Agenda Item 5 Questions to the Mayor Mayor's Question Time, 17 September 2020 PRIORITY ORDER PAPER Report No: 5 Subject: Questions to the Mayor Report of: Executive Director of Secretariat Londoners at risk of eviction during coronavirus Question No: 2020/2606 Siân Berry Given London’s high proportion of private renters, what more will you be doing to champion their right not to lose their homes as a result of this crisis? Air pollution and COVID-19 Question No: 2020/2974 Leonie Cooper As we move into a transition and recovery phase, how will you minimise London’s air pollution, particularly in light of the concerning link between air pollution and COVID-19? The Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm Question No: 2020/2912 Peter Whittle On what authority are you establishing the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm? Hammersmith Bridge Full Closure Question No: 2020/2857 Tony Arbour How long do you think it would be reasonable for there to be no direct crossing between Barnes and Hammersmith for buses, cars, ambulances, cyclists and pedestrians and a ban on boats navigating underneath Hammersmith Bridge? Page 1 Ultra Low Emission Zone Question No: 2020/2569 Caroline Pidgeon What will success look like for the Ultra Low Emission Zone extension? Supporting London’s workers Question No: 2020/3136 Joanne McCartney The government’s furlough scheme is currently planned to close by the end of October. Currently 32% of all eligible employments in London have been furloughed, disproportionally affecting the most disadvantaged communities. What more does the government need to do to ensure that London’s workers are protected, and our economy supported? The Current State of London’s Economy Question No: 2020/2746 Shaun Bailey What is your latest assessment of the current state of London’s economy? Public health after Public Health England Question No: 2020/3197 Onkar Sahota What does the scrapping of PHE and the establishment of a new National Institute for Health Protection mean for health protection and promotion in London? Budget repurposing Question No: 2020/2853 Susan Hall What were your guiding principles and priorities when repurposing your 2020-21 budget? BAME recruitment in Metropolitan Police Service Question No: 2020/3128 Florence Eshalomi MP What can be done to recruit more BAME officers into the Metropolitan Police Service? Page 2 Covid-19 Review of Mayoral Policies Question No: 2020/2661 Andrew Boff At our Health Committee on 12th August, Health inequalities specialist Professor Gurch Randhawa called for you to review your policies, including housing, in order to inject a greater public health approach into them. Nikki Morris, CEO of Age UK Camden has echoed that call so that you can take into account the mental health issues faced by people during lockdown and Vikki Nash, the Head of Policy and Campaigns at Mind, believes that housing is “absolutely key” to tackling Covid. Will you review your housing policies in the light of Lockdown? Impact of the End of the EU Transition Period on London Question No: 2020/2973 Leonie Cooper News from the UK/EU Brexit negotiations shows a lack of progress has been made and we are running out of time to allow businesses to prepare for upcoming rule changes. How will you make sure Londoners voices are heard in the ongoing Brexit negotiations between the UK and the EU? Impact of Covid-19 on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Question No: 2020/3170 Murad Qureshi May I congratulate the Mayor on his important achievements to support those Londoners that were rough sleeping during the pandemic. What progress has been made over the summer and what further steps are you taking to support Londoners who are sleeping rough as we head towards winter? Getting London Moving Question No: 2020/2684 Keith Prince Are you doing all that you can to get London moving? Crossrail Question No: 2020/2681 Gareth Bacon MP When will Crossrail open? Page 3 Rising Anti-Social Behaviour and Violent Crime Question No: 2020/3026 Unmesh Desai Calls to the Police relating to anti-social behaviour rose by over 160% during the first quarter of 2020/2021 and remain significantly higher than they were prior to the Covid-19 crisis. Violent crime has now also begun to rise sharply. How are you and the Met working to address these issues? Planning system changes and the impact on the high street Question No: 2020/3135 Nicky Gavron Do you think that the introduction this month of use-class E, that amalgamates a range of other use-classes without going through the planning system, is a good response to the issues that London high-streets have faced including issues resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic? Reducing ozone pollution in London Question No: 2020/2607 Caroline Russell In mid-August, London saw the most serious ozone air pollution episode in London since 2006. Defra says ozone behaves like nitrogen dioxide: “it irritates the airways of the lungs, increasing the symptoms of those suffering from lung diseases.” How are you reducing Londoners’ exposure to ozone? Exam results fiasco Question No: 2020/2947 Jennette Arnold OBE Although finally young Londoners were awarded the grades they deserve, the stress caused by the process has been profound, on top of the mental health toll of lockdown. How are your programmes such as Thrive LDN and the Young Londoners Fund supporting young people following the exam results fiasco? Protections for police officers Question No: 2020/2761 Steve O’Connell What progress has been made on providing greater protections for police officers? Page 4 Promoting a four-day working week Question No: 2020/2608 Siân Berry Do you support the principle of more London businesses moving to a four-day working week, where this can help retain jobs and reduce overcrowding on our roads and public transport, during the current crisis? Remediation of private sector and housing association owned tall buildings Question No: 2020/3146 Dr Alison Moore Are you satisfied with the arrangements and amounts available for meeting the cost of the remediation of private sector and housing association owned tall buildings with dangerous cladding; and the progress with such remediation work; and are you concerned about the demands on the LFB to inspect such buildings until remediated? Streetspace and Healthy Streets Question No: 2020/2913 David Kurten How will you ensure that your Streetspace and Healthy Streets programmes do not cause congestion on London’s roads? High rise firefighting after Grenfell Question No: 2020/3050 Andrew Dismore Please provide an update on the design and implementation of LFB’s PN633. Post-Pandemic London Preparation Question No: 2020/2900 Tony Devenish Have you acted swiftly and sufficiently enough to prepare Londoners and businesses for the lifestyle changes of a post-pandemic London? Page 5 QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN ANSWER Questions not asked during Mayor’s Question time will be given a written response by 22 September, 2020. Oakley Square North Question No: 2020/2570 Caroline Pidgeon The leader of Camden Council recently responded to residents of Oakley Square North who had contracted her relating to concerns about the impact of the cycle lane on the A400 stating: “We also note your concerns about the impact of this scheme on Oakley Square North. We wrote to TfL as they were preparing the scheme on the south side of the Square, which is on their network, and asked to ensure Oakley Square North was carefully monitored during the scheme to ensure any impacts on the north side (Camden’s road network) were assessed. We would therefore also be keen to know the outcomes of any information TfL are able to provide with respect to that agreed monitoring.” Please publish all monitoring that TfL has undertaken on all surrounding roads of the newly installed A400 cycle lane. Stag Brewery development Question No: 2020/2571 Caroline Pidgeon What assurances can you give local residents that in considering the revised planning application for this development that full consideration is being given to the traffic implications of the long-term closure of Hammersmith Bridge? London Overground services on Boxing Day Question No: 2020/2572 Caroline Pidgeon What level of services will operate on the London Overground on the 26 December 2020? Covid-19 Risk Reduction Actions for London Transport Workers Question No: 2020/2573 Caroline Pidgeon Point 3.29 of the minutes of the 10 September 2020 Safety, Sustainability and HR Panel Meeting states “We are considering whether we could have anticipated changes to that advice and implemented some of our actions earlier.” Why is this activity (a) being conducted internally and (b) was not included in Phase 1 of UCL IHE’s “Review into coronavirus infections and deaths among bus workers”? Page 6 Benchmarking London’s Transport Worker Covid-19 Deaths against Peer World Cities Question No: 2020/2574 Caroline Pidgeon Further to my Question 2020/2122 will you consider instructing an independent body to benchmark London against its peer world cities for deaths and hospitalisations of transport workers from Covid-19? Vision Zero Targets Question No: 2020/2575 Caroline Pidgeon Point 3.33 of the minutes of the 10 September Safety Sustainability and Human Resources Panel Meeting states “We will undoubtedly have less capital budget in the future. This means that achieving our ambitious targets for safety improvement, particularly around Vision Zero, will be inevitably more challenging.” If safety is, as you claim, top priority, are you now preparing the ground to abandon your Vision Zero targets? Step free access at London Underground stations Question No: 2020/2576 Caroline Pidgeon Please provide an update on the specific dates, by month, that London Underground stations will become step free during (1) 2020, and (2) 2021.