My Report from City Hall: No.2: 5th June to 4th July 2012

My report from City Hall

 No.2: 5th June to 4th July 2012

As promised in my last report, this is next in my new series of reports from City Hall about what I have been doing, including in the constituency, together with a few more general observations.

Please feel free to forward this email on to any other local residents or neighbours who you think might be interested in it. If they would like to receive their own copy in the future, they should email me at info@andrewdismore.org.uk, with their address in Barnet or Camden.

Introduction

Mayor’s Question Time

Since my last report, we have had two MQTs, one brought forward due to the Olympics.

In the first, I raised the issue of the risk of closure of Euston Fire Station, one of the busiest in London, the Evening Standard having had a leak of a list of threatened fire stations. I have my suspicions that this could be linked to the HS2 project with the secret aim of making a fortune out of the site, near to the railway station. The Mayor was extremely evasive about it.

I also raised the state of the London economy and business confidence in the capital. The mayor, in giving a list of where he wanted to see jobs created, could not explain how this was to happen. He also gave support for the proposals in the Beecroft report, commissioned by the Prime Minister, which recommended changing employment law to allow people to be fired at the will of the employer, a position with which I profoundly disagree.

You can watch the webcast of 13 June Mayor’s Question Time by clicking here.

During the second MQT, I challenged the Mayor on poverty in London, especially over the 680,000 people in the capital who are in poverty, even though in work: with their dependents, this amounts to a million people. I particularly criticised the Mayor’s poor record on the London Living Wage, and in particular not using the opportunity to require Emirates, sponsors of the new cable car, and Virgin Media, who are providing WiFi on the Tube, to pay the London living wage as part of the deal with them. The transcript for this meeting is not yet online, but you can watch the webcast of 4 July meeting by clicking here.

I also questioned the Mayor about his definition of affordable housing. It is clear that social housing for rent has no future under this Mayor, and shared ownership will do little to help those in constrained financial circumstances find somewhere to live. I particularly highlighted the Mayor’s endorsement of a housing association website which was advertising a shared ownership property for which an income of £104,250 was required to meet the outgoings! The transcript for this meeting is not yet online, but you can watch the webcast of 4 July meeting by clicking here.

I also spoke in the debate over the replacement for the suddenly departed two most senior people in the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, for which no explanation has been given, and which has left MOPC leaderless at a time of expected major budget cuts. The transcript for this meeting is not yet online, but you can watch the webcast of 4 July meeting by clicking here.

In addition to oral questions, I raised a full range of written questions, including relating to each of the two boroughs: the first MQT written questions have been answered, (sort of), the second are outstanding, but the questions are available. See below for just a few links to my questions and the answers – a full list of my almost 100 questions can be accessed by clicking here.

Plenary meeting

The Assembly also holds plenary meetings with GLA bodies: the first was with TFL’s Commissioner, Peter Hendy and the Mayor as chair of TFL. I highlighted the risks to cyclists from the Mayor’s poor record in road safety, particularly mentioning Henly’s Corner, which I had recently visited with the local cycling campaign (see also press release below for a side story on this)

I also spoke briefly in the debate about the Olympic sponsors who promote junk food when we should be using the Olympics to encourage a healthy diet.

I proposed the motion about 1 minute’s silence for the victims of the Munich Olympics, which was carried unanimously (see also my previous report) – this call has now been echoed by governments and devolved governments around the world. Cllr Alison Moore, Leader of Barnet’s Labour Group has proposed a similar motion for next weeks meeting of Barnet Council.

Committees at City Hall

The Economy Committee, which I chair, had our first encounter with the Mayor’s Deputy Mayor for Business and Enterprise, Kit Malthouse. This was very much in the way of putting down markers for further scrutiny as he gets into the job.

At Transport Committee, I asked about the advice to change travel behaviour and the Olympics.

At Budget Committee, we were looking at compensation arrangements for those who suffered loss as a result of last year’s riots. I focussed on the poor record of the insurance industry, to which we will be returning at our next meeting.

London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority

We had LFEPA’s annual meeting to constitute the new authority.

We decided to restore the rights of the public and trades union representatives to speak at the start of LFEPA meetings, which had been curtailed under the rule of the former LFEPA Chair, Brian Coleman.

We also took the opportunity to cancel the previous decision, also led by the former LFEPA Chair, to privatise the Fire Brigade Control Centre, instructing the officers to look at in-house arrangements for its modernisation. We also asked them to look for solutions to allow the Fire Brigade Museum to continue. On the private agenda (for contractual reasons) there was also a report on the future of the AssetCo contract, which company is responsible for the maintenance  and replacement of the fire brigade vehicles.

Press releases, letters for publication, and formal speeches

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Letters for publication and open letters

Meetings and Visits

I don’t believe my job should confine me to City Hall, and I have been out and about in the constituency.

I attended the Armed Forces Day flag raising ceremonies in both Barnet and Camden, as well as at City Hall.

In view of my concern over the future of Euston fire station, I visited there and met with firefighters of two of the four watches, as well as inspecting the building.

I paid a very useful visit to Camden Town Unlimited, the Business Improvement District (BID) scheme there, and learned a lot from what they have been able to achieve. I also visited Barnet Traders, and I have put the Camden BID into contact with Barnet High Street businesses, to see if we can start something along the same lines in the borough.

I also met with the Cricklewood Improvement Project, successfully working on not dissimilar lines.

HS2 continues to feature big in my work: I attended and spoke at the launch meeting of the HS2 forum for local people to represent their position to the HS2 Company and the Council.

On the “cultural” front, I visited the RAF museum Hendon, the British Museum, the British Library and the Jewish museum in Camden, to meet with their senior management, discuss their challenges and plans, and to offer what help I can to these important institutions, most of with which I have had a long previous relationship anyway. I was also lucky to have a visit to see the Olympic Park, nearing completion- and also to receive a presentation from West Ham Football Club about their wish to take over the stadium after the Games.

I attended the community festivals at Grahame Park and Stonegrove, the opening event for Granary Square, King’s Cross, and Trust for London’s reception. I spoke at the international conference organised by Camden’s Somali Youth Development Resource Centre. I attended the 7/7 Tavistock Square memorial lecture given by Baroness Kennedy QC.

At City Hall, I held meetings, amongst others, with the Federation of Small Business and the GMB union.

I attended the Barnet Alliance for Public Services (BAPS) Forum.

I called on residents in the residential parks near Stirling Corner to discuss their concerns about safety at the junction, and also residents in Hale, Burnt Oak and Colindale.

I attended the Cyprus festival at Alexandra Palace and a Cyprus Symposium at Westminster organised by Global Strategy Forum; and the Labour Friends of Israel lunch.

And not quite GLA, but may be of interest, I spoke at a symposium on the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures, a long standing interest of mine, on the legal aspects.

Problem solving and casework

Adam Langleben is working at City Hall as my assistant on a temporary basis, managing incoming correspondence, casework and my diary: adam.langleben@london.gov.uk

And finally….

The Olympics are nearly upon us!

It remains to be seen just how this will affect our personal daily arrangements, but it will still be the greatest sporting show on earth: if you have tickets, have a good time- and if you haven’t (like me- there are no GLA freebies and I was unsuccessful in the ballots!) enjoy the Games on TV .

Best regards

Andrew Dismore

Labour London Assembly member for Barnet and Camden

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