Written Answers to Questions Not Answered at Mayor's Question Time on 10 August 2017
The Law and Domestic Violence Offenders Question No: 2017/3314 Len Duvall Worryingly, there has been a rise in the number of domestic offences with almost 150,000 crimes being committed this year alone. Current legislation on domestic violence means that the onus is often on the victim of an abusive relationship to report a change of address or with prospective partners to check an individual's record with police. In contrast, for sexual offenders the obligation is on the offender to notify their local police force with details held on the 'sex offenders list'. In order to protect people and their families, do you think the law should be changed to introduce a serial 'domestic abuse offender' list or something similar which makes the offender have to notify the local police force about a change of address?
Oral response
New council homes for London Question No: 2017/3000 Sian Berry How are you helping councils in London to build more new council homes?
Oral response Uber Question No: 2017/3129 David Kurten To ask the Mayor whether TfL is aware of the practice of Uber drivers lending their vehicles to other drivers - so passengers have no idea who is actually driving them to their destination.
Oral question receiving a written response The Mayor TfL is not aware of any incidents where licensed drivers are lending their vehicles to other drivers to illegally undertake bookings. I urge you and and anyone who witnesses or experiences this type of illegal activity to report it to TfL immediately.
TfL has introduced measures to combat this type of behaviour and to minimise the risk of passengers entering an unlicensed vehicle.
Since summer 2016, private hire operators have been required to provide a booking confirmation to passengers. This includes providing passengers with the vehicle registration number, as well as the driver's first name and private hire licence number. Where a passenger can receive it, operators must also provide a photo of the driver. In addition, all private hire drivers are required to display their photo identification when working.
All these measures are in place to make sure passengers are fully aware of exactly who their driver is. It is important for passengers to check all these details before they get into a vehicle and begin their journey.
Where operators are not complying with these requirements TfL will take swift and appropriate enforcement action.
I am quadrupling the number of Taxi and Private Hire Compliance Officers in London by recruiting an additional 250 officers by September 2017. We so far have 245 officers already added to the previous number of 82 compliance officers with 13 in training now.
TfL's compliance teams carry out regular checks to ensure licensed drivers, vehicles and operators meet the required standards under the relevant policies, regulations and other legislation. Operators are also required to keep a record of all their bookings and compliance officers will check to make sure these are all in order when visiting operating centres.
Housing Question No: 2017/3139 Andrew Boff Are your housing policies meeting the demands of Londoners?
Oral response Government's Transport Investment Strategy Question No: 2017/3224 Tom Copley Transport secretary Chris Grayling has announced a Transport Investment Strategy that proposes the creation of a major road network, with councils given a share of Vehicle Excise Duty. Will London receive a share of this funding?
Oral response
Notting Hill Carnival Safety Question No: 2017/3202 Tony Devenish As a result of the conclusions from your review into crowd safety of the Notting Hill Carnival, what are you doing to improve the safety of our Carnival?
Oral response
Tower blocks Question No: 2017/3183 Shaun Bailey How will recent events impact on your approach to tower blocks?
Oral response
Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf cycling and pedestrian bridge Question No: 2017/3046 Caroline Pidgeon What progress has been made towards fulfilling your pledge to build a pedestrian and cycle bridge linking Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf?
Oral response
Crossrail 2 Question No: 2017/3215 Leonie Cooper Are we still on target for a hybrid Bill going through Parliament in 2019?
Oral response Acid Attacks Question No: 2017/3185 Steve O'Connell Can you provide an update on the Metropolitan Police Service's plans for combating the recent rise in acid attacks?
Oral response
Additional funding for the fire service Question No: 2017/3305 Andrew Dismore What response have you had so far to your request for additional funding for the fire service, and what will the consequences be, if the Government does not accede to that request?
Oral response
Challenges to Policing Question No: 2017/3243 Unmesh Desai Will challenges to policing in London impact the timeline for borough mergers?
Oral response
Immigration Skills Charge for the NHS Question No: 2017/3342 Onkar Sahota The government has introduced a new immigration skills charge where every employer must pay £1000 per non-EU employee per year. In March, the BMA and Royal College of Nursing wrote a joint letter to Amber Rudd, copied to Jeremy Hunt, asking for the NHS to be exempt from the charge. Do you think this is an extra cost the London NHS and social care system can afford?
Oral response
Night Tube (1) Question No: 2017/3164 Keith Prince Given the failure of engineering solutions to ameliorate Night Tube Noise at the eastern end of the Central Line, is there an honourable alternative to TfL paying for triple glazing for those residents adversely affected?
Oral response The future of the LLDC Question No: 2017/3354 Navin Shah What strategic discussions has the Mayor had around the phased dissolution of the LLDC and the return of planning powers to the host boroughs?
Oral response
Tube Noise Question No: 2017/3214 Leonie Cooper Would the Mayor consider asking TfL to look into reducing the running speeds of the night tube?
Oral response
ThriveLDN Question No: 2017/3341 Onkar Sahota Your campaign ThriveLDN is an important intervention into the often ignored world of mental health. What do you see ThriveLDN achieving and how will you measure its success?
Oral response
Community-led housing on GLA land and property Question No: 2017/3001 Sian Berry What opportunities will there be for community-led housing developments on Transport for London and Metropolitan Police Service land and property?
Oral question receiving a written response The Mayor For too long community-led housing groups have found it difficult to get projects off the ground. I am determined to change this, and so since last summer, my team has been working with those involved with community-led housing to identify both barriers and opportunities to grow.
On the back of these discussions, I have been working with the sector and I have invested £250,000 to establish the 'London Community-Led Housing Hub' - an innovative new resource which was launched at City Hall by the Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development last month at an workshop event attended by over 80 people.
The Hub will provide a one-stop shop for groups wanting to make community-led housing happen in London. It will offer a way to connect those who want to get projects off the ground with existing experts, groups, initiatives, and resources. It will enable and facilitate collaborative and cross-sector working, peer learning, partnership brokering, and technical learning.
Beyond the Hub, I am also keen to support community-led housing through funding and land opportunities that I can help make available.
As part of my Affordable Homes Programme, I included an Innovation Fund for organisations who want to deliver affordable housing in an innovative way including community-led projects. As part of the initial bidding round earlier this year, 12 community-led housing bids were received - and four have now been taken forward to the next stage of assessment.
In terms of land, my officers are developing a 'Small Sites, Small Builders' programme that will offer public sector landowners a new and simple way of bringing small sites forward for development. My officers have been working with community-led organisations in the development of this programme and will be encouraging them to bid for sites.
The GLA group will be leading by example by putting a first batch of around 10 small sites through this programme's pilot that TfL have identified after a thorough trawl of their landholdings. Community-led housing organisations will be able to bid for these sites, and at least one site will be specifically reserved for them.
Once it is launched fully, we will bring further TfL sites through the programme, as well as encouraging MOPAC, London boroughs, and other public sector landowners to use this new route too. Police Stations Question No: 2017/3122 Peter Whittle To ask the Mayor how many police stations in the Metropolitan Police District have been closed over the last five years.
Oral question receiving a written response The Mayor Following cuts in Government funding, the Met has had to save over £600m since 2010. They have achieved this through a mixture of measures, including significant reductions in PCSOs and police staff, outsourcing back office functions and closing 70 police stations in the past five years. In 2010, there were 149 police front counters in the Met Police District. In May 2016, there were 73.
The Met has to make a further £400m of savings by 2021 as a result of Government's continued failure to properly fund London's police service. The draft Public Access Strategy proposes the closure of a further 40 police stations with public access and keeping one 24-hour police front counter in every borough.
By closing the 40 most underused front counters we will raise around £10 million on front counter running costs alone, the equivalent of 170 police officers.
Selling unused buildings will release around £170 million of capital to spend on improving the technology available to officers on the front line and enhancing the remaining estate.
As you know, I'm fighting tooth and nail to get the Government to give the Met the money it needs to keep our great city safe. Only last month, I again wrote to the Home Secretary setting out the serious consequences to policing and safety in London arising from the Government's continued refusal to clarify its plans for police funding.
As I have warned the Home Secretary, without urgent clarity on funding, we are fast approaching a point where we will have to reduce recruitment in order to remain within our budgets. We cannot recruit officers without knowing we can afford to pay for them in the years ahead. As a result, we run a very real risk of officer numbers falling below 30,000 in this city for the first time since 2003.
The last thing I want to do is to cut the front line, and every pound saved elsewhere is a pound that does not have to come from operational policing.
FGM in London Question No: 2017/3208 Jennette Arnold I was pleased to hear that harmful practices will form a key element of your Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy. However, I am concerned that FGM has not been identified as a standalone issue. What work will you be undertaking to ensure that the development of your new Violence Against Women and Girls strategy specifically addresses FGM in London?
Oral response Accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers Question No: 2017/3219 Tom Copley How will your Housing Strategy and London Plan cater for the accommodation needs of gypsies and travellers?
Oral response
Funding for schools Question No: 2017/3258 Andrew Dismore Are you satisfied with the level of Government funding for schools in London?
Oral response
School Places Question No: 2017/3312 Len Duvall Are London boroughs able to fulfil their statutory obligation to provide school places for all those that need them?
Oral response
Affordable housing grants by provider and borough Question No: 2017/3002 Sian Berry In your press release dated 12 July 2017 you provided tables detailing the 2016-2021 affordable housing allocations, in terms of GLA grant funding and the number of homes, by housing provider and by borough. Could you provide the same information with additional columns showing the GLA funding allocation and the number of homes for each of a) London Affordable Rent (social rent), b) London Living Rent, and c) London Shared Ownership?
The Mayor
Tenure to be LAR LSO/LLR Total Org Id Lead Org Name confirmed units Units [1] Units 10002 A2Dominion Homes 0 1,038 832 1,870 10014 Almshouse Consortium Ltd 0 86 0 86 10015 AmicusHorizon Limited 0 247 448 695 Brick by Brick (Croydon 10275 0 0 199 199 Council) 10037 Catalyst Housing Limited 500 420 296 1,216 10255 City of London 0 244 0 244 10010 Clarion Housing Group 3,195 417 1,388 5,000 Estuary Housing Association 10063 0 17 59 76 Limited 10283 Evolve Housing + Support 0 49 0 49 Genesis Housing Association 10071 350 616 1,083 2,049 Limited 10074 Grainger Trust Ltd 0 34 0 34 Hexagon Housing Association 10084 0 72 151 223 Limited 10085 Home Group Limited 0 9 36 45 Hyde Housing Association 10094 2,660 45 295 3,000 Limited Islington and Shoreditch 10099 0 77 47 124 Housing Association Ltd Lambeth & Southwark Housing 10109 0 4 0 4 Association Limited 10122 London & Quadrant Housing 9,199 905 1,506 11,610 10127 London Borough of Enfield 0 126 22 148 10131 London Borough of Harrow 0 257 60 317 London Borough of Havering 10133 0 413 197 610 Council 10135 London Borough of Hounslow 0 130 44 174 10137 London Borough of Lambeth 0 912 0 912 London Borough of 10144 0 62 9 71 Wandsworth Look Ahead Care and Support 10146 0 38 0 38 Ltd Metropolitan Housing Trust 10151 0 435 269 704 Limited 10153 Moat Homes Limited 0 30 20 50 Network Housing Group 10156 700 313 739 1,752 Limited 10159 Newlon Housing Trust 0 0 200 200 10163 Notting Hill Housing Trust 3,331 488 1,443 5,262 10166 Octavia Housing 0 469 364 833 10169 One Housing Group Limited 0 430 256 686 TBC Optivo 577 0 0 577 10170 Orbit Group Limited 0 155 192 347 Paradigm Housing Group 10176 0 8 126 134 Limited Paragon Community Housing 10177 0 113 175 288 Group Limited 10179 Peabody Trust 4,293 1,040 667 6,000 10187 Poplar HARCA Limited 0 62 82 144 Richmond Housing Partnership 10194 0 237 238 475 Limited Sanctuary Affordable Housing 10201 0 0 11 11 Limited Southern Housing Group 10210 0 150 451 601 Limited 10165 Southwark Council 0 201 0 201 Swan Housing Association 10221 0 48 79 127 Limited Thames Valley Housing 10229 0 61 357 418 Association Limited 10244 Viridian Housing 0 601 727 1,328 Wandle Housing Association 10246 0 13 294 307 Limited 10268 YMCA Thames Gateway 0 100 0 100 Grand Total 24,805 11,172 13,362 49,339 Notes: [1] Approved providers have the flexibility to decide, up until the point of first letting or sale, whether to deliver homes identified as LSO or LLR as either tenure
Affordable housing grants for London Shared Ownership homes Question No: 2017/3003 Sian Berry Will there be any conditions applied (for example maximum costs) to the London Shared Ownership homes funded by your housing grants?
The Mayor
There are a number of conditions for shared ownership homes funded through my Affordable Homes Programme which are set out in the funding agreement for the programme. London Living Rent grant available for 'build to rent' providers (2) Question No: 2017/3004 Sian Berry Thank you for your response to my question 2017/0495. Have you agreed any grants for London Living Rent homes within private developments or to 'build to rent' providers who are not registered housing providers?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Policy for disposal of Transport for London land - small sites (1) Question No: 2017/3005 Sian Berry On 29 November 2016 the Deputy Mayor's Housing Investment and Policy Panel meeting noted that "officers in the London Land Commission is (sic) currently working with TfL and Regeneration Team colleagues to work up a tailored programme to bring forward small sites and engage with SMEs. Further details of this programme will be announced in the coming month." Have the details of this programme been published? If not, when will they be made available?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Policy for disposal of Transport for London land - small sites (2) Question No: 2017/3006 Sian Berry Has Transport for London (TfL) developed new policy guidance to decide on how it will work with different types of developers on small sites? If so, please provide the details of this policy.
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. Affordable homes in East Village Question No: 2017/3007 Sian Berry Did the GLA provide grants for the affordable rented homes in the East Village development in the Olympic Park that are run by Triathlon housing? If so, please give details of a) the total grant, b) the total number of affordable homes supported, and c) a breakdown of the different types of affordable properties.
The Mayor
Yes, the GLA provided grant funding to Triathlon Homes for the affordable homes at East Village through a strategic allocation of the National Affordable Housing Programme 2008-11. The details requested are, a) £110m grant in total, b) 1,300 affordable homes, and c) 675 social rented homes, 269 shared ownership homes and 356 intermediate rent homes.
Kingston visit - Cambridge Road Estate Question No: 2017/3008 Sian Berry In your press release dated 13 December 2016 you outlined "plans to put local people at the heart of estate regeneration in the capital." On 18 July 2017 you visited Cambridge Road Estate in Kingston but did not meet the local residents affected by regeneration plans. Local residents have conducted their own resident engagement and proposed their own plans for new homes. Will you now arrange to meet the residents separately to see their plans and listen to their concerns?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Kingston Housing Zone - estate regeneration Question No: 2017/3009 Sian Berry Thank you for your response to my question 2016/1949 submitted in June 2016. Are you now able to tell me how many homes are expected to be a) built, and b) demolished as part of the Kingston Housing Zone? If so, please provide a breakdown of the figures by tenure.
The Mayor
I do not yet have any further update to my answer to MQ1949 / 2016. Resident involvement in plans for Lambeth Housing Zone Question No: 2017/3010 Sian Berry I have still not received a response to my question 2016/3053, submitted in September 2016, which asked "Before releasing funds for the Lambeth Housing Zone, will you ensure that a) Lambeth Council runs a full and transparent consultation on plans for the estates involved, including options put forward by resident groups and b) no option is pursued without majority resident support?" Could you respond to this question please?
The Mayor
I will ensure that my officers work closely with Lambeth Council as they take forward plans for the Lambeth Housing Zone. This includes liaising on the resident engagement panels proposed for each estate involved in the Housing Zone. Officers will work with Lambeth as the council consider options for wider consultation with the community, ensuring this is in line with the principles in my good practice guide to estate regeneration.
Battersea Power Station - affordable homes (1) Question No: 2017/3011 Sian Berry On which date did your office first receive information about the intention of Wandsworth Council to reconsider the provision of affordable homes at the Battersea Power Station site via a Deed of Variation to the Section 106 agreement?
The Mayor
The Council notified the GLA of the Deed of Variation request on 10 April 2017, and on 11 April 2017 my planning officers responded, requesting the relevant viability information from the Council.
The Council did not reply to this request until 21 June 2017, and only did so after further efforts by my planning officers to access the necessary viability information once we became aware via the public domain that a committee date had been scheduled for the Deed of Variation to be considered.
Battersea Power Station - affordable homes (2) Question No: 2017/3012 Sian Berry Has your office sought or received legal advice on whether the decision of Wandsworth Council to reconsider the provision of affordable homes at the Battersea Power Station site via a Deed of Variation to the Section 106 agreement is challengeable?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. London Estates Board (1) Question No: 2017/3013 Sian Berry The Assembly's Budget and Performance Committee received a letter from your Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development on 25 May 2017. It stated that the aim of the London Estates Board is to "improve the way surplus and underused NHS assets are identified and released. It will provide a single forum for estate discussions in London and ensure early involvement of London government partners." Who or what organisations sit on this board and when will more information about its work be published online?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
London Estates Board (2) Question No: 2017/3014 Sian Berry Given the community interest in developing public land, such as the NHS site in Haringey with the establishment of the St Ann's Redevelopment Trust, are there or will there be any community organisations or community housing groups included on the London Estates Board?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Landlord licensing and devolution (2) Question No: 2017/3015 Sian Berry Thank you for your response to my question 2017/2089. Have you approached the new Minister for London to resume talks about the devolution of landlord licensing powers to London? If so, what progress have you made in these talks?
The Mayor
Since the June 2017 election, discussions between Government and City Hall relating to housing have focused on the response to the Grenfell Tower fire. Discussions about matters relating to the devolution of housing powers will resume ahead of my meeting with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in September. Increase in Taser-trained officers Question No: 2017/3016 Sian Berry Commissioner Cressida Dick announced on 20 June 2017 that the Metropolitan Police Service will be increasing the amount of Taser-trained officers to 1,800 "which takes the total number of officers trained to just under 6,500." What percentage of officers in response teams will therefore have Tasers?
The Mayor
Each borough currently has a minimum of 40 Taser officers and once the uplift is complete, this number will at least double. The majority of these officers will be on Emergency Response Teams. The number of Taser-trained officers on individual boroughs will vary according to size of the Emergency Response Team and the threat assessment for that borough. The total number of officers on boroughs who are trained in Taser will increase from 1574 to 3303 (110%).
Tasers and single officer use Question No: 2017/3017 Sian Berry Following the Police and Crime Committee meeting on 21 June 2017, Assembly Members were sent an email by the Metropolitan Police Service on 20 July 2017 noting "The old MPS policy stated that Taser officers on boroughs had to be deployed in pairs. They will still be deployed in pairs for the most part, but only one need carry Taser. That said, Taser officers will also be able to deploy on their own." The email went on to say that "All frontline officers will have body worn video by end of 2017, including the officers who use Taser; this will greatly improve transparency of how Taser is used, and helps provide vital understanding as to what happens at any incident." Can you guarantee Londoners that all police officers carrying a Taser will only be authorised to deploy while on their own if they are equipped with body worn video?
The Mayor
The Body Worn Video (BWV) roll out to frontline officers is on target to be completed by the end of October and the MPS expect that Taser equipped officers will have BWV. This is an important ambition as the use of body worn video in critical situations can help build confidence in the deployment of such a tactic and provide additional accountability.
In certain circumstances, for example in the event of a technical issue with the BWV system, preventing officers from deploying a Taser could put members of the public or police officers in greater danger. The cameras will be personal issue and, should an individual camera develop a fault, a pool camera will be available, thus drastically reducing the likelihood of a Taser officer deploying without BWV.
Spit hoods trial (1) Question No: 2017/3018 Sian Berry A Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) press release dated 6 June 2017 mentioned that there has been an extension of "the initial successful" spit hoods pilot across London custody suites. What was MPS/MOPAC's measurement of success when evaluating this trial? How many people have had spit hoods used on them in custody suites? Please provide a breakdown of the different age groups, gender and ethnicity (with ethnicity also broken down by gender).
The Mayor
As part of the initial pilot the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) carefully reviewed each case of the use of Spit and Bite guards.
Each case was found to be proportionate and necessary in use in preventing injury to officers. The MPS also believes that, in its operational experience, had the spit guards not been available additional physical force would have been needed to achieve the same effect. There were no complaints received about the use of the spit guards.
During the original pilot spit guards were deployed only 13 times. The extension to all custody suites will allow more data to be gathered, as shown below.
My Deputy Mayor has asked the Met to review the usage on a quarterly basis, to ensure there have been no adverse impacts during use; she will also seek feedback from Independent Custody Visitors (ICVs).
Total recorded data as of 3 August from all custody suites is provided in the table below.
Total usage 58 Female detainees 11 Male detainees 47 Black female detainees 8 Black male detainees 11 White female detainees 3 White male detainees 29 Asian male detainees 4 Middle Eastern male detainees 1 Non-White male detainees 1 Unknown male detainee 1
Age Groups 0 - 10 = 0 0 - 10 = 0 11 - 20 = 1 (aged 18) 11 - 20 = 3 (aged 15, 16, 20) 21 - 30 = 2 21 - 30 = 24 31 - 40 = 3 31 - 40 = 13 41 - 50 = 4 41 - 50 = 5 51 - 60 = 1 51 - 60 = 1 Unknown =1
Spit hoods trial (2) Question No: 2017/3019 Sian Berry Since the beginning of the trial, how many people have had spit hoods used on them outside of a custody suite? Please provide a breakdown of whether the person was a) in police custody b) detained in public c) detained on police property (not in a custody suite), or d) any other circumstances?
The Mayor
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) does not use spit guards outside of the custody suites.
The original MPS trial of spit guards in custody suites lasted 3 months and recorded only 13 instances of use. The extension of the trial to all custody suites has seen the total usage rise to 58 as of 3 August.
The extended trial is ongoing with progress being reported to my Deputy Mayor.
Supporting BAME women into the Metropolitan Police Service (1) Question No: 2017/3020 Sian Berry The Assembly's Police and Crime Committee released the report 'The diversity of the MET's frontline' in December 2014. The Metropolitan Police Service accepted the Committee's first recommendation and introduced the Certificate of Knowledge in Policing (CKP) bursary loan to encourage BAME women to join the service. Please could you tell me a) how many women were originally intended to be helped by these loans, b) how many women have received these loans, and c) do you intend to continue funding the CKP bursary loans scheme?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Supporting BAME women into the Metropolitan Police Service (2) Question No: 2017/3021 Sian Berry Since the Police and Crime Committee released the report 'The diversity of the MET's frontline' in December 2014, how many positive action 'Meet the Met' events have there been? Please provide a breakdown of the number of events by borough in each year.
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. Affordable housing definitions Question No: 2017/3022 Sian Berry How does your definition of affordable housing differ from the previous Mayor's definition? Could you confirm that you no longer allow planning permission for homes that use this previous definition?
The Mayor
In contrast to the previous Mayor, I have defined 'London Affordable Rent' as being usually set around social rent levels. Planning applications are formally considered under policies in the London Plan, a new version of which I am developing.
Victims of crime and the Home Office (1) Question No: 2017/3023 Sian Berry A constituent has informed me of a victim of a crime who faced deportation after reporting it to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). When a victim of a crime reports an incident to the MPS, are their details always shared with the Home Office? If not, what are the criteria for doing this?
The Mayor
I am sorry to hear that one of your constituents has been the victim of crime and it is clearly important that we do all we can do to encourage individuals to report offences. All victims of crime in London are protected under the Victims' Codes of Practice, and entitled to support through the Victim Support Service and other third sector providers. Victims of trafficking and organised crime are referred to the National Referral Mechanism at the Home Office and provided support with their immigration status.
The details of victims are not always shared with the Home Office, but, if officers have reasonable grounds to suspect immigration offences then they are duty bound to report them to the Home Office.
Victims of crime and the Home Office (2) Question No: 2017/3024 Sian Berry A constituent has informed me of a victim of a crime who faced deportation after reporting it to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). Are you concerned that vulnerable people in London may not be reporting serious crimes because they fear deportation?
The Mayor
Please see my response to MQ 2017/ 3023. Community engagement framework (1) Question No: 2017/3025 Sian Berry The draft consultation document 'The Mayor's vision for a diverse and inclusive city' published on 15 June 2017 mentions that you have created a new community engagement framework. When will this framework be made public? How can stakeholders influence the community engagement framework and the consultation plans for other Mayoral strategies?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Community engagement framework (2) Question No: 2017/3026 Sian Berry The draft consultation document 'The Mayor's vision for a diverse and inclusive city' published on 15 June 2017 mentions that you have created a new community engagement framework. Did the recent Mayor's Transport Strategy use the new community engagement framework?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Cycle superhighway 7 - slippery paint Question No: 2017/3027 Caroline Russell Cyclists using cycle superhighway 7 through Stockwell report problems with what appears to be slippery blue paint on this route. Transport for London (TfL) officers pledged to look into this issue on 24 July 2017. Please share their findings and set out what action will be taken.
The Mayor
A small section of blue surfacing on Cycle Superhighway 7 (CS7) was re-laid at Stockwell in February 2017.
Following concerns raised on 23 July about slippery blue surfacing on CS7 at Stockwell, Transport for London's (TfL's) contractors visited the next day to inspect both the north- and southbound cycle lanes.
Their inspection did not raise any concerns about the surfacing, but TfL will continue to monitor this and carry out skid-resistance testing where necessary to make sure that it remains in good repair. Highbury and Islington station match day overcrowding (2) Question No: 2017/3028 Caroline Russell In your response to my question 2017/2197 you said that you had asked Transport for London (TfL) to ask Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) to explore the feasibility of making Drayton Park station suitable for match day use. Has TfL taken this action yet and if so what was the GTR response? If not, when will this action be taken?
The Mayor
Transport for London (TfL) has discussed the opening of Drayton Park station on Arsenal match days with Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR).
The station has a relatively narrow platform and staircase width. Its weekend train service is four trains an hour with relatively short trains. The concern is that this fairly low capacity service would be quickly overwhelmed by a match crowd, and the station could therefore have to close to maintain customer safety.
GTR proposes to increase train frequencies from next year, and have confirmed they will revisit opening the station on match days then.
Delayed anti-suicide measures at Archway Bridge Question No: 2017/3029 Caroline Russell Several months have passed since Transport for London (TfL) agreed to introduce anti-suicide measures at Archway Bridge, yet this work has still not started. Could you explain what measures will be taken, account for the delay so far and set out a timetable for the works?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. London Mass Evacuation Protocol - taxis Question No: 2017/3030 Caroline Russell The response to my question 2016/2838 refers to a specific action within the London Mass Evacuation Protocol for Transport for London (TfL) to consider the use of taxis and private hire vehicles to transport casualties to accident and emergency departments in the event of major incidents. Taxi drivers report not having received any information about how this might work in practice. Were they ever informed about this action and if so, how? If not, how will you now inform them about it?
The Mayor
In response to the London Mass Evacuation Protocol, Transport for London (TfL) has carried out an extensive review of the use of taxi and private hire vehicles in mass evacuations and major incidents. This includes detailed discussions with the London Ambulance Service and the NHS.
The review concluded that, although taxi and private hire drivers play a crucial role in transporting people around our city, it is not viable to use taxi and private hire vehicles during mass evacuations or major incidents. This is in particular where casualties are involved, as it could raise issues with, for example, the continuity of care for patients. Deliberately diverting additional vehicles towards the scene of an incident could potentially cause access issues for emergency services, and inadvertently place drivers in dangerous situations. World Health Organisation's support for 20 mph speed limits Question No: 2017/3031 Caroline Russell In its recent report 'Managing Speed' the World Health Organisation (WHO) endorses a 20 mph speed limit as best practice where motorised traffic mixes with pedestrians and cyclists. Will you therefore set out a timetable for how you, through the boroughs and Transport for London, will introduce lower speed limits, as per proposal nine of your draft Transport Strategy?
The Mayor
I am fully committed to delivering lower speed limits. It is an essential part of making London a safer, fairer and healthier city.
In light of the commitments in my draft Transport Strategy, Transport for London (TfL) is developing a programme to achieve my Vision Zero aim of reducing the number of people killed or injured on London's streets to zero. This will include plans for the introduction of lower speeds across the network.
I continue to encourage all London boroughs to implement lower speed limits, particularly 20mph, through TfL Local Implementation Plan (LIP) funding that they are allocated to deliver my Transport Strategy. The updated LIP guidance for this funding will be published in early 2018, in parallel with the final Transport Strategy, and they will also receive support to assist in delivering effective lower speed limits.
My recently-launched Liveable Neighbourhoods programme invites boroughs to bid for extra funding to deliver larger-scale programmes to take forward the Healthy Streets Approach, which is central to my Transport Strategy. The main objectives are around improving the street experience, which includes reducing road danger through lower speeds and reducing the dominance of motor vehicles. Transport for London Monitoring of 'close pass' driving by London bus drivers (2) Question No: 2017/3032 Caroline Russell Thank you for your response to my question 2017/2196. Will Transport for London (TfL) and the Metropolitan Police Service regularly review data on the close pass complaints they receive and then share this with bus operators?
The Mayor
Yes. Any reports of careless driving reported through Transport for London's (TfL) "contact us about cycling'' webpage are shared with bus operators for urgent action to be taken. The page asks cyclists to enter details of the date, time, location and route number of the incident, and can be found at: https://tfl.gov.uk/help-and-contact/contact-us-about-cycling.
Cyclists can also send digital camera or webcam images to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) at https://www.met.police.uk/roadsafelondon if they would like highway officers to consider whether further action should be taken.
The Space for Cyclists initiative, which the MPS's cycle safety team launched in July, has been tackling London drivers who pass cyclists too closely. This includes taxi, private hire and bus drivers. The initiative adapts methods used by the West Midlands force and uses plain clothes officers and unmarked bikes, largely funded by TfL.
Temporary closure of cycle superhighway 2 Question No: 2017/3033 Caroline Russell On 15 July 2017 a section of cycle superhighway 2 was closed following the Lovebox festival, diverting cyclists onto a busy section of dual carriageway. Did Transport for London (TfL) make a traffic order for this closure and what prior notice was given to the public?
The Mayor
Part of Cycle Superhighway 2 was closed at the end of the Lovebox festival to allow for a queuing system at Mile End Underground Station. The decision was taken by the event organisers for safety reasons and to prevent crowds from spilling into the main carriageway. Transport for London (TfL), Tower Hamlets, the emergency services and event security were all consulted.
The local borough prepares any Traffic Order required for an event that is planned to take place wholly inside their borough. This was the case with the Lovebox festival in Victoria Park. The London Borough of Tower Hamlets has confirmed that appropriate advance warning signs were placed on the Cycle Superhighway in the lead up to the event.
TfL is working with the Tower Hamlets to determine whether there may be alternative arrangements for future years that avoid closing the Cycle Superhighway. Quietway 7 - Elephant & Castle to Crystal Palace Question No: 2017/3034 Caroline Russell Please outline how and when your Walking and Cycling Commissioner has engaged with Dulwich residents and the Member of Parliament for Dulwich and West Norwood to explain to them the benefits of the route and provide an update on progress and next steps for this route?
The Mayor
My Walking and Cycling Commissioner has had extensive engagement with Dulwich residents about Quietway 7. This includes two site visits: one with Transport for London on 12 March and one with Dulwich residents on 21 April.
Helen Hayes, the Member of Parliament for Dulwich and West Norwood, was invited to a meeting to discuss the proposals for Dulwich Village but was unable to attend. We have offered further briefing opportunities.
Creative Enterprise Zones Question No: 2017/3035 Caroline Russell Please set out a full timetable for your Creative Enterprise Zones programme?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Eviction of creative businesses from Old Gasworks, Fulham Question No: 2017/3036 Caroline Russell The 120 creative businesses in the Old Gasworks, Fulham have received notice that they are to be evicted by the end of the year. What support - if any - is being offered to these business owners by the GLA?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly. London Youth Games Question No: 2017/3037 Caroline Russell What assistance can you offer to the organisers of the London Youth Games to help them secure a new sponsor?
The Mayor
The London Youth Games has a long and proud history and counts many of this country's finest athletes as part of its alumni, including Christine Ohuorugu, Bradley Wiggins, Sophie Bray and Mo Farah.
Matthew Ryder the Deputy Mayor for Social Integration, Social Mobility and Community Engagement, who oversees sports has met the Chief Executive of the London Youth Games. We are looking carefully at ways we can help the London Youth Games continue to offer young Londoners excellent opportunities for sports competition, in a sustainable and innovative way.
Sports Provision in the London Plan Question No: 2017/3038 Caroline Russell Assistant Director Decision 2093 (March 2017) approved expenditure of £13,000 to prepare three reports to provide an evidence base on sports facilities to support the London Plan. The decision states "The risk of not doing this work is that the sports facilities policy in the London Plan will not be sufficiently supported by evidence and may be questioned for this at the Examination in Public." Could you provide an update on progress so far and provide dates when these reports will be published?
The Mayor
The reports are currently being drafted and will be published in October 2017.
DD2097 London Stadium review Question No: 2017/3039 Caroline Russell A report looking into the costs of the London Stadium, as ordered by the GLA's Executive Director of Resources in February 2017, is due to be published in 'summer 2017'. Is this still the case? If not, when is publication now expected and will you share initial findings in the interim?
The Mayor
We expect the independent team leading the London Stadium Review to conclude its work and report in the autumn. National Sports Centre Question No: 2017/3040 Caroline Russell Will the National Sports Centre still be managed by Transport for London (TfL) under a shared service model and, if so, when will this begin?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Conservation management plans Question No: 2017/3041 Caroline Russell How many assets in the GLA's property portfolio are a) Grade II listed and b) do not have a conservation management plan assigned to them?
The Mayor
The GLA Group does not have a record of the total number of grade II listed assets in its portfolio and we do not believe that any of our assets have specific Conservation Management Plans.
Meeting with Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Question No: 2017/3042 Caroline Russell On 19 July 2017 on Twitter you described your meeting with Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on tackling London's toxic air quality as "positive". What specifically were you referring to?
The Mayor
I met with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to discuss my environmental priorities, including air quality and the potential impact of Brexit on environmental standards and protections.
You will appreciate that the detailed contents of such meetings need to remain private, but generally I found the Secretary of State's attitude positive as he was interested in the many actions I am taking to improve air quality in London and was supportive of further dialogue.
I want to work with him over the coming months to make the case across Government that they need to do more to improve air quality and deliver this quickly. At a minimum there needs to be a targeted national vehicle scrappage fund to get the most polluting diesel cars and vans off our streets now. Non-road mobile machinery Question No: 2017/3043 Caroline Russell With reference to your non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) Supplementary Planning Guidance and associated London Low Emission Construction Partnership, how many construction sites have registered their NRMM with the GLA or King's College London?
The Mayor
There are currently 729 sites registered on the NRMM online register. This demonstrates it is possible to make progress in addressing emissions from construction plant and the wider non- road mobile machinery sector.
However, I am keen to improve the current scheme and go further. I have asked the Government to give me new powers to set emission standards for all Non-Road Mobile Machinery, similar to my existing powers for road vehicles. These powers will include the ability to identify and check machinery as well as introducing appropriate penalties for operators who do not meet the standards. Tube dust - COMEAP health advice (3) Question No: 2017/3044 Caroline Russell Professor Stephen Holgate of the British Lung Foundation and former Chair of the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP), as reported in the Sunday Times on 9 July 2017 said "The particles in underground railways are rich in iron and other metals such as copper, chromium, manganese and zinc. Metal particles increase our risk of asthma, lung and cardiovascular disease and possible dementia". In light of this statement, and your answer to my question 2016/4580 in which you said "TfL will continue discussing the issues of health impacts of tube dust in the London Underground", will you ask COMEAP to review the dangers of tube dust and issue any appropriate precautionary advice?
The Mayor
Previous independent scientific research, funded by Transport for London in 2004, found that the composition of dust particles on the Tube was different from that of particles above ground, and concluded that the dust did not contain components at levels which are likely to pose a risk to the health of passengers or staff.
More than a decade has passed since then, so TfL announced on 23 June it has asked the Department of Health's independent expert Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) to review evidence relevant to understanding the possible health effects of exposure to dust in London Underground infrastructure. The findings of COMEAP's review will help prioritise action to ensure that London's Tube system is as clean and healthy as possible. COMEAP will issue a statement when they have had the opportunity to fully consider the evidence.
This is part of a new wide-ranging review I have instigated to reduce air pollution levels across planning, housing, construction, transport and river services.
In addition to this evidence review, TfL has launched a new air quality action plan on the Underground to deliver improvements straight away, and ensure staff and passengers breathe the cleanest air possible. Pledge to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2035 Question No: 2017/3045 Caroline Russell In response to President Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate change agreement, mayors from more than 250 cities in the USA have voted to transition to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2035. Will you adopt a similar pledge for London and your forthcoming Environment Strategy?
The Mayor
I support the US cities mayoral pledge, which demonstrates how cities can lead the fight against climate change in the absence of national leadership.
As a dense urban environment, the vast majority of London's energy is derived from the UK national grid, and so whilst we will continue to work to increase the proportion of renewable energy within London, we are unable to pledge to 100% renewable energy supply within this timeframe.
My Environment Strategy sets out a clear pathway to what is needed in London to be a zero carbon city by 2050, capitalising on the opportunities that London has to lead globally. Whilst we strive for 100% renewable energy supply by 2050, we recognise that this will require further national action. We will continue to work with both UK Government and global cities to understand how we can further support this ambition.
Network Rail Question No: 2017/3047 Caroline Pidgeon What steps are you taking to ensure that Network Rail completes station improvements on time in London?
The Mayor
TfL and Network Rail (NR) senior management teams meet regularly to discuss the status of the various projects that NR is undertaking at TfL-managed stations. Individual project teams also work closely together to ensure issues or concerns are dealt with quickly and customer improvements are delivered as planned.
My Deputy Mayor for Transport, Valerie Shawcross, has also met with Network Rail representatives to discuss this summer's programme of works. Barking to Gospel Oak electrification Question No: 2017/3048 Caroline Pidgeon What steps has TfL taken to receive a full explanation for the extensive delays to the electrification of this railway line by Network Rail?
The Mayor
Transport for London (TfL) has spoken with Network Rail (NR) at the most senior level since the delay to their electrification programme was revealed earlier this year.
TfL has expressed its frustration on behalf of its customers to NR management and has demanded a robust plan is put in place. It has sought assurances that the remaining works will minimise further disruption to customers at no additional cost to TfL or fare payers. TfL is undertaking an independent review of NR's new programme which will continue until the project is completed.
The progress NR has made already during the recent weekend closures is encouraging
Grinding on the London Underground Question No: 2017/3049 Caroline Pidgeon Please set out which sections of the London Underground have benefited from grinding of the railway lines to help reduce noise levels. Please also set out the specific geographical locations that will benefit from grinding over the next three months.
The Mayor
Transport for London's programme of rail grinding aims to cover the whole of the London Underground network every three years, with more frequent work targeted on the most heavily used sections of track.
Below is a summary of the focus of work from August to October 2017.
Northern line: Chalk Farm to Edgware
Piccadilly line: Earl's Court to Wood Green
District line: Gloucester Road to West Ham and Wimbledon to West Brompton
Hammersmith & City line: Hammersmith to Edgware Road
Central line: Hanger Lane to Shepherd's Bush and St Paul's to Liverpool Street. Reducing noise levels on the Night Tube Question No: 2017/3050 Caroline Pidgeon What consideration has been given to reducing the speed of trains for the Night Tube to help reduce noise levels for nearby residents?
The Mayor
I am committed to ensuring that the Night Tube works for communities and customers. Transport for London (TfL) has a continuing programme identifying and mitigating noise from Tube trains, including replacing and maintaining rails to make sure that noise remains as low as possible.
TfL is investigating if it would be possible to reduce train speeds on any of the Night Tube lines. It may not be possible in all areas as they do not all operate on the same technology. I have asked that TfL keep you informed of any progress.
Guidance on bus operators relating to safe driving for cycling Question No: 2017/3051 Caroline Pidgeon Will you ensure that TfL informs bus operators that their drivers will be prosecuted if they fail to observe the West Midlands police safe passing standard and attempt to pass cyclists with less than 1.5m of clearance?
The Mayor
Transport for London (TfL) suggests bus drivers should allow at least half a bus width between their vehicles and cyclists. If TfL is given evidence that bus drivers do not leave suitable distance between their vehicles and cyclists, it requests bus operators to take appropriate action.
Please also see my answer to MQ 2017/3032. X68 bus route Question No: 2017/3052 Caroline Pidgeon Will you ask TfL to investigate the merits of the X68 bus route having a stopping point at Brixton Tube station?
The Mayor
Route X68 is an express service from Croydon to Russell Square, running non-stop between West Norwood and Waterloo. Depending on traffic conditions, the route operates either via Brixton or via Denmark Hill, allowing the service to avoid traffic congestion. If the route were scheduled to stop at Brixton, this flexibility would be removed and that would affect overall journey times for longer-distance passengers, reducing the attractiveness of the route.
Passengers for Brixton using the service may interchange at West Norwood on to high- frequency routes 2 or 432, which operate every 7.5 minutes and every 12 minutes respectively. Northbound passengers from Brixton can travel to Waterloo on route 59, which operates every six minutes, with lower overall journey times because of the higher frequency.
Impact on Chessington Green Belt of Crossrail 2 Question No: 2017/3053 Caroline Pidgeon The Crossrail 2 Growth Commission has proposed a review of Green Belt and the creation of a major 'garden city' housing development beyond Chessington South Station when Crossrail 2 arrives in the 2030s; however in your document 'City for All Londoners' you appear to rule out building on the Green Belt. Please can you give a clear statement to residents in the Chessington area as to your specific plans for homebuilding on Green Belt in this area?
The Mayor
I remain committed to protecting London's Green Belt, including in Chessington, and the position is unchanged from that set out in my document 'A City for All Londoners'.
The Crossrail 2 Growth Commission was an independent body set up in July 2015 by the previous Mayor to examine the scheme's economic growth potential.
Protected space for cycling in London Question No: 2017/3054 Caroline Pidgeon You made a promise to triple protected space for cycling in London by the end of this mayoralty. How will you achieve this?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly. City Branch of the Northern Line operating as part of the Night Tube Question No: 2017/3055 Caroline Pidgeon Please set out the specific reasons why the City Branch of the Northern Line is not covered by the Night Tube. Does TfL have any plans to extend the Night Tube to this section of the Northern Line?
The Mayor
I am delighted that the Night Tube is so successful and is supporting London's vibrant night- time economy.
In advance of the launch of Night Tube, Transport for London (TfL) examined the likely demand for services. Based on the usage of Night Bus services and levels of night-time activity more generally, it was clear that night-time demand would be far higher on the Charing Cross branch of the Northern line than the Bank branch.
TfL is carrying out a programme of investment and improvement to Bank Underground station, and engineers and other workers will require considerable overnight access to the track and station tunnels over the next few years. Overnight running of services on the Northern line would delay this work.
Now that the Night Tube network is up and running, TfL will continue to keep it under review and hopes to extend it in future.
Croydon Tramlink Question No: 2017/3056 Caroline Pidgeon In answer to MQ 2016/4509 you responded that Croydon Tramlink, the TfL owner of the tram infrastructure, is a member of the UK's long-established transport safety scheme CIRAS. However, it would appear from press reports that Firstgroup Tram Operations Limited-the holder of the 30 year Tram Operations Contract for the Croydon Tram-is not subscribed to CIRAS but instead to EthicsPoint. What confidence do you have that Firstgroup has put in place a confidential safety reporting system that is specifically suitable for the tram in London?
The Mayor
Transport for London's (TfL) policy is to make sure all its contracted operators for trams, rail and buses, including Tram Operations Limited (TOL)/FirstGroup, have effective and confidential procedures in place to allow employees to report any concerns that they may have. TOL has assured TfL that this is the case, and in addition to previous arrangements, has also become a member of the Confidential Incident Reporting and Analysis System. 110 bus route Question No: 2017/3057 Caroline Pidgeon Residents and ward councillors for Whitton ward in the London Borough of Richmond have long supported the 110 bus route serving Whitton High Street. What assessment has TfL undertaken on the merits of amending this bus route?
The Mayor
Transport for London (TfL) is aware that some local residents would like route 110 to be diverted via Whitton High Street. However, providing this diversion would mean the loss of the convenient link route 110 provides into Twickenham via Staines Road. This link is currently used by around 1,000 passengers per day, approximately 25 per cent of passengers on this route.
Passengers using route 110 who wish to travel to Whitton High Street can interchange onto route H22 at Hospital Bridge Road for free thanks to the Hopper fare I introduced last year.
TfL will continue to look for opportunities to improve bus services, and I would be very happy for an officer to meet with residents, the London Borough of Richmond and others to discuss whether changes could be made.
TfL Obligation to report law breaking by bus drivers Question No: 2017/3058 Caroline Pidgeon In response to MQ 2015/3231 the previous Mayor stated that "TfL does not have an obligation to pass on any reports of illegal bus driver behaviour" shown in any video evidence it received from bus CCTV evidence or third-party sources. Given the short period of time that TfL bus contractors retain CCTV evidence will you ensure that TfL is obligated to submit any such evidence it receives from members of the public to the police as soon as possible?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly. Confidential Incident Reporting and Analysis System (CIRAS) and Coaches Question No: 2017/3059 Caroline Pidgeon In answer to MQ 2016/4554 you stated "I expect independent confidential reporting to be incorporated as a mandatory health and safety requirement in my Mayoral guidance document for London Service Permits (LSP)" and "the guidance will be amended to reflect this requirement following the final publication of my Transport Strategy, which will be published in draft for consultation in the spring." Why does your draft Transport Strategy appear silent on the issue of confidential incident reporting for coaches or lorries?
The Mayor
I still expect independent confidential reporting to be incorporated as a health and safety requirement in my revised Mayoral guidance document for London Service Permits.
Following the outcomes of the current consultation on my draft Transport Strategy, I will consider including specific reference to further safety mechanisms for coaches and lorries in the final version, to be published in 2018.
Checking of applicants for taxi and private hire licences Question No: 2017/3060 Caroline Pidgeon How thoroughly is TfL checking that private hire drivers are 'fit and proper' to hold a licence in London? Please state what specific steps are taken to share information with other local authorities involved in licensing decisions such as Southend, Brighton and Sheffield?
The Mayor
All of London's taxi and private hire drivers must meet a range of strict criteria to ensure they are fit to hold a licence and of good character. This is assessed on the basis of an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check submitted as part of a licence application, information provided by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and any other evidence provided to Transport for London (TfL). Additionally, licensed drivers are required to notify TfL if they have been cautioned, charged, or convicted of any criminal offence - including any road traffic offences.
TfL is, in the absence of a national database, exploring options to enter into data sharing arrangements with other licensing authorities. In the meantime, TfL will continue to work with other licensing authorities where specific concerns are raised. New legislation for licensing for taxi and private hire licensing Question No: 2017/3061 Caroline Pidgeon Do you support the call by the Local Government Association for a Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Reform Bill to replace outdated legislation and modernise the licensing system for taxis and private hire vehicles?
The Mayor
I welcome the Local Government Association's call to modernise taxi and private hire vehicle legislation. My Deputy Mayor for Transport, Valerie Shawcross, is exploring how we can work with other licensing authorities to secure improvements to legislation.
I continue to lobby Government for a number of changes to legislation that will enhance public safety and support law abiding taxi and private hire drivers. My priorities are set out in my Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan which can be found here: http://content.tfl.gov.uk/taxi-and- private-hire-action-plan-2016.pdf.
Topographical Knowledge Question No: 2017/3062 Caroline Pidgeon Please set out what is TfL's annual budget for testing the Topographical Knowledge of: a) taxi drivers? b) private hire drivers?
The Mayor
Transport for London, spends around £1.8m per annum testing taxi and private hire applicants and drivers, £500,000 for taxi drivers and £1.3m for private hire drivers. Complaints to Private Hire operators Question No: 2017/3063 Caroline Pidgeon A constituent has asked me to raise the question. Will you consider setting a condition that private hire operators notify TfL of all complaints made by customers?
The Mayor
In March 2016, Transport for London (TfL) introduced a new complaints handling process. It is now taking a more active role concerning customer complaints about private hire journeys. Details of TfL's complaint process can be found online at www.tfl.gov.uk/tph.
The majority of complaints about private hire journeys are still made directly to private hire operators. Operators have to keep a record of complaints and TfL has the right to inspect complaints logs at any time.
An operator must inform TfL if they receive a complaint that leads to a decision to dismiss a driver. This ensures that TfL is aware of complaints concerning public safety.
TfL is reviewing its current signage requirements for private hire vehicles, which includes the requirement for customer complaints details to be displayed. TfL will hold a public consultation regarding its proposals later this year.
Uber (1) Question No: 2017/3064 Caroline Pidgeon A constituent has asked me to raise the question. Are you aware that Uber only records the details of a trip requested once the driver has accepted the ride without knowing how to get to the pick up or destination?
The Mayor
Transport for London (TfL) requires that private hire operators record the main destination of the customer's journey before the journey starts. It is up to individual operators to decide what information they provide to drivers on bookings and when they provide this. Uber (2) Question No: 2017/3065 Caroline Pidgeon Did TfL's Taxi and Private Hire department independently check the Uber booking process to guarantee that it is the operator who allocates the trip and not the driver accepting the booking?
The Mayor
Uber London Limited (ULL) is registered as a private hire operator in London, having met the same pre-licensing requirements in 2012 as any other applicant for an operator's licence. ULL is subject to all legislation which applies to private hire operators in the capital. Transport for London (TfL) conducted further investigations in 2014 and engaged extensively with Uber to fully understand their business model, in particular the mechanisms by which bookings are invited and accepted.
As the regulatory and licensing authority in London, TfL keeps all operator licences under review to ensure they continue to meet the requirements for licensing in London. ULL has been granted a four-month private hire operator licence to allow TfL to conclude its consideration of a five-year licence. 'Future Proof' Report Question No: 2017/3066 Caroline Pidgeon Please set out the reasons why TfL has not adopted in full the 19 recommendations from the 'Future Proof' report, produced by the London Assembly Transport Committee?
The Mayor
Transport for London (TfL) welcomed the London Assembly Transport Committee's 'Future Proof' report and a response to the recommendations made by the London Assembly Transport Committee, can be found at: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/gla_migrate_files_destination/TfL%20respons e%20to%20Future%20Proof_FINAL_2.pdf
18 of the 19 recommendations suggested by the Transport Committee have either been implemented, or are being looked into by TfL. The remaining recommendation was addressed to Government, calling for a change in legislation to introduce firmer penalties for touting and greater enforcement powers for borough and police officers.
The majority of these recommendations were followed up in TfL's review of private hire regulations, and a series of 18 proposals were put to, and approved by, the TfL Board in March 2016.
The information on the regulatory changes for private hire is available in full at https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/new-private-hire-regulations
Following the introduction of these amendments, I published my Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan in September 2016, which builds on the work undertaken by TfL in its review of private hire regulations. It also includes a host of measures to enhance public safety. The Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan is available at: http://content.tfl.gov.uk/taxi-and-private-hire-action- plan-2016.pdf. Croydon Tram - Incidents of Speeding Question No: 2017/3067 Caroline Pidgeon After speed monitoring was enhanced following the Croydon Tram Crash in November 2016, how many incidents of speeding trams have been reported and by how much were the trams speeding on each occasion? What, if any action, is being taken against the tram drivers involved in these incidents?
The Mayor
Transport for London (TfL) takes extremely seriously any instance of speeding on the network. Safety remains the top priority for TfL and the operator Tram Operations Limited (TOL).
Following the derailment, TfL carried out a thorough safety assessment and took the advice of an independent panel of tram experts as part of a rigorous safety assurance process before resuming services. TfL introduced additional speed restrictions on the approach at Sandilands and three other bends on the tram network. TfL also installed chevrons at these sites and new digital signs to warn drivers of the speed limit.
TfL continues to explore the development of in-cab systems for monitoring and managing tram speed.
Attached is a table showing the reports made by TOL of the number of speeding events detected, along with any action taken. Many of the speeding events do not require any action as these are one to three kilometres per hour over the speed limit and within the allowance for error in the reading. Tram drivers are employed by TOL, and so the outcome of any disciplinary action they take against their employees is confidential to them but in these instances, TfL has been informed whether the driver received a 'briefing' or whether 'action' was taken.
The oversight panel established to review the resumption of service following the derailment remains in place to oversee the safety governance system, the mitigations that have been implemented following the derailment, and FirstGroup's day-to-day safety performance and management arrangements. This comprises senior representatives from FirstGroup and TfL. In particular, TfL continues to monitor the enhanced driver management arrangements FirstGroup have put in place, which includes the more frequent programme of speed checks, fatigue management and counselling. SNC-Lavalin Investigation of Croydon Tram Crash Question No: 2017/3068 Caroline Pidgeon Based on the minutes of the 21st March 2017 meeting of the Safety, Sustainability and Human Resources Panel it was reported that a TfL commissioned investigation of the Croydon Tram Crash by SNC-Lavelin was concluded in the Spring. What reason can you provide for its delayed publication for public scrutiny?
The Mayor
My thoughts and those of everyone at Transport for London (TfL) remain with everyone affected by the tragic incident which occurred on 9 November. TfL will continue to offer those affected any support they need.
I want to ensure the report is as comprehensive as possible. TfL's Safety, Sustainability and Human Resources Panel on 26 June 2017 was told that SNC-Lavalin is expected to report on its conclusions in the autumn.
TfL continues to assist with other continuing investigations.
Bus Driver exposure to toxic air pollution Question No: 2017/3069 Caroline Pidgeon Has TfL conducted or had access to any detailed long-term studies which look at the health risks of TfL bus drivers' exposure to diesel pollution while driving? If so, can you make these studies available?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly. Crossrail 2 Question No: 2017/3070 Caroline Pidgeon When will you publish TfL's Strategic Outline Business Case for Crossrail 2?
The Mayor
Transport for London (TfL) submitted a detailed Strategic Outline Business Case for Crossrail 2 to the Transport Secretary in March this year. This outlined how more than half the cost could be met through London funding streams already supported by businesses, including an enhanced Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy and a continuation of the Business Rate Supplement now paying for Crossrail 1.
I had a productive meeting with the Transport Secretary in July, where he pledged his continued support for Crossrail 2 and, as we have set out in a joint statement, we have agreed to work together to make the scheme more affordable. The business case cannot be published until this affordability work is finished, and the Government gives a definitive decision on the proposed route.
Given the urgent need to consult the public on TfL's revised plans and prepare a Hybrid Bill by 2020, it essential that we get a timely decision from the Government. We need to get moving now on the next stage of Crossrail 2 if we are to avoid London's transport network grinding to a halt in the early 2030s.
London Gang Exit (LGE) Service Question No: 2017/3071 Caroline Pidgeon Please provide details of the funding that MOPAC is allocating to the LGE service for each year for the years 2016-2021.
The Mayor
MOPAC allocated £1,029,786 to deliver London Gang Exit between October 2015 and September 2017.
MOPAC has allocated £1,000,000 to deliver the London Gang Exit Service between October 2017 and September 2019. Chrysalis project funding Question No: 2017/3072 Caroline Pidgeon Please provide details of the funding that MOPAC is allocating to the Chrysalis project for each year for the years 2016-2021.
The Mayor
The programme is currently funded by Her Majesty's Prison & Probation Service, the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales, HMP YOI Isis and HMYOI Feltham and supported by MPS policing contribution through the Mayor's Office for Policing via a Crime Special Police Service Agreement to the value of £244,069 in 2016/17 and £244,069 in 2017/18. The current pilot phase ends in February 2018 and discussions are ongoing with partners with a focus on how the programme will continue to evolve to support violence reduction in the secure estate.
Knife Crime Strategy - GPS tags for knife crime offenders Question No: 2017/3073 Caroline Pidgeon Which are the 8 London Boroughs participating in the GPS tagging trial outlined in the knife crime strategy and what is the projected timeframe for the expansion of the GPS tagging scheme?
The Mayor
MOPAC's GPS tagging pilot operates in Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington, Newham, Tower Hamlets, and Waltham Forest. It commenced in March 2017 to as part of a wider programme of work to tackle persistent offending.
The London Knife Crime Strategy highlights an ambition to test the use of technology for offenders released on licence following a custodial sentence, or offenders subject to community orders for knife crime related offences. The timeframe for this is dependent on the support of central government and the enactment of secondary legislation.
Knife Crime Strategy - Mayoral "Safer Schools" standard Question No: 2017/3074 Caroline Pidgeon What is the timeframe for the development and implementation of the "Safer Schools" standard?
The Mayor
The action plan for the strategy is in the process of being shared with partners to agree delivery and timescales. This is an iterative process which will be completed and signed off by partners in September 2017. Knife Crime Strategy - seed funding Question No: 2017/3075 Caroline Pidgeon What is MOPAC's budget for supplying seed funding to organisations tackling violence and anti-knife initiatives?
The Mayor
The strategy commits to providing seed funding to community groups and anti-knife initiatives in priority areas in London, supporting a grass roots response to knife crime. Funding totals £250,000 for 2017/18.
All allocated funds as approved by the DMPC are set out in decision PCD225.
Knife Crime Strategy - Information Sharing to Tackle Violence (ISTV) funding Question No: 2017/3076 Caroline Pidgeon What is MOPAC's budget for delivering the ISTV programme for the years 2017-21, broken down by year?
The Mayor
Historically we have learned that without strong leadership all previous attempts to sustain the ISTV programme in London have failed.
The objective of MOPAC leading on this programme has always been for the model to be sustainable without the need for funding in the longer term, given that the collecting and sharing of ISB 1594 is mandatory.
Whilst acknowledging the great progress that has been made over the past two years via Home Office funding (28 out of the 29 Emergency Departments (EDs) sharing consistently) there is the recognition that we need to build on this success through MOPAC's continued leadership. As such, £316,000.00 has been allocated to fund the programme over two years (2017-19). This budget will be used to support all EDs sharing data consistently, whilst also extending the most successful elements of the programme to create sustainability. Knife Crime Strategy - Information Sharing to Tackle Violence (ISTV) Question No: 2017/3077 Caroline Pidgeon I understand that some hospitals are still not actively participating in the ISTV programme. What is the process and timeframe by which all hospitals will be sharing information with the police?
The Mayor
Every Type 1 Emergency Department (ED) in London has made a commitment to share ISTV data with Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) and 28 of the 29 EDs are now consistently doing so. The final ED has undertaken to do so as soon as is practicable.
The provision of training (predominantly for receptionist, but also clinicians) specifically related to the collection of the required data sets to all those who have requested has been key to our success to date. All EDs also have access to an online Interactive Receptionist Training Manual, which has been developed through the ISTV programme.
It must be noted, that front line clinical delivery will always be rightly prioritised within an ED. Through the implementation of a 'feedback loop' MOPAC regularly shares examples of case studies which outline how the data shared by EDs is being used by MOPAC, MPS and CSPs to better inform partnership response and interventions. We are confident the value and benefits of this work will continue to engage all partners. Knife Crime Strategy - youth support to victims (1) Question No: 2017/3078 Caroline Pidgeon How many youth workers are MOPAC funding to provide support to victims in major trauma centres and A&Es for each year between 2015-2018? Please specify the number of youth workers for each year.
The Mayor
MOPAC is currently providing funding for youth support to victims of violent crime in all Major Trauma Centres in London and two A&Es. The Major Trauma Centres are King's College Hospital, Royal London Hospital, St. George's Hospital and St. Mary's Hospital. The A&Es are North Middlesex Hospital and Guys and St. Thomas' Hospital.
The number of youth workers (including Team Leaders who also engage with young victims directly) funded by MOPAC in these sites are:
2014/15: 1.4 FTE
2015/16: 8.6 FTE
2016/17: 7.44 FTE
2017/18: 6.16 FTE
The Police and Crime Plan commits to continue to support youth workers in Major Trauma Centres, extending the programmes to key A&E departments in boroughs that have high levels of knife crime. For future financial years budgets will be confirmed in published decisions. The number of youth workers will be confirmed following the budget decision.
The A&E locations and rollout timescales will be confirmed following a review and analysis of a range of factors including demand data and local infrastructure, with this work underway. The locations and timescales will then also be published in a decision.
Knife Crime Strategy - youth support to victims (2) Question No: 2017/3079 Caroline Pidgeon How many youth workers does MOPAC plan to fund to provide support to victims in major trauma centres and A&Es for each year between 2018-2021?
The Mayor
Please see response to MQ 2017/ 3078. Knife Crime Strategy - youth support to victims (3) Question No: 2017/3080 Caroline Pidgeon Which major trauma centres and A&Es currently provide youth support to victims of violent crime?
The Mayor
Please see response to MQ 2017/ 3078.
Knife Crime Strategy - youth support to victims (4) Question No: 2017/3081 Caroline Pidgeon Which major trauma centres and A&Es are MOPAC planning on expanding the provision of youth support provided to victims of violent crime? And what is the timeframe for the roll out of the increased provision?
The Mayor
Please see my response to MQ 2017/ 3078.
Knife crime - Community Reference Group (1) Question No: 2017/3082 Caroline Pidgeon I understand that the Met has established an independent community reference group to hold the police to account over knife crime and their relationship with London's communities. What consultations did the Met have with MOPAC about its development?
The Mayor
MOPAC officials are in the process of working with the MPS to agree and finalise the Terms of reference of the Group. MOPAC continue to work closely with MPS colleagues in both the planning and delivery of the knife crime strategy. Knife crime - Community Reference Group (2) Question No: 2017/3083 Caroline Pidgeon How will this group function and how often will it report?
The Mayor
It is the intention of the group to meet on a monthly basis. The Group is self-governing and its meetings are minuted.
The Group has an advisory and not a decision making function and will function as a Idependent Advisory Group (IAG) for knife crime, to provide independent advice on policing operations and tactics used to tackle knife crime.
MOPAC officials are in the process of working with the MPS to agree and finalise the Terms of Reference of the Group. The advisory function of this group reports into the knife crime subgroup of the Children and Young People board (CYP) feeding up to the London Crime Reduction Board (LCRB)
Knife crime - Community Reference Group (3) Question No: 2017/3084 Caroline Pidgeon Why was there no mention of this group in your knife crime strategy?
The Mayor
The strategy includes commitments to strengthen community engagement facilitating a two way dialogue for information sharing between the communities and authorities.
The delivery mechanism for the strategy commitments are currently in the process of being developed in consultation with partners and the community.
This is an iterative process where the final strategy action plan will be completed and signed off by partners in September 2017. Knife crime strategy - borough knife crime strategies Question No: 2017/3085 Caroline Pidgeon What is the process for developing the borough knife crime strategies? Please include the stakeholders involved in the decision making process and the anticipated timeframe for their completion.
The Mayor
Each Borough Commander has responsibility for producing a Knife Crime Action Plan for their area. These plans will follow the four P's structure: Prevent, Pursue, Protect and Prepare, and include activity with Partners and Communities. Plans are submitted to the central Operation Sceptre team at New Scotland Yard who quality-assure them. The proposed plans will then be shared with local partners and stakeholders by the borough. Accountability for delivery of the policing activity under these plans will be through monthly Crimefighters meetings chaired by the TP Commander.
Rail provision for Sudbury & Harrow Road station Question No: 2017/3086 Caroline Pidgeon What steps are you taking to improve the service provided to Sudbury & Harrow Road train station in order to respond to the area's growing demand for rail travel?
The Mayor
Sudbury & Harrow Road train station is owned by Network Rail and the train operator is Chiltern Railways. Transport for London has raised the issue with Chiltern management and asked Chiltern to get in touch with you to discuss further.
Violence Against Women and Girls Board Question No: 2017/3087 Caroline Pidgeon When was the last Violence Against Women and Girls Board meeting?
The Mayor
The last meeting of the Violence Against Women and Girls Board took place on the 7 June 2017. Knife and crime strategy Question No: 2017/3088 Caroline Pidgeon What did you mean by the term "culturally competent approach" in your knife crime strategy?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Knife and crime strategy - GPS tagging (1) Question No: 2017/3089 Caroline Pidgeon The National Audit Office has stated that a £60m Ministry of Justice GPS tagging system for offenders is years behind schedule and has delivered no benefits. What is the budget for the GPS tagging system you will be employing?
The Mayor
The budget for GPS tagging for knife crime is incorporated within the London Knife Crime Strategy budget of £625,000.
The Ministry of Justice holds the main budget for all Electronic Monitoring of offenders. To support the testing of innovation the MoJ has enacted legislation to enable MOPAC to test GPS technology. The current pilot, which is targeted at persistent offenders in North East London, was launched in March 2017 and has a budget of £150,000 for the year.
Knife and crime strategy - GPS tagging (2) Question No: 2017/3090 Caroline Pidgeon A number of Met IT projects have gone over budget, what steps are you taking to ensure that taxpayers are getting value for money with your GPS tagging system?
The Mayor
MOPAC undertook a competitive procurement process to award the contract to provide and fit the tags, and monitor them for the GPS tagging pilot targeted at persistent offenders.
The MOPAC delivery team are working closely with the provider to ensure the project achieves its aim to test the use of GPS tags as a requirement of Community Orders and Suspended sentence Orders, within the specified timeframe. Knife and crime strategy -social media Question No: 2017/3091 Caroline Pidgeon In your knife crime strategy you stated that you would bring the "most influential social media companies to the table" to reduce the sharing material glorifying knife violence. Which companies will you be talking to and what is the timeframe in which you will engage with them?
The Mayor
I have called on YouTube and its parent company Google to crack down on online videos that encourage gang violence and knife crime, urging the internet giants to do more to remove such content and prevent it re-appearing.
My Office for Policing And Crime (MOPAC) is already working with YouTube and Google to tackle online hate crime and has requested a meeting to discuss this work as well as my concerns around online content which glorifies knife crime.
Transport strategy - passengers with dementia Question No: 2017/3092 Caroline Pidgeon Your Transport strategy did not address the issues that passengers with dementia face when travelling in London. Will you review the strategy to include measures to ensure that all TfL staff are suitably trained to assist dementia sufferers?
The Mayor
I am committed to making London a Dementia Friendly city, including on the transport network. Transport for London (TfL) works with charities, such as the Alzheimer's Society, to improve wayfinding and signage, accessible information, infrastructure and training for staff across the network. TfL also has a trained Dementia Friends Champion, who is advising staff on how to assist people with dementia.
Low Emission Bus Zones Question No: 2017/3093 Caroline Pidgeon You announced 10 new Low Emission Bus Zones to tackle toxic air earlier this year. Are there plans to introduce more zones going forward? If so, what is the timescale for this?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly. Women's Safety at Night Charter Question No: 2017/3094 Caroline Pidgeon When is the predicted publication date for the Women's Safety at Night Charter?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Smarter working programme Question No: 2017/3095 Caroline Pidgeon What progress has the Met made implementing its smarter working programme? Please set out the timeframe by which all police officers will have access to a tablet, Wi-Fi connectivity, and a new Met Intranet on the go.
The Mayor
We have ambitious plans for 'smarter working' within the MPS, and the rollout of laptops to 10,000 officers has begun, with around 1750 devices issued to date. The rollout of tablets will commence in September this year, and at a rate of 1000 devices a month, this should take a year to complete. The tablets are Wi-Fi and 4G enabled.
The Wi-Fi roll out in buildings has commenced and is aligned to the tablet roll out and estates strategy. The software and apps available to officers will continue to develop throughout this period.
The Smarter Working Programme is moving into phase three of the intranet replacement. This will explore the best solution to replace the current intranet. The ambition is to create a digital collaborative space that can be accessed by all staff across the organisation and support changes in working practices, technology and our workspaces. South Korea - cat and dog meat trade Question No: 2017/3096 Caroline Pidgeon A number of people have contacted me with concerns about the trade in cat and dog meat in South Korea. Given that you signed a Friendship City Agreement with Seoul's Mayor, Park Won-soon, earlier this year, what representations have you made to help eliminate this practice?
The Mayor
My international relations activity focuses on bringing benefits to London through attracting more visitors, students and investment and promoting all of the incredible things London has to offer on the international stage.
I understand the British Embassy in Seoul has raised the issue of animal cruelty with the South Korean authorities on numerous occasions and explained that the UK public would like to see Korean regulation that would bring the practice to an end. I would encourage concerned individuals and groups to continue working with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to seek appropriate opportunities to raise the issue further.
Brixton cycle hire scheme Question No: 2017/3097 Caroline Pidgeon What is the total cost of expanding the Santander cycle scheme to Brixton? How much money has Lambeth Council contributed to this cost?
The Mayor
The London Borough of Lambeth is contributing all of the £0.75m capital costs for the expansion of the Santander Cycle Hire scheme to Brixton. The first seven years of operational expenditure for the expansion will cost Transport for London £0.6m.
Drayton Park station Question No: 2017/3098 Caroline Pidgeon What representations have you made to Network Rail to open Drayton Park station on Arsenal's match days to prevent overcrowding on public transport in the area?
The Mayor
Please see my response to question MQ 2017/3028. Police accessibility Question No: 2017/3099 Caroline Pidgeon Please provide a list of all of the partnership bases that the Met are proposing to keep under MOPAC's Public Access and Engagement Strategy.
The Mayor
Please see the table attached as Appendix 3099 for the list of partnership bases proposed to be kept under the draft Public Access and Engagement Strategy.
TfL advertising Question No: 2017/3100 Caroline Pidgeon There are a number of Uber advertisements on TfL premises. Is it in line with TfL policy to promote companies that they are responsible for licensing?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Haringey Development Vehicle project Question No: 2017/3101 Caroline Pidgeon A number of Haringey constituents are concerned about public assets being transferred to the private firm, Lendlease, as part of a 20 year deal. Will you call for closer scrutiny of this project?
The Mayor
I believe this project has been, and continues to be, closely scrutinised. London Overground - night-time running Question No: 2017/3102 Caroline Pidgeon Has consideration been given to extending the proposed night-time Overground service to Forest Hill? If not, will there be? And what is the scope for enlarging the service in the future?
The Mayor
The Night Tube services have been a real success right across the capital, and I was delighted to announce the Night Overground last month. It will provide huge benefits to Londoners and visitors to our city; creating jobs and boosting our economy.
The route between New Cross Gate and Highbury & Islington is served only by London Overground services and mostly managed by Transport for London. This enables 24 hour services to operate at weekends on this section of the network.
The vast majority of the London Overground network, including the route south of New Cross Gate, is operated on Network Rail tracks. These tracks are used by other operators on weekday nights leaving Friday and Saturday nights for Network Rail to carry out maintenance works. This is why there are no current plans to extend London Overground night services south of New Cross Gate.
British Transport Police (BTP) - oversight Question No: 2017/3103 Caroline Pidgeon Will you consider including representation from MOPAC to the monitoring body responsible for the TfL-BTP policing agreement?
The Mayor
I want there to be collaboration and partnership working between MOPAC and the British Transport Police (BTP). To make sure this happens, there are quarterly meetings taking place between the Deputy Mayor for Policing, MOPAC, the Chief Constable of the BTP and Transport for London. British Transport Police (BTP) - funding Question No: 2017/3104 Caroline Pidgeon What action have you taken to ensure that TfL funding provided to the BTP is being used to pay for police officers on TfL routes?
The Mayor
Through the Police Services Agreement and the annual budget setting process, Transport for London (TfL) agrees an establishment of officers, police community support officers and police staff with the British Transport Police (BTP) that is funded by TfL. TfL pays only for the officers employed to police the transport network in London, as agreed in the budget setting process, and does not pay for vacancies.
TfL has rigorous processes in place to scrutinise BTP's costs as well as to monitor levels of performance, service and delivery to ensure the best policing service is received on TfL routes.
Public Transport Strike Pledge Question No: 2017/3105 David Kurten To ask the Mayor how his pledge of zero days lost to strikes on public transport is coming along.
The Mayor
In my manifesto I pledged to reduce the number of days lost to strike action, by maintaining better industrial relations. Since May last year, there has been a 56 per cent reduction in the average days lost to strike action compared to the previous administration. Electric-Only Vans Question No: 2017/3106 David Kurten To ask the Mayor for an update on Transport for London's partnership with Ford on the plan to pilot electric-only vans in the city.
The Mayor
Ford Motor Company is custom building 20 plug-in hybrid electric vans for an operational trial in London. As the transport authority for the chosen city of the trial, Transport for London (TfL) is collaborating with Ford on this project.
The 20 vehicles will be distributed at no cost to a variety of fleets in London including TfL, the Metropolitan Police Service, Clancy Plant, Addison Lee and British Gas. The vans are expected to reduce local emissions by running solely on electric power for the majority of inner-city trips.
The trial is due to start in the final quarter of 2017, and will last for 12 months. Ford will collect data on operational and environmental performance to assess how the benefits of electrified vehicles could be maximised.
The freight sector's transition to ultra low emission vehicles is central to cleaning up London's toxic air. TfL continues to lead by example by increasing the number of its own vehicles that are electric. Data from these trials will also be used by LoCity, an industry led programme that TfL works with. It helps the freight and fleet sector lead the way in improving air quality, reducing carbon emissions and encouraging the uptake of low emission commercial transport.
Gay Pride March, London (1) Question No: 2017/3107 Peter Whittle To ask the Mayor how many arrests were made by the police attending the Gay Pride march in central London on Saturday 8 July 2017, and for what offences.
The Mayor
The event had a total of 6 arrests: one arrested for Assault on Police, one arrested for Grievous Bodily Harm, one arrested for Common assault and Assault on Police, one arrested for Theft and two arrested for Being Drunk in Charge of a Child under 7, one of whom was also arrested for Possession of a ClassB drug. Gay Pride March, London (2) Question No: 2017/3108 Peter Whittle To ask the Mayor what response he has to the claim made by the gay rights activist Peter Tatchell, who has marched in every parade since 1972, that Pride had 'morphed into a commercialised, bureaucratic and rule-bound event", strangled by the demands of City Hall.'
The Mayor
Peter Tatchell's assertions about the event are untrue and his knowledge of how major event operations work are uninformed.
The Pride of 1972 is very different to the Pride that takes place in our city today. Those early Pride marches were heavily policed as a protest and rally. Today Pride is an event where stewards do the marshalling and the police parade.
1 million people attended Pride this year and it costs a considerable amount of money to ensure a free event of this scale is delivered safely. Pride continues to go from strength to strength in size and quality.
I look forward to welcoming even more people to next year's Pride.
Gay Pride March, London (3) Question No: 2017/3109 Peter Whittle During the Gay Pride in London, the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB) claim that the Metropolitan Police tried to remove their "Allah is Gay" banners for causing offence. Such an action appears to me to be a clamping down on free speech. Also I note that the East London Mosque has submitted a complaint to the march organisers alleging Islamophobia from the CEMB. Has this complaint been received by the Met and what action is it taking?
The Mayor
This claim has been checked with the Event Command Team who have confirmed with the officers policing the march and the supervisors at the event, and there were no reports of the use of such banners, or therefore any request by officers to attendees to remove them.
The Met have not received any complaints in relation to this. Gay Pride March, London (4) Question No: 2017/3110 Peter Whittle According to veteran gay activist Peter Tatchell, the East London Mosque has refused all dialogue with the LGBT community, rejecting some eleven requests to meet since 2015. What can the Mayor do to encourage dialogue with LGBT people and one of the largest mosques in Europe?
The Mayor
It's a privilege to serve London as Mayor and represent every single one of our many diverse communities. Diversity is London's greatest strength, a city where we don't just tolerate our differences, we respect and celebrate them. I want London to remain open, and to be a beacon of tolerance and diversity regardless of age, disability, gender, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation or social class, in all of our diverse communities.
Sex Attacks on London Buses Question No: 2017/3111 David Kurten To ask the Mayor how many sex attacks were reported on London buses over the last five years and how many convictions resulted from the subsequent investigations.
The Mayor
The bus network is a safe, low-crime environment with very few people ever experiencing or witnessing crime.
Metropolitan Police Service data for bus-related crime shows that there were over 3,250 reported sexual offences over the last five years, with the number of reported sexual offences almost doubling between 2012/13 and 2016/17. The increase in reports was anticipated and is considered a positive result of the efforts to tackle unwanted sexual behaviour on public transport and to increase confidence in reporting sexual offences as part of Project Guardian and the Report It to Stop It campaign. This important work continues.
Police sanction detection data for 2016/17 is positive and shows that almost a quarter of all offences were detected. This is considerably higher than the detection rate for sexual offences generally. However, there is no room for complacency and TfL and the police are working hard to bring more perpetrators to justice for these despicable crimes.
The MPS does not hold aggregate conviction data. Conviction information is held by the HM Courts and Tribunal Services and there is no systematic process in place linking data between these systems. Met Police Nationalities Question No: 2017/3112 Peter Whittle To ask the Mayor how many sworn and warranted police officers serving with the Metropolitan Police are not British nationals.
The Mayor
The table below outlines the number of non-British Nationals within the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).
Note that new police recruits must have lived in London for 3 of the last 6 years and that applicants from outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) must have leave to enter and remain in the UK for an indefinite period.
Total Police Officer Strength 30,719 British Nationals 29,138 Nationality not recorded 420 Non British Nationals 1,160
Rail Fares Question No: 2017/3113 David Kurten To ask the Mayor if he is successful in taking control of train lines into and out of London, would he be able to cut fares to a comparable level to rail travel in continental Europe?
The Mayor
My fares freeze has already delivered tremendous benefits for Londoners and these benefits will continue to build up over time.
I remain committed to freezing all Transport for London (TfL) fares until 2020 and I have made it clear this would include any additional rail services if they were devolved to TfL.
In the UK, the Government continues to seek to increase the share of the network's costs borne by the users. TfL's operating grant from Government is being withdrawn from 2018/19. Conversely, rail travel in continental Europe is heavily subsidised which helps to control those rail fares. Banning Junk Food on Public Transport Question No: 2017/3114 David Kurten To ask the Mayor what consideration has been given to the banning of all junk food on public transport - that policy suggestion having been made at the 24th European Congress on Obesity at Oporto in May 2017 and supported by Professor Jason Halford, from the European Association of Obesity and head of the Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of Liverpool.
The Mayor
My draft Transport Strategy is built around the Healthy Streets approach, designed to encourage a more active lifestyle. By 2041, my aim is for Londoners to do at least 20 minutes of active travel they need to stay healthy.
Unlike banning smoking or alcohol consumption, it would be difficult to define and justify a ban of certain foods consumed on public transport on public health grounds. It is important though to make sure healthy foods are available and affordable to buy across London. That is why I support programmes including Healthy Schools for London, the Healthier Catering Commitment and the Healthy Workplaces Charter.
Anti-Semitism Question No: 2017/3115 David Kurten To ask if the Mayor if he has adopted the new Berlin-based International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism?
The Mayor
Anti-Semitism in whatever form it may take is totally unacceptable and can never be justified. Hate crime is, of course, defined in law, and the working definition of anti-Semitism provides a helpful addition to wider understanding of the issues surrounding hate crime.
My Police and Crime Plan 2017-21 underlines my position and makes clear my commitment to adopting a strict zero-tolerance approach to anti-Semitism and all hate crime - whether it's on the basis of someone's sexual orientation, religion or belief, race, or disability.
I am therefore pleased to confirm that I have adopted the IHRA's working definition. British Transport Police Question No: 2017/3117 Peter Whittle To ask the Mayor how many full-time equivalent British Transport Police officers are being paid for by Transport for London, with specific reference to the Tube; London Overground and TfL Rail services; the night tube; Croydon Tramlink; the London Bridge Hub Team and suburban rail neighbourhood policing teams - and what is the current shortfall on these numbers.
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Henriques Review Question No: 2017/3118 Peter Whittle To ask the Mayor if he can provide an update on the progress of implementing the recommendations of the Henriques Review.
The Mayor
A number of the recommendations from the Henriques Review were already implemented or noted by the MPS. The remaining recommendations are undergoing consideration by the MPS in conjunction with national partners and have been the subject of detailed joint planning concerning implementation.
Fatalities on the London Underground Question No: 2017/3119 David Kurten To ask the Mayor how many fatalities have taken place on the London Underground over the last five years and how many of these were passengers, staff, contractors, or other categories.
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly. Invoicing Volkswagen Question No: 2017/3120 David Kurten To ask the Mayor for an update on the outcome of the invoice he sent to Volkswagen for congestion charge costs to the people of London from cheating on emissions tests.
The Mayor
I am disappointed by the utter contempt Volkswagen (VW) has shown for Londoners. Their appalling lack of action since the 'dieselgate' scandal came to light must not be allowed to continue.
I met with the Managing Director of VW UK to urge them to compensate the thousands of Londoners who bought VW cars in good faith, but whose diesel engines are now contributing to London's killer air, and also to reimburse Transport for London for the £2.5 million loss of congestion charge revenue.
Unfortunately, VW made it abundantly clear that they have no interest or intention of reimbursing Londoners or indeed any UK customers who bought these polluting vehicles. They are also in denial over their responsibility to help clean up London's filthy air and mitigate the damage their cars have caused.
It is now nearly two years since the 'dieselgate' scandal and the Government must stop dragging their feet and urgently intervene. VW is making a laughing stock of the UK - the Government needs to demand a compensation package that equals the billions VW gave customers in America.
I am determined to stand up for those Londoners forced to breathe filthy air and who have been misled by VW.
Common Purpose Question No: 2017/3121 Peter Whittle To ask the Mayor how many Metropolitan Police officers currently at the rank of inspector or above, have undergone Common Purpose training.
The Mayor
Two police officers (both Chief Inspector rank at the time) attended a Common Purpose training course in 2016. Detective Recruitment Question No: 2017/3123 Peter Whittle To ask the Mayor how many retired detectives have been contacted by the Metropolitan Police and asked to return to the force, to make up the current shortfall in numbers.
The Mayor
The Deputy Commissioner wrote to 126 retired Detective Constables to offer them the opportunity to return as a Civilian Investigator, an Investigative Coach or in a voluntary capacity.
Ministry of Defence Police Question No: 2017/3124 Peter Whittle To ask the Mayor how many members of the Ministry of Defence Police have been seconded to the Metropolitan Police over the last three years and for what purposes.
The Mayor
There were no MOD Police seconded into the Metropolitan Police over the last three years.
Rates on Police Stations Question No: 2017/3125 Peter Whittle To ask the Mayor what has been the financial impact of the 1st April 2017 rise in rates on the Met's 152 police stations.
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly. Police Sickness Question No: 2017/3126 Peter Whittle To ask the Mayor how many Metropolitan Police officers have been off sick with stress, anxiety and depression, over the last three years.
The Mayor
There were a total of 2,329 instances of police officer sickness due to stress, anxiety and depression-related illnesses at various times over the last 3 years (Aug 14 - Jul 17).
Further information on police officer sickness is available in the HMIC Value for Money report. www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/publications/metropolitan-2016-value-for-money- profile/.
Escalators on the Underground Question No: 2017/3127 David Kurten To ask the Mayor how many escalators on the London Underground have been out of service at any one time over the last three years and what steps are currently being taken to improve in-service availability.
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly. Water Cooler Facilities on the Underground Question No: 2017/3128 David Kurten I understand that Transport for London (TfL) has changed the contractor which supplies water coolers to its head office buildings and front line locations, such as underground train crew mess rooms. It has been suggested to me water coolers are being removed from tea points and locations where drivers change ends on their journeys. Could you please assure me that this is not the case?
The Mayor
I would like to reassure you that all members of Transport for London (TfL) staff, including train operators, have access to clean drinking water whenever they need it, be it from a water cooler or tap as you would have at home.
TfL reviewed its commercial arrangements with water cooler suppliers early this year to make sure the location and number of water coolers is consistent across the network. This review also enabled TfL to improve its contractual position with suppliers, and realise a cost saving.
TfL has met with trade unions to discuss their concerns over this issue, looked at the locations they highlighted, and agreed a way forward.
Uber and TfL Question No: 2017/3130 David Kurten To ask the Mayor if any TfL or GLA employees have free Uber accounts.
The Mayor
The Greater London Authority and Transport for London does not provide Uber business travel accounts to their employees.
The Hippodrome, Kingston Question No: 2017/3131 David Kurten Kingston has a thriving arts and culture scene. Every month there are many and varied live music events, for people of all ages, from local bands to international touring artists. These events are provided without subsidy by tax-payers. The only 1000+ capacity venue which regularly houses live music events in Kingston, The Hippodrome, is under threat from redevelopment into shops and flats. I would ask the Mayor what representations he has made to Kingston Council to commit to retain this venue and to make his commitment to live music and concerts in Kingston clear to residents and potential developers.
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly. Traffic Lights Trafalgar Square Question No: 2017/3132 David Kurten At the Trafalgar Square end of Northumberland Avenue, there is a pedestrian crossing. These lights turn to red after traffic coming from The Mall and Cockspur Street proceeding straight to Northumberland Avenue or right into Whitehall have had their green phase. When the lights in the middle of Trafalgar Square turn red, these lights then turn red about four seconds later, as an additional safeguard for pedestrians crossing, so that slow-moving traffic over the first stop point - but still proceeding, do not continue to creep across the crossing. Unfortunately, there is at present no white line marked on the road at this point, so drivers assume that the red lights are a mirror of the previous set and not a new stopping point. Accordingly, they plough on through a green man. Could I ask why there is no white line marked on the roadway?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Gender Neutral Language on the Underground Question No: 2017/3133 David Kurten To ask the Mayor whether the widely-reported news that Transport for London workers have been instructed to stop using the term "ladies and gentlemen" because it is deemed to be 'offensive' is true.
3
The Mayor
Transport for London is committed to providing an excellent service for all its customers. It serves an incredibly diverse and vibrant city, and updates the language it uses to be as inclusive as possible to the millions of people who use the network every day.
Housing targets Question No: 2017/3134 Andrew Boff When are you likely to reach the target published on your election website for building 80,000 homes per year?
The Mayor
My manifesto did not include a target to build 80,000 homes a year. I will set out new housing supply targets in my new London Plan, which will be published later this year. Lettings Agency Question No: 2017/3135 Andrew Boff What is the progress towards a London wide lettings agency?
The Mayor
My team has begun work to develop a Homes for Londoners online property portal through which I will offer successful social letting agencies set up boroughs the opportunity to advertise properties on a London-wide basis.
Affordable homes (1) Question No: 2017/3136 Andrew Boff How many affordable homes have been started since you took office?
The Mayor
This information is published at the following link: https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we- do/housing-and-land/increasing-housing-supply/affordable-housing-statistics.
Affordable homes (2) Question No: 2017/3137 Andrew Boff How many affordable homes are to be supplied in planning applications granted since you took office?
The Mayor
We are currently in the process of checking the approvals data submitted to the London Development Database for the period April 2016 to March 2017. Provisional figures are not yet available
Shared ownership Question No: 2017/3138 Andrew Boff What is your target for shared ownership homes per year?
The Mayor
I have a target of starting 58,500 affordable homes to buy including London Living Rent and shared ownership by 2021. Sex Workers Question No: 2017/3140 Andrew Boff How will sex workers be actively engaged in the development of the Women's Night Safety Charter?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Sex Workers 2 Question No: 2017/3141 Andrew Boff What contribution do sex workers make to London's night time economy?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Mayoral spending (2) Question No: 2017/3142 Andrew Boff What system is in place to monitor the levels of retrospective approvals of mayoral and other GLA spending decisions?
The Mayor
The GLA's decision-making process ensures decisions are made and approvals are given in tandem. All non-routine expenditure, together with all novel, contentious or repercussive (NCR) proposals, must be approved in advance through a decision form. Where spend is above £10k or the proposal is NCR, then the decision form is coordinated through the Governance Team providing for corporate oversight. The Corporate Investment Board reviews these proposals also. In addition, the GLA's finance system requires that decision forms are uploaded in order to demonstrate outgoing payments have had prior approval. The rules are well- understood and complied with. Day of Rage Question No: 2017/3143 Andrew Boff Can you provide the total cost to the MPS for policing the Day of Rage? If available, please provide a detailed breakdown of this cost?
The Mayor
No resources were specifically allocated to the 'Day of Rage' protest. The reserve serials for the State Opening of Parliament were available to deal with any spontaneous events.
The cost of reserve serials deployed to 'Day of Rage' was £17,521.56.
Crime ref: 5214132/17 (1) Question No: 2017/3144 Andrew Boff Are you satisfied that the response to this violent crime in Enfield was carried out in accordance with the National Policing Sex Work Guidance, especially with regard to paragraphs 5.23 and 5.51 of this guidance?
The Mayor
It would not be appropriate for me to comment on individuals cases however, any victim should be treated with dignity and respect and, if this is not the case, or it is felt that a crime has not been properly investigated, then there are formal processes that can be followed.
As part of my refresh of the London VAWG Strategy, I will be revisiting the strength of London partners response to prostitution; a review of the MPS respnse will be part of this.
Crime ref: 5214132/17 (2) Question No: 2017/3145 Andrew Boff What approach should be taken by police when attempting to combat violent gangs who are targeting sex workers working in brothels?
The Mayor
The approach of the MPS to tackle violent offenders will be driven by the offending type and seriousness of the offence, and naturally will be intelligence-led. The vulnerability of the victims will also be a factor, but - regardless of the victim's occupation - serious crime will be dealt with proportionately. Crime ref: 5214132/17 (3) Question No: 2017/3146 Andrew Boff Do you think threatening to arrest and prosecute victims of violence is likely to increase or decrease the likelihood of sex-workers reporting crimes against them?
The Mayor
Threats of arrest and prosecution would not be a normal approach to take with a victim of violence - and if there are specific incidents that are of concern, these can be reviewed.
Police station closures (2) Question No: 2017/3147 Andrew Boff What surveys have there been with regard to Police Station closures and when were they conducted?
The Mayor
The MPS and Mayor's Office have conducted surveys to provide evidence of how Londoners want to access policing services currently and in the future. The findings of this work are published in the draft Public Access and Engagement Strategy.
In addition, footfall surveys have been conducted across London's front counters to understand current footfall and crime reporting trends. Finally, as part of the consultation on the draft strategy, an online survey is available to collect Londoner's views.
Low pay 'hotspots' Question No: 2017/3148 Andrew Boff Will you provide a map of London's low pay 'hotspots'?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly. FTSE 100 London Living Wage employers Question No: 2017/3149 Andrew Boff Which FTSE 100 firms are not accredited as Living Wage employers?
The Mayor
A list of Living Wage accredited employers can be found on the Living Wage Foundation's Website: https://www.livingwage.org.uk/who-pays-the-living-wage?qt-living_wage_schemes=0
London Living Wage business rate relief scheme Question No: 2017/3150 Andrew Boff Will you introduce a business rate relief scheme for SME Living Wage employers?
The Mayor
I support business rates relief schemes being offered to SME living wage accredited employers. However only the 32 London boroughs and the Corporation of London currently have the powers to introduce discretionary business rates discounts and reliefs to ratepayers. I had been pushing for these powers to be extended to the Mayor of London and other elected Mayors through the 2017 Local Government Finance Bill but that legislation was dropped by the Government following the General Election.
Several London boroughs have already introduced business rates discounts for SME living wage accredited employers and I would encourage other boroughs to do the same. Under the business rates retention system boroughs would only bear 30% of the cost of the relief with the GLA bearing 37% and the Government 33%.
Adult Education Budget and low pay Question No: 2017/3151 Andrew Boff Will you use the newly devolved Adult Education Budget to target and reduce low pay? If so, how?
The Mayor
Work is currently underway to develop a skills strategy for London. This will set out my vision for London's post-16 skills and adult education system, including how raising skills levels can contribute to increased levels of employee pay. The strategy will help to inform the skills funding priorities for the Adult Education Budget for post-19 learners, which is due to be devolved to me in 2019/20. LLDC consultation strategies Question No: 2017/3152 Andrew Boff Will the Mayor review the consultation strategies employed by the LLDC?
The Mayor
I am confident that LLDC's consultation practices are robust and go beyond its statutory requirements. Their community engagement activity is informed by their Code of Consultation which takes its principles from government, mayoral, and national best practice guidance, as well as learnings from previous consultations - this code also governs activity undertaken by development partners and consultants. The LLDC's Planning consultation process is codified in their Statement of Community Involvement which sets out how community will be involved in the preparation of local planning policy documents and in the processing and determination of planning applications. The LLDC also consults statutory bodies on particular planning applications as well as relevant borough councils.
The LLDC recognises that different plans require tailored consultation approaches on the basis that having lots of plans and developments can lead to consultation fatigue and confusion, and that some schemes will have different consultation requirements depending on the type of scheme. This flexibility in approach means that they are able to attract and engage more people during the process, despite the significant number of schemes and plans taking place on this vast site each year.
The LLDC expect that pre-application consultation by applicants should provide all groups, statutory and non-statutory specialist interest groups, and individuals, with an opportunity to participate in the evolution of proposals. A good example of successful engagement was during the pre-application stage of the UCL East plan for the new culture and education district; this was an 18 month programme carried out during four main stages: the aspirations and masterplan principles, the emerging masterplan, the final draft masterplan, and the final masterplan. In total, the programme involved 49 events, over 4800 people were involved, and over 1285 items of feedback were collected.
Following on from the pre-application stage, the Planning Authority undertook a thorough consultation process using different methods to inform the community that an application has been formally submitted. In this case, the Authority notified residents by extensive letter distribution, site notices, press notices, and a drop-in session staffed by LLDC planners who displayed plans and assisted residents and interested parties with any questions and comments. LLDC resident board members Question No: 2017/3153 Andrew Boff What direct representation do residents have on the LLDC board?
The Mayor
Residents of the relevant local boroughs that make up Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park are directly represented on both the Board and the independent Planning Decisions Committee; the Mayor or Leader of each of the four local boroughs is a member of the LLDC Board and LLDC's independent Planning Decisions Committee has elected councillors from each of those boroughs on it and this ensures that community interests are represented. This allows communities to have direct input into all major strategic and planning decisions taken by their elected representatives, alongside experts in their fields who make up the remainder of the Board and its sub-committees.
GLA summons' Question No: 2017/3154 Andrew Boff Since 2000, on how many occasions has the GLA received a summons under Sections 61 & 62 of the GLA Act and what were these concerning?
The Mayor
The issuing of Summons is a London Assembly function. This questions should therefore be put to officers in the London Assembly Secretariat.
Mayoral spending (1) Question No: 2017/3155 Gareth Bacon Could you outline the funding sources for all the new funds and initiatives launched over the last 12 months, including EU as well as central government sources?
The Mayor
The two principal streams of capital funding are:
Growth Deal funding (the round 3 allocation for the London Economic Action Partnership was £141m); further information about LEAP projects is available here: https://lep.london/funding-and-support
Government funding for Affordable Housing - £3.15bn for 90,000 new affordable homes starts by 2021
Other sources of funding, in addition to retained business rates and Council Tax, include from EU sources, sponsorship and other discrete income streams. Officers would be pleased to provide information about the sources of funding for specified initiatives. Business rate discretionary relief Question No: 2017/3156 Gareth Bacon What pressure are you applying to the boroughs to ensure that they respond rapidly to the Government's proposals for a discretionary business rate relief fund, and that London councils make full and swift use of this fund?
The Mayor
In the March Budget the Chancellor announced three relief schemes to support those ratepayers most adversely affected by the impact of the 2017 business rates revaluation:
a scheme capping rises for small businesses losing eligibility for small business rate relief to £600 per annum for the next five years which will benefit around 5,000 small firms in the capital - mostly in inner London;
a £1,000 one off discount for pubs with a rateable value below £100,000. This will benefit up to 3,000 pubs in the capital; and
a local discretionary relief scheme to be administered and allocated by London boroughs and the Corporation of London individually subject to the requirement to consult on their schemes with the GLA. London has been awarded £124 million from the £300 million national pot over four years - of which £72.5 million is available in 2017-18. London's allocation will drop to £35.2 million in 2018-19, £14.5 million in 2019-20 and to a mere £2 million by 2020- 21.
Due to the need to update software, consult with ratepayers - a process delayed by the General Election - and recalculate bills there has been a regrettable delay in implementing these relief schemes locally and applying the necessary credits to ratepayer bills. But I do not hold London boroughs and the City of London responsible for these implementation delays.
While I welcome these relief schemes in so far as they go they were announced very late in the day by the Government after 2017-18 bills had been prepared by billing authorities - despite the fact that Ministers were well aware of the problems arising from the revaluation last autumn. The level of support provided for 2017-18 also equates to less than 1 per cent of the £8 billion being paid by London business ratepayers this year - and will therefore provide only limited and temporary support to offset the £1 billion plus increase in London rates bills following the revaluation.
The majority of boroughs have now published details on their local discretionary relief schemes and it is important that they proceed to implement those as soon as possible once the main software suppliers provide the necessary updates at the end of this month. The GLA is monitoring the implementation of these local schemes closely.
I will also be pushing for the administration of business rates to be fully devolved to London government prior to the next revaluation in 2022 similar to the arrangements already in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We cannot allow the huge rises faced by London firms at the 2017 revaluation to be repeated again - and we could mitigate the impact of future revaluations if the Government fully devolved decisions over business rates to the Mayor and London boroughs.
Seven statutory strategies Question No: 2017/3157 Gareth Bacon What are the planned publication dates for the consultation drafts of the seven strategies that you are required by law to prepare (other than the consultation draft of the Transport Strategy, which was published in June 2017)?
The Mayor
In A City for All Londoners, published in October 2016, I set out, and consulted on, my new vision for London to ensure that the views of Londoners are at the heart of shaping my seven statutory strategies. More than 15,000 people have already shared their views on my package of measures to clean up London's air, and many more have contributed to the development of my transport, regeneration, and health strategies.
My London Environment, and London Health Inequalities Strategies will be published for consultation this month. The Housing and Economic Development Strategies will be published in the autumn, and the London Plan and Cultural Strategy will be published at the end of the year, and start of the new year, respectively.
Road Pricing (1) Question No: 2017/3158 Keith Prince Have or will TfL or the GLA conduct or commission any analyses or plans on the prospect of introducing pay-as-you-go road pricing in London? Are there any costs contained within these?
The Mayor
As I have said previously, we are looking at the potential role of new technology in changing the way we pay for road use in London.
Proposal 19 of my draft Transport Strategy proposes that I will consider the appropriate technology for the next generation of road user charging systems. This could include a more sophisticated integrated 'per mile' scheme that could better take into account the impact of individual journeys. This could reflect, for example, distance travelled, time of day, location and emissions.
There needs to be considerable development work before the introduction of any such scheme, including a consideration of the likely costs and the potential social and economic impacts. I am interested to hear Londoners' views on this proposal during the consultation on my Transport Strategy. Road Pricing (2) Question No: 2017/3159 Keith Prince Is it legally permitted under the Greater London (Central Zone) Congestion Charging Order 2004 for the Mayor to introduce a road pricing scheme that operates on a pay-as-you-go basis, i.e charging for each mile travelled?
The Mayor
Please see my response to MQ 2017/3160.
Road Pricing (3) Question No: 2017/3160 Keith Prince If a road pricing scheme was to be introduced using GPS-tracking or similar technologies, does TfL have the power to track and hold personal motorist data without consent?
The Mayor
The GLA Act 1999 sets out the powers that the Mayor has to introduce and operate road user charging schemes in London.
While the current Congestion Charging Scheme Order specifies a flat-rate daily charge, the Act allows for distance-based charges. Any such proposals would be preceded by detailed work on feasibility and potential impacts, which would be presented in a statutory public consultation. The operation of any such scheme would be carried out in accordance with the relevant data protection legislation.
Road Pricing (4) Question No: 2017/3161 Keith Prince If a road pricing scheme was to be introduced using GPS-tracking or similar technologies, does TfL have the power to require or force motorists to utilise hardware or technologies that would enable such a system to operate? An example would be an in-car GPS transmitter/receiver.
The Mayor
A road user charging scheme implemented in London could require motorists to carry equipment in the vehicle. This is not part of the current Congestion Charging scheme and any proposals to introduce this would require a statutory public consultation. Any such consultation would be preceded by detailed work on feasibility and potential impacts. The new 4G Emergency Services Network (1) Question No: 2017/3162 Keith Prince How will you ensure that the emergency services are able to use the new ESN in 'not spots' and areas of low mobile reception?
The Mayor
I fully support the position adopted by the police service on the issue of coverage. The new radio system will not be accepted unless it provides coverage at least as good as that provided by the present Airwave system. MOPAC are working closely with the Home Office and the Metropolitan Police to ensure that the ESN programme is successful. We have raised our concerns with Ministers and the Home Office, and I recognise the work of the Police and Crime Committee in their recent enquiry into the ESN system. MOPAC has recently secured a seat on the National Programme Board to ensure our concerns are addressed.
The new 4G Emergency Services Network (2) Question No: 2017/3163 Keith Prince Given City Hall is itself an area of poor mobile reception, how will you ensure the new ESN works effectively in this building?
The Mayor
I fully support the position adopted by the police service on the issue of coverage. The new radio system will not be accepted unless it provides coverage at least as good as that provided by the present Airwave system. There will be considerable investment made in ensuring this level of coverage is achieved, it is not possible at this stage to give specifics about individual buildings. MOPAC are working closely with the Home Office and the Metropolitan Police to ensure that the ESN programme is successful. We have raised our concerns with Ministers and the Home Office, and I recognise the work of the Police and Crime Committee in their recent enquiry into the ESN system. MOPAC has recently secured a seat on the National Programme Board to ensure our concerns are addressed. Night Tube (2) Question No: 2017/3165 Keith Prince How many people have complained about Night Tube surface noise? How does TfL log these complaints?
The Mayor
I am committed to ensuring that the Night Tube works for communities and customers and that all complaints are dealt with quickly and sympathetically by Transport for London (TfL). Where noise complaints are received, TfL will continue to respond comprehensively using best practicable means to minimise noise and vibration as much as possible.
TfL has received 78 noise complaints relating to Night Tube on above-ground sections. Each complaint is logged with the noise team at the TfL customer service centre. Complaints are categorised in three types:
1) Train movements
2) Stations and other installations, such as PA systems and ventilation shafts
3) Maintenance and engineering work conducted overnight and at weekends
After receiving a noise complaint, residents are called back and asked to complete a short questionnaire which is inputted into a database. This database records the locations of each noise complaint, the date received, and any measurements and noise levels recorded by TfL following a home visit.
From this database, TfL tracks each complaint individually. This database is reviewed weekly and is used to help noise experts and engineers prioritise mitigation work by determining if certain areas of track are receiving multiple complaints. If individuals register complaints on separate occasions, the information is added each time and linked. Night Tube (3) Question No: 2017/3166 Keith Prince What is the annual cost of running the Night Tube?
The Mayor
The Night Tube service has been used by 7.6 million customers since launching last year and I am delighted by how many Londoners and visitors are now able to get around London through the night.
The operating cost is currently around £18m a year. This is £6m lower than had been initially forecast due to more efficient rostering between Night Tube and daytime operating hours. Transport for London expects revenue to cover operating costs within three years.
The Night Tube is also generating significant additional economic benefits to London as a whole. Data from Worldpay last year highlighted the benefits of Night Tube to the economy since its launch. Its research found that businesses served by the Central and Victoria lines experienced an 18 per cent boost when services launched last August. In addition, Worldpay analysed late night card transaction data (between 01:00 and 04:30) and noted that takings in the City of London area were up 75 per cent compared to before the launch.
Night Tube (4) Question No: 2017/3167 Keith Prince How much additional revenue is it anticipated the Night Tube will generate per annum?
The Mayor
Over 7.6 million journeys have been made since I launched Night Tube services in August last year. Demand continues to grow as more and more Londoners and visitors take advantage of the new opportunities opened up by the Night Tube.
Transport for London is currently estimating around £20m of revenue after the first full year of operation (once all five lines have been up and running for 12 months). Revenue is expected to cover the operating costs within three years.
Night Tube (5) Question No: 2017/3168 Keith Prince Breaking down your answer by station and per night, will you provide the monthly numbers of people using the Night Tube on the Central Line?
The Mayor
Last August, I launched all-night train services on the Central line for the first time in the Tube's history.
Since then, over seven million customers have used the Tube throughout the night to get to and from work or for a night out.
The table below sets out the entry and exit figures recorded by the ticket gates at each Central line Tube station for the weekend of 30 June/1 July.
ENTRY EXIT ENTRY EXIT Friday Friday Saturday 0030-0630 Saturday 0030-0630 0030- 0030- 0530 0530 Ealing Broadway 284 1466 552 1773 West Acton 29 162 67 155 North Acton 102 463 217 607 East Acton 38 418 119 446 White City 117 505 174 688 Shepherds Bush LU 640 1322 783 1562 Holland Park 69 186 128 221 Notting Hill Gate 456 694 600 881 Queensway 321 507 363 734 Marble Arch 831 439 1009 678 Bond Street 1258 376 1341 580 Oxford Circus 4054 902 4596 1514 Tottenham Court Road 4287 774 4982 1057 Holborn 1912 516 2122 706 Chancery Lane 679 253 685 238 St Pauls 826 227 493 186 Bank 1558 727 1226 897 Bethnal Green LU 978 1518 1310 1752 Mile End 491 1964 763 2406 Stratford 1652 4158 2933 5314 Leyton 232 1149 526 1350 Leytonstone 268 1047 479 1122 Snaresbrook 52 183 64 193 South Woodford 87 384 148 411 Woodford 50 490 78 513 Wanstead 23 168 88 205 Redbridge 66 256 105 337 Gants Hill 162 590 178 573 Newbury Park 144 651 204 746 Barkingside 27 80 48 119 Fairlop 20 67 51 101 Hainault 65 314 115 300
PHVs (1) Question No: 2017/3169 Keith Prince What is the Mayor's estimate of the number of licensed but uninsured private hire vehicles following the High Court's decision not to uphold TfL's requirement that a private hire vehicle must be covered by Hire and Reward insurance at the point of licensing and for the duration of a vehicles licence. Does he agree with the taxi trades figures of 10% (around 8,500 vehicles)?
The Mayor
All licensed private hire vehicles must have valid Hire and Reward insurance in place at the point of licensing and when in use as a private hire vehicle. Transport for London (TfL) and the Police will take immediate action where the correct insurance cover is not in place.
TfL undertakes regular on-street vehicle inspections, which include checking that vehicles have the correct insurance in place. Between June 2016 and July 2017, TfL has conducted 108,692 private hire vehicle checks. Nine vehicles had their licence revoked for not having insurance. PHVs (2) Question No: 2017/3170 Keith Prince Has the Mayor got any plans to appeal the High Court's decision not to uphold TfL's requirement that a private hire vehicle must be covered by Hire and Reward insurance at the point of, and for the duration of, its licence?
The Mayor
There are no plans to appeal the High Court's decision on insurance requirements for private hire vehicles (PHVs).
It remains the case that PHVs must be covered by hire and reward insurance at the point of licensing and when in use as a PHV.
However, Transport for London will be consulting on insurance arrangements for taxis and PHVs following the comments of Mr Justice Mitting, including requirements for hire and reward insurance to be in place at all times. The consultation will launch later this year.
Uber (1) Question No: 2017/3171 Keith Prince Why did you re-licence Uber for four months?
The Mayor
Please refer to my answer to question MQ 2017 /2285.
Uber (2) Question No: 2017/3172 Keith Prince Will the Mayor give the Assembly reassurance that the decision of re-licencing Uber will be made by TfL as the licensing body rather than him as a political decision?
The Mayor
All decisions on private hire or taxi licences are made by Transport for London, as the licensing and regulatory body, in line with current legislation and requirements. This includes a decision on any application by Uber, any other existing licensee or any new applicant. Rapid Charging Points (1) Question No: 2017/3173 Keith Prince Given TfL's aim to see 75 rapid charging points in the ground by the end of this year, will the Mayor please update me on this progress?
The Mayor
TfL has been working closely with London boroughs and private land owners to identify suitable sites across London for rapid charge points. It has now appointed the suppliers who will provide these points across the capital to make it easier than ever before to use electric vehicles, especially for commercial use. TfL has identified a large number of potential sites, including locations on the borough and TfL road networks, as well as off-street sites on TfL, borough and private land.
As all of these sites are subject to feasibility assessments, planning and new electricity connectivity, it is difficult to forecast precisely which sites will become operational in 2017 and which ones will be delivered later in the programme. TfL will publicise the locations of rapid charge points across London as soon as the planning processes have been completed for each site.
Rapid Charging Points (2) Question No: 2017/3174 Keith Prince Is the Mayor on track to achieve TfL's aim of installing 75 rapid charging points in London by the end of this year?
The Mayor
Please see my response to MQ 2017/3173.
Rapid Charging Points (3) Question No: 2017/3175 Keith Prince How many rapid charging points have been installed so far in 2017?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly. Rapid Charging Points (4) Question No: 2017/3176 Keith Prince Given that the new ZEC taxi will be hitting the streets in October, how many rapid (55KW) charging points will be installed exclusively for taxis before that time?
The Mayor
The first zero emission capable (ZEC) taxis have just gone on sale with the new vehicles expected to be delivered in London towards the end of the year. A limited number of trial vehicles will be on the road in October.
I am committed to delivering 75 rapid charge points by the end of this year, and over half of them are expected to be dedicated for taxis. This will ensure that the first ZEC taxi drivers can maximise their fuel savings and operate mostly with zero emissions in London.
Transport for London (TfL), London Councils and the Greater London Authority also recently announced that almost £4.5m has been allocated to London boroughs to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure on London's streets. This making electric vehicles an easier and more practical option for Londoners across our city, including for taxi drivers who may want to charge at home between shifts.
Metropolitan Police Cab Unit Funding Question No: 2017/3177 Keith Prince Has the Mayor's funding of Metropolitan Police Cab Unit increased in line with revenues received from Taxi & Private Hire licence fees?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
PHVs (3) Question No: 2017/3178 Keith Prince Is the Mayor aware of any increases in the use of Private Hire Vehicles in non-cab related crime?
The Mayor
Metropolitan Police Service crime data does not routinely capture this very specific set of circumstances, and detailed figures would require substantial time and resource to provide.
As ever, if any Londoner has any concerns about crime or antisocial behaviour, my advice is to contact the police and they will take action. PHVs (4) Question No: 2017/3179 Keith Prince Why has the Mayor failed to implement the promise in his Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan requiring customer complaints procedure to be displayed in PHVs?
The Mayor
Transport for London (TfL) is reviewing the signage requirements for Private Hire Vehicles, including displaying information on TfL's customer complaint procedures. It will hold a public consultation on its proposals later this year.
PHVs (5) Question No: 2017/3180 Keith Prince Does the Mayor agree, that Taxi and Private Hire Congestion Charge exemption should only be granted to Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs)?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Crossrail 2 (1) Question No: 2017/3181 Keith Prince How confident are you that TfL will be able to meet the DfT's requirements for the funding of Crossrail 2?
The Mayor
Transport for London (TfL) submitted a detailed business case for Crossrail 2 to the Transport Secretary in March this year which outlined how over half the cost could be met through London funding streams already supported by businesses, including an enhanced Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy and a continuation of the Business Rate Supply now paying for Crossrail 1.
I had a productive meeting with the Transport Secretary in July, where he pledged his continued support for Crossrail 2 but stressed the need for London to be able to fund half of costs during construction. As we set out in a joint statement, we have agreed to work together to make the scheme more affordable. This work is now under way and I am confident that we can arrive at a funding package that meets the Department for Transport's requirements. Crossrail 2 (2) Question No: 2017/3182 Keith Prince Do you anticipate any issues with increasing TfL's debt borrowing limits if that is required to finance Crossrail 2?
The Mayor
As my recent joint statement with the Secretary of State for Transport made clear, though there is an undoubted need for new infrastructure in London and the South East, we need to look at making Crossrail 2 more affordable and maximise the project's benefits.
We have shown how London will pay half the costs for Crossrail 2, but the Secretary of State has set London a particular challenge to provide these funds during construction, rather than over its life. As a result, Transport for London (TfL) is examining a range of potential financing approaches for Crossrail 2, to ensure any borrowing is sustainable and follows the Prudential Code. TfL will present these findings to the Government in due course.
Police station closures (1) Question No: 2017/3184 Steve O'Connell Can you confirm whether any public or private polling was conducted as part of the review into police front counter closures?
The Mayor
Please see my response to MQ 2017/3147. Acid Attacks (2 Question No: 2017/3186 Steve O'Connell Can you please give details of the number of acid attacks in London over the last five years?
The Mayor
The below details the number of recorded crimes by the MPS where either:
A specific offence of 'Causing explosions, sending explosive substance or throwing corrosive fluids with intent to do grievous bodily harm' has been recorded; or
Any crime where a feature code denoting "Noxious or corrosive liquid used" is present on the record.
Year Noxious/Corrosive Substance Used 2012 162 2013 210 2014 166 2015 262 2016 454 2017 (to 31 July) 294
Acid Attacks (3) Question No: 2017/3187 Steve O'Connell What lessons can be learnt from international best practice on how to tackle acid attacks more effectively?
The Mayor
I recognise that attacks using corrosive substances is an emerging issue and am keen to learn from other areas. Analysts in the Met and MOPAC are reviewing the data surrounding the increase to understand more about the nature and type of cases, alongside exploring domestic and international best practice.
Local police abstractions Question No: 2017/3188 Steve O'Connell In each of the last 7 months, how many police officer shifts were abstracted from each London Borough? The Mayor
The table attached below gives the total number of officers abstracted to meet core policing functions across London Boroughs for corporate operations for the months January to July 2017. The increase since March is due to the terrorist attacks and Grenfell Tower fire.
January February March April May June July Barking & Dagenham 142 95 325 - - - - Barnet 187 190 317 523 264 516 337 Bexley 131 110 231 201 192 370 293 Brent 184 203 397 274 402 503 429 Bromley 170 166 224 279 374 601 250 Camden 255 192 176 868 568 1049 804 Croydon 170 158 384 270 230 572 503 Ealing 231 193 315 495 318 567 337 Enfield 213 102 290 392 256 485 394 Greenwich 243 110 338 434 259 502 391 Hackney 250 161 635 484 666 568 444 Hammersmith & Fulham 297 232 316 340 310 464 381 Haringey 284 156 282 601 301 617 471 Harrow 144 115 291 274 175 313 240 Havering 142 95 325 - - - - Hillingdon 167 158 270 273 180 452 280 Hounslow 205 205 318 275 286 430 356 Islington 218 162 181 - - - - Kensington & Chelsea 212 174 287 290 378 431 411 Kingston 138 111 245 250 159 350 219 Lambeth 260 212 386 703 413 747 718 Lewisham 242 246 410 380 303 637 446 Merton 121 74 210 223 145 350 290 Newham 282 202 162 532 334 632 507 Redbridge 154 101 48 - - - - Richmond upon Thames 135 133 210 250 535 291 224 Southwark 234 213 474 412 321 612 498 Sutton 106 84 151 170 156 294 196 Tower Hamlets 261 153 387 419 459 579 550 Waltham Forest 240 119 353 373 330 520 383 Wandsworth 233 206 290 399 285 398 366 Westminster 540 334 780 934 992 1308 1214 Central North (CN) - - - 868 568 1049 804 East Area (EA) - - - 820 541 1011 812 Source: Central Resourcing - excludes POLSA, FIT and EG
Dismissal of police officers Question No: 2017/3189 Steve O'Connell Can you please provide a breakdown of every Metropolitan Police Service police officer dismissed - including the date of their dismissal and the reason for their dismissal - for each of the last three years?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Night Time Commissioner Question No: 2017/3190 Susan Hall How many foreign trips has the Night Time Commissioner undertaken as part of his role and what has been the itemised costs of these?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Night Czar (1) Question No: 2017/3191 Susan Hall When will the decision be made over whether or not to reappoint your current Night Czar?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly. Night Czar (2) Question No: 2017/3192 Susan Hall If she reapplies, what criteria will you use to determine whether or not to reappoint your current Night Czar?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Housing funding announcement Question No: 2017/3193 Tony Arbour In your recent announcement on affordable housing funding, why have you not allocated any of the £1.7 billion government funding to Kingston? When do you expect this to be remedied?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Congestion Charge expansion (1) Question No: 2017/3194 Tony Devenish Will the Mayor rule out expanding the Congestion Charge Zone beyond its current boundaries during his tenure?
The Mayor
There are no plans to extend the boundary of the central London Congestion Charge Zone.
Proposal 21 of my draft Transport Strategy sets out that Transport for London would support boroughs that wished to introduce local traffic reduction measures, including, for example, local congestion charges. Any such proposed scheme would be led by the borough.
I will soon be consulting on proposals to extend the Ultra Low Emission Zone London-wide for coaches, buses and lorries and to inner London for cars, vans and motorcycles but this would not affect the boundary of the Congestion Charge Zone. Congestion Charge expansion (2) Question No: 2017/3195 Tony Devenish Have any boroughs communicated or indicated to the Mayor that they would want the Congestion Charge Zone extended to their boroughs? If so, which boroughs?
The Mayor
Proposal 21 of my draft Transport Strategy sets out that Transport for London (TfL) would support boroughs that wished to introduce local traffic reduction measures, including, for example, workplace parking levies and local congestion charges. Any such proposed scheme would be led by the borough.
TfL is engaging with boroughs on the proposals contained in the draft strategy. Conversations are underway with interested boroughs to understand the potential role of workplace parking levies and local congestion charges as part of their traffic demand management measures.
Congestion Charge expansion (3) Question No: 2017/3196 Tony Devenish Will the Mayor rule out expanding the hours of the Congestion Charge during his tenure?
The Mayor
Proposal 18 of my new draft Transport Strategy clearly states that we will keep the Congestion Charge and other schemes under review and I have said previously that we are looking at Congestion Charging hours.
Traffic levels in the Congestion Charging Zone (CCZ) are at their highest after the end of charging hours and there is a particular issue with the increasing numbers of private hire vehicles in the CCZ.
While previous Mayors have tried to maintain the effectiveness of the charge by increasing it, the scale of the challenge we now face in improving London's streets and achieving an 80 per cent sustainable mode share by 2041 means that we must consider a range of options.
This is why I have asked Transport for London to look at changes to CCZ hours, which will include a detailed consideration of the social and economic impacts of potential changes. Any proposed changes to the Congestion Charge would be subject to a statutory public consultation on a draft Variation Order. Photo ID at Tower Hamlets elections Question No: 2017/3197 Tony Devenish Given the Deputy Mayor for Policing's interest in the matter, can you explain why Tower Hamlets is no longer taking part in the photo ID pilot for the 2018 Local Elections? Bearing in mind the controversial history of the borough, don't you think it would be wise for Tower Hamlets to participate in this pilot to restore public confidence?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Community Housing Hub Question No: 2017/3198 Tony Devenish How much land as a percentage of TfL's total land bank will the recently announced Community Housing Hub build out before May 2020? How many homes will this represent?
The Mayor
Transport for London (TfL) is in the process of confirming its first batch of sites to be launched through the Greater London Authority's (GLA's) "Small Sites, Small Builders" programme, and expects to be able to make an announcement shortly.
Across public sector land, the Community Housing Hub will act as an important catalyst for Londoners who want to play a role in building their own communities. TfL and the GLA are working together on how the Community Housing Hub can increasingly support the release of appropriate land.
Given the operational constraints across TfL's landholdings and the need for significant investment to enable land to be brought forward for development, it is likely however that the vast majority of TfL's initial 10,000 homes will be delivered in partnership with leading developers and housing associations. Moped pursuits (1) Question No: 2017/3199 Tony Devenish Do you believe that the current Metropolitan Police 'pursuit policy' that stops the police from chasing moped thieves who aren't wearing helmets is unacceptable?
The Mayor
MPS policy - in line with nationally approved guidance - does not preclude a pursuit from continuing when a rider or pillion removes their helmet. It also does not preclude tactical contact.
When in pursuit, officers, their tactical advisors and the senior officer in charge must constantly review the risk posed by continuing, balanced against the type of criminality under consideration and the risk posed to all road users.
It is important that officers feel confident and able to take appropriate action when pursuing suspects on mopeds. It is also important that the law and any guidelines protect and do not hinder the police.
Moped pursuits (2) Question No: 2017/3200 Tony Devenish Do you accept that the Metropolitan Police is not forced to follow NPCC guidance with regards moped pursuits and, in this case, should cease doing so?
The Mayor
It is correct to state that National Police Chief's Council (NPCC) guidance is just that and as such carries no requirement or sanction for any force that chooses to vary local practices.
Operational policy regarding moped pursuit is a matter for the Met to determine. Moped pursuits (3) Question No: 2017/3201 Tony Devenish Do you agree with the Police Federation that "the current legislation leaves police drivers vulnerable" during moped pursuits as "it is illegal to engage in pursuit or response drives" without specialist training? Should the law be strengthened to ensure the police are able to pursue suspects vigorously?
The Mayor
I am aware of the view of the Police Federation.
It is important that the law and any guidelines protect and not hinder the police in their vital role of keeping Londoners safer.
Any representations for a change in the law would be listened to and supported if they will better protect and support police officers in tackling moped crime.
Cap on Minicab Numbers Question No: 2017/3203 Tony Devenish Will the Mayor provide all correspondence between his office and the Secretary of State for Transport in which he requests the powers to limit the number of licensed minicabs?
The Mayor
I have been vocal on this issue both in public and on social media and I have responded to a number of FOI requests relating to this matter. These requests can be found on the Greater London Authority Disclosure Log at: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/0116_-_response_redacted.pdf https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/9937-attachment-redacted.pdf https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/6775_-_att_v3_final_redacted.pdf https://www.london.gov.uk/foi-disclosure-log/foi-capping-private-hire-vehicle-numbers National Funding Formula Question No: 2017/3204 Jennette Arnold I regret the announcement from the Government that the National Funding Formula (NFF) will go ahead. I know you agree with me that the NFF approach of 'robbing Peter to pay Paul' will have a detrimental impact on London. What can be done now to ensure the education of London's children does not suffer?
The Mayor
I am also disappointed that ministers continue to ignore my advice, and the concerns of so many schools, boroughs and parents in London. The implications are severe, with every single one of the capital's 33 local authorities standing to lose funding on top of other school budget pressures. I have been consistently clear all year that the proposed changes to the funding formula are a regression for London. I have made formal responses to Government consultations, briefed London MPs for London school funding debates in the Commons and written to the Secretary of State for Education twice (in November 2016 and June 2017) to make this case. I hope that the London Assembly will continue to work together with London Councils and I to fight for a fairly funded school system that will work for young Londoners for generations to come.
Social mobility evidence champion Question No: 2017/3205 Jennette Arnold The Government has recently appointed a Social Mobility Evidence Champion to collect data in 12 social mobility "cold spots" across the UK. Does London need its own evidence champion?
The Mayor
The Social Mobility Commission has found that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in London are "far more likely to achieve good outcomes in school and have more opportunities to do well as adults than those in the rest of the country".
But we can't be complacent - London boroughs make up a quarter of the worst performing areas on factors that affect social mobility such as median weekly pay or housing affordability.
In addition, we know that despite London's high performance on education, 38% of our children are not school-ready by the age of five; there are still striking gaps in educational attainment for certain ethnic groups; and recent research has demonstrated that London performs the worst of all English regions in terms of students dropping out from university in the first year of study.
Matthew Ryder, my deputy mayor for social integration, social mobility and community engagement has convened a social evidence working group that will build an evidence base for the GLA, including on these factors relevant to social mobility. Support services for FGM Victims Question No: 2017/3206 Jennette Arnold What work will be done to encourage more victims of FGM to come forward and how will you ensure that the support services available to those affected by FGM in London are able to deal with an increase in reports?
The Mayor
FGM remains a key priority area within the work that my Office for Policing And Crime (MOPAC) and I are undertaking to address Violence Against Women and Girls. In July 2017, MOPAC published the findings of a process evaluation on the Harmful Practices pilot we had funded for the last two years. This evaluation can be found on the MOPAC website. The evaluation highlighted that training was widely considered to be the key success of the pilot and as a result, MOPAC will be prioritising Harmful Practices training and awareness raising over the coming few years. Effective training and awareness raising not only ensure that frontline workers are able to demonstrate professional scrutiny in an appropriate and sensitive way but they can also ensure survivors and potential victims are supported more effectively when they come forward and are identified before they are harmed. I believe that this preventative approach will ensure that we are able to move towards eradicating this harmful criminal practice in the Capital.
I am pleased that a number of London boroughs have used their London Crime Prevention Fund allocations to focus on Harmful Practices projects. However, responsibility to ensure effective service provision for victims and survivors does not sit with MOPAC alone and a partnership response is required which includes health providers.
Supporting services to become a 'zero cutting city' Question No: 2017/3207 Jennette Arnold How will you support the police, health, social care and education services, voluntary organisations and communities to move London towards a 'zero cutting city'?
The Mayor
Please see my response to MQ 2017/3206. Hybrid Vehicles Question No: 2017/3209 Jennette Arnold TfL recently announced that three new bus routes in London will be using electric-only buses. Whilst these new bus routes are a step in the right direction, given the economic urgency of air pollution what more are you doing to make London more electric vehicle friendly?
The Mayor
My draft Transport Strategy sets out progressive policies and proposals to address London's poor air quality and to support the switch to electric vehicles.
I am leading by example, enabling the switch to electric vehicles in the fleets over which I have control. For example, all newly-licensed taxis and Private Hire Vehicles will be zero emission capable from 2018 and 2020 respectively. To support the charging needs of these vehicles, TfL is working with private sector partners to deliver a network of rapid charging points in key sites across London as part of an £18m investment programme.
Funding is also available to boroughs to install charging points to serve residents and businesses through London's £13m Go Ultra Low City Scheme. As part of this programme, a total of 25 boroughs were recently awarded up to £300,000 to install up to 1,500 standard- speed on-street charging points in residential areas. I also encourage boroughs to support the provision of electric vehicle charging points through the Local Implementation Plan process, and through the London Plan requirements.
To help boroughs and private charge point operators identify where charging infrastructure is most needed in London, TfL has recently published evidence-based guidance which can be found here: tfl.gov.uk/ulev-research. Diversity in schools Question No: 2017/3210 Jennette Arnold Recent data released from the Department for Education found BAME teachers were disproportionally represented in schools. How can you work with London's schools to ensure that their workforce is representative of the population and provides good role models to young BAME people?
The Mayor
I agree that London teachers should reflect the diversity of the pupil population. I'm very pleased that my Getting Ahead London school leadership programme for the next generation of headteachers has been successful in recruiting through women's and BAME education networks. 68% of the new applicants were from women (up from 63% in year 1) and there is an improvement of around 6% in the proportion of BAME teachers applying to the programme.
I am also working with London schools to help support teacher recruitment and retention. I want to encourage more people to consider going into the teaching profession and recognise that training and working in our fantastic London schools is a great career. I will be announcing further details in the autumn.
Retention in higher education Question No: 2017/3211 Jennette Arnold A report by the Social Market Foundation has found that the national drop-out rate for university increased from 6.6% in 2011-12 to 7.4% in 2014-15. London is the worst performing region in England with a drop-out rate of 9.3% in 2014-15. What more can be done to help London's students stay in higher and further education?
The Mayor
The retention rate in London needs to improve, particularly for certain groups. Schools, colleges and universities will play a key role in directly addressing this issue. However, conversely the report recognises that more young Londoners are going to university, including from first generation student families and low income households. My London Ambitions careers' strategy has highlighted the value of quality information, advice and guidance so young people can make informed choices at each stage of their education and training. Social capital also plays a key role and I am pleased that a number of London universities are developing support initiatives in this area. Participation at Lumiere Question No: 2017/3212 Jennette Arnold Can I congratulate the Mayor on his announcement about the next London Lumiere event, due to take place in January 2018. This wonderful night-time festival encourages people to see the city, literally, in a new light. Can the Mayor assure me that he will encourage participation in this extraordinary cultural event amongst all BAME communities across the capital; and that the GLA cultural team will work to secure this?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Funding for Low Emission Vehicles Question No: 2017/3213 Leonie Cooper In response to a question I asked about funding for Low Emission Vehicles last year, it was stated that Central Government provided funding through three streams one of which was the 'Go Ultra Low City Scheme', which provided £13m to help TfL and the boroughs deliver residential charging infrastructure, install electric bays for car club and to provide charge points for commercial fleets. Can you please provide an update on the progress of this scheme?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Wash from Riverboats Question No: 2017/3216 Leonie Cooper The Passage Plans agreed by Thames Clippers for their Riverboats include slowing down near houseboats. However, while substantiated complaints have fallen, there are still half a dozen substantiated complaints each month. Would the Mayor consider the introduction of Fixed Penalty Notices, issued by TfL, as another means of reminding skippers of the need to stick to Passage Plans?
The Mayor
I welcome the fact that the number of complaints is dropping.
Transport for London (TfL) does not have the power to issue Fixed Penalty Charges to MBNA Thames Clippers. However, TfL will continue to work closely with them and the Port of London Authority. The PLA which has the responsibility and powers to enforce speed restrictions on the Thames. The issue will be discussed at the next meeting of the Port of London Authority's Wash Forum.
I have asked TfL to consider what further measures could be used to ensure the trend in falling complaints continues, on top of reiterating the need for the Passage Plan to be adhered to. London Shared Ownership Question No: 2017/3217 Tom Copley How active will City Hall be in negotiating the levels of London Shared Ownership on each scheme, given the draft Viability SPG states "shared ownership is not appropriate where unrestricted market values of a unit exceed £600,000?"
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Affordable Homes Funding Question No: 2017/3218 Tom Copley Further to your announcement of the allocation of £1.7bn of the £3.15bn affordable homes programme, when can we expect further announcements of allocations for units further down the pipeline?
The Mayor
My programme is now open for continuous bidding. Further allocations will be published on London.gov.uk on a quarterly basis.
South Circular Question No: 2017/3220 Tom Copley Further to your answer to MQ 2017/2905, how much funding is TfL making available for the rerouting of the South Circular?
The Mayor
Transport for London (TfL) is working with the London Borough of Lewisham on this project. Some £250,000 has been allocated for the next stage of town centre feasibility design, with £100,000 from TfL and £150,000 from Lewisham. This design funding will be used to improve understanding of the highway designs and their affects on road users.
There is currently no funding in the TfL business plan for delivery of the scheme. The case for any future funding will depend on the overall viability of the scheme, including the availability of third-party funding and wider benefits. These will be assessed during the next phase of design work. Development Rights Auction Model (1) Question No: 2017/3221 Tom Copley Please set out how the Development Rights Auction Model will help raise finance for major transport projects in London.
The Mayor
The Development Rights Auction Model could be used to capture some of the uplift in land value catalysed by new transport schemes. Revenue could then be used to help fund transport schemes.
Further information is set out in the Transport for London report "Land Value Capture", which was published as a working paper on the London Finance Commission's website at https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/business-and-economy/promoting-london/london- finance-commission
Development Rights Auction Model (2) Question No: 2017/3222 Tom Copley On which transport scheme will Development Rights Auction Model be trialled?
The Mayor
The Memorandum of Understanding on further devolution to London, released alongside the Government's 2017 Spring Budget, included the "establishment of a joint taskforce to explore the options for piloting a Development Rights Auction Model (DRAM) on a major infrastructure project in London."
The taskforce is currently undertaking this work and no decision has been made on which transport scheme to trial the DRAM. Transport for London and the Greater London Authority will explore options with London Councils and Government partners before taking any final decision on a trial.
Renaming Crossrail Question No: 2017/3223 Tom Copley What is the total cost of renaming Crossrail to the Elizabeth Line?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly. Affordable Homes Programme Question No: 2017/3225 Tom Copley Will you consider allowing organisations that are not Registered Providers to bid for your Affordable Homes Programme so that smaller community-led organisations can apply?
The Mayor
Non-Registered Providers are already able to bid for funding in line with my published funding guidance for my Affordable Homes Programme, though there is a legislative requirement that, for any rented homes I fund, the landlord must be a Registered Provider.
101 calls (1) Question No: 2017/3226 Unmesh Desai I have recently been contacted by a constituent who had to wait more than thirty minutes to get through on the Police's 101 number when trying to report anti-social behaviour. After thirty minutes my constituent hung up. He would like to know if the police record the waiting times to get through on 101 and if so what is the average wait?
The Mayor
There has been a significant increase in the number of 999 calls since the beginning of 2017 which in turn has led to an increase in wait times on 101.
This is because 999 calls are rightly prioritised as emergencies over and above 101.
The average 101 call waiting time for June was 500 seconds (just over 8 minutes). Due to the 999 prioritisation there will be occasions when extended wait times are recorded on the 101 line.
101 calls (2) Question No: 2017/3227 Unmesh Desai Are there targets for how quickly a 101 call should be answered? If so how long should a member of the public have to wait before getting through?
The Mayor
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) aims to answer 90% of 101 calls within 30 seconds of connection.
999 calls are rightly prioritised as emergencies over and above 101 which can mean that in times of high demand 101 callers can experience extended wait times.
The MPS aims to have the average call on hold time for no more than 5 minutes but this can vary due to demand peaks. Ward policing Question No: 2017/3228 Unmesh Desai I have been contacted by a constituent who would like to know how many hours a week ward police officers spend on patrol in their designated wards. Is there a target minimum time?
The Mayor
In accordance with my Police and Crime Plan every ward in London will have two Dedicated Ward Officers (DWOs). The vast majority of these are now in place and the remainder will follow by the end of the year.
DWOs are expected to remain with their wards and are only abstracted to provide aid to the wider Met in exceptional circumstances.
In June, the East Area Basic Command Unit (Barking & Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge) DWOs worked a collective total of 17,742 hours.
15,505 hours of this was spent on patrol in their ward (roughly 88%). For the remaining 12% of the time they were either training, attending court or providing assistance to an adjacent ward. Only 110 hours (less than 1%) was spent abstracted as aid to the wider Met.
Woolwich Ferries Question No: 2017/3229 Unmesh Desai I have been contacted by a constituent about the designs for the new Woolwich Ferries. My constituent would like to know why the new ferries are not 100% electric, given that such options are already in use elsewhere in Europe?
The Mayor
A fully-electric option was considered but not taken forward because fully-electric ferries are unproven in the UK for dealing with the tidal and heavy vehicle carrying requirements at Woolwich.
The new Woolwich ferries will have specialised 'hybrid' engines allowing them to run on electricity generated by the motors. To reduce emissions further, they will have special state- of-the-art systems to treat their exhausts, cutting harmful nitrogen oxide and particulate emissions. The new vessels are estimated to consume 20 per cent less fuel, reducing CO2 emissions, than the existing models. This, along with their hybrid design, means a 70 per cent reduction in NOx emissions and a 95 per cent reduction in Particulate Matter emissions. Bernard Morgan House Question No: 2017/3230 Unmesh Desai I have been contacted by local residents who are concerned that development at Bernard Morgan House. The plan has no affordable housing and they feel the block will have a detrimental impact on the community around the Golden Lane Estate. What are your views on this development in the City of London?
The Mayor
The planning application for the redevelopment of Bernard Morgan House (local authority reference 16/00590/FULL) is not referable to me under the Mayor of London Order (2008), and I therefore have no statutory planning powers to intervene.
Development at Shadwell DLR station (1) Question No: 2017/3231 Unmesh Desai Can the Mayor advise when the TfL site in Tower Hamlets bounded by Cannon Street Road, Cable Street and the DLR will come forward for development for new homes?
The Mayor
Transport for London (TfL) is working with the Greater London Authority (GLA) to develop a pipeline of sites for the GLA's "Small Sites, Small Builders" programme. The programme will set out a simple process to enable SME builders and community land trusts to access public sector land for development.
TfL is currently examining the feasibility of releasing the Cannon Street Road site through the programme, and expects to be able to make an announcement shortly.
Development at Shadwell DLR station (2) Question No: 2017/3232 Unmesh Desai Would the Mayor consider an investment in a Community Land Trust on this site?
The Mayor
Please see my response to MQ 2017/3231. Stalking and harassment (1) Question No: 2017/3233 Unmesh Desai How many incidents of stalking have been reported to the Met over the past 5 years (broken down by year)?
The Mayor
The table below contains the number of confirmed offences of stalking recorded by the MPS between 1 August 2012 and 31July 2017 inclusive. Please be aware that the Home Office codes for stalking offences were only implemented part way through 2013. Therefore direct comparisons of recent years with the periods August 2012 - July 2013 and August 2013 - July 2014 are not possible.
Aug 12 Aug 13 Aug 14 Aug 15 Aug 16 Classification (confirmed) - Jul - Jul - Jul - Jul - Jul Total 13* 14* 15 16 17 Stalking involving fear of violence 12 89 99 71 108 379 Stalking involving serious 34 117 213 234 249 847 alarm/distress Pursue course of conduct in breach of 54 192 288 296 468 1298 Sec 1(1) which amounts to stalking
Stalking and harassment (2) Question No: 2017/3234 Unmesh Desai How many incidents of harassment have been reported to the Met over the past 5 years (broken down by year)?
The Mayor
The table below contains the number of confirmed offences of harassment recorded by the MPS between 1 August 2012 and 31July 2017 inclusive.
Aug 12 - Aug 13 - Aug 14 - Aug 15 - Aug 16 - Offence Total Jul 13 Jul 14 Jul 15 Jul 16 Jul 17 Breach of conditions of injunction against 1,498 252 249 286 318 393 harassment. Putting people in fear of 2,332 violence. 358 607 752 294 321
Breach of restraining order. 3,690 483 622 698 898 989 Harassment 19,485 21,318 22,368 13,418 13,310 89,899 Racially or religiously aggravated harassment or 1,416 351 335 366 228 136 stalking without violence Racially or religiously aggravated harassment or stalking with fear of 153 151 195 183 125 807 violence
Stalking and harassment (3) Question No: 2017/3235 Unmesh Desai How many prosecutions for stalking have been reported to the Met over the past 5 years (broken down by year)?
The Mayor
The MPS does not hold prosecutions data as this will be held by the CPS. The table below contains the number People Proceeded Against by the MPS (individuals receiving Charge, Summons, Formal Warning etc.) for confirmed offences of stalking recorded by the MPS between 1 August 2012 and 31July 2017 inclusive.
Please be aware that the Home Office codes for stalking offences were only implemented part way through 2013. Therefore direct comparisons of recent years with the periods August 2012 - July 2013 and August 2013 - July 2014 are not possible.
Aug 12 Aug 13 Aug 14 Aug 15 Aug 16 Offences - Jul - Jul - Jul - Jul - Jul Total 13* 14* 15 16 17 Stalking involving fear of violence 2 24 28 26 21 101 Stalking involving serious 13 27 48 71 66 225 alarm/distress Pursue course of conduct in breach of 7 32 78 60 80 257 Sec 1(1) which amounts to stalking
Stalking and harassment (4) Question No: 2017/3236 Unmesh Desai How many prosecutions for harassment have been reported to the Met over the past 5 years (broken down by year)?
The Mayor
The MPS does not hold prosecutions data as this will be held by the CPS. The table below contains the number People Proceeded Against by the MPS (individuals receiving Charge, Summons, Formal Warning etc.) for confirmed offences of harassment recorded by the MPS between 1 August 2012 and 31July 2017 inclusive.
Aug 12 Aug 13 Aug 14 Aug 15 Aug 16 Offences - Jul - Jul - Jul - Jul - Jul Total 13 14 15 16 17 Breach of conditions of injunction 190 167 168 186 243 954 against harassment. Putting people in fear of violence. 81 83 116 28 45 353 Breach of restraining order. 396 478 515 576 694 2659 Harassment 2489 2467 2150 1252 1117 9475 Racially or religiously aggravated 74 69 56 30 10 239 harassment or stalking without violence Racially or religiously aggravated harassment or stalking with fear of 36 36 40 33 17 162 violence
Stalking and harassment (5) Question No: 2017/3237 Unmesh Desai How does the Metropolitan Police Force distinguish between stalking and harassment?
The Mayor
The Metropolitan Police Service distinguishes between harassment and stalking as per the Home Office Counting Rules. Harassment is offences recorded under crime classifications 8L (Harassment) and 8M (Racially or Religiously Aggravated Harassment), and are offences that are in contravention of Sections 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the Protection from Harassment Act (1997), or Section 42a of the Criminal Justice and Police Act (2001). Stalking is offences recorded under crime classification 8Q (Stalking) and are offences that are in contravention of Sections 2a and 4a of the Protection from Harassment Act (1997), as amended by Section 111 of the Protection of Freedoms Act (2012).
Being able to distinguish between the two requires training and a good investigation. When an allegation is made, a good investigation will uncover the relevant elements to raise a section 2 charge (harassment) to a section 2a (stalking) or a section 4 to a 4a.
Stalking and harassment (6) Question No: 2017/3238 Unmesh Desai What training and advice are officers given to assist them in dealing with cases of harassment and stalking?
The Mayor
The MPS recognise the need for appropriate training for officers in relation to harassments and stalking offences. Stalking and Harassment is covered within the Certificate of Knowledge in Policing syllabus prior to recruits attending training school. The subject is revisited during Foundation training, covering stalking and harassment in domestic abuse and non-domestic contexts, key offences and legislation, aggravating factors, police powers, and civil remedies.
Many stalking and harassment cases fall within the definition of domestic abuse and are investigated in Community Safety Units by staff who receive additional training on these offences.
MPS policy has mandatory and recommended requirements for dealing with offences of this nature, which define risk identification, supervision and review at key stages of the investigative process. The policy toolkit is supplemented with a questions and answers document providing additional detail for investigating officers.
Additionally, the College of Policing has information packs on stalking and all officers have access to the Police National Legal Database and the CPS websites, which both have further information regarding stalking and harassment. Body-worn video cameras Question No: 2017/3239 Unmesh Desai What progress has been made on the use of body-worn videos for covert policing operations?
The Mayor
Good progress continues to be made with the roll out of body worn video. Clearly, there are more challenges when using such equipment covertly. The present focus in covert deployment has been on where there will be interaction with a subject, and a covert system is currently being tested within a training environment. Engagement on the covert use of this technology continues with the Body Worn Video National Working Group. Ward Officers (1) Question No: 2017/3240 Unmesh Desai Which boroughs now have 2 dedicated ward officers as set out in the Mayor's police and crime plan?
The Mayor
1,171 Dedicated Ward Officers (DWOs) are in place with the remaining 87 to follow in the coming months.
21 of the 32 boroughs have their full complement of DWOs.
The remaining 9 boroughs with DWO vacancies are:
Tower Hamlets 1
Croydon 3
Enfield 3
Lewisham 4
Hackney 7
Bexley 8
Westminster 10
Sutton 11
Richmond 12
Bromley 13
Wandsworth 15
Total 87 Ward Officers (2) Question No: 2017/3241 Unmesh Desai What criteria is being used to decide which boroughs will receive more than 1 dedicated ward officer?
The Mayor
All 629 wards in London will by December 2017, receive at least two Dedicated Ward Officers (DWOs).
In addition, through changing the model of policing across London, further officers will form a flexible local resource that can be deployed to wards for a specific time period dependent on demand and the local challenges.
These challenges will be identified by close engagement with local partners, particularly the local authority. Any additional officer resource will be regularly reviewed and redeployed according to priority.
These additional officers are an integral part of the new BCU model and therefore currently only available in those pathfinder sites where the BCU is being trialled.
Policing Wimbledon (1) Question No: 2017/3242 Unmesh Desai What was the total cost of policing Wimbledon?
The Mayor
The cost of officers deployed to Wimbledon 2017 across the 14 days was £519,448. The MPS charges for services provided on land owned, leased or controlled by AELTC in line with case law, and the maximum permitted to be recovered.
Policing Wimbledon (2) Question No: 2017/3244 Unmesh Desai How many police officers were involved in the policing of Wimbledon?
The Mayor
On each day of the event 125 MPS officers were deployed to Wimbledon 2017. The MPS charges for services provided on land owned, leased or controlled by AELTC in line with case law, and the maximum permitted to be recovered. Online Hate Crime Hub (1) Question No: 2017/3245 Unmesh Desai How many crimes have been reported via the online hate crime hub since its introduction in April 2017?
The Mayor
The Online Hate Crime Hub (OHCH) began investigating cases on 23 March 2017 and was officially launched at the Online Hate Crime Summit on 24 April.
The hub is not a public facing unit and does not receive direct reports from members of the public. Members of the public still report crime to the MPS via the normal routes (999/101/online/in person) and then a case of online hate will be referred into the specialist hub, or may be identified proactively by the hub via the CRIS database.
Since the hub became operational it has dealt with 141 cases (some of which are still live), and one of which has resulted in a successful prosecution.
It is important to note that the victim outcomes for the hub project are far broader than achieving criminal charge and prosecution, and include the offer of specialist victim support and online safety advice for all victims. These are achieved through ongoing partnerships with a range of VSE groups and social media companies.
Online Hate Crime Hub (2) Question No: 2017/3246 Unmesh Desai How is the online hate crime hub being publicised so that people know they can report hate crime online?
The Mayor
As the hub is not a public facing unit, publicity advertising direct access to it would not be appropriate. However, an amount of publicity and social media activity accompanied its launch in April, and an ongoing process of raising awareness of online hate and encouraging victims to report is underway with community based partners as part of the hub project. As we approach National Hate Crime Awareness Week in October 2017, planning is also underway to develop further awareness raising activity to encourage reporting of hate crime in London, including online. Police Station Closures Question No: 2017/3247 Unmesh Desai London is facing higher demand for policing at a time of reduced budgets. Given the context for policing in London, do you think the proposed closure of police stations risks making Londoners less secure?
The Mayor
I've been upfront with Londoners and with the Government about the seriousness of the funding crisis facing the Met. Last month, I wrote to the Home Secretary setting out these concerns and the potential consequences of continued inaction from the Government, including the possibility of officer numbers in London dropping below 30,000 for the first time since 2003. If the Government fails to act and fund the Met properly, we will face extremely difficult decisions about how we make the savings necessary to balance the budget. The last thing I want is to be forced into cutting the front line, so every pound we save on police stations we know are being used less and less by Londoners, is a pound we won't have to take from the operational policing work that keeps our city safe. Diversity in the Metropolitan Police Service Question No: 2017/3248 Unmesh Desai Police workforce data has shown that only 13.4% of officers are BME. Whilst this figure represents a welcome 5% rise compared to last year, it is still significantly lower than the BME population across London's population (40.2%). What actions are the Mayor and the Metropolitan Police Service taking to ensure that the police service reflects the diversity of the community it serves?
The Mayor
The Commissioner and I are committed to increasing the diversity of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) so that it is more reflective of the people of London.
The MPS has undertaken a range of actions and initiatives to increase the proportion of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) officers.
Most recently the MPS and MOPAC are exploring a new police recruitment process to select future officers with the unique skills for policing London. New approaches will be trialled from situational judgement testing to personality testing.
MOPAC has also sought legal advice on how to make the most of positive action clauses within the Equality Act 2010 and this will be considered alongside the revised police recruitment process.
Other current initiatives include:
A residency criteria to ensure new recruits must have lived in London for 3 of the last 6 years.
Broadening the range of language and cultural expertise by running bespoke second language recruitment campaigns.
Direct entry programmes enabling entrants to join the police service at senior ranks (e.g. superintendents) or specialist areas (e.g. detectives). The recent detective campaign in July has yielded 2,900 applications of which 33% applicants were BAME and 51% female.
Conducting research into recruitment barriers for BAME and female entrants to better tailor recruitment information to manage perceptions and concerns.
The MPS also has a range of positive action initiatives ranging from bespoke marketing, 'Meet the Met' events and support for BAME and female applicants to help them prepare for assessment. Colindale Station redesign Question No: 2017/3249 Andrew Dismore TfL are looking to redesign the entrance to Colindale Tube Station. Can you ensure that the entrance continues to face out on to Colindale Avenue, opposite Colindale Park, as to do so otherwise would see a serious noise disturbance to local residents in Agar House?
The Mayor
Transport for London is continuing to work with the London Borough of Barnet to make sure that any plans to improve Colindale station work for both customers and the local community. There are currently no plans to change the station entrance.
Policing football matches Question No: 2017/3250 Andrew Dismore In relation to the costs of policing football matches, did the response to the Deputy Mayor's February letter from the Policing Minister Brandon Lewis MP in April indicate that the Government were prepared to consider a full cost recovery charging regime?
The Mayor
The Policing Minister stated that the Government had previously considered whether a change in legislation is required, and concluded that they would not seek to make changes to section 25 of the Police Act 1996. However, they are willing to discuss this at the next Ministerial meeting. MOPAC has been in touch with the Home Office to arrange this meeting.
I have also written to the Premier League requesting a meeting to discuss a voluntary contribution by the wealthiest football league in the world to the cost of policing their football matches in London. Orbit Tower Question No: 2017/3251 Andrew Dismore What is the interest payable on the Arcelor Mittal Orbit Tower, broken down by year, and how many visitors have there been, broken down by year.
The Mayor
Interest
Interest Year £000 2012/13 139 2013/14 578 2014/15 616 2015/16 658 2016/17 686 2017/18* 214 Total 2,890 *to 21/07/2017
Visitor numbers
AMO total Slide 2012 130,000 2013/14 (two months only) 35,599 2014/15 123,278 2015/16 101,623 2016/17 193,147 105,507 2017/18 (April-June) 48,671 32,738 Total 632,318 138,245
Torriano School Question No: 2017/3252 Andrew Dismore It's been a few months now since the repainting of the yellow box at the crossing of Camden Road, Torriano Avenue and Camden Park Road. Other initiatives had also been discussed with TfL to reduce traffic problems and improve pedestrian safety for pupils at Torriano School, including some major changes to bus lanes on Camden Road, can we have an update on progress with these plans? Has funding been allocated?
The Mayor
Transport for London (TfL) is designing proposals for improving safety along Camden Road and improving conditions for pedestrians, cyclists and bus passengers. This is part of a wider project so it needs to be coordinated with other planned improvements in the area. In TfL's Business Plan, construction is scheduled from 2020 but, subject to progressing the design and consultation, TfL will consider opportunities to start earlier.
Barnet Children's Services OFSTED Rating Question No: 2017/3253 Andrew Dismore Do you share my disappointment that Barnet Council's Children's Services received a "requires improvement" rating from OFSTED? Do you agree with me that vulnerable children in Barnet deserve better?
The Mayor
All London's children deserve high quality social care, especially when vulnerable or having additional needs. I am sure that Barnet leaders and senior managers will regard this inspection grade as the catalyst of a needed improvement journey for their children's services. In Ofsted's last published report on children's social care inspections half of London boroughs were inspected. While two London boroughs received the only outstanding inspections in the country, there were still nine boroughs requiring improvement to be good. Clearly this is in the context of the significant budgetary challenges faced by many London local authorities in their social care provision coupled with high levels of need. Acid and other corrosive chemical attacks Question No: 2017/3254 Andrew Dismore What are you doing to combat the upsurge in acid and other corrosive chemical attacks?
The Mayor
The Met are rolling out acid kits in one thousand police cars, which will include bottles of water, gauntlets and goggles. In East London, where the majority of offences have taken place, specially trained officers will carry litmus testing kits. I support the Commissioner in her commitment to use intelligence-led stop and search for corrosive substances, alongside knives, other weapons and drugs.
To address the problem in the longer term I have taken steps to ensure the government is addressing this problem, I have pressed for tougher sentences for those who carry corrosive substances, and asked that sentencing guidelines be clarified for judges.
Additional funding for the police Question No: 2017/3255 Andrew Dismore What response have you had so far to your request for additional funding for the police, and what will the consequences be, if the Government does not accede to that request?
The Mayor
We continue to work closely with Home Office, APCC and NPCC to make the national case for police funding, and separately to make the case for the unique position facing London. I am fighting tooth and nail to get the Government to give the Met the money it needs to keep our great city safe. Only last month, I again wrote to the Home Secretary setting out the serious consequences to policing and safety in London arising from the Government's continued refusal to clarify its plans for police funding. There is a risk that police officer numbers will fall below 30,000 for the first time since 2003 if there is no certainty on future funding levels.
As I have warned the Home Secretary, without urgent clarity on funding, we are fast approaching a point where we will have to reduce recruitment in order to remain within our budgets. We cannot recruit officers without knowing we can afford to pay for them in the years ahead. As a result, we run a very real risk of officer numbers falling below 30,000 in this city for the first time since 2003. former Clerkenwell fire station Question No: 2017/3256 Andrew Dismore What is happening about the disposal of the former Clerkenwell fire station?
The Mayor
Discussions are ongoing between the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, the GLA and the London Borough of Islington regarding the planning issues on this property. This includes how an internal planning appraisal might help establish how local planning requirements could be met which will help to determine the best disposal route.
NIMR site, Mill Hill Question No: 2017/3257 Andrew Dismore You have called in the NIMR site, Mill Hill: when do you expect to progress this?
The Mayor
GLA officers are currently undertaking discussions with the applicant and the Council on a number of issues, including affordable housing and car parking provision. Formal re- consultation on amendments to the application is due to be undertaken from late August to mid-September, with a formal hearing scheduled to take place at City Hall in October.
Further details can be found on the GLA's website: https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we- do/planning/planning-applications-and-decisions/public-hearings/national-institute-medical
Sprinkler systems Question No: 2017/3259 Andrew Dismore Are you lobbying the Government to help fund Councils to retrofit sprinkler systems in tower blocks?
The Mayor
I have been clear that retrofitting sprinklers is one of the best options open to us for reducing fire risk in tall buildings. While I don't want to pre-empt recommendations of the Independent Advisory Group or the Public Inquiry, if what is needed to make buildings safe is sprinklers then Government must ensure that councils and other affected organisations are in a position to finance such a programme. Advertising London as an LGBT+ friendly destination Question No: 2017/3260 Andrew Dismore What are you doing to advertise London as a friendly and welcoming destination for LGBT+ tourists?
The Mayor
London was the proud host and headline sponsor of Pride in London and I have pledged to do all I can to help protect London's LGBT+ nightlife. My official promotional agency, London & Partners, hosted the official Pride in London webpage on visitlondon.com and promoted the Festival through via email, social and digital. The Visit London page, visitlondon.com/prideinlondon had 295k page views from 18 May -10 July.
This was a 75% increase in organic traffic over last year. On social, the Facebook live stream on the Parade day had 590k video views and a 1.3m reach. The hashtag #prideinlondon achieved a combined reach of 417.3m.
Earlier this year, I invested £10,000 into research conducted by UCL Urban Labs in collaboration with the Queer Spaces Network, which will look at how London's LGBT+ landscape has changed over the years and what can be done to protect London's LGBT+ venues. Following this, I have instructed the Night Czar, Amy Lame, to mediate between venue owners, developers and pub companies, and to reach out to venues in trouble to offer support from City Hall. I have also developed a new LGBT+ Venues Charter to help safeguard these venues. I have committed to carry out an annual audit of the LGBT + venues and to build safeguarding measures into the planning processes.
I continue to reinforce the message that London is a city open to all and a beacon for the LGBT+ community.
RAF Centenary [1] Question No: 2017/3261 Andrew Dismore What are you planning to do to commemorating the Centenary of the RAF next year?
The Mayor
The RAF has a series of events in central London next year to mark their centenary, details of which will be released in due course. We will also ensure appropriate reflection of this centenary in our annual Armed Forces Day ceremony. RAF Centenary [2] Question No: 2017/3262 Andrew Dismore The RAF Museum in Hendon is undergoing a renovation in preparation for the Centenary of the RAF next year; will you consider visiting the museum to see and learn about the work they are undertaking and their plans for the centenary?
The Mayor
I'm proud of the selfless and dedicated work the Armed Forces do to keep our country safe and protect our way of life, and the RAF's centenary celebrations is an excellent opportunity to highlight their important work. I would be very interested in seeing the renovated museum and will discuss with my team whether we can arrange a visit in my schedule.
World Para Athletics Championships Question No: 2017/3263 Andrew Dismore Suggestions have been made, that London should become the permanent host for the World Para Athletics Championships: what is your view of this?
The Mayor
The London 2017 World Para Athletics Championships were a roaring success with record- breaking crowds, ticket sales and gold star displays from our Superhumans on track and field.
I am proud that once again we have showcased London to the world, demonstrating our ability to host the globe's best sporting events and celebrating all that our capital stands for - a united city that stands together as a true beacon of equality.
Due to the success of the event, the IPC has said that they are open to the idea of the World Para Athletics Championships returning to London in the future. However, they have ruled out London as a permanent host of the event. I believe this is the right approach to take in order to continue the growth and popularity of para athletics on every continent.
Tour de France Question No: 2017/3264 Andrew Dismore Given the refusal of your predecessor to support the return of the Tour de France to London, will we see this happen under your Mayoralty in the near future?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly. British F1 race Question No: 2017/3265 Andrew Dismore With the potential loss of Silverstone as the venue for the British F1 race, is London under your Mayoralty ready and willing to step in?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly. Pedestrian crossing in Wood Street High Barnet Question No: 2017/3266 Andrew Dismore Further to Question No: 2017/2476:
Further to Question No: 2017/0563:
'What public consultation did TfL undertake with High Barnet local residents, pensioner organisations, and with any users of the crossing, particularly the parents of the numerous small children who use the playground which is just inside the Old Court House Recreation Ground, about the changes to the crossing?'
Your response being:
'This is a much-improved pedestrian crossing which now complies with Department for Transport regulations and is safer than the crossing it replaced. The works at this location were part of TfL's annual modernisation programme.
TfL consulted with London Borough of Barnet officers about the changes and the borough supported the proposals.
TfL will continue to monitor this location to ensure the crossing is operating both safely and correctly'.
Is it therefore the case that no public consultation was conducted; and if not why not?
Your response being:
'Transport for London advised the London Borough of Barnet of the proposals to carry out a modernisation of the ageing infrastructure at the Wood Street crossing, as the borough is the highway authority. The scheme enabled the crossing to comply with current standards. Public consultation is not used in these circumstances.
The proposals were discussed at regular meetings between TfL and the London Borough of Barnet on 08 January 2016, 08 April 2016 and 06 July 2016, and details of the changes were provided in writing on 03 May 2016. '
Given Barnet Council's poor record on public consultation and engagement and the importance of this crossing to the public, with hindsight don't you think it would have been better for TfL to have consulted the public about their plans before implementing them?
The Mayor
The London Borough of Barnet is the highway authority for Wood Street so it is for that authority to decide whether and to consult on proposals at this location.
Transport for London's works modernised the pedestrian crossing and brought it up to the latest standards. TfL does not normally carry out public consultation on these types of renewal works on borough roads, unless requested to do so by the borough, which they did not do in this case. Tube train noise Question No: 2017/3267 Andrew Dismore Further to Question No: 2017/2480
In extreme cases of disruption and disturbance due to very excessive tube noise to the extent that a resident cannot live in their home, will you consider a scheme of offer compensation or alternative accommodation for residents so disturbed by tube train noise?
Your response being:
'Transport for London (TfL) is committed to tackling Tube noise and vibration problems at source, not through compensation.
Where the effects of noise are extremely serious and I expect TfL to prioritise work in locations where noise levels are highest. TfL is aware of one location on the Victoria line where this is the case, and work is currently underway to reduce the noise, with a resolution expected by July. The resident concerned is being kept regularly informed of progress.'
What are residents supposed to do, if TfL are unable to tackle the noise sufficiently either timeously or in some cases, at all, so as to enable reasonable enjoyment of a home? Move out? Or put up with it?
The Mayor
I am committed to making sure that the Night Tube works for local communities as well as customers, and that noise from trains is reduced to the lowest level possible.
Transport for London (TfL) has a dedicated team of specialists to investigate and respond to every noise complaint. This has improved its ability to identify hot-spots, and target interventions.
TfL is dealing with the source of the noise, such as the trains and the tracks they run on, directly. TfL engages with every noise complaint it receives and has a robust engineering-led procedure to prioritise mitigation work as quickly as possible.
TfL has assured me that it will continue to work with residents to address all noise concerns to their satisfaction, and anyone disturbed by the Night Tube or everyday Tube services can contact TfL's 24/7 Customer Service Centre on 0343 222 1234 or www.tfl.gov.uk/contact. Signs for the Elizabeth Line Question No: 2017/3268 Andrew Dismore Will all signs on stations on the Elizabeth Line refer to the line as the "Elizabeth Line", and will any signs referring to "Crossrail" be removed? How many signs, such as those at Tottenham Court Road, require replacing, and what will the cost be?
The Mayor
Yes, all the signs will direct customers to the Elizabeth line.
There are a limited number of vinyl sticker signs in Tottenham Court Road station that will need updating to direct customers towards the Elizabeth line. These will be updated closer to the start of Elizabeth line services opening in December 2018.
Transport for London (TfL) has assured me that the cost of updating these is minimal.
Crossrail 2 [1] Question No: 2017/3269 Andrew Dismore When do you expect the Government to give the go-ahead for Crossrail 2? Or will it be called the "George" line, rather than the "Charles" or "William" line at the current rate of progress of Government decision making? .
The Mayor
I had a productive meeting with the Transport Secretary in July, where he pledged his continued support for Crossrail 2 and, as we have set out in a joint statement, we have agreed to work together to make the scheme more affordable. This work is now under way.
Given the urgent need to consult the public on TfL's revised plans and prepare a Hybrid Bill by 2020, it essential that we get a timely decision from the Government. We need to get moving now on the next stage of Crossrail 2 if we are to avoid London's transport network grinding to a halt in the early 2030s. Crossrail 2 [2] Question No: 2017/3270 Andrew Dismore I have raised with you before the need for work on Crossrail 2, HS2 and Euston station to be properly managed and integrated, so residents do not suffer from years of works blighting their lives and you have been sympathetic to the issue. Can delays to Crossrail 2 still be accommodated in a plan to do all the works in an efficient and co-ordinated way?
The Mayor
I completely understand the unease of some residents around Euston over the amount of construction due to take place there in the coming years.
To address this, dedicated Crossrail 2 and HS2 teams within Transport for London regularly meet with the London Borough of Camden, HS2 Ltd, the Greater London Authority and Network Rail to coordinate the Euston Masterplan and make sure construction programmes are aligned to reduce to a minimum disruption to the local community.
Although the timetable for Crossrail 2 has been pushed back slightly, construction is forecast to start in around 2023. This will ensure the first passengers will use the service in 2033, which is crucial as it means it is ready for when phase 2 of HS2 starts bringing in tens of thousands more passengers into Euston every day.
Following feedback from the 2015 consultation, Crossrail 2 has worked on a new Euston station design which integrates better with the existing station. The new proposal would also be considerably less disruptive to local residents, as it requires less land to be used. Electric car contactless charging Question No: 2017/3271 Andrew Dismore Has TfL made an assessment of contactless charging points, which may help expand the use, range and availability of electric cars in London?
The Mayor
Transport for London (TfL) is in touch with industries developing electric vehicle (EV) wireless- charging solutions. TfL was involved in UNPLUGGED, a European funded project which researched how EVs could benefit from wireless charging. This project concluded in 2015, and set out the technical and market developments needed for wide-scale adoption.
Three wireless-charged hybrid electric double decker buses are currently operating on route 69 between Canning Town and Walthamstow bus stations as part of the European-funded Zero Emission Urban Bus System project. Charging of these buses during short rest periods at each bus station helps maximise zero-emission operation over the route.
Major car manufacturers will start offering wireless-charging options for the next generation of EVs, due before 2020. TfL is open to collaborating with industry to trial new innovative technology such as wireless charging at low speeds, which may be suitable for charging zero- emission capable taxis moving slowly at busy ranks.
Step-free access at East Finchley Station Question No: 2017/3272 Andrew Dismore East Finchley station had a raised platform installed a few years ago, but has no lifts to get from the ticket hall level to the platforms. How much would lifts or other step free schemes there cost, and has any work been undertaken to assess how this could be accommodated?
The Mayor
I am committed to increasing the amount of step-free stations across the network to make the Tube more accessible. In December 2016, I announced a £200m programme to provide step- free access at around 30 stations over the next five years, and by 2022 Transport for London (TfL) aims to make 40 per cent of the Tube network step-free.
TfL has carried out a high-level investigation into installing lifts at East Finchley. It has indicated that the scheme would involve installing two lifts into a listed building, and the layout of the station means that the worksite would be significantly constrained.
Furthermore, the scheme would involve excavating under the tracks and this would result in a high level of disruption to both the station and the train service. Due to the complexity of this project and therefore high estimated cost, in the region of £15m - £20m, East Finchley is not being considered as part of the £200m five-year programme. Step-free access at Kentish Town Station Question No: 2017/3273 Andrew Dismore What would the cost be of making Kentish Town Station step-free, what work has been done to assess the viability of doing so, and have any plans been drawn up on how this could be accommodated in the station?
The Mayor
I am committed to increasing the amount of step-free stations across the network to make the Tube more accessible. In December 2016, I announced a £200m programme to provide step- free access at around 30 stations over the next five years, and by 2022 Transport for London (TfL) aims to make 40 per cent of the Tube network step-free.
TfL has carried out a high-level investigation into installing lifts at Kentish Town. It has indicated that the scheme would involve digging new tunnels and installing a new lift shaft in a very constrained worksite adjacent to the main road and busy operational railways. Due to the complexity of this project and therefore high estimated cost, in the region of £40m, Kentish Town is not being considered as part of the £200m five-year programme.
Step free access: West Hampstead tube [1] Question No: 2017/3274 Andrew Dismore Further to Question No: 2017/2923
What is the present position in responding to local demands for this?
Your response being:
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Will you now provide a substantive reply?
The Mayor
Please see my response to MQ 2017/2923. Step-free access at West Hampstead tube [2] Question No: 2017/3275 Andrew Dismore What would the cost be of making West Hampstead tube step-free, what work has been done to assess the viability of doing so, and have any plans been drawn up on how this could be accommodated in the station?
The Mayor
Please see my answer to MQ 2017/2923.
Mill Hill East tube line [1] Question No: 2017/3276 Andrew Dismore Given the growing usage of the line, can the Mill Hill East line, revert to having through trains for most of the day rather than just in peak times?
The Mayor
Please see my answer to MQ 2017/1797.
Mill Hill East tube line [2] Question No: 2017/3277 Andrew Dismore Could TfL consider extending the double track on the Mill Hill East line up to or near the viaduct? This would involve a smoother and quicker service with the potential for trains arriving/departing to/from Mill Hill East at 5 minute intervals rather than every 12 minutes. This would not involve double tracking the viaduct but would allow for faster scheduling, as the passenger volumes are rapidly increasing and in the morning peak trains are full (no available seats) on leaving Mill Hill East.
The Mayor
Transport for London (TfL) has looked at this option but the cost of a double track in this area, including the associated re-signalling, power enhancements and second station platform, would be prohibitively expensive. In addition, to increase the frequency, TfL would need to purchase additional trains.
TfL does regularly review the Northern line timetable to make sure that services benefit the greatest number of customers. Trains to and from Mill Hill East Tube station currently run around every 12 minutes during peak times, which meets the current demand at the station and forecast future demand.
I understand that TfL updated you last month about improvements to the 382 bus which serves Mill Hill East and Finchley Central Tube stations. These improvements will allow Mill Hill East customers to make additional connections between Mill Hill East and Finchley Central. Mill Hill East tube line [3] Question No: 2017/3278 Andrew Dismore Will you consider in the longer term converting the Mill Hill East line to a Docklands Light Rail or tram type of service from Finchley Central through to Mill Hill East and on to Copthall Park, Mill Hill Broadway & Edgware possibly Bushey & Watford with a link from Mill Hill Broadway alongside the Midland Mainline and on through the Dudden Hill freight line to Old Oak Common. The addition of such facilities in North London would dramatically improve orbital connectivity?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
100 Avenue Road Question No: 2017/3279 Andrew Dismore Further to Question No: 2017/2482, in relation to the various reports on the proposed development at 100 Avenue Road, can I draw your attention to the requirements of condition 31 and the interaction with HS2, The main point being that HS2 is an 'adjacent' structure, which Essential Living's own engineers say has a "Potential for damage to the new building from future HS2 tunnel construction" and that "The impact of HS2 should be reviewed as part of the design process". Has this been done by TfL, as it would be wrong for the 100 Avenue Road building to be demolished and then for a reason later to arise to not proceed because of a conflict with HS2.
The Mayor
As set out in my answer to MQ2017/2482, London Underground (LU) is confident that the proposed development does not have a detrimental effect on its assets or operations, however this will be monitored by LU works inspectors throughout construction.
While any concerns about the demolition in relation to HS2 should be directed to the Department for Transport, I know that LU would be happy to meet with you to talk through your concerns. Further reassurance for local residents, I hope, could be sought direct from the London Borough of Camden. Buses on route 24 Question No: 2017/3280 Andrew Dismore I have received complaints about the very high temperatures in excess of 35C on the buses on route 24. The 24 bus drivers also complain about working without functioning air conditioning. What can be done to ameliorate this problem?
The Mayor
All New Routemaster buses, including those on route 24, have been fitted with opening windows on the upper and lower decks to improve air flow and help make customers feel more comfortable. All double deck vehicles in the London fleet also have air cooling systems to help reduce temperatures.
The driver's cab on London buses has air conditioning and a window that can be opened to improve air flow. If the air conditioning is not working, the driver should report this to the garage so it can be fixed.
I would encourage anyone with concerns about the heat on New Routemaster buses, or other vehicles, to raise them directly with Transport for London (TfL) online at https://tfl.gov.uk/help-and-contact. When reporting any issues, details such as the time and date, and vehicle registrations will help TfL check the problem.
No left turn' restriction from the A1 into Tithe Walk Question No: 2017/3281 Andrew Dismore Will you consider a 'no left turn' restriction from the A1 into Tithe Walk, Mill Hill? A1 traffic comes both up and down Tithe Walk at speed, using it as a rat run to avoid going through the lights at Fiveways Corner and / or to shortcut tailbacks that often mount up when the phasing of the lights at Fiveways is poor. The volume and type of traffic that comes through is unsuitable for a road of this size - including HGVs - and there is considerable risk on the blind bends. It is pretty much impossible to slow to an acceptable speed when turning left off the A1 when the traffic is moving at speed. Hence there is considerable risk to pedestrians - and especially young children. Other similar roads nearby have no left turns off the A1, which suggests that this is a risk which has been identified and mitigated in similar settings.
The Mayor
Thank you for raising this with me. Although this location has a low number of recorded collisions, I acknowledge the potential for danger with the current layout, which is constrained by a pedestrian subway.
TfL will work with the police and the London Borough of Barnet to see what can be done to implement a 'no left turn' restriction from the A1 at Tithe Walk, and also to look at The Rise junction to the north, which also has no lane for vehicles to slow down in. Colindale Tube station Question No: 2017/3282 Andrew Dismore What progress is being made with improving Colindale Tube station capacity?
The Mayor
Transport for London (TfL) is working with the London Borough of Barnet and a developer to improve Colindale Tube station. This will include introducing step-free access to the station, improvements to the area around the station, and providing much-needed affordable housing.
TfL will provide further details once timescales and funding arrangements have been agreed for this project. Step-free access is expected to be delivered by 2020.
TfL's Complaints function Question No: 2017/3283 Andrew Dismore I have had complaints that TfL's Complaints function on its website is neither easy to find nor easy to use. What can you do to improve this facility?
The Mayor
Transport for London (TfL) welcomes all feedback, and uses it to find ways to improve tfl.gov.uk. Previous feedback has resulted in TfL's 'Help & Contacts' page being re-designed to make accessing information easier. A section has been added for escalating a complaint and providing direct access to feedback forms.
The new and improved page is at https://tfl.gov.uk/help-and-contact/
TfL will listen to any further feedback and, where possible, use it to improve the function in future. Agency workers on 13 bus Question No: 2017/3284 Andrew Dismore Users of the 13 bus have informed me that after speaking to drivers, they understand that many are agency workers employed on temporary contracts. Is this true, and if so when do you expect the service to be driven by full time employees?
The Mayor
Tower Transit, the company which operates route 13 on TfL's behalf, has been supplementing permanent staff with agency drivers as a temporary arrangement following its acquisition of the route. The company has a thorough induction process for all drivers.
Of the pool of 500 drivers working out of the Westbourne Park garage that serves a routes including the 13, only 10 (two per cent), are agency workers. Tower Transit anticipates that there will be no temporary drivers within the next few months.
Finchley Memorial Hospital Question No: 2017/3285 Andrew Dismore Further to Question No: 2017/2932
What work has TfL done to examine the viability of extending the 383 bus route to Finchley Memorial Hospital, and what was the outcome of their investigations?
Your response being:
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Will you now provide a substantive reply?
The Mayor
Please see answer to MQ 2017/2932. Congestion charge Question No: 2017/3286 Andrew Dismore Further to Question No: 2017/2459
Further to Question No: 2017/1824
What progress is being made by the Foreign Secretary in instituting proceedings at the International Court of Justice to clarify the law regarding diplomatic immunity in order to force recalcitrant governments to pay the congestion charge?
Your response being:
"TfL has always been clear that the Congestion Charge is a charge for a service and not a tax. This means that foreign diplomats are not exempt from paying it.
TfL continues to pursue all unpaid Congestion Charge fees and related penalty charge notices and, in October 2016, wrote to the Foreign Secretary to ask him to take up the matter with the relevant embassies and the International Court of Justice."
What action has the Foreign Office taken at the ICJ and in particular have proceedings commenced in that court; and if not when are they expected to be?
Your response being:
'Transport for London has always been clear that this issue requires the support of Government because only Government can bring proceedings at the International Court of Justice.'
Has the Government instituted such proceedings; and if not what explanation have they given?
The Mayor
In October 2016, Mike Brown MVO, London's Transport Commissioner, wrote to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs asking him to pursue the matter on Transport for London's (TfL's) behalf.
TfL has not yet received a formal response. West Ham [1] Question No: 2017/3287 Andrew Dismore West Ham's former ground at Upton Park is being redeveloped; what public benefit is expected to accrue from this, in light of the agreement for West Ham to occupy the Olympic stadium on such beneficial terms as they secured form the former Mayor?
The Mayor
The London Borough of Newham granted planning permission for the redevelopment of West Ham United's former ground on the 13 July 2016 and approved a mixed-use scheme that included 842 new homes. The associated section 106 planning agreement required 25% of these homes to be affordable if no public subsidy was available and 35% of them to be affordable if public subsidy was available. The former Mayor considered this application on its own merits at Stage 2 on the 28 April 2016 and concluded that this approach complied with the London Plan's affordable housing policy requirements and there is no connection between the concession agreement with West Ham United for use of the London Stadium and its subsequent sale of Upton Park. https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning/planning-applications-and- decisions/planning-application-search/west-ham-stadium
West Ham [2] Question No: 2017/3288 Andrew Dismore In light of the agreement for West Ham to occupy the Olympic stadium on such beneficial terms as they secured from the former Mayor, how have they shared the benefits of that deal with their supporters, for example in fairer pricing of season tickets?
The Mayor
The issue of benefits for West Ham United's supporters is a matter best dealt with by the club itself. However, the club suggests that it has one of the lowest ticket price structures in the Premier League with prices frozen from 2016/17 for the 2017/18 season.
I understand that the club has attracted 52,000 season ticket holders with under-16s able to watch Premier League football for £99 (the joint cheapest in the country) while the lowest adult price remains at £289. Night time economy [1] Question No: 2017/3289 Andrew Dismore 50,000 people visit Camden Town each Friday and Saturday evening. This is equivalent to the crowd at a Premier League football match. Camden Town have a dedicated Police team of 6 officers on duty as well as the usual SNT team.
At a "category A" football match with 50,000 fans in London there would typically be 150 police officers. There would also be 200 stewards. Football crowds are usually easier to police. The majority of fans are home fans who know what the best routes are and what the police will worry about. They follow the same routes every 2 weeks or so. Many night time economy customers come only once every 3-6 months and are going to different places and don't have such an understanding of how to move around the area. Given this much lower policing ratio, is it any surprise that the streets of Camden Town (and other areas of London affected by night time economy crowds) see the level of incidents and anti-social behaviour that they do?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Night time economy [2] Question No: 2017/3290 Andrew Dismore You have talked about the 'Agent of Change' principle in planning, which requires the party making a change to take steps to mitigate its impact. If you are successful in intensifying the night time economy, how do you see this principle applying in the grant of alcohol licences for later hours?
The Mayor
I encourage licensing authorities to take an integrated approach to planning and licensing, however the agent of change principle is primarily aimed at pre-empting and resolving potential conflicts during the planning and development process.
Licensing authorities are required to promote the licensing objectives in carrying out their licensing functions, namely the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance and the protection of children from harm. Through the work of the Night Czar and Night Time Commission, I will continue to promote excellence in all aspects of managing the night time economy, and will bring together stakeholders including licensing authorities to advise on best practice, resolve conflicts where they arise and support the night time economy. Night time economy [3] Question No: 2017/3291 Andrew Dismore Do you disagree with Westminster Council's view, that there is a distinction between an evening economy, which is about culture, entertainment and food, and the night time economy, which is more about alcohol and clubbing?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Night time economy [4] Question No: 2017/3292 Andrew Dismore How will you make a more diverse night time offering attractive if you don't find a way of dealing with the anti-social behaviour and crime that come from the alcohol led nature of the current night time economy post 23:00?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Police Airwave radios Question No: 2017/3293 Andrew Dismore I have been informed that there are continuing problems with police Airwave radios for response teams--specifically that a response team is expected to maintain one channel while responding to an incident. This apparently means that other teams cannot listen in--one example given to me was that a team requiring assistance might not be able to communicate with another team nearby who could help. Is this correct? Is this a product of the borough pathfinder merger? If this is happening, what is being done about it?
The Mayor
The Airwave system is operating as expected and there are no reported faults or issues with it.
As you would expect the way that the Airwave Radio system is configured across response is operationally sensitive and it is not something that the MPS would be place in the public domain.
However, the MPS informs me that the scenario described above is not the case. On the Pathfinders the radio management is the same as is used for managing deployment across London including in some of our highest risk situations. The MPS will not compromise officer safety and any incident where safety concerns are raised is investigated and any lessons from it are fed into operational practice. Borough merger [1] Question No: 2017/3294 Andrew Dismore I am getting reports from Camden residents and ward panels that the Pathfinder (Camden & Islington) Borough has resulted in a deterioration of services provided by the MPS, including in particular the poor standard of investigations into crime allegations. What is being done to correct this?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Borough merger [2] Question No: 2017/3295 Andrew Dismore In the Pathfinder (Camden & Islington) Borough there appears to be a disconnect in that ward priorities are not aligned with the emergency policing team priorities, for example if a caller dials 101 to report anti-social behaviour that was an issue on the ward, the Response teams would not attend as they had I & S grade priorities. What is being done about this?
The Mayor
Each Borough has selected two local volume crime priorities, based on local knowledge, crime data and police intelligence, along with antisocial behaviour, which has been identified in our consultation for the Police & Crime Plan as an important issue across London.
To address local priorities, neighbourhood officers work together with Councils and other partners to take a proactive problem solving approach - not only pursuing and arresting criminals, but also taking enforcement action on the problems that drive crime - such as drug dealing.
The Emergency Response teams predominantly respond to I & S grade calls, which are graded within the Control room on the basis of the need for an urgent police response.
Response teams are aligned to patrol zones, based on the demands that have affected particular areas, and this is intended to enable a more effective response to areas of high demand. It is also intended that response teams are used to provide additional support for local officers to tackle their priorities, and work is under way in Camden & Islington to make this happen. Borough merger [3] Question No: 2017/3296 Andrew Dismore In the Pathfinder (Camden & Islington) Borough I understand that can be around 100 outstanding urgent calls at any one time with the response team. I have had reports that when member of the public calls 999, the police do not always respond to their call. Is this correct?
The Mayor
This is not correct; incidents will not be closed by a supervisor until the original incident has been dealt with.
When calls are received, the command and control process means that they are monitored until they are dealt with. This can include incidents when, for example, officers attend but there is no reply to their knocking, and there will be times when other more urgent incidents will take priority, so delaying any response.
The average level of outstanding ("unassigned") urgent calls in the North Pathfinder between 18 and 25 July 2017 was 25. This ranged between a low of 3 and a high of 54.
Police contact points Question No: 2017/3297 Andrew Dismore As part of your public access consultation for the Met Police, have you considered locating contact points in other public buildings, such as local libraries, which might save the Met money, generate revenues for Councils and provide more "one stop shops" at public buildings?
The Mayor
As part of the draft Strategy, we propose requiring local dedicated ward officers (DWOs) to hold community contact sessions at convenient times and places in each ward. Rather than setting strict requirements centrally, we recognise that every community is different and will allow local solutions that best meet the needs of local people. These will be overseen by Safer Neighbourhood Boards.
There is, then, the opportunity for local officers to work with local authorities and others to identify the best locations.
In addition, in order to base DWOs closer to the wards they police, we are seeking co-locations with local authorities and others, as outlined in the draft Strategy. Moped Crime [1] Question No: 2017/3298 Andrew Dismore What is your view of the police using a "tactical contact" (e.g. ramming) with suspects on mopeds?
The Mayor
Please see my response to MQ 2017/3199.
Moped Crime [2] Question No: 2017/3299 Andrew Dismore How many a) moped enabled crimes and b) moped thefts have there been in the last 12 months; and how does that compare with the previous 3 years?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Water Cannon Question No: 2017/3300 Andrew Dismore What is the present position over the disposal of the water cannon? How much has been spent on the maintenance and storage since their purchase and what is the annual cost of maintenance and storage? Has consideration been given to 'cutting the losses' and scrapping them?
The Mayor
The water cannon remain available for sale via the Ministry of Defence (MOD) which is helping to find the highest and most reputable buyer from a European policing or civil protection organisation, according to conditions set by the German Federal Police. We will only permit a sale to a buyer who meets the most rigorous ethical standards, to ensure the water cannon are not in any way misused in the future.
Buying, modifying, evaluating and maintaining the vehicles cost £322,834.71 under the previous Mayor. Since they were put up for sale, the cannon have incurred no further storage or maintenance costs, and no training with the vehicles has been undertaken.
If a suitable purchaser cannot be found, we will have no other option but to scrap the vehicles. It beggars belief that, because the previous Mayor rashly purchased them before he even had permission to use them, such a huge amount of taxpayers' money has been wasted on these redundant machines. Domestic abuse crimes Question No: 2017/3301 Andrew Dismore Further to Question No: 2017/2500
In London, reports of domestic abuse crimes increased by more than 2,000, from 72,535 to 74,770, between 2015 and 2016; however there were over 600 fewer police charges in 2016 than in 2015 with the volume of charges dropping from 15,694 to 15,010.what is the explanation for this disparity?
Your response being:
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Will you now give a substantive reply?
The Mayor
MOPAC is working with the London Criminal Justice Board subgroup to understand this data. As per my response to MQ 2017/ 2357, we continue to work with London Criminal Justice Services to agree a devolution approach that enables London to get to grips with exactly these kind of London-centric challenges.
Hendon Police training centre Question No: 2017/3302 Andrew Dismore Hendon Police training centre has been re-provided on a smaller site, with the remainder sold off for housing. Given the height and density of the new residential buildings, what guarantees have you got that the police training centre will not be overlooked or otherwise vulnerable from the neighbouring developments that have been given planning permission?
The Mayor
As part of the sale process restrictive covenants were imposed on the land around the boundary of the retained Hendon site which limit the distance from which a developer can build any buildings, the type of boundary wall that must be constructed and maintained and the maximum height that can be built within a defined area. The current masterplan and planning permissions comply with those covenants. Public Access and Engagement Strategy [1] Question No: 2017/3303 Andrew Dismore What local consultation meetings are being organised in Barnet and in Camden to consult on the police Public Access and Engagement Strategy?
The Mayor
Borough commanders are in the process of arranging local consultation sessions in support of the public consultation on the draft Strategy. Camden and Barnet are in the process of arranging this.
Public Access and Engagement Strategy [2] Question No: 2017/3304 Andrew Dismore What premises in Barnet and what in Camden are you considering as 'dedicated ward officer hubs' under the Public Access and Engagement Strategy ?
The Mayor
New dedicated ward officer hubs will ensure that dedicated ward officers (DWOs) start and end their shifts a short distance from the wards they police.
Where possible, existing police buildings will be used, but around 80 partner sites are being identified. MPS Property Services will be happy to discuss any possible locations, and this is part of the consultation under the draft Public Access and Engagement Strategy. Police front counters Question No: 2017/3306 Andrew Dismore Once police front counters are cut back further, where should someone go to report lost property they have found in the street, for example a bunch of keys or a wallet?
The Mayor
Managing property lost and found in a public place is not and has never been a core policing responsibility. This should therefore not be linked to the number of MPS front counters.
In 2014, the MPS introduced a new approach to lost & found property, replacing previous arrangements were that were ineffective, inefficient and costly to provide. The majority of property brought into police stations was not identifiable and therefore never reunited with an owner. Since 2014, the MPS has not accepted items of found property save in certain circumstances, for example if an item is hazardous or identifiable through serial number.
In many cases, finders of found property can discharge any legal responsibilities by making their own local enquiries to trace the owner or directly return the item to any issuing agency in the case of official documents (e.g. driving licences, bank cards). There is also no requirement to report lost property to the police for the purpose of an insurance claim.
The MPS has a dedicated lost and found property webpage which provides guidance to people who have lost or found items, including signposting to agencies better placed to deal where appropriate.
Police assets Question No: 2017/3307 Andrew Dismore Of police buildings closed and earmarked for disposal under the previous Mayor, how many, and which, have not yet been sold?
The Mayor
Of the police buildings closed and earmarked for disposal under the previous Mayor there are five that have been vacated and will be openly marketed for sale from September. The 5 properties are:
Belvedere Police Station
Rotherhithe Police Station
Greenwich Police Station
Olwen House, Loman Street
Douglas Webb Section House First aid advice after acid attacks Question No: 2017/3308 Andrew Dismore Will you work with the police, fire and ambulance service to publicise the best first aid advice that can be given if someone is exposed to acid or other corrosive substance?
The Mayor
I will support the police, fire and ambulance service in issuing the most up to date advice. Emergency services working in conjunction will be vital to ensure victims are given the assistance they require quickly so when attacks are reported the London Fire Brigade will be alerted and will attend the scene as will have access to large amounts of water. The MPS will be outlining a three step model which encourages the removal of clothing and irrigation with plenty of water.
Black Cab Organisations and TfL (1) Question No: 2017/3309 Len Duvall Why does TfL fail to deal equally with all representatives of the Black Cab drivers? It appears to continually exclude the London Suburban Taxi Coalition (LSTC) from consultation meetings.
The Mayor
Please see my response to MQ 2017/3311.
Black Cab Organisations and TfL (2) Question No: 2017/3310 Len Duvall On June 22nd 2017 TfL convened a meeting concerning North Greenwich Ranking issues. Why was the London Suburban Taxi Coalition excluded from these discussions?
The Mayor
The meeting held on 22 June was organised by the trade-led Cab Ranks Committee, which invited Transport for London to attend.
The Cab Ranks Committee is jointly run by the London Cab Drivers Club, the London Taxi Drivers' Association and Unite the Union. Black Cab Organisations and TfL (3) Question No: 2017/3311 Len Duvall What can you do to ensure that TfL is open and transparent and is not giving preference in its dealings with Black Cab "representative" organisations?
The Mayor
Transport for London (TfL) and I recognise the importance of engaging with trade representative groups and individuals. In accordance with its published engagement policy, TfL holds regular meetings with the five major taxi trade bodies. TfL will consider formal engagement with registered friendly societies, or trade unions, which represent no less than five per cent of licensed taxi drivers at the start of the financial year. In addition, TfL meets with smaller organisations and stakeholders on an ad hoc basis.
Zero Emission Capable Taxis Question No: 2017/3313 Len Duvall I have been contacted by taxi drivers who have some concerns regarding costs when all new taxis must be zero emission capable from January next year. You answered a written question of mine 2016/4412 last November on this subject. Can you give me an update on the financial support which will be available to drivers and can you also tell me if a sale price has been announced for these vehicles?
The Mayor
Transport for London will introduce new licensing requirements from 1 January 2018 to reduce emissions from the taxi fleet by phasing out diesel taxis and increasing the number of zero emission capable (ZEC) vehicles in London. This is a positive step towards achieving my ambition of cleaning London's air, and I am pleased that our world-renowned taxis will be at the forefront of my initiative, pioneering cutting edge, green technology in the Capital.
To help drivers make the switch to these ZEC vehicles, I am helping to fund a Government-led Plug-in Taxi Grant, which will give taxi drivers up to £7,500 off the price of a new ZEC taxi. The London Electric Vehicle Company opened their order book and announced the sale price of their electric taxi on 1 August 2017. I expect other manufacturers to follow suit in due course.
As part of my commitment to double spending on air quality over the next five years, I have also allocated an additional £42 million for a taxi de-licensing scheme. The scheme offers owners of the oldest, most polluting taxis a payment of up to £5,000 to remove their vehicle from London's taxi fleet and to help them make the switch to ZEC vehicles sooner. I have also called on the Government to establish a national scrappage fund to complement this scheme and to help taxi drivers scrap their vehicles entirely.
More information on these schemes can be found online at https://tfl.gov.uk/green-taxis. Uber Question No: 2017/3315 Len Duvall A constituent has asked me to submit this question. Do you agree with Labour's Shadow Business Secretary, Rebecca Long-Bailey, that using Uber is "not morally acceptable" due to the way they exploit drivers?
The Mayor
I strongly believe that all companies should provide appropriate financial recompense to the people working for them. As a passionate advocate of the London Living Wage, I encourage all companies, including private hire operators in London, to commit to paying their drivers at least £9.75 for every hour they work. I am opening a dialogue across London's businesses, including its private hire companies, through the recently launched consultation on my Good Work Standard. The call for evidence is asking businesses what should be included, but I've been clear that the London Living Wage is the first hallmark of a responsible employer.
The challenges of the 'gig' economy require national action if concerns about this type of employment are to be tackled across the board. As the licensing and regulatory authority for taxi and private hire, TfL's primary aim is the safety of the public. All operators are licensed in accordance with current legislation and licensing requirements to make sure the public are able to travel safely throughout London. Any other private hire operator policies that are separate to these requirements fall beyond TfL's remit.
Education Question No: 2017/3316 Len Duvall Are London's children being appropriately educated for the future world of work?
The Mayor
Careers education in schools is often described as 'patchy' and 'inadequate' (Business, Innovation and Skills and Education Subcommittee on Education, Skills and the Economy, 2016-17) and employers frequently say that young people leave school not prepared for work. But this picture is not universal and many of the capital's schools are providing fantastic experiences of the world of work to their students.
I am supporting a range of activities to improve this situation: my London Ambitions portal (www.london.gov.uk/ambitions) helps teachers link with business. I have worked with the Education and Skills Funding Agency to establish Careers Clusters, which help groups of secondary schools work together to improve their careers offer. Team London is linking business volunteers with schools through the Careers and Enterprise Company Enterprise Adviser programme. Talk London (1) Question No: 2017/3317 Len Duvall How does Talk London reach people that don't already engage with the GLA's website or social media?
The Mayor
Talk London was a microsite, and separate to London.gov.uk up until 13 July this year.
Since its launch in 2012, we have grown our online community of Londoners to a membership of over 38,000. This has been achieved largely by promoting our consultation work to networks outside of our own. We have worked with partners such as the London Health Commission to promote consultations, and with the GLA's functional bodies. We worked with Transport for London to promote the recent Clean Air consultation, with the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime to promote the recent Policing and Crime consultation, and with the London Fire Brigade to do the same on consultation around the London Safety Plan.
Each consultation has resulted in a growth to our membership, and we will continue to undertake as much outreach activity as we can with each consultation we deliver.
We always recognise the need for complementary research methods to consultations run via Talk London. For example, we run separate, commissioned representative polls of Londoners and offline focus groups (run in-house or commissioned externally).
Talk London (2) Question No: 2017/3318 Len Duvall How does Talk London ensure that it reaches London's diverse communities?
The Mayor
Talk London is designed to be an inclusive online community. It has achieved major successes - over and above traditional research approaches - in terms of the number and spread of Londoners taking part in in consultations, debates and discussions about how to improve the capital.
Our aim is to maximise opportunities for Londoners to have their say. While we make every effort to ensure that this is the case, we do recognise that not all Londoners will want to participate in this forum. Therefore, complementary offline research and consultation activities are deployed to draw in those groups who don't know about, Talk London or who find it harder to engage this way. Talk London (3) Question No: 2017/3319 Len Duvall Please could you provide the number of people who have registered on Talk London broken down by:
gender;
ethnicity;
location of borough;
work status; and
housing tenure.
The Mayor
Please find attached as Appendix 3319 the absolute numbers of Talk London members, as of 1 August 2017, broken down by:
Gender
Ethnicity
Borough
Work status
Housing tenure
Adapted Accommodation Question No: 2017/3320 Joanne McCartney Further to MQ 2017/1914 what discussions have you had with London Councils about maintaining adapted properties for new tenants?
The Mayor
My team have had discussions with organisations, including London Councils, to discuss this and other issues relating to adaptations as part of developing my forthcoming draft London Housing Strategy. Bus Routes to North Middlesex Hospital Question No: 2017/3321 Joanne McCartney After years of campaigning with local residents, I am delighted that you have announced a proposal to provide a bus route from North Middlesex University Hospital to Winchmore Hill and Enfield. Please provide details of the proposed route and timetable for delivery?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Archway Bridge Fencing Question No: 2017/3322 Joanne McCartney When do you expect TfL to install additional fencing onto Archway Bridge?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
A new bus route Question No: 2017/3323 Florence Eshalomi There is a growing demand in my constituency for a bus route (and night bus route) from Streatham to Vauxhall. Would you ask TfL to investigate the options for establishing such a route?
The Mayor
Vauxhall is at the heart of one of London's Opportunity Areas and as such Transport for London (TfL) has been strengthening bus service provision there, including the recent diversion of route 436.
To understand the case for a new route for Streatham, TfL looked at demand on a similar link from the Tulse Hill area, where a direct service operates on route 2. There are currently 240 passenger journeys a day between Vauxhall and Norwood Road, which suggests that an additional service from Streatham to Vauxhall would not be good value for money at present.
Passengers wishing to travel to Vauxhall from Streatham can make this journey by using one of six high-frequency bus routes on Streatham High Road. They can then change on to high- frequency bus route 2 for free at Brixton thanks to the new Hopper fare, or transfer on to the Victoria Line at Brixton station.
Given growth in Vauxhall, TfL will continue to examine the opportunities for a direct link. Lambeth Country Show Question No: 2017/3324 Florence Eshalomi Mayor, would you share my praise for everyone who was involved with the successful running of the Lambeth Country Show. Everyone from the Council and Police to the performers and stall holders made it a special event. This event shows the deep community bounds within Lambeth and is something which we should all celebrate.
The Mayor
I think local events like the Lambeth Country Show are an excellent opportunity to bring communities together, an important part of encouraging social integration. Planning and delivering these events only happens with the help, support and enormous amount of work from many partners and stakeholders for which they should be congratulated.
Question Title; Camberwell Station Question No: 2017/3325 Florence Eshalomi With the increasing pressure on bus services in South London and if the proposed Bakerloo line extension heads through Old Kent Road do you agree with me and my constituents when we feel it is time to look at the possibility of re-opening Camberwell Station?
The Mayor
I agree that this is an interesting proposal. Transport for London (TfL) is carrying out a study of the potential benefits and costs of re-opening Camberwell National Rail station on its former site, and of introducing an associated extra stop on Thameslink services to serve Camberwell.
This includes examining whether the benefits of faster journey times to the new rail service users at Camberwell, including those diverted from using bus services, would outweigh the costs of increased journey times to existing Thameslink rail service users, while taking account of future growth.
TfL has been working with both Network Rail and the London Borough of Southwark on this study, and expects to publish results this autumn. The London Overground through Brixton and Loughborough Junction Question No: 2017/3326 Florence Eshalomi Will the Mayor look again at options for having the London Overground line stopping at Loughborough Junction, East Brixton or Brixton Stations?
The Mayor
The London Borough of Lambeth, in collaboration with Transport for London, undertook feasibility studies in 2014 and again in 2016. They identified that building new platforms to allow London Overground services to call at Loughborough Junction, Brixton or East Brixton would offer strategic benefits but would be very expensive owing to the complex engineering on this elevated, steep and curved railway.
The estimated costs at each station were as follows:
Brixton: between £80m and £120m
East Brixton: between £30m and £50m
Loughborough Junction: circa £86m
Because of the high costs involved, none of these would represent good value for money. Given how recently this has been studied, I do not believe that looking again at this can be justified.
Victoria Line Extension Question No: 2017/3327 Florence Eshalomi It is 46 years since the Victoria line was extended south of the river to Brixton. As the current consultation for Crossrail 2 is looking to avoid relieving the huge commuter pressures in Streatham and south London will the Mayor begin to look at extending the Victoria Line South?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly. Police Station Closures (1) Question No: 2017/3328 Florence Eshalomi What extra assurance can you make to the people of Lambeth that they will not see a rise in crime if your proposed changes to Police Stations go ahead?
The Mayor
There is no link between the presence of a police station and levels of crime. The large majority of crimes are responded to by officers out in communities, such as response officers who patrol hotspots, rather than wait in police buildings to be deployed. By closing underused stations we can ensure the numbers of these officers are kept as high as possible so that they can respond to crime and keep out communities safe, rather than spending our reducing budgets on buildings.
Police Station Closures (2) Question No: 2017/3329 Florence Eshalomi What extra assurance can you make to the people of Southwark that they will not see a rise in crime if your proposed changes to Police Stations go ahead?
The Mayor
Please see my response to MQ 2017/3328.
Homeless and Waterloo Station Question No: 2017/3330 Florence Eshalomi Do you think that banning individuals from purchasing sandwiches for those who are homeless is an effective way of solving the Homeless crisis in London?
The Mayor
Absolutely not. I understand that, quite rightly, neither Network Rail, British Transport Police nor the outlet involved in the recent incident at Waterloo station to which I believe your question refers have a policy prohibiting the sale of refreshments for homeless people. Zero Suicide City Question No: 2017/3331 Onkar Sahota Will you support the Health Committee aspiration of making London a Zero Suicide City?
The Mayor
In 2015, 735 Londoners took their own lives. The zero suicide approach is based in the belief that suicide is not inevitable. Thrive LDN which launched in July includes an aspiration for a zero suicide city.
Using TfL Advertising for Health promotion Question No: 2017/3332 Onkar Sahota In the excellent ThriveLDN campaign you have used TfL advert space to promote public health. This was a recommendation from the Lord Darzi London Health Commission. Is this something you would be happy to continue with other public health campaigns?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Eye Healthcare in London (1) Question No: 2017/3333 Onkar Sahota Would the London Health Board examine the fragmentation of Eye Care services as expressed by those giving evidence to the Health Committee in June?
The Mayor
Thank you for the Committee's work and for bringing this to my attention. I will raise the issue at my next meeting with NHS England's Regional Director for London.
Eye Healthcare in London (2) Question No: 2017/3334 Onkar Sahota Would you use you convening powers to assist in the development of adequate pathways from diagnosis to assistance, both practical and mental assistance, for those diagnosed with degenerative eye conditions in London?
The Mayor
This is an important issue. I will raise the issue at my next meeting with NHS England's Regional Director for London. Priority Seating Passed for Non-Visible Disabilities Question No: 2017/3335 Onkar Sahota I have been asked by a constituent: What progress has the Mayor made toward identifying what can be done to assist public transport users accessing priority seats for those with non- visible disabilities, who might otherwise be embarrassed to ask other passengers to move?
The Mayor
In April, Transport for London (TfL) launched the 'Please offer me a seat' badge and card for people who find it difficult to stand when using public transport and struggle to find a seat. Customers can apply for a badge and card via the TfL website at https://tfl.gov.uk/transport- accessibility/please-offer-me-a-seat or by calling 0343 222 1234.
So far, TfL has distributed more than 21,000 badges and cards. It has been welcomed by many groups including TfL's Valuing People group for people with learning difficulties, Scope, the RNIB and Leonard Cheshire.
It remains a priority for TfL to consider how it can further improve the customer experience and accessibility of the network for those with non-visible impairments. TfL is working closely with charities and organisations that represent customers with these impairments.
Perivale Footbridge Question No: 2017/3336 Onkar Sahota What actions can the Mayor take both with TfL and the Metropolitan Police to better secure the Perivale Footbridge that spans the A40, given the recent incidents of crime, and will he work with the local authority to ensure that the issues of responsibility for foliage, lighting and CCTV do not delay this?
The Mayor
Thank you for raising this issue with me. I have asked Transport for London to work with the local Metropolitan Police Service Safer Transport and Safer Neighbourhood Teams alongside the local authority to investigate the issues in this area and pull together a plan of action for tackling identified issues. This will include an investigation into lighting and CCTV in the area.
I am pleased to confirm that the overhanging foliage has been cut back in the interim and this will improve visibility in the area. London Motorcycle Museum Question No: 2017/3337 Onkar Sahota What support is the Mayor able to provide the London Motorcycle Museum in Greenford, West London, and will he ask his culture team to explore what efforts can be made to celebrate London's strong motorcycling history?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Ealing Police Station Question No: 2017/3338 Onkar Sahota Will the Mayor clarify the future plans for police presence in Ealing, given that both the Ealing Police Station is earmarked for disposal, and that plans have progressed for the decanting of Perceval House, the Ealing Council Headquarters, where there were plans previously for the Police to relocate to?
The Mayor
The Draft Public Access and Engagement Strategy consultation document sets out the buildings that are proposed for release and can be found at: https://www.london.gov.uk/public-access.
The retained buildings in Ealing are proposed to be Acton Police Station and Rowdell Road (MRD Northolt). In the coming months, discussions will take place with local authorities regarding options for collaboration and sharing space.
Southall Police Station Question No: 2017/3339 Onkar Sahota What assurances can the Mayor offer to residents in Southall that changes to Southall Police station will not detract from frontline policing within the community, given community concerns over higher than average crime rates in the area?
The Mayor
Please see my response to MQ 2017/3328. Sister Supporters Ealing Question No: 2017/3340 Onkar Sahota Will the Mayor confirm the costs associated with policing anti-choice protesters at the Mattock Lane Marie Stopes Clinic in Ealing, and will he confirm how many times officers have been deployed to that location in the last year in order to maintain the peace?
The Mayor
In the last year the MPS have been called and deployed 41 times to the clinic at 87 Mattock Lane. In addition, on six Saturdays in the last year two local officers have been posted to the venue to deal with to pre-planned protests. On these days numbers of officers varied throughout the day and the length of the posting varied.
Given these circumstances it is not possible to provide costs for such deployments. Neither is it possible to attribute all these deployments to 'anti-choice' protesters.
Southall Jobcentre Question No: 2017/3343 Onkar Sahota Given the Mayor's considerable involvement in the devolution of the Health & Work programme, alongside the considerable programmes supporting Londoners into jobs, does he feel that the DWP's decision to close Southall JCP, along with a number of other JCPs in London, is a retrograde step, particularly considering that the JCP in Southall serves a community disproportionately impacted by low employment, underemployment and low pay?
The Mayor
Yes, I do feel that DWP's decision to close several JCP sites across London a retrograde step. In March 2017, I wrote to Damien Hinds in his capacity as Minister of State for Employment to express my concerns about the planned closures. I consider that JCP closures will disproportionally affect the most vulnerable Londoners who will potentially be forced to travel further and incur additional travel costs in order to access JCP services.
The Minister responded to my letter, stating changes including the relocation and closure of JCP sites are necessary in order to deliver best value for the tax payer and he assured me that all efforts have been made to maintain JCP services and to minimise the impact on JCP service users' travel. Yiewsley Swimming Pool Question No: 2017/3344 Onkar Sahota Given the Mayor's drive to encourage active lifestyles, will the Mayor join with calls from residents in Yiewsley to help secure a new leisure centre for the community, given that the previous facility was demolished in 2010 by the Council, with the promise of its replacement which has yet to happen seven years later?
The Mayor
I am passionate about making our city a more active place and believe that sport has the ability to change lives, build stronger communities and improve the health and wellbeing of all Londoners.
Responsibility lies with Hillingdon Council for the replacement of the leisure centre. I recognise the importance of providing sustainable sports facilities across London and would encourage all London boroughs to make decisions about their sports facilities based on robust evidence about need and viability. This can best be achieved by working with Sport England and British Swimming (the sport's governing body) to identify investment opportunities and how such funding aligns with the long-terms plans for their sport. I would be happy to help facilitate a meeting with them and other potential stakeholders, including London Sport, if that would be helpful. Police Custody - Mental Health Detainees Question No: 2017/3345 Navin Shah Police custody is under the spotlight again and police forces are under pressure to support detainees suffering from mental health crises and prevent deaths. With changes in Policing and Crime Act can you update what is the Met Police doing to improve the situation to support mental health detainees?
The Mayor
Improving access to mental health services, including for those in crisis and/or in police custody, is one of my top priorities in my Health Inequality Strategy. The Metropolitan Police Service has been developing its response to the growing number of people with mental ill health coming into contact with officers for some time and certainly prior to the enactment of the Policing and Crime Act (PACA) 2017.
The police play a key role in identifying and managing vulnerable individuals within the community and there has been significant progress in reducing the number of Section 136 detentions in police custody. This has been achieved by ensuring officers are trained to identify detainees' vulnerabilities and through working with NHS England to implement street triage schemes and Liaison and Diversion services across London, which provide the MPS with real time access to professional advice and referral pathways into treatment services. In addition, the MPS has been working with the Healthy London Partnership on the development of the London Section 136 (Mental Health Act) pathway and Health Based Places of Safety Specification, which should ensure that those detained under Section 136 are offered timely, high-quality care, in an appropriate location, that puts their needs first.
Network Rail - Refurbishment of Rail Bridge in Harrow Question No: 2017/3346 Navin Shah A local Ward Councillor has raised with me a query regarding the refurbishment of a bridge over Carmelite Road to Pinner Park Gardens in Harrow. Can you please assist us in Network Rail providing assistance to take forward the issue to improve the present state of the rail bridge.
The Mayor
Transport for London has raised the issue with Network Rail, and asked them to get in touch with you to discuss this further.
Harrow & Wealdstone Station - Repair of Clocks Question No: 2017/3347 Navin Shah When will the clocks at Harrow and Wealdstone Station be repaired?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly. Bus Routes H18 and H19 Question No: 2017/3348 Navin Shah Last summer a question on the frequency of the H18/H19 around school times was answered that a survey would be undertaken. Was this survey carried out? If so, what was the outcome?
The Mayor
A survey was carried out on 19 October 2016.
It found that around 180 passengers left the stop at Headstone Lane in the 15 minutes after school closing time. Routes H12 and H18 run in parallel there, and the total capacity of the buses scheduled for departure during this time is 195 passengers. The survey therefore showed that there is sufficient total capacity around school times, although not everybody will be able to board the first bus.
Transport for London (TfL) believes this level of service is adequate at present, but as demand is increasing it will keep this under review and will carry out further surveys this autumn.
Modular Homes Question No: 2017/3349 Navin Shah Are factory built, one/two bedroom, 26 m2 modular units proposed by Legal & General Homes (Leeds) part of solution to tackle housing crisis? The proposed space standard is much lower than the minimum 37m2 required in London Plan for 1 person dwelling units. As per a recent report Britain already has some of the smallest homes in Europe with the average new-build home around 76 m2 compared with 137 m2 in Denmark. Does lowering of the unit size race to the bottom? What is your position on reduction/flexibility of space standards?
The Mayor
I am keen to support and promote the modernisation of London's construction industry through more precision manufacturing of homes. This approach to construction is an essential part of tackling the housing crisis by speeding up build out rates and helping to address the construction skills shortage.
I also believe that maintaining space standards is extremely important to ensure homes are of adequate size and fit for purpose, particularly as development becomes denser. I do not support a reduction of minimum space standards.
The current London Plan provides some flexibility on space standards if the proposal is of exemplary design and helps deliver other objectives and policies of the Plan. However, I believe the use of such flexibility should be limited so as not to undermine the standards. 'A Skilful Exit' Question No: 2017/3350 Navin Shah A report 'A Skilful Exit (What Small Firms Want From Brexit)' by the Federation of Small Businesses seeks a transition period for its members whereby the existing immigration arrangements continue after Brexit until a new system is in place. FSB's research shows that "EU workers play an important role in helping to plug chronic skills gaps in key occupations and sectors…. The report strongly demonstrates, the ability to hire people with the right skills, and to do business across UK-EU borders, is fundamental to small firms' survival and growth." How can the Mayor help small businesses / FSB in this instance?
The Mayor
I want the UK to remain in the Single Market. It is vital for London that we keep a flexible approach to migration and wider trade in goods, services and capital. This creates more opportunities for Londoners. My skills strategy due to be published next year will set out my vision to ensure Londoners and London's businesses have access to the skills they need to succeed. My Growth Hub will continue to provide business support to start-ups and SMEs to growth; My International Business Programme delivered through London & Partners will continue to help fast growing companies to export to new markets.
Holiday Child Care Question No: 2017/3351 Navin Shah Family and Childcare Trust survey findings suggest holiday childcare costs have risen and at the same time availability has dropped. Costs have risen by 4% since 2016 which is average of £124 for one week of holiday childcare. Costs in London have risen by 10 % to £112 per week in Inner London and £135 per week in Outer London. Further worry related to supply is that In Inner London, 44 % of local authorities reported they have enough childcare for parents working full time, but only 18 per cent of local authorities in Outer London. This is very worrying situation - overall this is a very worrying picture and in particular Outer London fares so badly. Is there anyway the Mayor can assist to deal with the inequality?
The Mayor
I have commissioned the Family and Childcare Trust to deliver a project to improve the availability of useful data to better support early years and childcare in London. x The GLA we will publish a toolkit this autumn to help local authorities develop their Childcare Sufficiency Assessments (these include childcare provision up to the age of 14, or until the age of 18 in the case of children with a disability).
The toolkit will also identify good, local practice in improving access to childcare and outcomes for children. I hope this will make it easier for London local authorities to manage their childcare markets effectively and help families find the childcare that is right for them. Tasers Question No: 2017/3352 Navin Shah The toolkit for Met police officers in dealing with crime has been boosted by the announcement of an increase in Taser carrying officers. In October 2013, Police and Crime Committee produced a report into the rollout of Tasers which recommended 'a proposed programme of public engagement by the MPS to allow it and MOPAC to hear from those directly affected by the changes, before they are agreed'. Would it be fair to say that this decision has been taken without this recommendation having been fully implemented?
The Mayor
The deployment of Tasers to police officers is an operational matter and consequently is within the gift of the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. The Commissioner discussed the decision and the reasoning for it with the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime. An engagement plan was put in place to inform Londoners of the decision and the rationale for it.
Debts of the Arcelor Mittal Orbit Question No: 2017/3353 Navin Shah When does the Mayor believe the Arcelor Mittal Orbit will be "established" and sustainably profitable enough to repay all of its debts?
The Mayor
The ArcelorMittal is already established and the addition of the Slide has been a great success.
LLDC has no obligation to repay any of the loan or interest until there is an operating surplus and then only 50% of the year on year surplus until the loan and interest is repaid.
LLDC aims to pay off the loan as soon as possible but there is no end date to the loan term.
Taylor Review (1) Question No: 2017/3355 Fiona Twycross What representations will you make to the Government to express your disappointment with the recommendations of the Taylor Review?
The Mayor
I intend to discuss the Taylor review with The Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy at our next meeting. State pension (1) Question No: 2017/3356 Fiona Twycross How many Londoners are affected by the Government's decision to bring forward the increase in state pension age from 2044 to 2037-39?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
State pension (2) Question No: 2017/3357 Fiona Twycross Will you write to the Work and Pensions Secretary for assurances that support will be provided for those who are unable to work until the increased state pension age and to ensure that low- paid workers do not face insecurity later in life?
The Mayor
Recent weeks have seen growing evidence that raising the state pension age for women is hitting the poorest hardest. It is the poorest pensioners who are least able to work into their later years - mainly as a result of ill health.
Inequalities in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy demand that the government intervene to help those unable to compensate for the loss of pension income by maintaining or boosting their employment income.
I am happy to write to the Work and Pensions Secretary to seek the assurances that you describe. Wealth gap Question No: 2017/3358 Fiona Twycross Can you tell me what the gap between the richest and poorest Londoner is, for each year from 2010 to present? How does this compare to the national average?
The Mayor
The official source of data on wealth is the Wealth and Assets Survey (WAS), produced by the ONS. This uses 3-year survey periods due to the intensity of the survey methodology. Data from the WAS suggests the wealth at the 10th, 50th and 90th percentile of the distribution for the 2010-12 and 2012-14 survey periods were for London:
London Great Britain July 2010 to June 2012 10th percentile £6,800 £12,900 50th percentile £210,500 £216,500 90th percentile £1,084,200 £914,600
July 2012 to June 2014 10th percentile £4,600 £12,600 50th percentile £239,300 £225,100 90th percentile £1,356,900 £1,048,500 These figures refer to total net wealth and the units of measurement are households. This measure incorporates net property wealth, physical wealth, net financial wealth and private pension wealth. It does not include business assets owned by household members or rights to state pensions. Pay Question No: 2017/3359 Fiona Twycross Please provide data for nominal and real rates of average pay in London for 2015 and 2016.
The Mayor
Average annual earnings of full-time workers mean median £ nominal real nominal real 2015 46,946 47,087 35,303 35,409 2016 48,059 48,059 36,302 36,032 Earnings data is from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Real earnings figures are in 2016 prices, and calculated by applying ONS's annual UK Consumer Price Index series for April to ASHE data.
This data is available on London Datastore.
London Living Wage (1) Question No: 2017/3360 Fiona Twycross How many Londoners are currently paid the London Living Wage?
The Mayor
The current London Living Wage, for 2016/17, is £9.75. At April 2016, the last date for which there is earnings data, 2,521,000 jobs held by London residents 18 or over had hourly earnings (excluding overtime) of this rate or more, and 829,000 jobs held by London residents 18 or over had lower hourly earnings (excluding overtime). Please note that the earnings distribution will have changed between April 2016 and April 2017 so the figures provided do not compare the current London Living Wage with relevant earnings estimates.
London Living Wage (2) Question No: 2017/3361 Fiona Twycross How many Londoners were paid the London Living Wage when you took office?
The Mayor
At the time of the London Mayoral election in May 2016 the London Living Wage was £9.40. At April 2016, the nearest date for which there is data, 2,600,000 jobs held by London residents 18 or over had hourly earnings (excluding overtime) of this rate or more, and 751,000 jobs held by London residents 18 or over had lower hourly earnings (excluding overtime). London Living Wage (3) Question No: 2017/3362 Fiona Twycross How many jobs in London currently pay the London Living Wage?
The Mayor
The current London Living Wage, for 2016/17, is £9.75. At April 2016, the last date for which there is earnings data, 3,213,000 jobs of people 18 or over in London had hourly earnings (excluding overtime) of this rate or more, and 878,000 jobs of people 18 or over in London had lower hourly earnings (excluding overtime). Please note that the earnings distribution will have changed between April 2016 and April 2017 so the figures provided do not compare the current London Living Wage with relevant earnings estimates.
London Living Wage (4) Question No: 2017/3363 Fiona Twycross How many jobs in London paid the London Living Wage when you took office?
The Mayor
At the time of the London Mayoral election in May 2016 the London Living Wage was £9.40. At April 2016, the nearest date for which there is data, 3,294,000 jobs in London had hourly earnings (excluding overtime) of this rate or more, and 796,000 jobs in London had lower hourly earnings (excluding overtime).
EU citizens (1) Question No: 2017/3364 Fiona Twycross How many EU citizens currently work in London's retail sector?
The Mayor
In 2016, data from the Annual Population Survey indicates that, there were 52,000 jobs held by EU nationals (excluding British nationals) working in the retail sector in London, or 13% of the London retail workforce jobs.
Further information is available at Jobs in London by SIC, SOC, HiQual, COB, NAT and age, 2016 - Office for National Statistics. EU citizens (2) Question No: 2017/3365 Fiona Twycross How many EU citizens work in London's education sector? Please break down by role if possible.
The Mayor
In 2016, data from the Annual Population Survey indicates that there were 60,000 jobs held by EU nationals (excluding British nationals) working in the education sector in London, or 12% of the London education workforce jobs.
Further information is available at Jobs in London by SIC, SOC, HiQual, COB, NAT and age, 2016 - Office for National Statistics
EU citizens (3) Question No: 2017/3366 Fiona Twycross How many EU citizens currently work in London's emergency services? Please break down by role if possible.
The Mayor
Unfortunately, this information is not available from the administrative data to which the GLA Group has access.
With regards to national statistics, neither the 2007 Standard Industrial Classification nor the 2010 Standard Occupational Classhas a category for emergency services, and there is no simple way to classify them.
By industry most staff are within section O (public administration) while ambulance services are part of class86.90 (other human health activities).
By occupation most emergency service staff work in sub-major group 33 (protective service occupations of major group 3 of associate professional and technical occupations) while senior managers are in unit groups 1172 and 1173, paramedics are part of unit group 3213, and ambulance drivers are in unit group 6142.
Further information is available at Jobs in London by SIC, SOC, HiQual, COB, NAT and age, 2016 - Office for National Statistics
Answers can be provided for defined service categories. The standard industrial classification can be found at: https://onsdigital.github.io/dp-classification-tools/standard-industrial- classification/ONS_SIC_hierarchy_view.html , and the standard occupational classification can be found at https://onsdigital.github.io/dp-classification-tools/standard-occupational- classification/ONS_SOC_hierarchy_view.html. EU citizens (4) Question No: 2017/3367 Fiona Twycross How many EU citizens currently work in London's hospitality sector? Please break down by role if possible.
The Mayor
The 2007 Standard Industrial Classification does not provide a categorisation of the hospitality sector. It does however define an accommodation and food service activities sector.
In 2016, data from the Annual Population Survey indicates that there were 88,000 jobs held by EU nationals (excluding British nationals) working in accommodation and food service activities in London, or 35% of the London workforce jobs in the sector.
Further information is available at Jobs in London by SIC, SOC, HiQual, COB, NAT and age, 2016 - Office for National Statistics
EU citizens (5) Question No: 2017/3368 Fiona Twycross How many EU citizens currently work in London's adult social care? Please break down by role if possible.
The Mayor
ONS produces analysis of adult social care expenditure for work on public sector finances. However, neither the 2007 Standard Industrial Classification nor the 2010 Standard Occupational Classhas a category for adult social care, and there is no simple way to report the number of EU citizens working in this field.
SIC2007 does, though, include a definition of human health and social work activities. In 2016, data from the Annual Population Survey indicates that there were 63,000 jobs held by EU nationals (excluding British nationals) working in human health and social work activities in London, or 11% of the London workforce jobs in the sector.
Further information is available at Jobs in London by SIC, SOC, HiQual, COB, NAT and age, 2016 - Office for National Statistics. EU citizens (6) Question No: 2017/3369 Fiona Twycross How many EU citizens currently work in London's creative industries? Please break down by role if possible.
The Mayor
In 2016, data from the Annual Population Survey indicates that there were 78,000 jobs held by EU nationals (excluding British nationals) working in the creative industries in London, or 12% of the London workforce jobs in creative industries.
Jobs held in 2016 by EU nationals (excluding British nationals) by creative industry are:
Advertising and marketing 9,000 Architecture 6,000 Crafts and Design 8,000 Film, TV, video, radio and photography 10,000 IT, software and computer services 26,000 Museums, galleries and libraries, Music, performing and visual arts 7,000 Publishing 10,000 Total jobs in all Creative Industries 78,000 Note: numbers may not add up due to rounding
Further information is available at Jobs in London in the creative industries and creative economy by nationality, 2016 - Office for National Statistics
Artists Workspace (1) Question No: 2017/3370 Fiona Twycross What is your latest estimate of the amount of artist workspace in London?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly. Artists Workspace (2) Question No: 2017/3371 Fiona Twycross How many artists are on waiting lists for studio space in London?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Artists in London Question No: 2017/3372 Fiona Twycross What is your latest estimate of the number of artists in London?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Women in the Creative Industries Question No: 2017/3373 Fiona Twycross Your recent working paper on the creative industries found that 35.6% of creative economy jobs are filled by women, compared to 45.5% of jobs outside the creative economy. What action are you taking to address this imbalance?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
BAME Representation in the Creative Industries Question No: 2017/3374 Fiona Twycross Your recent working paper on the creative industries found that 23.4% of creative economy jobs are filled by BAME groups, compared to 32.9% of jobs outside the creative economy. What action are you taking to address this imbalance?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly. Working ClassRepresentation in the Creative Industries Question No: 2017/3375 Fiona Twycross Your recent working paper on the creative industries found that 95% of creative economy jobs are filled by people from more advantaged groups, leaving just 5% of jobs filled by less advantaged groups. What action are you taking to address this imbalance?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.
Working ClassAccess to Culture Question No: 2017/3376 Fiona Twycross What more can you do to improve access to culture for those from less advantaged socioeconomic groups?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly. Arts Participation by Borough Question No: 2017/3377 Fiona Twycross Thank you for your answer to MQ 2017/2996. Further to that, is it possible for you to provide me with a breakdown by borough for each year since 2013 of the percentage of people who:
Used a public library service in the past 12 months
Visited a museum or gallery in the past 12 months
Attended an arts event or participated in an arts activity at least three times in the past 12 months?
The Mayor
The information is in theory available from the "Taking Part" Survey, however the GLA Intelligence Unit has reviewed this data and recommend against using it at local authority level. This is due to sample sizes at this lower level being too small to provide meaningful estimates.
The survey does, however, provide figures for London as a whole:
39.4 per cent of Londoners used a public library service in 2015/16.
62.8 per cent visited a museum or gallery in 2015/16.
61.1 per cent of Londoners participated in an arts activity or attended an arts event at least once in past 12 months when asked.
Previous years' data is available through the London Datastore: https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/use-public-libraries-visits-museums-and-galleries-and- engagement-arts
Night time Overground Services Question No: 2017/3378 Fiona Twycross When will night time services on the Overground be extended to the full length of the line?
The Mayor
Please see my response to MQ 2017/3102.