is a big effort going on now on that as part of the Recruiting of 5,000 new officers over the next three years. We are trying to increase diversity as well in the force and to make sure we have, in London, a police force that represents the city we live in and that is what Londoners want. It is part of building confidence. What we will not do is compromise on quality and I am sure nobody would want us to do that.
Page 271
Joanne McCartney (AM): No but this seems to be an intractable problem that many people have tried to wrestle with over the last couple of decades. Assistant Commissioner (AC) Burn is quoted as saying that the Metropolitan Police Service would like the Home Office to change legislation to allow it to recruit one black minority officer if one white one is recruited. Are you supporting that bold move? Darren Johnson (Chair): OK, again a very quick answer to that because the Labour Group are out of time. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am supportive of positive action, Joanne, provided obviously it does not mean that there is any compromise on quality. Joanne McCartney (AM): There are many people out there of good quality, Mayor. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. So the answer is yes. Tackling extremism Question Number: 1966/2013 19 June 2013 Joanne McCartney Andrew Dismore (AM): On the 5 June, the Somali Bravanese Community Centre in Coppetts Ward in my constituency was burned down by arson in what appears to be a racially-motivated attack, which is clearly a great shock to the area where the community has lived harmoniously for 20 years and for Barnet as a whole where we are proud of our tolerant multi-cultural society. But the criminals responsible have achieved the direct opposite of their wicked objective of dividing our society as everyone has rallied around and in fact the first on the scene were Rabbis from the local Synagogues offering their support. I am pleased to say that the Council has agreed with my suggestion the centre must be rebuilt on the same site. As Abubakar Ali, the Chair of the centre, said, “We will rebuild our community centre; it will once again become a beacon for cohesion, social action and friendship.” What will you do as Mayor to support these efforts to rebuild and restore the centre as soon as possible because this is the best and most effective response to such racist attacks to prove they will not succeed in their message of hatred? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I thank you, Andrew, and I appreciate very much the work that people are doing in the community to come together, to rebuild that centre, and I want you to know that they have my full support. If your question is really sort of, “What can we do financially to help?”, I am looking interrogatively at you now, if that is really what you are asking, we will certainly look at it, I do not know the circumstances, I do not know what the insurance basis was, we will have to see what we can do there and I really would not want to make any commitments, but I certainly strongly, strongly support what people of all faiths and all communities are doing in that part of town to pull together and to put that centre back on its feet. Street Pastors Question Number: 1929/2013 19 June 2013 Tony Arbour Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): As usual, Tony, I completely support you in what you are saying. I think the Street Pastors do a fantastic job. We have met them. I launched the Street Pastors’ conference, as far as I can remember, a few years ago. I have been out with them on the streets of London several
Page 272 times. I think they do a wonderful job. I know that they recently met the Team London people here in City Hall to see how we could help through Team London recruit people to become Street Pastors. Tony Arbour (AM): I am grateful to you for that. I have asked the question really to draw attention to the success of Street Pastors in my part of London where we have a substantial night-time economy, particularly in Kingston where these characters are very successful. They are endeavouring to roll out their programme across London. I am always loathe to ask for -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Money? Tony Arbour (AM): -- indeed, assistance from the public purse but I think it is possible to demonstrate that the Street Pastors in fact, by preventing pressure on social services and preventing pressure on the justice system, are able to save the public substantial sums of money. It might be that if you were to encourage particularly borough commanders to see how in their own boroughs Street Pastors can relieve the pressure on police, that may in fact be reflected in a saving of public money and indeed a saving on the MOPAC budget. Therefore, I ask, as I say, quite uncharacteristically, that you consider that these very worthy people do receive something from the public purse. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): It is so rare, Tony, that you should ask for something from the public purse, I will make sure that MOPAC do look at what they can do to help Street Pastors. I cannot promise much but I certainly want to renew my commitment to supporting them and I express my appreciation and I am sure the appreciation of everybody here for the contribution that they make to safety and the friendliness of the streets of London after dark. Roger Evans (Deputy Chairman): I am pleased my colleague Tony Arbour asked this question because Street Pastors form a part of the infrastructure that is in place in Romford to keep people safe in the night-time economy where they do not just reduce the incidence of antisocial behaviour and violence but they also provide care for people who have maybe drunk too much or missed the last bus home and are stuck in the town centre and would otherwise be vulnerable. I am not going to ask you for money like my colleague but would it be possible for you at some point to visit us in Romford and see the measures that are being taken to improve safety in the high street and you could meet these marvellous people and thank them in person? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Roger, as you know, I am seldom away from Romford. Roger Evans (Deputy Chairman): It seems so long since the last visit. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Come on! But next time I am there we will see what we can do to organise something to support the Street Pastors and the excellent work they do.
Page 273
Police and Crime Plan and Estate Strategy Question Number: 992/2013 20 March 2013 Joanne McCartney Joanne McCartney OBE (AM): My question is about the process because I have had one police station close during it and I have been notified and other Assembly Members have also been notified about local stations where they have been told decisions have already been taken. So if you have not signed them off yet, I have concerns. Can I ask will you make sure that you read all the consultation responses before you sign off the closures? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I certainly take account of the consultation responses -- Joanne McCartney OBE (AM): Will you read them? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- and I will certainly. I do not quite know how voluminous they are but I will faithfully take account of the consultation responses. Police and Crime Plan and Estate Strategy Question Number: 992/2013 20 March 2013 Joanne McCartney Roger Evans (AM): Thank you, Chair. Mr Mayor, are you looking forward to reading the Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee’s response to the Draft Police and Crime Plan? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Of course I am. Roger Evans (AM): When you read it, you will find in there evidence from academics who appeared before the Committee including Professor Marian Fitzgerald [Visiting Professor of Criminology, University of Kent ] and Professor Mike Hough [Professor of Criminal Policy and Co-Director of the Institute for Criminal Policy Research, University of London]. They talked about the Metropolitan Police Service Estates Strategy and pointed out to Members of the Committee, several times it has to be said, that the existing arrangements were not very welcoming for people who wanted to report a crime when you had to queue up with people answering bail and people filling in forms. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That is absolutely right. Roger Evans (AM): They felt that the new arrangements may well actually improve public access to policing. Would you be surprised to hear that? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No and I think that is entirely right and indeed that is a point that when they are being less oppositionist and hysterical that I think the Members on the Labour side also accept. The objective of these reforms is to make the police more accessible to Londoners and yes, there will be contact points and yes, they will all be spelt out but the crucial thing is that you will get, if you report a crime, you will get a visit in person. I have asked for the figures for the increases in numbers of visits for crimes reported and I hope to be able to publish those as well shortly.
Page 274
IPCC Investigation Question Number: 960/2013 20 March 2013 Roger Evans Roger Evans (AM): Thank you for that robust response, Mr Mayor. Can you take this opportunity to reassure Londoners, particularly women in London, that supervision is now in place to ensure that claims of rape are dealt with properly by the Metropolitan Police Service and that reporting of rape is encouraged? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Absolutely. I think that this was something that the IPCC spotted relating to Southwark in 2008/09 and I think there was a great deal of shock amongst the management board of the Metropolitan Police Service about what had been going on and we want to make sure nothing like this happens again. It is absolutely vital. The result may very well be that we see an increase in reporting of this type of crime. I would much rather see that. I would much rather see a red panel in my indicators, of an indicator going in the wrong way, than people being discouraged from reporting this type of crime. It is absolutely vital that people have the confidence to do it. I do not want to see people being asked to think again about their allegation. I want these allegations properly investigated. Roger Evans (AM): Good. I wonder if the Mayor’s Office of Policing and Crime (MOPAC) have considered the wider implications with respect to other crimes in London. I know that my colleagues, Victoria Borwick [AM] and Tony Arbour [AM] have done pieces of work with their local police over the last couple of years. This work indicated that there have been quite a lot of crimes involving theft which have been effectively screened out when the complainant has decided, after discussion with the police, that in fact no crime had taken place. Here, the targeting culture was actually encouraging fewer crimes to be declared in order to keep the crime rate down. Is that something which you will ask MOPAC to audit on a per-borough basis so that they can actually see if there are any discrepancies? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, we will look at that. There are only two types of crime at the moment that are moving in the wrong direction. Broadly speaking, over the last year, crime overall in the key areas came down by about five-and-a-bit percent, just in one year. The two types of crime of the 20 or so that you might look at on the list that are going in the wrong direction are, firstly, domestic violence, rape and sexual violence. Those are going in the wrong direction and that is why this discussion is so important and that is why it is absolutely vital that the police take these allegations seriously. Second is theft from a person and we are looking at the causes of that. We had a good discussion in the recent MOPAC Challenge Board session about that, with the Commissioner, because there is a question about certain brands of mobile phones, and we are trying to address this. We are trying to make sure the mobile phone companies understand their obligations to make sure that their phones cannot be traded and, therefore, represent a negotiable asset for people who steal them. To get to your point about under- reporting of theft, it may be that in some cases there are thefts that are not thefts, if you see what I mean and we may want to look at that as well. There may be two sides to that particular equation. Roger Evans (AM): Would MOPAC be willing to help us to make our own minds about this by publishing the number of crimes which are effectively declared as no crimes per London borough? That way the Committee here and members of the public can see if any borough is particularly out of line with the average? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, I do not see why not. It seem like a reasonable idea, Roger, I do not see why we should not do that. We need to look at that.
Page 275
IPCC Investigation Question Number: 960/2013 20 March 2013 Roger Evans
Kit Malthouse (AM): It is not necessarily the case that the underlying incidence of those crimes is rising but more that a possibly declining population are reporting it more. Actually, on the assumption that there is greater underreporting of those often domestically-based crimes, then actually a red box in your report is a positive, rather than a negative. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I think you have to avoid complacency about this. Yes, you have to feed that into your calculations, and certainly we want to encourage reporting. I want to see people having the confidence to come forward and talk to the police about what has happened to them. I think it would be a mistake to be complacent and to say that simply because the figures are going up that shows what a great job we are doing. It may also show that we need to work even harder to tackle the problem. Kit Malthouse (AM): Again on the personal robbery of telephones, one of the things that might confuse the numbers as well is I understand there is a fairly high level of fraudulent reports of robbery on the basis that insurance claims are then triggered. Would it be possible to break out the numbers that you are able to see that? Certainly I have heard instances of police officers calling the telephone number of the phone that is supposedly stolen and the reporter answering the phone themselves. Can you find out whether the insurance industry is working closely with the police to try to drive that out, so we can see the true pattern of what is actually happening? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I think that is a very good thing to do, because it is, after all, deeply and bitterly unfair on everybody else who is being genuinely robbed and who is genuinely trying to do the right thing and insure their machine, if people are simply ripping off the system; so I think that is reasonable, yes. Sanction detection rate Question Number: 1743/2013 22 May 2013 Tony Arbour
Tony Arbour (AM): I would suggest to you that one way in which you can perhaps raise people’s confidence in the fact that the police are actually doing something is to tap into this system. It might even have the merit in addition of being cheaper than sending a policeman around to the house. You just tap into the thing and it would go on. I would ask you please to lean on your office, on Mr Greenhalgh [Stephen, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime] on this one and say that this is a solution which should be zeroed on. It would do you a lot of good but, more importantly, it would do the victims of crime a lot of good. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Your labours have not been in vain. Thank you for what you have said because Track My Crime is indeed being taken up by MOPAC. We are actively looking at how to implement it and give Londoners exactly that confidence and opportunity to see what is happening.
Page 276
Sanction detection rate Question Number: 1743/2013 22 May 2013 Tony Arbour
Kit Malthouse (AM): Would you also agree with me that sanction detection rate targets can be a very dangerous thing to pursue? Certainly when sanction detection rates became a priority target under the previous national Government, there were quite a lot of unintended consequences driven by that target because it is very easy for the police to go for the easy crimes -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Round up the usual suspects? Kit Malthouse (AM): -- round up the usual suspects and go for sanction detection and up their rate. So we used to find, if you remember, Mr Mayor, that things would be deemed to be a crime that were not previously a crime. A police officer would be called to a school, for instance, where there might have been a playground fight. That would be deemed to be an assault. Those two young people would get a criminal record. That was an easy sanction detection and diverting the police towards dealing with that I guess low- level antisocial behaviour in place of the tougher stuff would be a consequence of targeting entirely on sanction detection. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I think that is a valid point. Len is interjecting that that is what they are doing now, they are screening things out, they are skewing the figures. I do not accept this, Len. I am about to say something I hope you will find favourable. I want to have a proper look at this. I think what we will do is we will get MOPAC to make a proper assessment of whether screening out is increasing and whether your charge against the police can really be sustained and let us have some real evidence on this. I do not think it is true. What Kit [Malthouse] says is right. There are particular circumstances in London which means the sanction detection rate is chronically low and always will be lower than other parts of the country. If Len is really onto something in saying that screening out is now being used as a tool to manage crime figures, then we need to be onto that. I have not seen the evidence for it yet but my undertaking to the Assembly now is I will use MOPAC to get to the bottom of it.
Challenges to the Metropolitan Police Service Question Number: 1390/2013 22 May 2013 Joanne McCartney
Len Duvall (AM): Let us go to Operation Yewtree then. In terms of questions to the Police and Crime Committee the Deputy Commissioner [Craig Mackey] says, “There’s no problem about capacity, we’ve got access to thousands of detectives” ho, ho, ho, “and we’re OK”. On 11 May 2013, it was reported that seven agency workers from Reed Specialist Recruitment, were recruited to add to the 27 officers working on Yewtree. These are agency workers who are former Police Officers. Who knew? They might have been officers that the Metropolitan Police Service has just let go, are now being re-employed back into the Metropolitan Police Service to work on that specific operation, important investigation I think you would say, into alleged sexual crimes, Jimmy Savile and others. Despite what the police gave in terms of assurance the Police and Crime Panel, are you not concerned that that those issues are coming through? When, in your conversations with Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe and his senior management team, was there any discussion with you about the move to this type of work about agency workers being introduced to an operational environment? I suppose can we question whether it is good value or not, while we are watching that, but also about accountability for mistakes and some of those issues that may come on in the future? What conversations have you had?
Page 277
Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I think those are all serious points and have I received general assurances, as we all have, that there is adequate strength and resource to cope with the incredible pressures that the Metropolitan Police Service faces to deal with issues that are of national concern. On your specific question about the role of Reed Agency workers to supplement the Yewtree, the Savile inquiry, and whether they have been drawn from recently ex-police officers, I mean that is something we need to get to the bottom of. I cannot give you an answer now. Again, I will undertake to make sure that MOPAC looks carefully at the issue, the particular pressures that are being caused by these national investigations. The best of my information at the moment is that they are coping very well, clearly the Metropolitan Police Service is best placed to deal with this kind of thing, but it helps us in the argument to Government for funding. It is absolutely absurd that what is effectively a police force fulfilling a national function should not be properly funded. We will be making that case consistently over the next few years. Len Duvall (AM): Do you not find it amazing that a senior Police Officer, I am quite supportive of that Police Officer, but can say something to an official body but actually the actions of an organisation is doing something different around that? It is assurances we have got the capacity to do this, we can do this and then find out later on -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): This is Craig [Mackey]? Len Duvall (AM): Yes. Does that not really worry you in some ways? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Len, before I – Len Duvall (AM): No, it is not meant to be a critical comment. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No, I know what you are saying, but can we just dig into this because the truth is I do not know the answer? I do not know exactly how many Reed Agency workers have been employed on Yew Tree, it is the first I have -- Len Duvall (AM): Seven. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Let us dig into the question and see what answers we can get for you.
MOPAC payments to ACPO Question Number: 155/2013 Meeting Date: 16 January 2013 Tony Arbour Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am slightly worried, Tony, because normally you and I are absolutely ad item on every issue before us, that you have taken against the Association of Chief Police Officers [ACPO] in a big way. My view is that, whatever criticisms you may make of it, is it a very good way of bringing together expertise amongst our police forces in this country. They discuss interoperability, ballistics, intelligence, they coordinate on crime information and all sorts of things that frankly police forces need to do in concert. If this body did not exist I am afraid you would need to invent it. I am reluctant, avid cost cutter though I am, to cease our payments to it.
Page 278
Tony Arbour (AM): I am astonished that you should be singing the praises of ACPO. ACPO of course is a private company and not democratically accountable to anybody. Let me give you a couple of examples of the things that they spend money on, a lot of which comes from your rate payers because as I say in my question you have already given them £605,000 this year. This year in the first seven months the cost of drivers for chief officers of ACPO, of whom there are only 40 odd of course, chief constables, was £536,676. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Drivers? Tony Arbour (AM): The cost of the cars was £269,567. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That is outrageous I have to admit. Tony Arbour (AM): Well I got this through -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That is for the whole country, is it not? Tony Arbour (AM): Yes, but you gave them, Mr Mayor, £605,000. You are accountable. You gave money to this unaccountable organisation which spends money in the most extravagant way. ACPO officers receive extremely high salaries, almost as much as the Commissioner, Sir Hugh Orde. Sir Hugh Orde is a man whom, because he is not democratically accountable, has the nerve to criticise the Government. Sir Hugh Orde criticised the Government for various -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Hang on, there are plenty of people who criticise the Government. There is nothing you can do about that. It is a democracy. Tony Arbour (AM): This man is an official. He is funded publicly, he is not answering to anybody and he comes along and says he does not like police policy. You told me just now that if ACPO did not exist it would have to be invented. I am not sure that I would want to invent a club, a fat cat club, which provides private accommodation, drivers and cars to its members -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am with you on this one, Tony. Tony Arbour (AM): Ah, so we are making a bit of progress. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Can I undertake, having listened to your strictures, to come back to you with further best particulars about exactly what we are subsidising in ACPO. If it is true that the taxpayers of London are really just bunging them dosh to go around in swish limos and that is it, then we will have a serious hard look at it, because I do oppose that. I think it is pointless. There are far too many public officials riding in cars at the moment already. I think the whole of Whitehall are creeping back into their cars. They should be out of their cars and on the tube, Liberal Democrat ministers included by the way. It is an utter disgrace. How can we ask these people to support investments in the tube and in mass transit in our cities when they are allowed by government to -- what is the word I want?
Page 279
Police Stations Question Number: 4045/2012 Meeting Date: 19 December 2012 Kit Malthouse Will you join other PCCs across the country in their calls to the Home Secretary to rethink the government’s dangerous strategy of imposing 20% budget cuts on police forces? Kit Malthouse (AM): Mr Mayor, I hope you would agree with me that any decisions around closures or otherwise of police stations should be based on evidence. So also should be the participation or otherwise of Assembly Members in particular campaigns around particular police stations. On that basis, will you give us all the evidence again and send every Assembly Member a copy of the footfall survey that was conducted by the Metropolitan Police Service around every single front counter, which might illustrate that Hampstead Police Station, for instance, I think from memory - I may be wrong - was getting an average of three visitors in every 24-hour period and was costing something like £90,000 a year just to maintain the building, never mind keep it open? Will you send us all a copy of the footfall survey? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I cannot confirm those footfall figures for that particular police station, but I think your general point is well understood. Kit Malthouse (AM): Can we have a copy of the survey circulated to everyone? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Labour Members and opposition Members generally have got to try and attack where they can. That is their constitutional duty. I do urge them in this matter to think of the logic, look at the position and do what is in the best interests of London. Kit Malthouse (AM): But can we have a copy of the survey sent out? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, I do not see why not. Absolutely. Kit Malthouse (AM): There was a public document some time ago to remind everybody. Would you also be willing to give us -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Perhaps you could give a seminar on the survey to the Labour Members? Kit Malthouse (AM): I am sure the MPS would be happy to give a briefing to the PCC or indeed other Members who want to participate around this. Could you also send up separate information that would show the change in pattern and method of reporting crime that has taken place over the last ten years which would illustrate the massive reduction in the reporting of crime at front counters and the enormous increase of reporting of crime online and by telephone? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That would also be, I think, helpful to inform the debate generally and amongst colleagues here in this horseshoe. Yes. Let us have the argument in public, get the facts out there; let people understand.
Page 280
Police Stations (2) Question Number: 3365/2012 Meeting Date: 21 November 2012 Roger Evans How will you use your new budget flexibilities to protect the police budget? Roger Evans (AM): I would like to take this opportunity Boris to commend the Acting Borough Commander at Redbridge who ran a stakeholder consultation session with us last week about the future of public access in Redbridge. I know members of the council were there really from all sides who were concerned about the robustness of some of the public access statistics which the exercise is based on. Could you just make sure that the statistics that are used to inform this process are as solid as they can be, because we do not want to undermine -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, what was the worry about the statistics? Roger Evans (AM): I think the problem was that they were based on a couple of years ago, they were not particularly recent and the sample sizes were considered to be a little bit on the small side. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That is very helpful. I will make sure that MOPAC get onto that straightaway. Roger Evans (AM): Yes. Another possible concern that we have is what is happening across borders. At the moment the process is rightly concentrating on a particular borough but the movement of facilities across the border of the borough may affect the police in that borough because of course criminals and members of the public do not recognise borough boundaries. When the final package is put together for public consultation will there be an opportunity to take that into account? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Of course, and we will make sure that we take a completely strategic view, a cross-London view of provision, in order to reduce crime overall, yes. Roger Evans (AM): Just finally, another piece of reassurance that we need, because I think Caroline [Pidgeon] raised quite a good point earlier on, that the new access facilities may attract more people to come and use them because they are in places that the public frequent more often. However, if we do not have a facility for people who are victims of serious crimes to be able to report them with some confidentiality they might be discouraged. Could we make sure that is -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes I understand that point completely. That is why one of the things I have said straight out to you this morning is that every borough must have a 24 hour police station where the public can go in confidence and report serious crime; that is absolutely essential.
Page 281
Retention of DNA Question Number: 3766/2012 Meeting Date: 21 November 2012 Roger Evans I understand since May 2012, citizens of the UK are entitled to seek early deletion of DNA records from police systems through the Protection of Freedom Act, although this is a lengthy and laborious process. How long do you think it should take for innocent UK citizens to remove their DNA records from the system? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Thanks, Roger. I understand you have a particular constituency interest in this matter. There is a balance to be struck. DNA is plainly an incredibly powerful tool of detection now and of solving crimes but where innocent people have their DNA stored by the Government, by the police and by the national DNA database they should be able, after a reasonable period of time, to withdraw it. That is the purpose of the Protection of Freedom Act. Exactly how long that period is, is not clear to me either from the notes I have before me but I will make sure that we get you an answer. Roger Evans (AM): To be honest it is not entirely clear to me which is why I asked the question. I think there should be some sort of target for the Metropolitan Police Service to meet otherwise it makes a mockery of calling something an early deletion process. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): The informal answer I was given was it was three years but I do not see that in the statute and I want to know why not. Roger Evans (AM): I do feel that three years is an inordinately long amount of time for people who may have had their sample taken just because they were arrested and who might not even have been charged, or indeed for people who might have volunteered a sample if you have a crime that you want cleared up in the area and you ask people to come forward. It would help to encourage volunteers and to encourage confidence in the police service in London if we could have a much shorter time and if we could feel that objections to it were raised on the grounds of genuine criminal justice issues rather than just to prevent a legal or bureaucratic precedent being set which is the feeling I am getting at the moment. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes is the answer. I understand you have a constituent who is particularly concerned about the retention of his DNA. I have sympathy with him. We will do our best to give him a more positive answer about exactly when he could expect his personal DNA material to be purged from the system. Safer Neighbourhood Teams Question Number: 3001/2012 Meeting Date: 17 October 2012 Joanne McCartney What risks have been identified in relation to cutting the police budget in London? Joanne McCartney (AM): I believe we are seeing the end of Safer Neighbourhoods Teams as we know it. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No, you are not. Joanne McCartney (AM): We are. The new model stretches fewer resources over much larger geographic areas. Can I ask how many PCSOs you will have in April next year?
Page 282
Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I would be happy to get back to you on the figure. I do not have it before me now. ANPR camera check points Question Number: 2967/2012 Meeting Date: 17 October 2012 Roger Evans Do you agree that ANPR camera checkpoints, successfully organised as part of the Met’s Operation Pegasus, should become a regular operational fixture? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Thank you very much, Roger. The automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system I think is excellent. We did make a commitment to use it. The Metropolitan Police Service, as a result of ANPR, made 1,500 arrests last year for offences including robbery and firearms, drug trafficking and serious sexual offences and since October 2011 37,000 uninsured cars have been seized and quite a few of them crushed. So I think it is a highly effective system. Roger Evans (AM): Thank you, Mayor, that is a reassuring answer. I spent an interesting and slightly alarming Saturday night with Councillor Filly Maravala who represents Loxford ward, in the south of Ilford, looking at our red light area and clearly there are a lot of problems there with people visiting the area that we do not want with drug dealing, with prostitution and anti-social behaviour. Do you think that this is an ideal place to introduce ANPR to discourage the people who are visiting that area and causing crime from coming back in future? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Well it is a very interesting thought. It seems to me that there may be all sorts of other crimes that you could intercept by using ANPR in such a context. It is something that I am certainly happy to take up with the borough commander and with the police. Metal Theft Task Force Question Number: 2049/2012 Meeting Date: 4 July 2012 James Cleverly How has metal theft been affected since the creation of the MPS unit to tackle metal theft last year? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): There are good signs, James, that Operation Ferrous is making a difference: 173 arrests have been made; 98 vehicles, 6 tonnes of metal have been seized, and in Bexley, where I am sure you will know yourself because of your involvement in this, there is an inter-agency metal theft task force, which resulted in a 59% reduction in metal theft. That is the only figure I can give you for the effectiveness of our war on metal theft. James Cleverly (AM): Thank you, Mr Mayor, I am very pleased you pre-empted me by highlighting the good work that has gone on in Bexley. I know this is a perennial issue and the task force needs to remain focused on this. I am particularly concerned about the impact on major infrastructure and the implications on resilience. As you know, in Bexley, in 2009, there was a major power outage, multi-day power outage, as a direct result of an attempted metal theft. So can we ensure that, as we move into what we know to be a difficult financial round, not necessarily that finances are ring-fenced, because that would unnecessarily tie the hands of the Deputy Mayor for Policing, but this as an issue, however it is funded, maintains its position at or near the top of our priority list?
Page 283
Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, and it is something I have discussed repeatedly, both with Peter Hendy and of course with the [Metropolitan Police] Commissioner. Metal theft is a real scandal, it is debilitating for the transport network and occasionally it involves unbelievable desecration of war memorials and other things that people hold very dear indeed. James Cleverly (AM): Thank you. In addition to the enforcement side of the metal theft problem, will you continue to lobby Government to tighten the legislation around the cash purchase of scrap metal and ensure that where we have easily identified ownership, for example where the copper cabling is embossed with the owner’s name, that we take very firm action and send out a very powerful message to the scrap metal industry that it is no longer acceptable to deal in this situation? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, I have made representations along those lines, and I will be happy to copy you in what we have sent to Government so far. Front Counters - Hampstead Question Number: 2545/2012 Meeting Date: 19 September 2012 Joanne McCartney In response to my question MQ2302/2012 you listed a number of police buildings and front counters, however, you failed to include Hampstead Police Station as one of the front counters or police buildings earmarked for closure. What other buildings have you failed to include in this list? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): In the list I provided to you there was no intention to conceal any decision about Hampstead Police Station, simply because I was certainly unaware of any proposal to close it myself and as far as I am aware no proposal to close it has been put either to me or to Stephen Greenhalgh (Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime). Joanne McCartney (AM): Thank you. My question asks what other buildings have you not included in that list. We are hearing -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I have not included this building, for instance, or many other buildings -- Joanne McCartney (AM): But police buildings, front counters in police stations. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I cannot give you an answer to that. All I can give you is a general state of the position which is that there is no secret list of police stations that are earmarked, in your phrase, for closure. What there is, is a desire to get the best possible value and use out of the 800 buildings in the police estate and where there are opportunities to get the police out and to be more visible, to have more front counters, to have more police locations in hospitals, in fire stations, council housing stakeholders, libraries, supermarkets, that kind of thing. Where we can do that rather than having some traditional great ‘stalag’ of a police station that is actually not as useful as it might be, then maybe we should consider it. Joanne McCartney (AM): The reason I ask is because we are hearing rumours of other police stations and front counters that may be earmarked for closure. Again, in the consultation that the Metropolitan Police Service is doing at the moment, it talks about making changes to front counters and talks about public access points. When your Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Stephen Greenhalgh, was recently in front of Select Committee, he stated that there was the need to remove some police front counters. So, bearing
Page 284 that in mind, can I just ask, the previous commitment that if you closed a front counter you would open another of at least good quality, has that now gone? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No. That is the key thing to say about Hampstead Police Station where I think there is some controversy. Whatever decision is taken there, there has to be adequate compensatory provision. Joanne McCartney (AM): Because the consultation at the moment and the Deputy Mayor in front of our Police and Crime Committee talked about public access points and talked about replacing traditional front counters with, for example, a couple of hours at Tesco on a Friday morning. Do you really think that is a good enough service for Londoners? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Well, I do not know if that was what was proposed in respect of Hampstead. Joanne McCartney (AM): No. In general. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No, well, I do not know whether you are accurately reflecting what Stephen Greenhalgh said. I see someone is nodding there; perhaps it was what he said. Let us be absolutely clear, what we want is to have the maximum possible engagement with the public, to make the police as available to the public as possible. If that means having police counters in lots of public locations I think that is a good thing. Joanne McCartney (AM): Can I ask that what this looks like, I think, to us and to the general public is that the danger, because there are great budget cuts that we accept are going to be very difficult, that this does not result in just a fire sale of police counters, and that at the end of the day we have a comprehensive service across London. Are you confident that will take place? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. I think Stephen [Greenhalgh] has made it absolutely clear he will not consider any proposal for closure of Hampstead or any other police station; unless and until suitable alternative provision has been made. Joanne McCartney (AM): Can I ask how do you judge the suitability? Because when we did question Stephen Greenhalgh at our Police and Crime Committee -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): It is about -- Joanne McCartney (AM): I think it was Tony Arbour who said that -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- reassurance. Joanne McCartney (AM): The experiment at his local Sainsbury’s had been an absolute flop. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Well, there you go. Joanne McCartney (AM): So, you know if you are going down this road you need to be evidence based and that is the concern that we have. That it is not going to be, that we are going to have police stations
Page 285 and front counters closing and they are never going to be put back and the alternatives are not good enough. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Well, the key test is, is existing provision actually very well used? Is it as good as it could be? Are the buildings themselves being put to the best possible use, in terms of the value of the asset? If not, how can you give a better service to Londoners? How can you have more opportunities for the public to see the police out there in the community and talk to them? Joanne McCartney (AM): What account will you take of the public’s view on this? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Public reassurance and public confident is paramount. But I think commonsensical members of the public can see that there may very well be cases where you have a big Victorian police station that is not always ideal. That possibly is not in an ideal location, and that is where there is scope for improvement. Where you could certainly dispose of the asset and use the proceeds to improve policing in London. Joanne McCartney (AM): So will you commit to doing a full public consultation on this? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Well, you know, I do not know quite what you mean by a full public consultation. But what I can say is -- Joanne McCartney (AM): Will you publish plans for each borough and invite the public to consult on them? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Of course. Transparency Question Number: 1305/2012 Meeting Date: 23 May 2012 Joanne McCartney Joanne McCartney (AM): Can I move on then to transparency in the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, because, since the abolition of the Police Authority, there does seem to have been an information deficit. I think there have been complaints from all Groups around this Assembly, so it is not just the Labour Group. I have raised this issue with you once before. Would it surprise you that, to get some knife crime figures, it took me 16 requests, both in writing and verbal, in fact once to you here, where you said I should be entitled to them, and in the end I only got them because the Met’s Assistant Commissioner stepped in and gave me them directly. Is that transparency to your mind? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Joanne, I was not aware of that, the difficulty that you have had. As far as I know, the position, knife crime statistics are like all crime statistics, so it should be made readily available to you and to all Members, so I will get on top of that. Joanne McCartney (AM): Okay. So what steps will you do to make sure that the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime responds to Members’ requests with urgency and in a reasonable timescale? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I will certainly make sure, and I am sure Stephen Greenhalgh, the new Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, will be studying this and he will want to make sure that he is as transparent as possible, engages with you, Joanne, to get the statistics that you need in a timely fashion.
Page 286
Joanne McCartney (AM): Well I hope so because it has not been so to date. Thank you. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am sorry about that, but we will see what we can do. Police Officers Question Number: 1316/2012 Meeting Date: 23 May 2012 Joanne McCartney Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, thanks, Joanne. Of fully warranted officers, I am told that there were more than 1,000 more on 3 May 2012 than there were when I was elected in 2008, that is to say there were 30,659 fully warranted officers when I was elected and there were 31,992 on 3 May. Those figures obviously go up if you include trainees, but the gap remains over 1,000. Joanne McCartney (AM): Mr Mayor, I would dispute those figures. I think this is where if you sign up to the code of practice, we might have some better figures, but the figures I have from the Metropolitan Police Service show that on 30 April 2008, there were 31,605 fulltime police officers, and on 30 April 2012, there was 31,825, so you are actually 780 fulltime officers short of 1,000 pledge. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No. As I have said in my answer, that is why I think it would be helpful to have a central store of data. Joanne McCartney (AM): My question was fulltime officers. Are your figures for fulltime officers? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): My figures are for fully warranted officers. Joanne McCartney (AM): They are different. There is where statistics and a code of practice would help us, you see, Mr Mayor. How many fulltime police officers, because I can tell you there are 780 short of your election pledge. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I must respectfully disagree with you and say that I actually talked to the Commissioner this morning and he thinks the numbers are higher even than I have today, but in terms of fully warranted officers, that is excluding trainees, there were 30,659 in May 2008. On 3 May this year, there were 31,992, which by my maths means there were about 1,300 more this May than there were in 2008. Now, I think most Londoners would accept that under incredibly difficult circumstances, with police budgets being cut across the country, that is a very creditable achievement; apart from London says John Biggs, quite right, and why? Because London has a Mayor who has campaigned for more policing and for more police numbers in the city and who will continue to do so. Joanne McCartney (AM): Mr Mayor, we disagree with this, but perhaps I could ask you to write to me with those fulltime police officers, which is the question I asked. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am more than happy to write to you about anything you like, Joanne. I will certainly write to you about that.
Page 287
Transport 2020 and nitrogen dioxide legal limits Question Number: 3301/2013 11 September 2013 Jenny Jones Stephen Knight (AM): Mr Mayor, fine, because my question was really about issuing warnings. You have a target of there being 250,000 Londoners signed up to the airText system. The last time we saw figures it was around 10,000 people. What are you going to do to get information out to people about the state of air pollution in London, particularly when we have bad pollution episodes? You are clearly not getting to the people that you wish to get to and that we all wish to get to. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That is an interesting and important point because the airText system is valuable. Stephen, I will reflect on that. If I may, I will come back to you with an assessment of how we think the airText system is working in alerting Londoners to poor air quality days and whether there is more we can do. 2020 and nitrogen dioxide legal limits Question Number: 3301/2013 11 September 2013 Jenny Jones Richard Tracey (AM): Thank you, Chair. One thing, Mr Mayor, that you could do as Chairman of TfL is to instruct that drivers should not leave the buses’ engines ticking over when they change drivers, which is something some of my colleagues, the councillors in Wandsworth, have been going on about for a very long time. We accept that you are bringing in more and more clean buses, but those that are not so clean should not be left ticking over. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That is very interesting. I did not know that your colleagues had drawn that to our attention. I will make an inquiry as to why, if that is really happening, because it is after all paradoxical that the very buses that have an advertisement on the back saying, “Turn off your key whilst in” -- do you remember? They now have this anti-idling advertisement, so it is bizarre if they are really letting their engines run. Is that true, Dick? Have you seen it with your own eyes? Crossrail 2 Question Number: 2758/2013 17 July 2013 Richard Tracey Roger Evans (Deputy Chairman): I just ask the question because of course that was an assurance we were given a long time ago on Crossrail 1 and we have now learned that some of the stations certainly in my constituency will not be. I was with residents of Seven Kings at the weekend who are very disappointed that their Crossrail station will not be featuring disabled access. Can you revisit that decision so that people can actually access and get benefits from Crossrail 1? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, I certainly shall, Roger, I am disappointed to be told that, I will look into that. Wave and Pay (1) Question Number: 1805/2013 19 June 2013 Caroline Pidgeon MBE
Page 288
Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): As you know, in the end, we will be moving away from Oyster Cards to a Wave and Pay system and in the long run, we do not want to be running a payment system. We want to be running buses and there are many people who run payment systems with bank cards and there is no reason why we should be in that particular business. We want to encourage the expansion of Wave and Pay. I do not want to penalise Oyster users. I understand what you are saying but the advice I have been given is that the Oyster does not have the flexibility to deliver the cap in the way you want. I will go back to TfL. I will see what I can do to establish why that is and whether there is anything we can do to prevent Oyster Card users being in any way disadvantaged but it will remain the case that Oyster Cards will always have the cheapest single fare. Caroline Pidgeon MBE (AM): Single fares. As I say, it is different to what you said two years ago. I think the reality is that the contract you have around Oyster is too expensive. We know it costs 14 pence in every pound to administer whereas your Wave and Pay is under 1 penny. I understand why TfL want to encourage people that way but the issue is if 20% of Londoners do not have access to a bank card, they are not going to get the cheapest fares and they are probably the people who really do need access to the cheapest fares. Will you go away, properly review this and make sure that Oyster always has the cheapest fares including a weekly cap? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I think there is a very difficult problem which is Oyster is a relatively recent scheme. There is no reason why it should become a permanent piece of technology. Is it capable of being improved on? Can we find ways of cutting costs? Yes, we can. Can we do it without disadvantaging, as you suggest, the poorest Londoners? Well, we have to find a way of doing that. I think you are raising a serious point. That is why I wanted to dig deep really into the briefing I have. What I am going to propose to you, Caroline, is that I will get you a serious argued answer about how we can deliver a Wave and Pay system on public transport that does not in any way disadvantage those who do not have access to bank cards. London Pedestrians Question Number: 887/2013 20 March 2013 Caroline Pidgeon MBE Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): You are asking me about pedestrians in London and what we are doing to increase the number of pedestrian journeys. I can tell you that walking is already attracting 6.2 million journeys a day, second in terms of mode, second only to private car. The ambition is to go to up to 6.8 million by 2031 and there is a huge amount of work going on, and has already gone on, to make London more walkable, more attractive to move around on foot. I would single out really just in my time alone, the Oxford Circus diagonal crossing, that X marks the spot thing there, Exhibition Road being two- way, all the stuff we have done in urban projects in town centres, Wimbledon, Richmond and so on, Leicester Square; all of these have improved permeability. They have made the cityscape much more attractive for walkers plus, and one of the legacies of Cool Beer, you remember, was a great proponent. There was the Legs 11 nonsense. Cool Beer range had a big role in absolute nonsense in selling up the legible London signs. There are 1,100 signs now. Caroline Pidgeon (AM): Can I move on to the question? Thank you for that detail Mr Mayor. Could I move into a couple of specifics? In terms of making sure and getting your increase in pedestrian journeys,
Page 289 which I think will be welcome, is that in 1995, the Department for Transport (DfT) recommended that all pedestrian crossings should have audible signals and/or tactile cones to help blind and partially slighted people. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Tactile cones. Caroline Pidgeon (AM): They are on the paving. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): On the edge, on the paving, yes. Caroline Pidgeon (AM): Do you think it is acceptable that 18 years later and five years into your term as Mayor that there are still 330 crossings in London which do not meet this standard? What are you going to do about that and can you bring forward the timescale to make sure all crossings meet this nearly 20-year old regulation? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): So you want audible -- Caroline Pidgeon (AM): Audible and all the rotating cones, exactly. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Tactile cones; I will look into it and write back to you. Caroline Pidgeon (AM): Brilliant. There are also still 70 pedestrian crossings which do not meet the DfT standard that actually allows enough time for pedestrians to be able to cross the road. Will you again look to try to bring that forward in your programme to make sure crossings are accessible for everyone? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Do not forget we are also greatly expanding the pedestrian countdown system which is very valuable because you do not want to have that time -- Caroline Pidgeon (AM): Yes but will you look at making them all meet this standard, please, as soon as possible? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I will certainly look at it and I will write to you and I will give you a heads up on where we are. Caroline Pidgeon (AM): Great, thank you. Finally, If you really want to increase pedestrian journeys, you could look at what they are doing in New York. I know you often say how much you admire their work on obesity and [Michael] Bloomberg’s [Mayor of New York] efforts in the area of public health. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): They are fatter than us. Caroline Pidgeon (AM): I am wondering, will you trial an extremely popular -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I do admire their work but they are still fatter, they are very fat, so they are fatter. Caroline Pidgeon (AM): Will you trial an extremely popular New York idea around summer streets. This idea that they close seven miles of roads for three consecutive Saturday mornings in the summer so that
Page 290 hundreds of thousands of people can come out and enjoy walking in their streets where perhaps cars normally are? Will you look at trialling a summer streets programme for London? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): We are looking at all sorts and I am very interested in pedestrianisation schemes. Do not forget that one of the best things you can do is to make parks ever safer. That is why we had our priority park scheme to improve them but also the safe park scheme, which was massively popular and where we’ve had a bigger impact in driving down crime. So Londoners can exercise in green space without any fear or indeed -- Caroline Pidgeon (AM): Yes but will you look at piloting summer streets? Yes or no. Will you look at piloting summer streets? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Of course I will look at it. Caroline Pidgeon (AM): Thank you. Kit Malthouse (AM): Yes. Mr Mayor, when you provide Caroline Pidgeon with the data about these 330 junctions, could you also include data as to how many accidents there have been at those junctions involving blind people? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I will do my best, Kit. We may not have that level of granularity but I will do my best. What I will certainly try to do is show Caroline some of the progress we have made in making public space safer to walk around and particularly green space. I think that is important. Kit Malthouse (AM): Could you also include up to date data about accidents on Exhibition Road, the development of which was the subject of ferocious lobby by the blind lobby effectively and blind charities? It was a disastrous plan. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Crossrail Question Number: 967/2013 20 March 2013 Richard Tracey Gareth Bacon (AM): My colleague, Dick Tracey, made the case for Crossrail to be extended into the West to Reading. Could I just reinforce the case for the East? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): It would get better, no doubt it would. Gareth Bacon (AM): : Indeed but many of us actually would like to see it extended to Ebbsfleet and I am sure you are aware of the £2 billion Paramount Park which is due to be built in the Swanscombe Peninsula which has enormous economic potential, economic benefits to the eastern side of London. An extension of Crossrail to Ebbsfleet would actually be a very powerful addition for economic benefit there. Can I ask you to lobby Mr [George] Osborne [Chancellor of the Exchequer], when he does get his scissors out, not to be cutting things like that and to actually extend it to Ebbsfleet? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, certainly, and I think we need to review the whole connectivity of that area, particularly in the light of any solutions to aviation capacity that we may need to bring forward.
Page 291
Crossrail spending Question Number: 1254/2013 22 May 2013 Caroline Pidgeon MBE Caroline Pidgeon MBE (AM): Good. Last autumn Crossrail put out a contract for £250,000 for crisis communications guidance. Crossrail also has awarded contracts nearing £500,000 to one single communication agency, 39 separate payments over two years, some of this for management and support consultancy for communications, without going through a normal tender process. Is there really no one within TfL who could have provided this kind of support without spending hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of public money? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am grateful to you for drawing my attention to these items in the Crossrail budget. As I say, I do think that we are going to have to change the supervision arrangements for Crossrail in the fairly near future. At the moment it is jointly governed by two sponsors in the form of us and the DfT and I am not convinced myself that that is an arrangement that is sustainable in the long term. We will sort that out. Caroline Pidgeon MBE (AM): I welcome what you are saying because Crossrail currently employs 39 external affairs staff for just this one project and yet talking to TfL (and I am, as you know, not always the greatest fan of expenditure at TfL), they only have 40-50 staff and that covers all modes of transport and ones that are actually running rather than a project that is being built. So I really would encourage you to stop this waste and look at whether you could -- we talk about shared services all the time. Bring this in- house and let TfL actually manage this to save the waste of public money and help you in your case to Government for investment in London transport. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, Caroline, I am grateful to you for that question because you have brilliantly illustrated the difference between the way we have been running TfL and the way things can be run if not wholly and exclusively managed by this benign operation. What we certainly did was to reduce overheads at TfL very considerably and you will know that it is not just a question of reducing people in the external affairs department of TfL. We have cut costs in TfL and we have taken costs out of about £9.8 billion and -- Caroline Pidgeon MBE (AM): Will you just agree to bring this into TfL to manage? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- what you have there is a perfect case for wanting to see (and I think you and I would agree strongly about this) closer and more direct scrutiny and management of that project by London because in the end this is a London project. By the way, I do not want to -- Caroline Pidgeon MBE (AM): Will you commit to bring this into TfL so that their team can manage this expenditure and make sure that we are getting value for money? Just yes or no. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to make sure that Crossrail was run by London since it is a London project.
Page 292
Rail travel in London Question Number: 1/2013 Meeting Date: 16 January 2013 Caroline Pidgeon MBE Caroline Pidgeon MBE (AM): Can we pick up on that point, Mr Mayor, because I would like to find out what progress has actually been made on getting TfL to take over these suburban rail franchises such as Southeastern and Greater Anglia. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): OK, is that what you really want to know about? Caroline Pidgeon MBE (AM): I really want to pick up on that to start off with. What is the timescale, when can we actually expect an announcement to take over these franchises? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): What I can say is that I expect there to be a result in the nearish future. I am not going to be more precise than that but great progress has been made and continues to be made. You have to understand that the reason this has proved so intractable in the past and the reason it eluded the previous Mayor, for all his energy and ambition, is because there are Members of Parliament and communities outside London who worry that they will be disadvantaged if TfL have too much of a role in the franchise. You can see the problem, it is a democratic problem. We have to make sure that we set up a governing structure that enables those extra London communities, those outside London, to be properly represented and to make sure that, to put it bluntly, no future Mayor could prejudice their interests and bias the shape of the franchises of those services in favour of Londoners. I believe that it is win/win, it is an argument that we are winning and I think that we are going to see progress very soon. Caroline Pidgeon MBE (AM): You said the nearish future. The TfL board papers that arrived at about 9.30am this morning said that you are hoping by April 2013 to finalise the devolution proposals. Is that the timescale you are looking at? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That sounds to me like a pretty good description of the nearish future. Caroline Pidgeon MBE (AM): Good, very good. Looking forward, can you confirm that when the existing Overground franchise is renewed, which is in March 2014, you are going to continue the really high quality service, including staffing of all stations from first to last train, the station deep cleans and upgrades and the ambitious targets for passenger satisfaction and reliability? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. One of the things that we really have achieved on the rail - and if you remember it was a big issue in the first election campaign I fought in 2008 - is people’s feelings of safety on suburban railway stations, boosting the Safer Transport Teams and the British Transport Police (BTP), which is what we did. Crime on -- Caroline Pidgeon MBE (AM): Staffing from first to last trains, yes? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- has fallen I think very substantially since 2007. There has been a huge increase in journeys but crimes per million passenger journeys, or however you calculate it, has fallen very substantially.
Page 293
Caroline Pidgeon MBE (AM): You are confirming that the Overground franchise will have staffing from first to last train. Can you also confirm that, if in April we get to take over Southeastern or some Southeastern you will also have that high quality standard of staffing from first to last trains at stations? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): The objective is to improve the service and to make sure that passengers feel safe and have a great and reliable service. Caroline Pidgeon MBE (AM): So you are looking to have that high level of staffing? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Caroline Pidgeon MBE (AM): Great. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I mean I cannot spell out now exactly what staffing levels will be at every single station but our general view is that there is real scope for improvement in the customer and passenger experience and if you look at what we do on the Overground that is the route map. Caroline Pidgeon MBE (AM): It is an aspiration to have full staffing rather than a guarantee? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No, it is part of our negotiation and part of our promise. Caroline Pidgeon MBE (AM): Finally, in terms of ticketing, given that some of the train companies are looking at bringing in a part time season ticket to help rail passengers - particularly an awful lot of women who work part time - will you look to introduce this on TfL, rail and other services? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Introduce a…? Caroline Pidgeon MBE (AM): A part time Travelcard, season ticket. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I will certainly look at it. You are very creative in producing new ways of getting me to spend money on new tickets of one kind or another. I will have a look at it. Caroline Pidgeon MBE (AM): You will look at it again. Thank you very much. Thank you. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): The trouble with all these suggestions, which are interesting, is that they inevitably involve a cost to someone else -- Caroline Pidgeon MBE (AM): £10 million. A small amount. Thank you. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- and a corresponding increase in fares, but I will look at it.
Page 294
Health and Safety at Crossrail Mayor’s Oral Update Meeting date: 19 December 2012 John Biggs Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I will certainly look at ways of improving -- if we can find a way of improving safety at Crossrail, if there is more that needs to be done, I am sure that Andrew Wolstenholme [Chief Executive, Crossrail] and Terry Morgan [Chairman, Crossrail] will be all over it and will be doing their level best. What I would repeat to you and to the Members of the Assembly is that the Crossrail health and safety record is good. This is the largest engineering and construction project in the whole of Europe with huge numbers of people. As you know, huge numbers of jobs have been created by this. It is a massive, massive thing. Any injury or accident is one too many. But so far their health and safety performance is comparable to that which was achieved on the Olympics at a similar stage and I think they should be supported. I am sure that your interesting point about a new health and safety agreement to be negotiated with the union is one that they will bear in mind and I will certainly take it up with them to explore what the thinking may be. John Biggs (AM): OK. I am grateful for that. It is not with one union. It is with several unions. There is a range of trades involved there. This is, as I say, their most important role. It is more important than wages and conditions. Just to quickly follow this up, there is a question about alleged victimisation and you may be aware in your briefing that a man by the name of Ron Barron [former Industrial Relations Manager, Crossrail] was recently dismissed by Bechtel. I think dismissed is the right word. His employment was terminated because he was very clearly implicated in this process of blacklisting. I would like you to take the opportunity to publicly disassociate yourself from any such practice of blacklisting of employees. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Blacklisting? You are going to have to forgive me -- John Biggs (AM): Again, I would make the point that although some people may flippantly say it is about getting political activists out of the workplace, quite often blacklisting has been used to mark people’s names who have raised health and safety concerns. It is well established in the construction industry that it has happened and it needs to be stamped out. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I hear what you say, John. I am not aware of the particular case of the gentleman in question who you say has been blacklisted or the grounds for which he has been allegedly blacklisted. I am afraid I am not really in a position to comment with authority on that. John Biggs (AM): OK. The final question, then, is: there is a particular subcontractor at the western portal of Crossrail. Again, this may sound a rather obscure question. It is very important. They are alleging that their subcontract was terminated because they had raised health and safety concerns. I would ask you again to look into that. It may be that there are very good commercial reasons for the contract being terminated, but I would ask you to look into that very urgently and ensure that you perhaps write to the Assembly and clarify what we have learned from this and whether there are any issues of bad practice or of corporate misunderstanding of ones obligations as regards health and safety. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, absolutely. Health and safety has got to be paramount in an operation like Crossrail. That is the conviction of everybody on the Crossrail board. I know that
Page 295
Terry Morgan, Andrew Wolstenholme and all the team there will be wanting to reassure Members of the Assembly about that. If there is anything that I can do to speed that up, then I will certainly do that. John Biggs (AM): I would not normally ask this, Chair, but I think it would be very helpful if you were able to write to the Chair of the Assembly on these matters because they are -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I certainly would be more than happy to write to you, Jennette, about health and safety on Crossrail. It is obviously a matter of concern for the Assembly. It is a matter of concern for all of us. So far, the record is good but clearly you cannot be complacent. New Bus for London (1) Question Number: 1931/2012 Meeting Date: 17 October 2012 Caroline Pidgeon
Caroline Pidgeon (AM): Mr Mayor, absolutely not, I am just saying, are you confident that they are able to fulfil this order, the largest order you said they have ever had, when they have just also had an order for 550 buses for Singapore? Are you confident? You could have just answered yes to that. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): The answer is yes, of course it is, but I was surprised that you should even ask. Caroline Pidgeon (AM): For clarity on the number of buses, you have said it is 608 today, I have heard 598 from TfL. You say it is 608 buses you have ordered. When will we start to see them being rolled out onto the streets of London? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I thought you had a [later] question; we are rolling together these questions? The first new route to be wholly populated by the new bus because at the moment I have to admit they are a rare and heart stopping sight when you see them but the first route that is going to be entirely populated by the new bus for London will be, I think, April next year and then on throughout the year. I can give you the rough production timetable. Caroline Pidgeon (AM): By which month are we going to start seeing them roll out? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): You are going to see the first route that is wholly populated by the new bus from April next year, from memory, and the peak of the production scale is I think 2014, with about 208 buses being built in that year. Caroline Pidgeon (AM): So we are going to be seeing what, ten a month or something? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): About 150 being built next year. I can give you the figures later on if you want. Caroline Pidgeon (AM): I think the detail of that schedule would be very helpful.
Page 296
New Bus for London (2) Question Number: 1931/2012 Meeting Date: 17 October 2012 Richard Tracey
Richard Tracey (AM): Can you give me some sort of assurance that when you roll out the number of buses you have just given to us that you will send some of them to the outer London areas, particularly around Putney High Street, which has a pollution problem at the moment? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Well, I am certain that TfL will study your request and we will do what we can to ensure that as many parts of London as possible are served by the new bus. New Buses for London Question Number:1931/2012 Meeting Date: 4 July 2012 Caroline Pidgeon How many new buses for London will be on London’s streets for the Olympics? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Thank you, Caroline. The answer is all eight prototype new buses will be on London streets by the Olympic Games. Caroline Pidgeon (AM): Thank you. You promised 600 on the road. Is that going to be just an aspiration or an absolute commitment? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That is an absolute commitment. I know that you are going to say it was an absolute commitment to get eight buses on the road, that is your follow up, eight buses on the road by the end of May. There was some slippage there but we are determined to get 600 buses on the road by 2016 and as far as I understand it, at the moment, they are proving very successful and popular. Crime reduction on public transport Question Number: 1534/2012 Meeting Date: 13 June 2012 Steve O’Connell Stephen O’Connell (AM): My last point really, you picked up upon fare evasion. Again, it is good that yourself and the police and TfL are bearing down on fare evasion. I would just flag up, as I normally do, trams. Trams, which are wonderful, they flow very quickly, people can access very quickly, fare evasion is something that has come up in the past on trams, and I know that the figures are bearing in the right direction, but again, I would ask you to redouble your efforts through TfL to insist fare evasion is even increasingly borne down upon, because that will help with keeping the levelling of fares at the level that we want. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, I will look at that. I think one of the difficult decisions I had to take was whether or not to increase the fines for fare evasion, and a lot of people said it was unfair because typically these fines would be borne by people who really might find it very difficult to pay them, but in the end I thought it was right to do it, because fare evaders are effectively taking money from everybody else on the bus or the tram or whatever. I will look at what is happening on the trams, and if there is a significant disparity in fare evasion on the trams - and I am sure TfL will have the statistics - we will see what we can do to sort it out.
Page 297
New Routemaster Question Number: 1129/2012 Meeting Date: 23 May 2012 Roger Evans Roger Evans (AM): I can tell you that we are very keen on the new bus in Havering and Redbridge and we are looking forward to welcoming the first ones across our border when some of the routes are changed. Could you let me know which routes are going to be the first ones that will be changed in Havering and Redbridge so that we can form a welcome party to greet the new buses as they cross the border? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I do not know. I will do my best to get the relevant information to you about which routes will be used, but I cannot tell you now. Transport for London Business Plan Question Number: 1314/2012 Meeting Date: 23 May 2012 Valerie Shawcross CBE Valerie Shawcross (AM): So when can we expect the age of eligibility for the Freedom Pass to be reduced to the age of 60? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am delighted that you and Ken Livingstone decided to support me in reintroducing it and getting us off the age escalator that Labour cruelly decided to put us on. Valerie Shawcross (AM): When do you think you will be able to implement this change, Mr Mayor? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): The plan is to do it by September, but I will have to get back to you. Valerie Shawcross (AM): September this year? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): September this year. I will have to get back to you about the details. Transport for London Business Plan Question Number: 1314/2012 Meeting Date: 23 May 2012 Roger Evans Roger Evans (AM): You pride yourself on being more than a Zone 1 Mayor, and of course my constituents very much welcome that, but we have suffered recently through some of the downgrading of Crossrail proposals for my two constituencies in Havering and Redbridge, largely because that part of Crossrail is now being dealt with by Network Rail rather than by Transport for London. Would you agree to meet council leaders and delegations from Havering and Redbridge to talk about the design work on the stations at Ilford and Romford and to ensure that we do actually get the stations that we deserve and that we were promised? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Of course, Roger, and I am sure one of the reasons that Havering and Redbridge rejected the blandishments, the siren voices of Val [Shawcross] and her colleagues was that they knew how vital it was to keep investment coming into Crossrail.
Page 298
Environment Nitrogen Dioxide pollution in London during EU Year of Air Question Number: 96/2013 Meeting Date: 16 January 2013 Jenny Jones Jenny Jones (AM): Can you tell me if all the buses going through Putney will be clean buses? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): As I said, by the summer 85% of them will be up to Euro 4. I cannot give you any further details on that yet. It is our ambition, plainly-- I would like zero tailpipe buses as soon as possible in London. We were discussing this a great deal in Transport for London (TfL) to see what we can do. The issue, as you know, is to do with range and range confidence, but we think we can make progress. What I can tell you is that there will be a substantial improvement in the quality and the cleanness of the buses this year. Jenny Jones (AM): Are the measures you are introducing in Putney, are they actually going to bring Putney within the EU limits? Is it going to make Putney legal? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I cannot give you that kind of detail. What I can tell you, which I have said many times before, is that London does better than many other EU cities, including Paris, Rome, Barcelona and Athens, on some of the most injurious pollutants.
Jenny Jones (AM): Not on NO 2 in fact. We are the worst in Britain and Europe.
Boris Johnson (Mayor of London) : Not on NO 2, basically because of the move to diesel. Everybody was encouraged to move to diesel. We are now looking at trying to reduce the diesel consumption of the fleet by moving to, as I say, more hybrids or indeed to try to get zero tailpipe buses altogether. Jenny Jones (AM): Are you bringing in other emergency measures in other places, as you are in Putney? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, in the sense that the clean air fund, the Air Quality fund, is there specifically to help boroughs address some of these pollution hotspots. Jenny Jones (AM): By when do you expect London to be within the legal limits? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): We already are within the legal limits and we have done very well on PM10s and some other pollutants. Jenny Jones (AM): This question is about nitrogen dioxide pollution, specifically. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): OK. I cannot give you a timescale now, Jenny, and I am not going to extemporise one. I will make sure we write to you with the projections.
Page 299
Central London consensus on improving air quality Question Number: 2558/2012 Meeting Date: 19 September 2012 Murad Qureshi When will you sign up to the consensus on improving poor air quality in Central London as three major boroughs have signed up to do? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am very happy to work with the boroughs concerned, to continue to clean up London’s air but, unfortunately, I am not willing to agree to a programme that I think would do great damage to the interests of London’s taxi drivers in requiring them to get rid of any vehicle more than ten years old. Already, very heroically, TfL has decided to launch the first ever age limit for taxis. That was done in the teeth of ferocious opposition from the taxi drivers. We have done that. I think now to tell them they have to scrap any vehicle more than ten years old would be simply brutal. I don’t know whether that is your policy, but it is not one that I am going to support. We are going to do various other things to improve air quality in London. I think Jenny (Jones) has a question later on about some of the emissions standards that we may be applying. Murad Qureshi (AM): Many thanks, Mr Mayor for your response. Just to elaborate, the letter to the councils involved Camden Council, the City of Westminster and City of London Corporation, representing 500,000 residents of Central London as well as business, so I think they represent an interest of a major constituency of yours apart from the black cabbies that you have got a particular interest with. They have asked for a number of things to be done across the buses, taxis, as well as the future of the London Enterprise Zone (LEZ). Can I just ask you a few specific questions, firstly in those -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Silly questions? Murad Qureshi (AM): Specific. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Specific, sorry. Murad Qureshi (AM): You obviously need to get your hearing tested. Specific. In the joint letter from Camden, Westminster and the City of London, they called for a better deployment of retro fitted buses across Central London. In light of that, can you tell us - after four years of office - what proportion of London buses have you retrofitted, so far? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): What I can tell you is that we have just put in an order for 600 of the cleanest and greenest bus in the whole world, which will be on the streets in the next four years. I cannot give you the answer about how many we have retrofitted, but we are moving towards an ever cleaner bus fleet. What I can tell you is, contrary to the absolute codswallop that was put around during the election campaign, which everybody has now forgotten about, London does not have the worst air quality in Europe. Complete fabrication by the Labour Party. Actually, it turns out, once one bothered to do the research, that Paris, Rome, Barcelona and Athens all have worse air quality, and plenty of other cities in Britain have comparable problems. I am delighted to say, that Manchester University - people were saying that we were going to have pollution during the Olympic Games - has just done a study, the Clear Flow Unit I think it is called, that concludes that we have just delivered one of the cleanest Olympic and Paralympic Games in history. The least polluted air of any Olympic Games in history.
Page 300
Murad Qureshi (AM): I didn’t ask those questions at all, actually. I asked you specifically -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I know, but I thought you had better get the answers. Murad Qureshi (AM): -- how many buses you retrofitted. Can I answer your question for you, if you do not know clearly? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): What I will do, Murad, I will get you the answer about the number of business we have retrofitted. Diesel cars in the congestion charge Question Number: 2395/2012 Meeting Date: 19 September 2012 Jenny Jones Will you look at reducing or removing exemptions from the congestion charge from those vehicles which come under the CO2 emission threshold, but which cause considerable localised pollution? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Jenny Jones (AM): Is that the answer? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Jenny Jones (AM): Wow. If you were so cooperative every time, you know, we would get on so much better. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): We get on famously already, would you not say? Jenny Jones (AM): Do you think you are going to actually look at those exemptions for diesel vehicles that are quite polluting? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Well, you heard what I said. Jenny Jones (AM): Well, you will remove or tighten those exemptions? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): There is a consultation we are going to get underway. My ambition is, as we were saying earlier on, my ambition is to have many more zero tailpipe emission vehicles in London and we consider the way the congestion charge can be used to achieve that. Jenny Jones (AM): So will you also review the greener vehicle discount scheme? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Jenny Jones (AM): Who is going to do this? It sounds quite interesting. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): TfL are going to do the work and there will be a public consultation on the changes.
Page 301
Jenny Jones (AM): Have you got a timeframe for that? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, but I want to give people maximum possible notice, but this is not yet ready to announce in detail. Jenny Jones (AM): I mean, it sounds very interesting. It sounds like the sort of thing I might want to contribute to. So you will let us know when it starts, will you? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, sure. Jenny Jones (AM): Have you been influenced by the Policy Exchange’s work on this? Their report ‘Something in the Air?’ Because they have actually said, I mean I do not often quote from Policy Exchange, which for the viewers is a right-wing think-tank. It actually says you should do actually this, remove or reduce exemptions. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Well, I had not actually seen the Policy Exchange document, but I will study it. Jenny Jones (AM): Well, I expect there is somebody in this building who would let you have a copy of that. Thank you, that is great. Air Quality During the Olympics Question Number: 1875/2012 Meeting Date: 13 June 2012 Jenny Jones Jenny Jones (AM): Since the smog alerts were launched in 2007, only 7,000 people have signed up, but in your Air Quality Strategy you set a target to have 250,000 people by 2015. If we go on at the same rate, you will only come to something like 4.5% of your target by 2015. What are you going to do to tell more people about the smog alerts? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): We are funding airTEXT, we have been lobbying for it, we have been publicising -- Jenny Jones (AM): If you do not tell people about it they will not know about it. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): We have been publicising it. Jenny Jones (AM): Where? Can you tell me about the publicity campaign, because I missed it? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I will be happy to supply you details, Jenny, about the publicity funding we have given for airTEXT. Jenny Jones (AM): Thank you very much.
Page 302
Planning and Housing Home ownership Question Number: 2979/ 013 11 September 2013 Tom Copley Tom Copley (AM): As you know, the second state of the scheme that comes in, in January, does not just apply to new homes, it applies to existing properties and, therefore, if it becomes apparent, Mr Mayor, that demand is being increased more than supply that house -- hang on, that this is further inflating house prices in London, will you reassess your opinion? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Cost of Childcare in London Question Number: 2981/ 2013 11 September 2013 Tom Copley Joanne McCartney (AM): There were simple actions which Daycare Trust asked you to do a year ago, spearheading a campaign of knowing your rights, to include it in your education inquiry. They were just practical things that you could do quite easily, it seems to me. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): We will certainly look at that. Rough Sleeping Question Number: 2472/2013 17 July 2013 Tom Copley Tom Copley (AM): Yes, thank you, Mr Mayor. There wasn’t an awful lot of detail there about what you intended to do about this problem. I know we have spoken in Mayor’s Question Time many times about this particular issue. Particularly about the pledge you made, I think first in 2009, which was that you would end rough sleeping in London by the end of 2012, which you made in your manifesto last year, six or seven months before the election when you again said that by the end of 2012, no one should be living in the street. I just wanted to raise this with you again because the Housing Committee, just over a month ago, Rick Blakeway, your Deputy Mayor for Housing, when I questioned him about this told me, and I quote, “I think the target was never meant to finish in 2012”. Who is right, you or Rick? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Rick is never wrong, so I am not going to -- Tom Copley (AM): So you are wrong. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am sure that whatever Rick and I are saying is absolutely --if you want a bit more detail, Tom, I can give you a bit more.
Page 303
Rough Sleeping Question Number: 2472/2013 17 July 2013 Tom Copley Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): You know perfectly well that those figures are nonsensical and -- Tom Copley (AM): No, they are not, they are -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- I am more than happy to write to you with the true figures and I know that this has been raised. In fact, there was going to be a question on this last week, or sorry, forgive me, last month, and I had the figures before me then. You then withdrew that question last month, if I remember correctly. I do not have the figures for the empty homes we brought back into use. I would be very happy to write to you and give you those figures. High Rise Question Number: 1935/2013 19 June 2013 Andrew Boff Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): We are going to improve fire services across London and including in Pimlico. If you look at what has happened in estates around the city, in some very interesting cases you are seeing 1960s high rises torn down to make way for a new London vernacular of a more terraced approach that actually does deliver very great densities and a wonderful quality of life. Andrew Boff (AM): I am delighted to hear your support for those concepts. As you know, it is something that this group in general has been banging on about for quite a while. I would like to see that in terms of some kind of guidance to future developers who must know that there is general disapproval from the Mayor of London for family housing to be provided in tower blocks. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): There is such disapproval. Let me see if I can get you some numbers, Andrew, about that, about how it has been going and the changes because we have been changing it. Free schools permitted development rights Question Number: 1967/2013 19 June 2013 Andrew Dismore Andrew Dismore (AM): Let me put the question to you. OK. What about Avanti Free School? They have tried to muscle into a site next to Broadfields Primary -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): The last thing I would accuse you of is being tedious. Andrew Dismore (AM): -- with 1,700 children, a site that is woefully too small. They want to put ten portacabins next to Fairway Primary which brings nothing to local people except inconvenience and traffic jams. There are no places for local kids which is the intention of free schools, no places for local kids because these schools are based in Harrow where they draw their pupils from, not Barnet, completely contrary to the intention of free schools. You have a role here. When are you going to exercise that role and make sure that proper planning arrangements are put in place so that local people’s objections are properly considered? Or are you simply
Page 304 going to push this to one side? I bet if they were going to do this on the playing fields of Eton you would be objecting. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Here we go. Here we go. Indeed, indeed. As you rightly say, I went to the same school as the party leader. I did. I was at the same London primary school as Ed Miliband, the Labour Party leader. A great school it is, Primrose Hill Primary School, and it made us what we are today. I have great confidence in all schools. They are improving by the way, London schools. It is a fantastic story of improvement in the last few years and -- Andrew Dismore (AM): What about the planning applications? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- I do not know why you are so hostile to this new school. I will go and read your scintillating letter and see why you object so passionately to a new school in your constituency. Andrew Dismore (AM): Thousands of local residents are objecting, Boris. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): There you go. Some local people do not want to have their lives interrupted by schoolchildren. I will find out why. I will do my best to be reasonable with you and with these people who so dislike schoolchildren and I will see what I can do to help. But I am in favour of more school places. I think we have a problem in London. We have too few primary places, too few secondary places. We need to build more schools and the answer to your question is yes.
Public Houses Question Number: 976/2013 20 March 2013 Steve O'Connell
Steve O'Connell (AM): Specifically on the forthcoming SPG, you do mention community assets, community hubs, but what I am urging is for you to instruct and request from your planners that there is specific mention of community public houses because at the moment they are covered in a broad generalisation. What we are asking for, and I know Tom would agree with this, is that we want specific mention for specific protection of community pubs that are seen as an asset for the local community. Would you agree with that, Mr Mayor? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I do. I do completely agree, and I thank you for what you are doing. Dalston Western Curve Question Number: 3944/2012 Meeting Date: 19 December 2012 Andrew Boff Your plans for the Dalston Western Curve, expressed as a planning application by TfL, seem to contradict your desire to increase public open space. Could you explain why? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): This relates to a development which you have campaigned for a long time which was a scheme initiated a while back. You ask about the open space and where is it going to be. I understand that the planning application is before Hackney. There are various places, not on that site obviously, that could be improved nearby and that is the best I am afraid that I can offer you on that.
Page 305
Andrew Boff (AM): Thank you, Mr Mayor. You are not just the planning authority on this but also the developer, effectively, with TfL being the land owner. Bearing in mind your very heartening and positive comments to my colleague James Cleverly about the aim of greening London, why is it that the only green space within this development is going to be contained in a gated development? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): This was a scheme that was cooked up before I was Mayor. I will look into it. If I am indeed the planning authority, as you say, I had better be careful what I say because I may frustrate any ability that I have to vary it. Andrew Boff (AM): I would be grateful if you would look at it. I would be grateful also if you could meet with local Dalston campaigners who want to explain their concerns about the drift of TfL schemes in Dalston. The last time TfL got involved in Dalston we ended up demolishing heritage buildings to erect the windswept Dalston Square and built a bus stop that cost £63 million and only one bus ever stops there. This is not a very good record for TfL. I would urge that we do not go through the same process again of these crazy schemes that TfL have come forward with for Dalston because I do not think TfL really cares about Dalston. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That I cannot accept. Andrew Boff (AM): They care about their buses but they certainly do not care about their property, Mr Mayor. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I know that you dislike these schemes. I think they both antedated my tenure. Andrew Boff (AM): We have a chance for you to change them. You could put a comment, if you like, because the deadline for comments is tomorrow for the planning application. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): The difficulty I have is that you are asking me both to arbitrate on it and to comment on it. I do not think I can do both but I will have a look at it. Andrew Boff (AM): I would be very grateful if you could see the campaigners as well so that they can explain their frustration with what TfL is doing in Dalston. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Are you a campaigner? I will meet you. Andrew Boff (AM): No, there are plenty and we will not fill your office but we can provide you with some of the campaigners, especially from Open Dalston. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): OK, and can this be genuinely improved in time, this scheme? Andrew Boff (AM): Yes. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): All right, let us have a look at it then, okay. Andrew Boff (AM): Thank you, sir.
Page 306
Housing Crisis Question Number: 4042/2012 Meeting Date: 19 December 2012 Darren Johnson Darren Johnson (Deputy Chair): You said quite rightly that London is a special case in terms of its social mix. Will you, therefore, undertake to do some independent monitoring for London of the impact of the benefit cap on Londoners? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I know we are trying. There was a story on the front page of the Guardian a few weeks ago based on calls that London boroughs had made to other parts of the country about rehousing. However, we have not been able to substantiate, or so far been able to substantiate the assertion made by John that there is a vast exodus. It does not seem to be happening. It may be, you know, it could be down the track, but we have to be clear; it does not seem to be happening on the scale some people have prophesied. Darren Johnson (Deputy Chair): It is no use relying on hearsay one way or the other. We need some proper robust monitoring, particularly next year when the new regime comes in. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Sorry, it has been described as a mass exodus. Darren Johnson (Deputy Chair): Will you undertake to do some proper monitoring of this of the impact on Londoners? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Of course. Darren Johnson (Deputy Chair): Thank you. Squatting laws Question Number: 2524/2012 Meeting Date: 19 September 2012 Steve O’Connell Do you welcome the recent law which now makes squatting in residential buildings a criminal offence, allowing police to arrest squatters? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I do welcome it, Darren, and I think it is quite right that the law should allow owners to regain possession of their properties more quickly and more easily. There is a problem of unoccupied housing in London, but we have now got the rate of empty homes down to the lowest since the 1970s, 1.1% of the total housing stock, and we have put about 5,000 empty homes back into use with a targeted funding stream, and we are going to continue to do so. Steve O’Connell (AM): Thank you very much, Mr Mayor. Yes, exactly, there is a balance to this story but I would like to agree with you and welcome on behalf of Londoners the fact now that London and the UK is not going to be the soft touch for squatters. Will you, Mr Mayor, confirm and indeed direct your deputy to ensure that the MPS will be fully enforcing this law with immediate effect, because clearly this does apply to existing squatters. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am sure the MPS will be enforcing the law as they always do. They do not need to be directed by me or by anybody else to enforce the law. That is what they do. I think there
Page 307 are interesting and attractive things you can do to put empty homes, empty shops back into use, and that is what we want to do. Steve O’Connell (AM): As I say, the public will very much welcome this. It will give them reassurance on something that actually has been a curse of many neighbourhoods over far too many years. However, in the spirit of sharing and giving confidence to the public, will you ensure that the MPS regularly updates the public on arrest and conviction rates for illegal squatting in their areas? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): That is a good point. I will find out. We will get some data for you. Stalled Developments Question Number: 2500/2012 Meeting Date: 19 September 2012 Andrew Boff How many potential homes in London have planning permission but are currently in stalled developments? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): The answer is 170,000. Andrew Boff (AM) : 170,000? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): 170,000. Andrew Boff (AM): Mr Mayor, has there been some kind of analysis of the reason behind these stalled developments, because it is very difficult to judge. That one big figure is obviously astonishing but it would be interesting to know the profile of those. I mean how many, for example, do we think are awaiting finance from the banks? How many are stalled because the developers bought at a high in the market and in some cases are trying to build inappropriately high density developments? How many are stalled because of section 106 agreements? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): All those things may or may not be factors. There is also the difficulty individual people may have had in getting mortgages and the slackness in the market, so all those things are factors. What we have done is commissioned a study across quite a broad range of the stalled projects to try to identify what we can do to ‘float the boat off the rocks’ and what the problem is. Developments of more than 150 homes we are typically looking at, and we want to see what we can do to get things going. I doubt very much that it is anything to do with planning, obviously not, because it has been consented. I think you are on the right track when you talk about developers who have taken a bath on the value of the site. I think that is very often the problem, they do not have the cash left to develop. We are looking at what we can do to encourage greater readiness of finance, particularly for people who want to buy their own home. I think that is one of the key problems in London at the moment and I will be talking a bit more about that over the next few weeks. Andrew Boff (AM): I welcome that intervention by itself because I think Londoners are very concerned, obviously, with the housing problem that there is, that there is a potential 170,000 homes that could be occupied by families in London. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. I mean these homes do not exist but the consent is there to build them.
Page 308
Andrew Boff (AM): Precisely. I would appreciate, if possible, and I realise the data is going to be difficult to get to, an idea of the proportions that we are looking at. I think it is right that you focus on those larger developments of 150 plus, but within those developments why are they stalled? Why these in particular are stalled? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): The work is going on right now and obviously I will let you have sight of whatever we get. Darren Johnson (Chair): That is very welcome. Beds in Sheds Question Number: 1551/2012 Meeting Date: 13 June 2012 Tom Copley Tom Copley (AM): You say this is something, a responsibility that primarily lies with the boroughs, but given that seven boroughs in London have now received this funding, do you accept it is a strategy issue that needs much more involvement from yourself? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I think I have given you a flavour of the activity we are already engaged in, and there is a national taskforce. London has, through our efforts, not only been leading in that work, but I think I am right in saying that of the cash that has been allocated to dealing with the problem nationally, London has got the overwhelming share of it, thanks to the lobbying that we have been involved in. Tom Copley (AM): But why didn’t you support what would have been a relatively minor alteration to the London Plan which would have outlawed beds in sheds? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am not aware of the amendment. I will be happy to look at it. I think that as it happens, beds in sheds so-called are illegal for the reason I have already given, which is very often they will fall foul of fire regulations, and that is why the role of LFEPA is important in dealing with it, as well as the role of the boroughs. Homes for London Question Number: 1312/2012 Meeting Date: 23 May 2012 Nicky Gavron Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Thank you very much, Nicky. The idea of Homes for London is to bring together all the reforms that we have achieved, and it came into effect on 1 April, I think, with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) land and the London Development Agency (LDA) land and the cash involved, and to organise it hereunder under one roof in the GLA. What we are not doing, just for clarity’s sake, is we are not creating a vast new functional body separate from this place on the lines of TfL, called Homes for London or whatever. Nicky Gavron (AM): Fair enough, but you actually pledged to deliver rather more than that when you signed up with the Shelter Homes for London campaign. You got a lot of publicity for that during the election, and it is still on their website, so I thought I would just ask you about some of the things you have signed up, particularly just narrowing it down to the private rented sector, where 850,000 households live -
Page 309 that is millions of people - and Shelter want action on that, and you have signed up to some pledges on that. Can you tell me what those pledges are? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Well, the pledges that we have signed up to include, as I say, instigating Homes for London as a key department of the GLA, with a mission to improve housing in London. That obviously is something that I do not think anybody would dissent from, and as part of that, plainly we want to improve the lot of those in the rented sector. There are all sorts of steps that we are taking to increase the supply of rented accommodation, but above all, to bear down and to do what we can to drive out the kind of landlords who have been treating their tenants unacceptably by a system of accredited landlords. We have got a very considerable number on the scheme already and we want to double that number. Nicky Gavron (AM): You have also signed up to dealing with rip-off letting agencies. You signed up to fairer rents, with a London-wide letting agency, and you signed up to protecting families by making sure they have secure tenancies. Are your Homes for London actually going to follow through on those pledges? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. What we are going to do, Nicky, is continue with a very, very energetic and aggressive policy, and in fact more aggressive even than before of building new homes, and -- Nicky Gavron (AM): No, no, I am talking about the private rented sector. Are you going to follow through on those pledges? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- that includes a huge number of homes for rent. Nicky Gavron (AM): No, but are you going to follow through on setting up a London-wide letting agency with secure tenancies for families? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Look, I am going to have to study the detail of that. Nicky Gavron (AM): But you have signed up that pledge. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Well, so you say. I am going to have to have a look at what exactly was signed up. Nicky Gavron (AM): What do you mean, “So I said”? You have had a lot of publicity on the back of this. Are you saying that you have just abandoned Homes for London? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I may have had a lot of publicity about it, but not enough for it to come to my attention. Let me have a look at it. Let me have a look at exactly what is entailed, OK? Nicky Gavron (AM): There are millions of Londoners suffering as a result of this, what is in the private rented sector, and people are being squeezed, families they have shown on health and education for children. How can you not take this seriously? How can you be so flippant? You have a choice. You have powers, you have influence. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am sorry, I will not take any lessons from you, Nicky, about commitment to affordable housing. In the last four years, we built a record quantity of affordable housing.
Page 310
We have driven the programme forward and we will go forward again over the next four years with even more, and I think what Londoners need to do is instead of listening to the posturing and the sermonising of the Labour Party, and the endless false incredible promises that you make, they should look at results and they should look at what we achieve. Nicky Gavron (AM): You have already signed these pledges, which you do not seem to remember, and it just strikes me that you are already breaking a promise. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): As I say to you, we will look at the details of what is entailed by that pledge and we will do our best to implement them. Economic and Business Policy Living Wages for all? Question Number: 2978 2013 11 September 2013 Len Duvall Jennette Arnold OBE (AM): Can I ask you to ask Kit to look into that because whether it is good or not people listen to you and you could add your voice to this campaign. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Kit has been in touch with the [London Living Wage] Commission since its beginning. One obvious difficulty is that a national Living Wage logically starts to undermine one of the particular points we make about the London Living Wage, which is that there are increased costs of living in London and that is why we want to focus very much on the London Living Wage. Pledge on job creation Question Number: 2434/2013 17 July 2013 Fiona Twycross Fiona Twycross (AM): The job situation is still lagging behind other parts of Britain and one of the reasons this might be is because small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) are finding it hard to get credit. They find it significantly harder than small and medium-sized enterprises in other parts of the country to access credit with only 5% of SMEs in London reporting credit to be affordable. During the 2012 election you pledged to put £35 million into a small-business lending scheme and in May you announced a scheme with £25 million of funding. I just wondered if you could comment on why the reality of your actions has not met the commitments made in your manifesto? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): So we are £10 million short? I will find out. I cannot give you the answer here and now. I am sure there is a perfectly good explanation for that and we will make sure we get the answer to you. Commonwealth Games 2022 (1) Question Number: 1768/2013 22 May 2013 Andrew Boff
Andrew Boff (AM): You are saying you are for the Commonwealth Games and you do not know what the price is. Page 311
Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, I am. There is a risk. Tessa did a fantastic job in getting the Games and working for the Olympics. I think she later tried to clarify what she meant. I do not think that she remotely meant to say that it was a mistake to go ahead with the Olympic Games. If she did, if it came out that way, she regretted it almost immediately. I think it was a great investment for this country and indeed for London. I think the Olympics were a wonderful thing, where we really are seeing economic benefits and impact from it. I want to see the cost benefits for the Commonwealth Games. If we bid for it, and I hope we will, I will make sure, Andrew, that you get a rundown of what we think the economic upside would be as well as the cost. Andrew Boff (AM): Will this rundown be one that is in public, or restricted from the public, as we had in the case of the Olympic Stadium and all the other things that took place on the Olympic site that we were not privy to Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): You will get a public account. Of course. Benefit savings from the living wage Question Number: 1318/2013 22 May 2013 Jenny Jones Jenny Jones (AM): You have a target at the moment of 250 companies by 2015 or something. The problem is that will still leave 1,000 big companies in London not paying it [London Living Wage]. It seems to me that that is actually not fair on the taxpayer. So do you think there is something you could do, apart from these zones, just to put pressure on through all your government contacts? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. The challenge is London’s citizens who started all this and who I think have the right idea have always fought shy of having a compulsory approach. Jenny Jones (AM): That is not in your remit, you could not do that. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): We could not do that anyway. So we do not want to go down that route, even if we could. I would accept your criticism. I do think that the target of 250 is possibly capable of being improved and we could do better than that. Jenny Jones (AM): Will you? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I would like to see a lot more political awareness of the benefits of this policy. It does not really hurt corporations that much in their bottom line. It does engender a great deal of loyalty in staff. It helps reduce staff turnover. It increases productivity. I think companies in London should go for it and I would exhort them to do so. Jenny Jones (AM): Will you in fact then put up your target? Could you do something a little more proactive and make a more ambitious target to draw in some more of these companies that we are paying -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Our target is obviously 100%. That is what I want to achieve.
Page 312
Benefit savings from the living wage Question Number: 1318/2013 22 May 2013 Jenny Jones Jennette Arnold OBE (AM): Thank you, and good morning, Mr Mayor. Can I follow on the theme? I think we just do need this settled. Can I ask you to write to me clarifying that the whole of the GLA family is conforming with your commitment to the London Living Wage? I know that there were some outstanding issues that may have been transferred from the Metropolitan Police Authority over to the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) and I would welcome your assurance on that. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I certainly will write to you, Jennette. I just want to clarify that I am confident we can get the accreditation for the GLA ourselves and Transport for London (TfL) by November this year and we will then begin on the accreditation of MOPAC, LFEPA and the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC). Len [Duvall] mentions London & Partners (L&P). I do not know the status of L&P but clearly L&P must also be accredited. Jennette Arnold OBE (AM): Yes. It is all aspects of the GLA family that I would like confirmation on. Can I just follow up then and just tease out where my colleague Assembly Member Boff started about the services, especially around the security sector and just ask you: is it not time now that we looked and that you led some sort of review at these key sectors for London? It is in these key sectors where it is part-time workers and women workers and where many members from London’s diverse communities are employed that the Living Wage is not paid. Will you look to focus your attention in those sectors? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. All the points I have made this morning are good ones that apply to all those sectors as well in terms of loyalty, higher staff morale, productivity and so on. These costs are not in my view insuperable for some of the very big corporations that we are talking about. They produce very substantial revenues and I think it is the right way forward. In tough times when you are seeing a growing gap between rich and poor and huge pressures on the cost of living in London, it is morally right. So, yes, Jennette, we will make sure that all those types of business that you are talking about, contract cleaning, security, those sorts of organisations are properly addressed in the run-up to next November. Child Poverty and Parental Employment Question Number: 68/2013 Meeting Date: 13 January 2013 Stephen Knight Stephen Knight (AM): Will you commit to helping to set up a London-wide at home childcare agency for parents with atypical work patterns, as recommended by the Daycare Trust? Could you commit to doing that? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): My only wariness, Stephen, is that we have tried London-wide strategic provision of this sort of thing and it has not been very successful. The value for money was not great. Stephen Knight (AM): Mr Mayor, just because one scheme was not successful does not mean that other schemes cannot be -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No, I accept that.
Page 313
Stephen Knight (AM): -- and I am a bit worried that is a defeatist attitude. We have got to tackle this issue because of the impact on London’s economy. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am not being defeatist. I share your concern about this. I just think you need to be very careful before we, as the GLA, leap into a massive programme of child minding. Stephen Knight (AM): Finally, Mr Mayor, I wonder if you could update us -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): It comes in Plato’s Republic. Somewhere in the Republic they have such a programme for the ideal state. Stephen Knight (AM): Finally, Mr Mayor, can you update us on your commitment that you have already given to run a campaign to encourage London employers to offer childcare vouchers? When is that going to happen? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): As far as I know it is happening already but I will get back to you with further particulars about that. Nine Elms Enterprise Zone Question Number: 175/2013 Meeting Date: 16 January 2013 Richard Tracey
Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Thank you, Dick, and thank you for all the work that you have done, over a long period of years, to help get this thing off the ground. It is a quite remarkable thing. The Enterprise Zone regulations will be laid before Parliament this year so we will have the structure in place to help pay for the Northern line extension which has made possible the redevelopment of that power station. Richard Tracey (AM): Thank you, Mr Mayor. This is, of course, a major step forward in a regeneration area with a lot of potential. We have got one Embassy there. Who knows; we may have some more before it is finished. Can I ask you, on the Enterprise Zone side, what is the current consensus on the size of the enterprise zone? Will it cover the whole of the opportunity area? In addition to business rate discounts and capital allowances will you look at other areas, for example, UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) support and tax increment financing (TIFs) and so on for the Enterprise Zone? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): All that kind of stuff we will look at. There is a limit to the number of ways you can squeeze the same lemon, so to speak. Orange. Richard Tracey (AM): Would you answer-- is the consensus for the whole opportunity area or just one part of it? We talked before about Battersea Power Station. It is now 250 acres, the whole area. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): You are worried we are going to be putting a community infrastructure levy (CIL) on the whole thing are you? Richard Tracey (AM): I am asking for the Enterprise Zone to cover the whole area ideally.
Page 314
Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I will get back to you on the exact extent of the enterprise zone. Suffice it to say we will make sure that it will be in a position to finance the Northern line Extension (NLE). Outer London Fund Question Number: 185/2013 Meeting Date: 16 January 2013 Steve O’Connell
Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Thanks, Steve. I think your question on the Outer London Fund is well posed. Central Parade in New Addington, we are very proud of what we have been able to do there. The Outer London Fund has been one of the best things we were able to do in outer London because it was, after all, an area that was neglected by the previous administration. We have re-established the Outer London Fund. I had them all in my office the other night. We have got a new agenda to continue to drive jobs and growth in outer London. Steve O’Connell (AM): Thank you very much, Mr Mayor. First of all I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for your efforts in bringing Westfield and Hammerson to Croydon, for the record. As you said, the Outer London Fund was introduced to rebalance the earlier Mayor’s neglect of the outer London boroughs and it has been well received, as you say, in New Addington and also in North Cheam, another area that I represent. When I asked you last year you were saying that you were having an evaluation to see whether you were going to continue with it. For the record, you are intending to bring forward a further round of the Outer London Fund during the course of your Mayoralty? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, that is it. We are going to continue with the Outer London Fund and, indeed, with the work of the Outer London Commission in identifying ways of expanding the Outer London economy. Fares and the London Living Wage Question Number: 3796/2012 Meeting Date: 21 November 2012 Andrew Boff How did your upcoming announcement on fare levels for 2013 affect the London Living Wage rate you announced on 5th November? Andrew Boff (AM): Mr Mayor, you are quite right that the London Living Wage should be cross-party but public agencies themselves should set an example. I raised the example the other day with you of Hackney council who are advertising jobs at £6.10 an hour and yet, at the same time, claiming that they supported the London Living Wage. Since that, Hackney have now decided they are no longer going to do that. Could you possibly turn your attention again to the practices by Hackney which at this moment takes on employers Compass Group -- I do not wish to excoriate Compass Group. I am just saying without mentioning the London Living Wage, they have been happy to get into a contract with the Compass Group for school catering staff and I have a payslip in front of me that gives their hourly rate as £5.46. Now if supposed supporters of the London Living Wage are not even saying to their sub-contractors that there should be some kind of buy-in to the London Living Wage are we going to be successful? I hope that you are going to pay some attention to that next time you talk to Hackney council.
Page 315
Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): To Mayor [Jules] Pipe, yes, I certainly shall. It is a very interesting point. I was not aware of that, Andrew. Andrew Boff (AM): Arguably, that is below the minimum wage, let alone the London Living Wage. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. That is something that I will certainly make sure that - I hope someone is taking due note of this - I will bring up with Hackney next time we have that conversation. The GLA does its best to make sure all our contractors pay the London Living Wage. Where there are historic contracts - and I anticipate the objection of Andrew - that need to be changed in favour of the London Living Wage that will happen when those contracts are renewed. London Living Wage for TFL Cleaners Question Number: 3026/2012 Meeting Date: 17 October 2012 Andrew Dismore Why are cleaners employed by Carlisle, contracted by TfL’s franchisee Serco to provide cleaning services on Docklands Light Railway, not paid the London Living Wage? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Thank you, Andrew, very much indeed. You ask about why cleaners employed by Carlisle who are contracted by TfL’s franchisee Serco to provide cleaning services on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) are not paid the London Living Wage? Because that franchise was awarded in 2005, during Ken Livingstone’s [former Mayor] last year of office, but was before the London Living Wage had been fully implemented in this place. I would just remind you that at least 2,600 staff of TfL, contracted and also sub-contracted staff, have benefited from the London Living Wage and, under this administration, under this Mayoralty, it has been massively expanded so that I think about 250 private firms in London now pay the London Living Wage which is greatly in excess of what there were under the Labour administration. Andrew Dismore (AM): I assume you accept the DLR is part of the GLA group? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I think I have not only accepted that; I have explained the historical reasons why the contract, which is a -- Andrew Dismore (AM): So having accepted that when you put in your economic manifesto -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): With Serco was not part of our London Living Wage strategy. Andrew Dismore (AM): So when you put in your economic manifesto for the last Mayoral elections, “I have ensured that the London Living Wage was paid across the GLA group” that was not true was it? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I think you asked a previous question about London Underground where we tried to do everything -- Andrew Dismore (AM): I am asking you about these workers here and I am putting to you what you put in your manifesto -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- we can to pay the London Living Wage.
Page 316
Andrew Dismore (AM): -- was not true was it? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): The problem is, and remains, that my predecessor, Ken Livingstone, said one thing and did another. Andrew Dismore (AM): You have said one thing and not done it. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): He put in a contract with this DLR franchisee who have a different relationship, as you know, from London Underground (LU) than we have. They are not direct employees. There is a different set of contracts -- Andrew Dismore (AM): There is a simple answer to this. Why don’t you go back to the company and renegotiate the contract to make sure the 1,500 people or so who work on the national minimum wage and in fact I understand from this morning’s discussions -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I think it is a very good idea. Andrew Dismore (AM): Why don’t you go back and get the contract renegotiated to get these people paid a decent amount of money? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): As I say it is a point you might well have made to Ken Livingstone when you were a Labour MP in London and you allowed this. I do not know why it did not occur to you then, curiously enough. Never mind. It is certainly something that we will do when the contract comes up for renewal. Assessment of Poverty Question Number: 2060/2012 Meeting Date: 4 July 2012 Andrew Dismore Fiona Twycross (AM): Mr Mayor, have you undertaken any assessment of food poverty in London? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I know, Fiona, that Rosie Boycott, who is Chair of the London Food Board and works directly for me, is currently engaged in a massive effort now to analyse this problem and to see what we can do to end it. I am going to get the figure wrong now; I think she quoted a horrifying statistic to me the other day about the number of kids who get into school without having had a proper breakfast. It is quite appalling. I do think this is an area where London needs to wake up, we cannot go on having kids unable to concentrate in class because they are not getting a proper breakfast. We are supporting organisations like Magic Breakfasts that try to deal with this issue but there is a serious problem at the moment. I do not think it is so much of; there may be absolute poverty that is partly driving it but it is also I am afraid organisational problems, problems at home, all the rest of it, that are leaving kids basically going to school on a empty stomach or eating a Mars Bar or whatever on the way there or stocking up on fried chicken or whatever. What is happening at the moment is I am afraid, I do not want to sound like a nanny or bossing you or hysterical, it is a problem. As far as the analysis goes, please, I do not have it at my fingertips but Rosie Boycott is doing it and will be more than happy to supply you with it and to work with you.
Page 317
Childcare Question Number: 1544/2012 Meeting Date: 13 June 2012 Len Duvall Len Duvall (AM): Chair, two further questions. The Daycare Trust, an important panel and is under threat. Have you made any interventions on its behalf? I think it has the support of cross-party on this Assembly. Have you written any letters to London councils? Have you sought any way to intervene to protect this important body in support of this sector across London? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Len, would you forgive me if I check? I do not want to say I haven’t when it is possible I have done something already. If I haven’t, I will certainly look into it. Len Duvall (AM): Will you as a matter of urgency? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Certainly. Childcare Question Number: 1544/2012 Meeting Date: 13 June 2012 Len Duvall Len Duvall (AM): OK. Let’s go back; you raised it, I wasn’t going to raise it, but as you did, 2005, your predecessor, Ken Livingstone, met his target according to your London Development Agency (LDA) report, which was commissioned in your time, of affordable quality childcare policies. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Is that right? Len Duvall (AM): In December 2009, you came up with a target of 1,600, which you alluded to in an earlier answer, which did not reach its target. You then decided to scrap it in 2011 and 2012. Was that wise then on the basis that where we are now, could it not have been reconfigured to meet it? Is it one around which may not be directly related to you, Mr Mayor, on this occasion, but isn’t it an issue about confidence, about overseeing programmes that run from here and how can you give us confidence about the voucher programme that the officers within this building are working with employers to do? Is this not going to be another failed effort? What steps are you taking to ensure that is not the case? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I think, first of all, you have to decide whether the previous effort was successful or not. Len Duvall (AM): Sorry, Mr Mayor; let me just say this. According to your LDA report, in your time, not in Ken’s [Livingstone] time which did it, Ken, met 10,000 placements. In your scheme, in 2009, revised scheme, you put down the target; it clearly failed and you scrapped it and that is what you scrapped it on. I am not sure whether you scrapped because it failed but it certainly didn’t meet its targets. These are all information and figures you have provided that have been under your watch. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Sure, and I understand. Obviously, as you know, I became Mayor in 2008 and very early on in my mayoralty, I remember having meetings, in fact, with Labour Ministers whose view was that the scheme was not by any means perfect and did not represent value for money in our scheme. I was later informed that it certainly wasn’t meeting its target for job entries. The information I have, Len [Duvall], is that by November 2010, the programme as a whole had delivered less than 20% of its
Page 318 original target for job entries with no individual borough exceeding 35% of the targets that they agreed. This represented poor value for money for Londoners and that was why the programme was terminated. That does not mean that I think this problem is unimportant. I think this problem is incredibly important. Yes, obviously the lesson from that is you have to work hard at these things to get them right and there is a real danger of money being wasted and a lack of success. Because of your question, because of your urging, I will take steps now to find out how our voucher scheme is going to work, what expectations we have of success and get back to you, if I may. Direct jobs through City Hall Question Number: 1249/2012 Meeting Date: 23 May 2012 Stephen Knight Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Thank you. Stephen, yes, welcome. You are opening the batting here. This is an interesting question, and the answer is that the programme is a four-year programme, and I hope - just to get back to the conversations I was having with Joanne [McCartney] and others - that our achievements in creating these jobs over the next four years will be transparent and you will be able to see them through the datastore. Stephen Knight (AM): Thank you very much. I hope it will be transparent, and I hope we can get a little bit of transparency this morning. You have said very clearly, Mr Mayor, that creating jobs and growth in the City is the centrepiece of your mayoralty for the next four years, so I wonder whether we could explore and really get to the bottom of this pledge to create 2000 new jobs over the next four years. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Stephen Knight (AM): I think you have said previously that 100,000 of these 200,000 jobs will come from your affordable house-building programme, and when I looked at the affordable house-building programme, it appears to me that we are actually talking about not 100,000 jobs, but 25,000 jobs building affordable homes for the next 4 years, and in order to get to 100,000, you seem to have multiplied each year’s employment, counted each year’s employment as a new job. Is that reasonable? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No. Stephen Knight (AM): Do you think that most Londoners would consider that you have four jobs as Mayor of London over the term of this office or just the one? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): No. I am afraid, with great respect to you, you are miscounting and that is not the -- Stephen Knight (AM): How am I miscounting? Could you explain? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): As I remember the figures, in fact, the affordable housing programme, which is going to deliver about 54,838 houses, we think, by 2015, will deliver 104,000 jobs, and to the best of my knowledge, there is no multiplication. We are not talking about jobs per year, we are talking about new jobs created during four years.
Page 319
Stephen Knight (AM): Perhaps I can remind you of your own figures, because your own figures are based on each house built creating two jobs for a year. That is what your own figures suggest, so I put it to you that you are talking about 25,000 jobs over the 4-year period and that you are not double-counting, you are quadruple-counting in order to get to 100,000. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): As I say, I have heard what you have said. It is not my understanding and I will be happy to correspond with you about it. Education and Skills
Abacus Free School Question Number: 3365/2012 Meeting Date: 21 November 2012 Andrew Boff Andrew Boff (AM): One of the other things I would like you to seriously consider Mr Mayor when reviewing Hampstead police station is the possible use of that site for the Abacus free school, which would be a primary school for residents in the area rather than the other schools in the area which just seem to import children from further afield. There is very little provision for a primary school in the area where children can walk to school. If you could seriously consider the application from Abacus I would be very grateful. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): This is in Hampstead? Andrew Boff (AM): In Hampstead. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I will certainly look at that and I wonder whether Andrew [Dismore] might want to take that up himself since he is the Member for that neighbourhood. Andrew Boff (AM): I will forward the details to him. Health and Public Services Rough sleeping Question Number: 1971/2013 19 June 2013 Jennette Arnold OBE Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Thanks, Jennette. Rough sleeping continues to be a serious problem but the real achievement of the London Rough Sleeping Group, formerly the London Delivery Board, is that so few people spend a second night out. More than 80% are now helped off the street before they spend a second night out. That is a great credit to the work that has been done. A lot of the rough sleepers, as I am sure you are aware, are coming from outside this city and indeed this country. I think a large proportion from central and eastern Europe. It remains a serious problem which is why we are investing £33.8 million in rough sleeping services plus the Social Impact Bond to reward those who are able to help get rough sleepers off the streets and deal particularly with entrenched rough sleeping.
Page 320
Jennette Arnold OBE (AM): Thank you for that reply and I am sure everyone in this room will welcome the work that is being done and the allocation of funds. I just want to focus with my follow-up question on former rough sleeping in London. Following the General Election, the Government increased the age threshold of the single room rate from 25 to 35, so this means that everyone 35 and under now only qualifies for a housing benefit for shared accommodation. You claimed you have successfully negotiated exemptions to this change for former rough sleepers. However, I have been informed by workers of charities in this area that the exemption is not being implemented properly because many boroughs are not aware of it and because of the level of proof of benefit claimants is so high. It means when you go to get this benefit it is very difficult for the claimant to then show where they have been for the last three months in terms of being homeless on the streets. In fact, the forms could be amended to make it easier. Are you aware of this? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Jennette Arnold OBE (AM): If yes, what are you doing about it? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): The Rough Sleeping Group is working with -- we are aware and we think there is a problem to do with the advice that boroughs are giving. This is something actually I think Roger [Evans, AM] raised a while back or another Member raised a while back. Jennette Arnold OBE (AM): It is across every constituency. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): It is across every constituency. We need to make sure that boroughs do more to give useful advice and help to people to prevent rough sleeping. We are not convinced that that is happening at the moment and the Mayor’s Rough Sleeping Group, led by Rick Blakeway [Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property], is focusing very hard on that. That is part of what we are trying to do with the funds that we have. Jennette Arnold OBE (AM): Can I suggest that a letter from you to leaders and chief execs would be an act that you could do and that would be welcomed? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. What I can certainly offer you, Jennette, today is I will write to you with an account of what we are doing to deal with that particular problem. But where I think we are being successful is in helping to get people off the streets after they have been there for the first night. It is a big problem. It is caused partly by inward migration. It is not necessarily caused entirely by changes to the benefit system, though I cannot exclude that that is also a factor, so there are lots of different aspects to it. Jennette Arnold OBE (AM): So there is lots more work to do. Thank you. Steve O’Connell (AM): Just to follow up that very good question because that had similarity to the question I asked -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Sorry. Forgive me, Steve. I am sorry. It was your question. Steve O’Connell (AM): All this is really to say, when you write to Jennette, could you kindly copy that to me because I also have an interest in the same subject?
Page 321
Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I will copy you in on that. A&E Crisis Question Number: 1964/2013 19 June 2013 Dr Onkar Sahota Joanne McCartney (AM): There are issues with primary care. Given that, can I ask you to look again at the impending A&E closures? If primary care is not there, it is my contention that actually these closures should not go ahead. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I understand that point and, as I have said to you already, Joanne, I will look into the circumstances surrounding the Chase Farm A&E. Welfare Reform Question Number: 987/2013 20 March 2013 Tom Copley Onkar Sahota (AM): No, well let me pick up this question about foster carer children you talk about; this is only for a family where there is one foster child. If there are two foster children, and I can imagine situations where there is a sister and a brother who need to be fostered in the same family, they will not get an exemption at all. This policy is dividing up families who need to live in a house together. On the one hand we want more foster parents to come forward, on the other hand we are taxing them unfairly. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Sorry, do you mean, if there is a foster family with -- Onkar Sahota (AM): If a family has two foster children, they will need two separate bedrooms, but this exemption you are talking about that the Government has given only applies to one bedroom. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): So you are saying, suppose each foster child occupied one bedroom, that would be viewed by this Government as being excessive? Onkar Sahota (AM): Exactly what I am saying, Mr Mayor. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I did not know that. Onkar Sahota (AM): Mr Mayor, I hope you will ruthlessly pursue this and pounce upon the Government on behalf of Londoners. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am very interested in what you say, Onkar, I had not been made aware of that. The brief I have says that there are now protections for foster carers and foster children. Onkar Sahota (AM): No, it only applies to one bedroom. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): If these protections are inadequate then I am grateful to you for drawing it to my attention and we will see what we can do, but I am not certain of what that exemption is.
Page 322
Onkar Sahota (AM): I can give you the references and quotation from the Foster Care Association or something, but for your information, if you look into this, it will confirm what I have said. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): As members of the public and I think everyone understands, these are not my regulations. I have not promulgated these myself, but I will try to establish whether that particular adverse impact is genuinely the case and I will be happy to write to you about it.
Welfare Reform Question Number: 987/2013 20 March 2013 Tom Copley
Joanne McCartney OBE (AM): My two boroughs are Enfield and Haringey and they are two of the four boroughs in London that are going to be testing the proposed welfare changes from this next month before it gets rolled out across London. In Enfield and Haringey poverty is already disproportionately high. Those boroughs have both seen increases in people applying for Local Housing Allowance (LHA) and Housing Benefit. Between March 2011 and November last year, there was a 29% rise in the case of Haringey, and a 21% rise in the case of Enfield. We believe that this is due to increasing poverty, unemployment, but also that families are moving out of other boroughs. If I can quote to you what [Mayor] Jules Pipe, the Chair of London Councils, said to us when he was in this Chamber only a couple of weeks ago, he says that -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): A 29% increase in Haringey? Joanne McCartney OBE (AM): Yes. We certainly have figures for placements, particularly in temporary accommodation, that boroughs have made and that clearly show that some boroughs, like my own, have placed a number of families in the low-tens in a three-month period in immediately adjacent boroughs. He says that is compared to, in the same quarter, boroughs who have exported hundreds to north-eastern boroughs, and Enfield and Haringey both fall in that north-eastern quadrant of London. I think we can see that there is some effect already happening. In my two boroughs, can I say, do you believe that the total benefit cap is going to adversely affect these boroughs who are already disproportionately affected by deprivation? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I will look into the figures for the increase in LHA applications and Housing Benefit applications and see what we can do. Welfare Reform Question Number: 987/2013 20 March 2013 Tom Copley
Joanne McCartney OBE (AM): Testing two of the most deprived boroughs in London when the impact is going to be seen sooner is perhaps the wrong thing to do, and those boroughs are very concerned that they will have to make up that shortfall during that four-month test period, particularly on Housing Benefit. When I put the question to [Mayor] Jules Pipe [Chair, London Councils] whether those boroughs should receive compensation from the DWP, he said, “Yes, and London Councils have lobbied”. Can I ask for you to lobby on behalf of the four boroughs? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Because they will have to make extra payments?
Page 323
Joanne McCartney OBE (AM): They may well do if they choose to do that, yes. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am sure that that is a point that will be made to DWP, and if it is the case that London boroughs are now being placed under genuine and unexpected strain -- Joanne McCartney OBE (AM): I am asking, will you make the case as well? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am about to join you and say, yes, of course, it is my job to represent boroughs in that sort of situation.
Air Quality - Children’s Health Question Number: 940/2013 20 March 2013 Stephen Knight Murad Qureshi (AM): Mr Mayor, the leaders of central London councils, City, Westminster and Camden, did write to you at the beginning of your term. In particular they were concerned about PM2.5. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes. Murad Qureshi (AM): As you know, they cause the most harm to the development of young children’s lungs. Can you tell me to what extent your Ultra Low Emission Zone actually deals with that pollutant, if at all? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): The Ultra Low Emission Discounts (ULEDs) will have a very considerable impact on that part of central London. It will also drive new technology generally. We think the impact on motor manufacturing will be very benign and they will want to comply with the Ultra Low Emission Zone and so that will have a general effect on technology and a general reduction of PM10 and PM2.5 and indeed of Nitrous Oxides Emissions. In other words, vehicles will move towards low- or zero- tailpipe emissions. I cannot give you the figures now, Murad, I am sorry to say but if we can get an estimate for you of the impact of ULEDs on PM10 and PM2.5 I would be more than happy to do so. I do think it would be a good and a generous thing if the Assembly were to acknowledge the work we have done so far in promoting clean vehicles, cycling, walking and all the other steps we have taken that has actually reduced these particulates by 15%, which is a considerable achievement. Safety of NHS in London Question Number: 195/2013 Meeting Date: 16 January 2013 Fiona Twycross Fiona Twycross (AM): If we could get back to the issues at Queen’s Hospital in Romford. Their solution to the problem is capping the numbers of patients they will take. They are a hospital that is due to take additional patients when a neighbouring hospital’s A&E will be closed. Do you find this an acceptable solution to the problem? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Patently if that is happening -- I am afraid I do not have any direct evidence myself that that is happening. If that is happening and it is brought to my attention -- if people are being denied access to hospital treatment that is patently unacceptable.
Page 324
The point that is made to me in general about aspects of this programme -- and this is the thing I have got to weigh up. I am told that if you went for rationalisation and improvements of the kind that are being proposed you could save 500 lives a year because you would have services at A&E where people appearing for acute services/treatment actually were dealt with by the consultants that needed to see them. This is what is claimed by NHS London. That is an important claim to make. It is something that you have got to take seriously. We have no means here in the GLA of independently evaluating that or second-guessing that kind of claim. Fiona Twycross (AM): Will you take on responsibility for ensuring that the issues around -- if a hospital is capping patients in order to address issues around waiting times and that that hospital is being lined up to take additional patients from elsewhere, will you reassure Londoners that you will stand up for them and make sure that this issue is -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): My job is to stand up for Londoners and particularly about health inequalities. If there is a health inequality -- Fiona Twycross (AM): Thank you, Chair. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): -- being produced by that - if indeed what you say is happening is the case - then, through Victoria [Borwick], we will make what appropriate representations we can. Possible closure of Lewisham A&E Question Number: 3421/2012 Meeting Date: 21 November 2012 Darren Johnson Will you be adding your voice to those opposing the closure of Lewisham Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Darren, I will be seeing the Trust special administrator responsible for the proposals for Lewisham Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department on 6 December 2012. I will seek his assurances on a number of points; what the conditions actually say, the impact on health inequalities of this proposal, the impact on travel times, blue light journeys and whether the public have been properly consulted. I will be only too happy to let you know the upshot of that meeting. Darren Johnson (Deputy Chair): Thank you. I would welcome an update. I remember when Queen Mary in Bexley was facing similar threats back in 2008 and there you did what you could; you lobbied, you marched and you spoke out. Will you be prepared to do the same on behalf of the people in south east London if you are not satisfied with what the administrator says? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): If I am not satisfied on the points that I will interrogate him about then of course I will support you. Darren Johnson (Deputy Chair): Your own London Plan projections show an extra 85,000 people coming to live in that catchment area for the A&E of those three boroughs. 85,000 extra people. That has got to be a consideration. Will you be taking that into account? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, because we will be looking at all the impacts on health inequalities and on travel times and so on. I must repeat the point I think I have made about 58 times this
Page 325 morning; it is my job not just to stick up for London services and to fight for improvements but also, where there is a coherent intellectual case made for reconfiguration or changes, to be open to the views of respected clinicians who have nothing but the interests of their patients at heart. You have got to strike a balance. I cannot give you my view now. I am seeing this guy on 6 December. Darren Johnson (Deputy Chair): Your speaking out on this could really make a difference to these ludicrous proposals which are really worrying the people of south east London and particularly of Lewisham. You said in a previous Mayor’s Question Time that if these things can be all party and not simply dominated by one voice then they have more chance of success. I urge you, on that basis, to join with other politicians of all parties in opposing this closure plan and speaking out against it. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Of course I will in principle. The depressing truth is that a cause is not necessarily just simply because it is supported by all parties. There is a tragic reality of democratic politics that no one particular party will want to be outflanked on a very sensitive and emotive issue by another party. Where one group has managed to get up a head of steam over a particular closure or problem it would be the very, very strong temptation of other parties to row in behind. Sometimes it is my job to look at the issue as dispassionately as I possibly can - I have no view about this matter, Darren; I am not pre-judging this - and to decide where the interests of London lie. Darren Johnson (Deputy Chair): Will you also ask TfL to have a thorough assessment of the transport implications as well? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, I think that is a relevant consideration. That was something that I was able to offer to Onkar’s [Sahota AM] delegation when they came to see me in the matter of Ealing Hospital. That is a relevant consideration and is something that we can be useful on. NHS London and strategic planning around health in London Question Number: 3797/2012 Meeting Date: 21 November 2012 Fiona Twycross Is the Mayor concerned about the removal of integrated planning with the imminent end of NHS London at the end of the year? Fiona Twycross (AM): Can we have a point of clarification on the funding because, previously, up to 6% of funding for health improvement in London could have been allocated to the London Health Improvement Board. Can you confirm how big a proportion will now be going to the London Health Improvement Board? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I cannot give you that now, Fiona. I would be happy to write to you.
Page 326
NHS Reconfiguration Question Number: 2997/2012 Meeting Date: 17 October 2012 Roger Evans Roger Evans (AM): We have similar problems in north east London with proposals to close accident and emergency and maternity units at King George Hospital. I think we have been helped because we have taken a cross-party approach to opposing this rather than trying to politicise it as people have in some other parts of London. I myself gave evidence against it and my evidence was based first of all on the expected population growth that we are looking at for north east London, which sadly was not taken into account. Secondly, also by problems represented by poor public transport to the new hospital. Now that is something that you, as Mayor, can do something about. So can you commit to get TfL to work more closely in future with the NHS so that people do not find they have problems getting to hospitals under the new reorganisation. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Well certainly Roger, that is something we can work on and I would be more than happy to make sure that our officials collaborate with NHS officials to mitigate the impacts of any closures. Mental Health Question Number: 1533/2012 Meeting Date: 13 June 2012 Fiona Twycross Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): The proportion of the budget that has been allocated to mental health in London is between 5% and 10%. Obviously that is not a large sum but that doesn’t mean that our team is remotely complacent about mental health issues and a huge amount of work is being done by the team here and, of course, through the Local Health Improvement Board (LHIB). Fiona Twycross (AM): Obviously, a million Londoners face mental health issues and I am pleased there is a budget allocated. I couldn’t see any detail of any budget allocated to it, to be honest. It wasn’t in your manifesto and it is a major issue in respect of health inequalities. Your answer, with respect, was quite brief about the content of the budget and where it is going to go, so I just wondered what your plan is, what the plan is to tackle -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Let me tell you some of the things we are doing just to give you some reassurance about that. It is not trivial that the health team are getting mental health first training for interested GLA staff and indeed, Assembly Members, just so there is a greater awareness and we all have greater awareness and understanding of people who are suffering from that. Fiona Twycross (AM): How many people have already taken that training? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): We are going to be using the London Datastore that I have mentioned earlier on, I mentioned last month, which we are working hard to set up. Now, to capture -- Fiona Twycross (AM): Can I ask how many people have that training? You mentioned training. How many people have had that training so far? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I am afraid I cannot give you anything but I would be happy to supply you with the answer. On the incidence of mental health in London, that is patently something that is
Page 327 going to be captured by the Datastore. Information will be available. You rightly draw attention to the problem. You will be able to use the Datastore to indicate what is going on. Fiona Twycross (AM): When will there be a detailed plan on how you are planning to tackle public mental health? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): We have to be careful that we don’t have confusion about what the functions of this body are. We are not healthcare providers. We are not here to tackle mental health in that sense. Fiona Twycross (AM): But you are here to tackle health inequalities. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, absolutely. On 29 February, there was a discussion here; a seminar with Professor Michael Porter to discuss the concept of value in mental healthcare and we had 40 of London’s most senior influential leaders in mental healthcare provisions, social care to look at how we could improve value and the follow-up work from that session is now going on and I would be very happy to make sure you get sight of what is planned. Fiona Twycross (AM): So when will there be a plan though? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): As I say, I would be very happy to give you the details. Just for the benefit of people wondering about the London Health Improvement Board, I do not want to suggest that mental health is the only thing they are doing. They key priorities for LHIB are, as you know, alcohol abuse, tackling child obesity and tackling cancer. We have a real problem in London that our cancer survival rates are not as good as they should be. We are a world City and we are, in my view, not as good as we should be. We have real problems in obesity and those are the priorities for LHIB but I would be more than happy to keep you posted on what we are doing on mental health. 2012 Olympic Games A12 Olympic Clean Up Question Number: 2053/2012 Meeting Date: 4 July 2012 Roger Evans The A12 through Havering and Redbridge along with major junctions at Gants Hill, Gallows Corner and Redbridge roundabout will be a gateway route for many spectators travelling to the games. The condition of the roadside leaves much to be desired with weeds, litter and graffiti creating a poor impression for our visitors. What steps are being taken to clean up the roads before the Games begin? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): The A12 is, you know, a very important artery road and we are very keen to make sure that we give the best possible impression to visitors of that area and of the A12. So, the things we are doing, you asked what steps are being taken. Removal of heavy vegetation is now going on over the next couple of weeks. There is a big programme to spray or dig out weeds and make sure that looks OK, stuff like that. A lot of that is coming out. Graffiti, there is a big programme now going on with Network Rail and with the borough to encourage them to take action on that. As for litter picking, picking up litter which degrades the view, we are working with the borough to ensure that litter is picked up in a pretty whole hearted way in the run up to the games. This is part of the overall capital cleanup programme
Page 328 sponsored by Proctor and Gamble, let us hear it for Procter and Gamble team. Hooray, well done, capitalism. Thank you. Procter and Gamble who are supporting capital clean up and delivering it through team London and that work is going on through the London boroughs and with community groups and others. Roger Evans (AM): That sounds like another fine example of sponsorship getting results for Londoners, Boris. But we have the Olympic Torch procession coming to Gants Hill later this month, which we are all looking forward to. Certainly when I was there on Thursday, the vegetation was so high in parts of the central reservation, that it was higher than the heads of the cyclists who were passing. One does wonder what sort of wild life may be taking up residence within that, so can we make sure, please, that -- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Are you saying we have to be careful about the wild life now? Roger Evans (AM): Well, you do not know what is there. It could be anything. Could you make sure TfL do tidy it up before the Torch comes through? Can you also make sure that Gants Hill, which is an important centre, is provided with Olympic bunting which so many of the other centres appear to have? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, I will make sure that we do that.
Greater London Authority and Functional Bodies A United Emergency Service Question Number: 3771/2012 Meeting Date: 21 November 2012 Gareth Bacon What will you be doing to take forward the ideas in “A United Emergency Service” regarding co-locating different emergency services? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, Gareth. I think this is an excellent idea. I look forward to discussing it with you, with James [Cleverly AM, Chair, LFEPA] and with Stephen Greenhalgh. Let’s see what we can do to take this forward. A United Emergency Service (2) Question Number: 3771/2012 Meeting Date: 21 November 2012 Roger Evans Roger Evans (AM): Would it not also be a good idea, Mr Mayor, to consider some work towards joint visits to communities as well? At the moment we have crime prevention officers going out and telling people to lock things up and then fire prevention officers going out and telling them to unlock them again. When the fire brigade go out to install smoke alarms it often means they have to take the fire engine and all four members of the crew out with them just to install smoke alarms at a particular location. Might it not be a good idea to actually combine a number of these visits together and use fewer people to provide a more integrated and broad reaching service? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I think that is an excellent idea, Roger. Can I propose that we take that forward. I am interested in what you say about these visits; that are mutually counter productive. I will look into that. Page 329
Meetings with News International Question Number: 2059/2012 Meeting Date: 4 July 2012 Len Duvall Do you believe that it was right not to declare all meetings you had with News International Executives or owners? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Thank you, Len, yes. The answer is yes and I think the particular meeting that you are interested in, the drop in for a cup of coffee, was actually put on the website some months ago. Len Duvall (AM): Thank you, Mr Mayor, for that answer. There are two meetings I would like to draw your attention to, the 14 January 2011 with Rebekah Brooks, and 24 January 2011, “dropped into dinner”, your words, not mine, with Rupert Murdoch. That is the period of time I would like you to focus on. My first set of questions, can you confirm you were fully briefed on the News International phone hacking issues by former Assistant Commissioner (AC) Yates at your regular meetings with him, as stated by Kit Malthouse in his witness statements to the Leveson Inquiry? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Yes, I had the relevant briefing. Could I just possibly make one point on that, which is, with the greatest respect, I think you are trying to conflate two things. It is all very well to call attention to my meetings with tycoons of one kind or another but I think what is surprising and disappointing is some suggestion that I would have, even if I had relevant information from these people about police investigations, that I would have told them. Len Duvall (AM): This is your opportunity to enlighten us further, because these meetings we were not aware of until only recently. So, on 10 January 2011, you received a briefing from AC John Yates, do you recall what this briefing was about and would it have been at that time that you were informed Operation Weeting was about to be launched? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I honestly cannot remember what the briefing was about Operation Weeting, but what you need to focus on, Len, is I think what you are trying to imply and I deprecate very strongly, which is the suggestion that, even if I had any relevant information about a police investigation into News International, I would have passed that on to various tycoons that I met. Len Duvall (AM): Thank you for stating that for the record. There are some further questions I need to ask, Mr Mayor, and I will focus on those, and if you could focus on the answers we might get through this rather quickly. When did you find out that the Metropolitan Police Service were going to look into phone hacking again at that time and when did you find out about Operation Weeting? Just to help you, this was quite an important weekend, I think the Prime Minister’s press officer had resigned, there was lots of news in terms, and I know you are an avid reader of newspapers, and in fact your press officer, who now works for News International, was actually in the frame for being a replacement for Mr Coulson. So it is quite a significant period of time, and it is quite an important period of time when these meetings took place, and those police meetings. Could you just reflect and think about when you were told certain things by the police. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Well, I would be happy to get back to you with the dates and if I can establish when the briefings about the phone hacking took place I would be more than happy to supply them.
Page 330
LFEPA Question Number: 1548/2012 Meeting Date: 13 June 2012 Richard Tracey Richard Tracey (AM): Mr Mayor, can I welcome the plan to build a new Mitcham Fire Station in my constituency? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Well, yes. Probably opposed by the Labour Party. Richard Tracey (AM): It would not surprise me. Jennette Arnold (Chair): I am sorry, there is a Member who has put in a question. Let us have a little bit of respect. Richard Tracey (AM): Can I invite you, Mr Mayor -- Richard Tracey (AM): -- to come and open it when it is completed, as you did with the Merton Fire Centre a few months ago? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Which was also my idea, I seem to remember, or should have been. Yes, of course I will go there, and I think, look, what we are talking about is the necessity to modernise and improve the estate, to make sure that in tough times we do what Londoners would expect us to do and use resources to maximise fire cover, and rather than scaremonger, continue to deliver improvements in fire safety in this City, and insofar as we deliver fire cuts, it is a great thing.
Page 331 This page is intentionally left blank
Page 332