Economy Answers September 18

Legal services and Brexit

Question No: 2018/2196

Andrew Dismore

Reports suggest that companies are changing contracts to ensure disputes are heard in the EU rather than the UK courts; what are the implications for this for London’s economy?

Written response from the Mayor

Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.

 

Londoners in debt

Question No: 2018/2197

Andrew Dismore

The increase in interest rates in August is likely to push increasing numbers of Londoners into debt, particularly as many are now borrowing to pay for necessities. There is also talk of another rise before we leave the EU. What action are you taking to help Londoners with this increase?

Written response from the Mayor

There are many things that need to change to make London and the UK a more financially inclusive society. Some of these are outside of my direct control, such as the way financial service providers are regulated and the way debt, money and pension advice services are commissioned by the government and its agencies. The action I am taking is launching my Good Work Standard, which will promote the uptake of payroll-deducted loans and membership of credit unions, and I am also planning a summit to identify how City Hall can best support partners to improve the financial health and education of young Londoners.

 

Cost of Living

Question No: 2018/2198

Andrew Dismore

Wages are not rising as fast as the cost of living and over half of Londoners in poverty are in a working family. What can the Government do to support your aim to make London a more affordable city to live in?

Written response from the Mayor

For most Londoners, housing represents the single biggest element of the cost of living. My housing strategy, published earlier this summer, sets out five areas in which the government needs to act in order to make housing more secure and affordable, including: securing land for new homes; introducing a major, long-term affordable housing funding settlement; empowering municipal governments to deliver new homes by devolving planning powers and skills funding; working with us to put in place a new model for private renting; and tackling homelessness and its root causes by properly resourcing local authority homelessness departments and urgently reviewing welfare reform measures that are reducing the incomes of so many Londoners.

 

For my part, I have committed to make London more affordable for low-income Londoners. To do this I have secured over £4.8 billion of government funding to start 116,000 affordable homes by 2022. I have also frozen TfL fares and introduced the hopper fare, and my Energy for Londoners programme is helping to reduce energy costs.

 

Through my Good Work Standard I will be encouraging London’s employers to do more to help their employees meet the cost of living by – for example – paying the London Living Wage or offering interest free loans for season tickets, childcare deposits or rental deposits.

 

London Living Wage

Question No: 2018/2199

Andrew Dismore

Can you name the London boroughs which are London Living Wage accredited? Will you meet with the boroughs that are not accredited to tell them the benefits of paying the London Living Wage?

Written response from the Mayor

There are currently 16 London Living Wage accredited boroughs: Brent, Camden, Croydon, City of London, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.

My officers are working to engage and involve more London boroughs in adopting my Good Work Standard, including the London Living Wage, through London Councils. I will also continue to raise this in my ongoing engagement with boroughs.

Gender pay gap

Question No: 2018/2200

Andrew Dismore

What action can London’s businesses take to close the gender pay gap and how are you supporting them to achieve this?

Written response from the Mayor

The gender pay gap in London has only closed by 0.5 percent in the last 20 years; this is unacceptable. I am committed to closing the gender pay gap across the GLA group, and to lead by example in doing so.

Through my Good Work Standard, I hope to influence London’s employers to create more high-quality, flexible work opportunities so that women can progress in their chosen careers. I have published both gender and ethnicity pay gaps, and will work with employers to follow suit. For example, the Our Time sponsoring programme will create a practical toolkit for how other London employers can support women into leadership roles.

The cost and availability of flexible, high-quality childcare is often a barrier to women entering the workforce and in order to help families with this cost we have created  the Childcare Deposit Loan scheme to help parents tackle the upfront costs of securing a childcare place; a recognised barrier to for many families.

I have also improved senior leader and board level diversity across the GLA group, signalling to other employers my commitment to this issue.

London Living Wage and Brexit

Question No: 2018/2201

Andrew Dismore

Will a no-deal scenario impact the ability of employers to pay the London Living Wage?

Written response from the Mayor

Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.

 

Social Value Act

Question No: 2018/2202

Andrew Dismore

I welcome that, as part of the implementation of your Responsible Procurement Policy. the GLA Group is exploring the possibility of setting a minimum threshold for social value. When do you expect to conduct this research?

Written response from the Mayor

Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.

 

London Living Wage and Premier League football clubs

Question No: 2018/2203

Andrew Dismore

Now that the new football season has begun, which Premier League clubs in London that have not yet gained accreditation have you written to and what was their response?

Written response from the Mayor

I have been clear that I want all Premier League Football clubs in London to become Living Wage accredited and have previously written to them asking them to pursue accreditation. Currently, the only London clubs accredited are Chelsea and West Ham. However, after a recent exchange of letters about the importance of the Living Wage with the Chairman of Fulham FC, Shahid Khan, I was delighted to hear that Fulham is now working towards its Living wage accreditation. I will continue press upon the other non-accredited clubs the importance of doing the responsible thing and becoming London Living Wage employers.

Good Work Standard

Question No: 2018/2204

Andrew Dismore

When do you expect to launch the Good Work Standard?

Written response from the Mayor

My officers are currently working to finalise the Good Work Standard and develop the supporting functions of the programme. While a date has not been set yet, the Good Work Standard is planned to be launched later this year.

 

Night time economy curfew (1)

Question No: 2018/2205

Andrew Dismore

What impact will London Borough of Hackney’s decision to implement a curfew have on London’s night time economy?

Written response from the Mayor

 

The London Borough of Hackney introduced a new Statement of Licensing Policy on 1 August 2018. The policy contains a new core hours policy. Hackney Council has stated that the core hours policy should not be seen as a blanket approach, and assured businesses that these are guideline hours and do not constitute a ‘curfew’.

Hackney’s night-time is the envy of the world, making a significant contribution to London’s night time economy, which contributes £26.3bn to the UK economy. It is vital that the vibrancy of London’s night time economy is protected, while making sure it works for residents, visitors and workers.

My Night Czar will continue to protect and champion London’s night time economy and culture, and will continue to work closely with Hackney to assess and monitor the impact of Hackney’s latest Statement of Licensing Policy.

Night time economy curfew (2)

Question No: 2018/2206

Andrew Dismore

What evidence is there that a curfew will reduce anti-social behaviour in London’s night time economy?

Written response from the Mayor

As the London Assembly’s report ‘Respecting others: tackling antisocial behaviour’ points out, antisocial behaviour is a complex issue and there is no single solution to tackling the behaviour itself and its underlying causes. Effective partnership working between local authorities, the police, businesses, community organisations and residents is essential to identifying a range of interventions, appropriate to the situation.

In respect of the impact of curfews, neither the GLA nor MOPAC have undertaken, nor commissioned, research on the efficacy and impact of curfews in tackling antisocial behaviour and on the night time economy.

Night time economy curfew (3)

Question No: 2018/2207

Andrew Dismore

What do you think is the best way to reduce anti-social behaviour in London’s night time economy?

Written response from the Mayor

As the London Assembly’s report ‘Respecting others: tackling antisocial behaviour’ points out, there is no single solution to tackling anti-social behaviour. Effective partnership working between local authorities, the police, businesses, community organisations and residents is essential to identifying a range of interventions, appropriate to the situation.

Anti-Social Behaviour was identified in the consultation for the Police and Crime Plan as an important issue in every borough, which is recognised through MOPAC’s direct funding to boroughs to tackle local priority issues.

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