Questions to the Mayor 25 February, 2019 ANSWERED QUESTIONS PAPER Subject: MQT on 25 February, 2019 Report of: Executive Director of Secretariat Inclusive Public Seating Question No: 2019/3801 Jennette Arnold OBE Many older people and others with back problems need to use seating with a back. Backless public seating excludes these Londoners from enjoying public spaces. Will this be considered in future developments funded or part-funded by the Mayor? Inclusive Public Seating The Mayor Last updated: 28 February, 2019 Through policy and City Hall funding programmes, I am addressing accessibility to ensure that London’s spaces and places are as inclusive as possible. I am committed to fostering an open network of well-designed and functional public spaces that create an accessible urban environment for all ages. Through my Good Growth by Design programme I am implementing this through a commitment to delivering high quality design. I would consider it good practice when providing seating that it is comfortable and easy to sit on and get up from for as many people as possible. Designing seating with backs and armrests is a good way of achieving this. I have made design reviews an important part of City Hall funded programmes to ensure quality and accessibility are integrated into projects. My draft London Plan has an important role to play in keeping standards high in the built environment and will be used to embed good design quality principles in new spaces. Through Policy D7 of the draft Plan, I am encouraging all development plans and proposals to include appropriate types and amounts of seating in the public realm. W12 bus route Question No: 2019/3802 Jennette Arnold OBE Please provide the full data used to show that the W12 bus route had been underused and also to provide the response to Question 2018/0812. Answer for W12 bus route The Mayor Last updated: 28 February, 2019 Officers are drafting a response W12 bus route The Mayor Last updated: 12 March, 2019 The data used is set out in my response to Mayor’sQuestion 2018/0812. Usage of the route has shown a slight decline over 2018 of about 3 per cent, and there remains sufficient capacity. The daily boardings on the W12 between January and February 2019 are around 1,900 per weekday. This compares to about 2,010 daily in a similar period last year. Surveys at the busiest point on the route, at Walthamstow Bus Station, carried out in March 2018 after the service change, showed that the busiest bus had a load of 26 passengers (at 15.45 towards Wanstead). The average load at Walthamstow on the W12 during the peak periods was 19 passengers per bus. The capacity of each bus is 40 passengers. Please see Appendix A which shows weekly boardings between December 2015 – January 2019 and Appendix B which shows the surveys carried out at Walthamstow Bus Station. Transport for London will be carrying out more surveys on the route in the next few weeks to check on the current situation. Please also see my response to Mayor’s Question 2019/3085. W12 Bus Size (1) Question No: 2019/3803 Jennette Arnold OBE In Question 2018/0812 your response states that the capacity of W12 buses at the time was 40 seats. This is incorrect. The capacity is of the Optare Solos running on this route is 21 seats. Due to the narrow residential streets it serves the W12 has always been this size, including in March last year when this answer was provided. Please explain how this flawed data was used to reduce the W12 bus service? Answer for W12 Bus Size (1) The Mayor Last updated: 28 February, 2019 Officers are drafting a response W12 Bus Size (1) The Mayor Last updated: 12 March, 2019 The total capacity of buses used on route W12 is 40 passengers, not 40 seats as stated in my response to Mayor’s Question 2018/0812. I apologise for the error in the previous answer. I am informed by Transport for London (TfL) that its capacity analysis for the route was based on the buses having a maximum capacity of around 35 passengers to. This allows for daily fluctuations in demand. As stated in my response to Mayor’s Question 2019/3084, TfL’s most recent analysis, using data from September 2018, identified that there remains sufficient capacity for demand on this route. W12 Bus Service (2) Question No: 2019/3804 Jennette Arnold OBE As the improvement works at Walthamstow Central are coming to an end, what plans are there to reassess the need for an improved W12 Bus Service? W12 Bus Service (2) The Mayor Last updated: 28 February, 2019 Transport for London’s (TfL’s) most recent examination of capacity requirements on route W12, using data from September 2018, identified that there remains sufficient capacity (based on 35 passengers per bus). TfL will conduct a further capacity examination in September 2019 once roadworks in Walthamstow are complete. Prevent Strategy and Safeguarding Question No: 2019/3805 Jennette Arnold OBE A recent Guardian Article1 describes a 13 year old child being removed from lessons and questioned alone by police. Do you think there should be another adult present during these interactions? 1 https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jan/27/prevent-muslim-community… Prevent Strategy and Safeguarding The Mayor Last updated: 28 February, 2019 Yes, I agree that a responsible adult should also be present during these interactions. Positive Image and Countering Violent Extremism Question No: 2019/3806 Jennette Arnold OBE The means of questioning described by the Guardian1 is one of singling children out from their peers (by being taken out of lessons) and then being questioned by police alone. This led to feelings of humiliation and vulnerability as described in the article. I understand that your Countering Violent Extremism programme has highlighted that Prevent can alienate some communities.2 How will your Countering Violent Extremism Programme combat this feeling of alienation and will it propose specific improvements to processes within Prevent which could be seen to alienate some communities? 1 https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jan/27/prevent-muslim-community- discrimination?CMP=share_btn_link 2 https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/mayor-calls-for-effort-to-tackle- violent-extremism Positive Image and Countering Violent Extremism The Mayor Last updated: 28 February, 2019 I asked my Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) programme to deliver a full and frank assessment of existing counter extremism activity (including that of Prevent). Initial findings showed that whilst good work is delivered by the strategy, significant improvements need to be made to increase trust across some London communities and avoid the stigmatisation and alienation of entire ethnic, religious or cultural groups. There is a role for all of Londoners in tackling the spread of violent extremism, but initial findings from my programme show that unfortunately, the Prevent strategy is failing some of the communities that most desperately need it. I welcome the recent government announcement of an independent review of Prevent to ensure a better programme that has greater community confidence and engagement. My CVE programme will make recommendations around the need for improved and renewed efforts to strengthen communities; safeguard the vulnerable and stop the spread of extremist ideology. We will continually seek and take account of the views of London’s communities, ensuring that those elements of counter radicalisation work that are successful are built upon and used effectively; and those that are not, or could be done better, are revised and improved. Countering Violent Extremism Question No: 2019/3807 Jennette Arnold OBE What training is given to those on the frontline of the Countering Violent Extremism Strategy to ensure that children are not questioned without good reason? Countering Violent Extremism The Mayor Last updated: 28 February, 2019 City Hall officials leading my Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) programme have significant safeguarding experience and have not sought to individually question any children or adults. I stated that my CVE programme would be shaped by the views of experts; stakeholders and all the capital’s communities. Officials have delivered the most comprehensive listening exercise ever in this policy area. Through this, the views of young people have been sought but this has always been done sensitively, with consideration to age appropriateness and most importantly in collaboration with the relevant schools and civil society group practitioners who are responsible for these young people. Communities and Countering Violent Extremism Question No: 2019/3808 Jennette Arnold OBE How has the Countering Violent Extremism engaged with communities in order to ensure that police are working alongside them? Communities and Countering Violent Extremism The Mayor Last updated: 28 February, 2019 My Countering Violent Extremism programme has delivered the most comprehensive listening exercise ever in this policy area. This has included my City Hall officials engaging over 1400 individuals representing experts; stakeholders and London’s diverse communities. The running of a formal consultation offer, open to all Londoners, which we received over 1300 completed responses to. The delivery of small grants to civil society groups to engage at arm’s length with ‘hard to engage’ London communities and the commissioning of research with a representative group of over 1000 Londoners. We need communities to work closely with the police to find lasting solutions that will stop the spread of violent extremism and to report concerns around anyone they think is being groomed or radicalised by extremists. Therefore, my CVE programme has focussed much on this area and will make recommendations for improved and renewed efforts including for authorities to engage better with communities in the final report which will be published in the coming months.