Andrew Dismore

Andrew Dismore

Are you aware of the concerns of Jewish and Muslim residents of inner North London, over the conduct of the Senior Coroner for Inner North London, who in the past and now again, has failed to respect the particular requirements of those faiths concerning the deceased, including the prompt release of bodies for burial in accordance with faith requirements and invasive autopsies, amongst other concerns. Will you look into these matters and make appropriate representations to the Ministry of Justice?

Written response from the Mayor

Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.

Andrew Dismore

When do you expect the evaluation to be completed; and why has it been delayed?

Written response from the Mayor

Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.

Andrew Dismore

Millbrook Park estate in Mill Hill East (NW7) is a huge new build estate where residents are facing what in my view amount to scams; astronomical service charges and arbitrary and routine ground rent increases, including a doubling this year and poor standards of workmanship for repairs and building faults. As well as flats, the estate includes a large number of houses that were sold on a leasehold basis too. What can you do to take on any freeholders who exploit leaseholders in this way?

Written response from the Mayor

My draft London Housing Strategy outlines my support for leasehold reform and a shift to fairer tenures, as well as outlining how I intend to support leaseholders in the shorter term.

Following last year’s consultation on ‘Tackling unfair practices in the leasehold market’ I welcomed  government’s confirmation that they will soon bring in legislation to ban unfair ground rent increases and the sale of leasehold houses. I also urged the government to go further to ensure fairer practices in the leasehold market more widely.

Andrew Dismore

The Law Society has warned that countries that participate in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) can include limits to the agreement’s scope. When it comes to legal services this means that lawyers wishing to practise in other jurisdictions may have to live in that country, register with the local bar and seek full admission to that bar. If this happens to Britain’s relationship with the EU, then it will be a much more bureaucratic and inflexible model than we currently have, where lawyers can simply fly in and fly out to advise. What steps are you taking to ensure a good deal for London’s legal services, which bring considerable overseas income to London and the UK?

Written response from the Mayor

Robert Bournes, who is Chair of the Law Society’s new main board, sits on my Brexit Expert Advisory Panel and has helped my team to understand the Brexit challenges facing the legal sector. I plan to raise these issues with David Davis at one of our regular meetings in the coming months.

Andrew Dismore

In answer to Question No: 2017/4528 you said that you hoped to meet with a senior representative of both Governments, and would seek their views on the issue of freedom of movement in any post Brexit trade deals and that you would be happy to report back on these discussions on your return. Would you please do so?

Written response from the Mayor

In India, I met the Finance Minister; Minister of Commerce and Industry; Minister for Road Transport and Highways and in Pakistan, I met with the Prime Minister; Foreign Minister; and the Commerce Minister. Freedom of movement in post Brexit trade arrangements was discussed in all these meetings. Ministers recognise that maintaining London’s openness makes it more attractive to investors from India and Pakistan, and access to talent from around the world directly contributes to London’s current and future economic prosperity.

All Ministers also expressed anxiety about openness to students from India and Pakistan. I have been clear that the Government should end its misguided policy of including students in its migration target, and that a new post-study work route should be reinstated. I was pleased to see recently that the Government is finally showing signs that it is listening to the case I have been making for a fairer and more flexible immigration system that will allow us to attract and keep talented people in London, although clearly it has not yet gone far enough. Rather than squeezing foreign student numbers, I hope the Government takes action that can make a real difference.

Andrew Dismore

You have asked a number of charities helping the homeless to combine to pool resources and information. There are also a number of charities endeavouring to help those in food poverty, particularly some distributing unused food from restaurants, supermarkets, and so on. Is this an initiative which you could coordinate to assist those in dire need?

Written response from the Mayor

Surplus food distribution is already run successfully and co-ordinated by many charities throughout London to assist those in dire need, charities such as Fareshare, Food Cycle, the Felix Project and Plan Zheroes to name a few. These charities work with major retailers and through the GLA Food team and the London Food Board I am linked into them.

Andrew Dismore

In light of your decision on the planning application for the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) site, Mill Hill, will you introduce transport improvements, including a new bus route to “useful” destinations and linking up local schools. For example, a bus running along The Ridgeway that turns left at the Rising Sun, passing Mill Hill County school and heading to Barnet via Apex and Sterling Corners which would give a direct route to Barnet General and schools such as QE and (fairly close to) Totteridge Academy?

Written response from the Mayor

As part of the planning application for the National Institute for Medical Research, the developer produced a transport assessment (TA) indicating that a maximum of around 30 additional bus passenger journeys per hour would be generated by the site. The TA concluded that this increased usage could be accommodated on the current local public transport network.

No changes to bus services have therefore been proposed at this stage, though the developer is funding the relocation of bus stops outside the development. TfL will monitor usage, as it does with all London’s bus services, and will review bus routes as necessary.

Andrew Dismore

In response to previous questions, you indicated that traffic modelling for the crossing is underway and with an outcome due in January 2018, after which a public consultation is planned. Will the proposals also look at the exit from Morrisons, which is unsafe, for example by phasing the traffic lights to allow time to exit from Morrisons?

Written response from the Mayor

Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.

Andrew Dismore

Further to previous answers, has TfL now concluded its agreements with the London Borough of Barnet on the section of land required for the design of the junction; and if not, please say for how long the negotiations have been going on for, and when they are likely to conclude?

Written response from the Mayor

Transport for London started land negotiations with the London Borough of Barnet in August 2017, and expects negotiations to conclude in April 2018.

Andrew Dismore

Further to your answer to Question No: 2017/4558 on the changes to buses on Finchley Road, and the ending of the original route 13; you said that  ‘capacity was increased on route 113, the other main route serving this area’. However route 113 does not go to Golders Green or Finchley, which are high demand areas for passengers on these routes.

Also, you did not respond to the following in the original question concerning the renumbered route 13, about which I continue to receive regular complaints:

       Buses are so crowded, especially on rainy days and in the rush hours, that it is difficult to get on a bus, resulting waiting a long time before being able to get on a bus.

       Buses come in bunches.

Will you now do so?

Written response from the Mayor

Transport for London (TfL) is aware of the customer complaints reported and recognises that the current level of service is not good enough. While TfL has made a number of improvements to this route through a new contract in April 2017 and revised bus schedules in August 2017, TfL acknowledges there is still more to do.

TfL will work with the operator to improve reliability and capacity at the two busiest points of the route – Finchley Road Station and Baker Street.

Andrew Dismore

As planning permission has been granted for large housing developments, which include a large number of cycle spaces, will you do an assessment, after developments are completed and occupied, of the number of cycle spaces actually used and the number left unused?

Written response from the Mayor

Levels of cycle parking in new developments are intended to cater for both existing and future cyclists, for the duration of the building’s occupation. Retrofitting additional cycle parking into residential dwellings is difficult, and buildings must be future proofed to incorporate any future cycling interest.

Both the current and my draft London Plan contain policies which require travel plans to be secured as part of planning permissions for residential developments. These policies allow for the monitoring of sustainable travel outcomes, such as the use of cycle parking.

Andrew Dismore

I continue to receive complaints about the reduction in frequency of the C11 bus you have introduced, such as this one:

“I had to wait, at Cricklewood Lane (heading towards Archway) for 28 minutes in the freezing cold.  Needless to say, when the bus finally arrived, it was overcrowded.  There have been many occasions when the wait has exceeded 15 minutes. For a number of areas, this is the only form of public transport available, and it is not fair on those of us who deliberately do not drive (for our own fitness, and for the sake of the environment).”

Will you look again at restoring the frequency of the C11 route?

Written response from the Mayor

In November 2017 reliability on the C11 bus declined due to Thames Water works in Broadhurst Gardens, resulting in higher than usual levels of traffic congestion. The service has now returned to normal performance, and TfL’s assessments indicate that the current frequency provides enough capacity to meet demand.

Andrew Dismore

Do you share my concern about air pollution around Golders Green Road NW11 and the northern end of North End Road? There are now so many buses and coaches that there is no room for them all in the bus station. Some bus drivers, both in and out of the bus station still run their engines while parked.  When snow stopped the 268 and 210 from going up North End Road, they were immobile, with engines running. The south bound bus stop in Golders Green Road already serves several bus lines. National Express coaches en-route for central London, now stop at this bus stop to drop off passengers, leaving their engines running whilst luggage is unloaded. This fills the bus shelter with fumes. Will you take steps to remind bus companies that engines should not be left running when the bus is stopped?

Written response from the Mayor

Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.

Andrew Dismore

As a new poll has revealed that more than half of Londoners believe commuter trains have deteriorated over the past year and that the capital’s private railway lines should be taken over by Transport for London, will you redouble your efforts to persuade the Government to honour their pre London election promise to transfer commuter lines to TfL?

Written response from the Mayor

Please see my answer to Mayor’s Question. 2018/0219.

Andrew Dismore

Yet again, there has been an anti-Israel ‘guerrilla’ advertising campaign at TfL bus stops , with TfL poster sites being unlocked and accessed to put in these posters, which clearly offend TfL’s advertising policy and obscure legitimate and paid for advertising. Whilst TfL do remove these posters when brought to their attention, can steps be taken to make the poster sites’ locks more secure to prevent this activity in the first place?

Written response from the Mayor

Transport for London (TfL) takes illegal flyposting on its network extremely seriously and is in discussions with its advertising partners to explore ways in which this can be prevented. As part of TfL’s wider investment in its advertising estate, currently 612 bus stop advertising locations have been converted into digital advertising screens. These digital advertising screens help to prevent acts of fly posting and allow TfL to generate more income to invest in London’s transport network.

TfL’s advertising estate encompasses over 4,350 bus stop poster panels and the introduction of new security measures will incur significant costs. TfL will continue to act on any information about illegal flyposting that is brought to the attention of TfL or its advertising partners.

Andrew Dismore

Reports suggest that drug dealers are increasingly using social media sites such as Instagram and Snapchat to sell illegal substances to young people. What action can you and the police take to prevent this activity?

Written response from the Mayor

Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.

Andrew Dismore

Do you intend to continue with the Borough match funding for extra police officers scheme, in light of the pressure on officer numbers due to Government cuts?

Written response from the Mayor

The Met Patrol Plus Scheme which has operated between MOPAC and the Local Authorities since 2014.

Due to the level of the budgetary pressures facing policing, the Met Patrol Plus Scheme is currently being considered as part of the budget planning process for 2018/19 and beyond.

Both MOPAC and the MPS are clear in their desire to continue partnership working with local authorities and a revised policy in some form, will be in place in the future. For those existing contracts that expire on or before the 31st March 2018 we are encouraging local authorities to extend these agreements for a further 12-months.

We will provide further clarity once we have had time to examine the details of the Police grant from Government and have considered implications for the Met Patrol Plus scheme.

Andrew Dismore

Which boroughs are using the ‘buy one get one free’ deal for match funding for extra police officer numbers; and how many officers are being paid for in this way in each of those boroughs?

Written response from the Mayor

As of December 2017 the total number of officers deployed to boroughs under the Met Patrol Plus scheme is 361.

Note this figure represents ‘Full Time Equivalent’ (FTE) officers and includes both the funded officer and the additional officer.

The breakdown per borough is provided in the table below.

Andrew Dismore

The Evening Standard has reported that Londoners fall victim to 3,500 cyber fraud attacks a month. What are you doing to detect and combat these crimes?

Written response from the Mayor

Fraud and cybercrime, as defined by Home Office Counting Rules, are reported through Action Fraud; these rules require a crime of this type to be allocated to the force where the suspect and line of enquiry is believed to be based.

As a result, a proportion of fraud and cyber crime cases affecting London resident are actually investigated by forces other than the MPS.

For its own cases and where a suspect lead is London-based, the MPS’ Falcon team make an assessment of vulnerability, volume and value. This generates charging options, but also the really important protective advice that can forewarn other members of the public about certain scams.

Andrew Dismore

Reports suggest that President Trump will visit London next year to open the new US Embassy. What is your best current estimate of the cost of policing such an event; and bearing in mind that the US Embassy already owes Londoners millions in unpaid congestion charges which they refuse to pay and the pressures on the Met’s budget, do you think the bill for policing such a visit should be sent to the White House?

Written response from the Mayor

You will note that subsequent to the tabling of this question it has become clear that the President’s proposed visit has been cancelled.

The US embassy currently owe roughly £12 million to TfL in Congestion Charges. TfL have 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 continue to pursue all unpaid Congestion Charge fees and related penalty charge notices.

The cost of policing any visit from a Head of State to the UK depends on a host of factors including the length of the visit and the activities undertaken during that visit. It is not possible not provide detailed cost estimates in this case.

This is an example of the disproportionate cost of policing that falls on London as the nation’s capital, which central government continue refuse to sufficiently through the National and International Capital City (NICC) grant.

Andrew Dismore

The recent report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services again found “significant weaknesses in the service provided to the children of London” to protect them from sexual exploitation. What are you doing to tackle this problem?

Written response from the Mayor

Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.