MINUTES Meeting: GLA Oversight Committee Date: Tuesday 3 November 2020 Time: 10.00 am Place: Virtual Meeting Copies of the minutes may be found at http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor-assembly/london- assembly/oversight Present: Len Duvall AM (Chair) Tony Arbour AM Siân Berry AM Joanne McCartney AM Steve O'Connell AM Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM Keith Prince AM Dr Onkar Sahota AM Navin Shah AM 1 Apologies for Absence and Chair's Announcements (Item 1) 1.1 The Chair explained that in accordance with Government regulations, the meeting was being held on a hybrid basis, with some Assembly Members present in City Hall and others participating remotely. 1.2 The Clerk read the roll-call of Assembly Members who were participating in the meeting. Apologies for absence were received from: Deputy Chairman Susan Hall AM, for whom Tony Arbour AM attended as a substitute: Andrew Boff AM for whom Steve O’Connell AM attended as a substitute; Unmesh Desai AM; and Peter Whittle AM. City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA Enquiries: 020 7983 4100 minicom: 020 7983 4458 www.london.gov.uk v1 2015 Greater London Authority GLA Oversight Committee Tuesday 3 November 2020 1.3 The Committee was informed that there were two items of urgent business which had been accepted by the Chair, in accordance with Section 100B(4)(B) of the Local Government Act 1972, namely items 12a and 12b, on the grounds that that the circumstances had arisen after the publication of the agenda and were required to be reported to the next meeting of the GLA Oversight Committee. 2 Declarations of Interests (Item 2) 2.1 The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat. 2.2 Resolved: That the list of offices held by Assembly Members, as set out in the table at Agenda Item 2, be noted as disclosable pecuniary interests. 3 Minutes (Item 3) 3.1 Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting of the GLA Oversight Committee held on 7 October 2020 be signed by the Chair as a correct record. 4 Summary List of Actions (Item 4) 4.1 The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat. 4.2 Resolved: (a) That the completed and outstanding actions arising from previous meetings of the GLA Oversight Committee, and additional correspondence sent and received, be noted; and (b) That, pursuant to Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, the information set out at Appendices 4 and 6 to the report be excluded from publication, on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined by Paragraph 3 of Schedule 12 A to the Local Government Act 1972, and it is considered that in the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, and to note the information. 2 Greater London Authority GLA Oversight Committee Tuesday 3 November 2020 Exclusion of Press and Public (Item 4a) 4.3 See minute 4.2 above. Summary List of Actions (Item 4b) 4.4 See minute 4.2 above. 5 Action Taken Under Delegated Authority (Item 5) 5.1 The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat setting out recent correspondence issued by the Chair of the GLA Oversight Committee under delegated authority. 5.2 Resolved: That the action taken by the Chair of the GLA Oversight Committee under delegated authority, in consultation with the Deputy Chairman, party Group Lead Members, Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM, and relevant Committee Chairs, namely to agree the following, be noted: (a) A COVID-19 Online Seminar Events Programme and a spend of up to £250 for the first event, with an additional £500 for two further provisional events; (b) A letter to the Secretary of State, Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, from the Housing and Environment Committees in regards to the Green Homes Grant and Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund; and (c) A letter to the Mayor, from the Fire, Resilience and Emergency Planning Committee (FREP) and Housing Committee in regards to External Wall Fire Review Forms. 5.3 In accordance with Standing Order 2.2D, agenda item 12b was considered as the next item of business by the Chair, with the remaining business taken in the order of the agenda, due to emerging information namely a decision published by the Mayor. 6 Relocation6 from City Hall (Item 12b) 6.1 The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat. 3 Greater London Authority GLA Oversight Committee Tuesday 3 November 2020 6.2 Mary Harpley, Chief Officer of the Greater London Authority, introduced the item detailing the decision taken by the Mayor to relocate City Hall to The Crystal, with the option for the London Assembly to occupy accommodation at Union Street. 6.3 The Chair emphasised the London Assembly as a whole would have preferred to remain located at City Hall. However, speaking in his capacity as Leader of the Labour Group, the Chair went on to explain that the London Assembly’s Labour Group held the view that the Assembly should not be separated from the Office of the Mayor of London, and therefore should be located in the same building. 6.4 Tony Arbour AM, speaking on behalf of the GLA Conservatives commented that the negotiations with the landlord at City Hall had not been robust enough and expressed that, as a majority, the Group regretted the decision taken by the Mayor. 6.5 For the benefit of members of the public the Chair explained that the decision taken by the Mayor to relocate City Hall was a decision that could be taken solely by the Mayor, and that legislation did not allow a formal role for the Assembly in the decision making. The Chair detailed that the Assembly had given its views on the decision both publicly and privately and demonstrated that it had influenced considerations taken into account by the Mayor. 6.6 The Chief Officer thanked the Assembly for its work in developing options and pushing the project team to be robust in assessing all the options. The Chief Officer indicated that, in her view, the project team had succeeded in getting to the best position in negotiations with the landlord of City Hall. 6.7 Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM, voiced regret at the Mayor’s decision to leave City Hall and that it was a mistake in the legislation for the decision to be a solely one for the Mayor as opposed to a joint decision with the Assembly. Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM further commented that moving to The Crystal was an exciting opportunity, that scrutiny would need to continue as the move is implemented, and that the Mayor and the Assembly should be located in the same place, and therefore supported the Assembly moving to The Crystal. 6.8 Siân Berry AM echoed previous comments and expressed regret at leaving the purpose-built City Hall, but stated that the view of the City Hall Greens was to remain located in the same place as the Mayor’s Office. Siân Berry AM noted that the Mayor had not attended any of the internal meetings of Group Leaders to engage with the Assembly which she found discourteous. 6.9 Onkar Sahota AM, whilst recognising the pressure on the Mayor and savings required, highlighted that a central London location made City Hall accessible to all Londoners and that would not be the case at The Crystal. 4 Greater London Authority GLA Oversight Committee Tuesday 3 November 2020 6.10 Navin Shah AM emphasised that only the option to move to The Crystal was presented for consultation and that the Assembly had worked hard to put forward other options for consideration. He went on to comment on the small size of The Crystal building and the fact that the Assembly had no voice in the decision making. 6.11 Joanne McCartney AM reminded the Committee that the GLA was facing severe cuts, there was to be a significant saving in moving to The Crystal, and that despite the regret felt by the Assembly it did present an opportunity to contribute to the regeneration of the Royal Docks. 6.12 The Chair requested that the Chief Officer look into the possibility of reserving desks at Union Street for Assembly staff, when their work required them to be in central London. 6.13 The Chief Officer committed to look into the options at Union Street for reserving desk space, acknowledged the input of the Assembly and Secretariat staff and thanked Members for the constructive dialogue and their engagement with the issue. 6.14 The Chair indicated that continued scrutiny of the relocation to The Crystal would be built into the Committee’s work programme. 6.15 Resolved: (a) That the decision taken by the Mayor, to relocate City Hall, be noted by the Committee on behalf of the London Assembly; and (b) That the Committee respond to the Mayor, regarding the Assembly’s preferred accommodation location in the context of the Mayor’s decision, the response being that the London Assembly remain located alongside the Mayor’s Office, noting the dissention of the GLA Conservatives. 7 Secretariat Quarterly Monitoring Report Q1 and Q2 2020-21 (Item 6) 7.1 The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat. 7.2 Resolved: That the core Secretariat quarterly review for the first and second quarters of 2020-21 (May-July and August-October 2020), be noted. 8 Draft Committee Timetable 2021-22 (Item 7) 8.1 The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat.