Brexit MQ answers January 2019
Oct 18 (late)
Question No: 2018/2792
Andrew Dismore
Your support for a ‘People’s Vote’ on Brexit is welcome; what have you been doing to campaign for this to take place?
Answer for ‘People’s Vote’ on Brexit
The Mayor
Last updated: 24 October, 2018
Officers are drafting a response
‘People’s Vote’ on Brexit
The Mayor
Last updated: 21 January, 2019
I don’t believe it’s the will of the people to face either a bad Brexit deal or, worse still, no deal at all. That wasn’t on the table during the referendum campaign.
It’s time to take this crucial issue out of the hands of the politicians and return it to the people so that they can take back control. Another public vote on Brexit was never inevitable, but, in the absence of a General Election, giving people a fresh say is now the right approach for London and the whole country.
I have been standing up for what’s best for Londoners and highlighting this message as much as possible in recent months. This includes speaking at the People’s March in October, lobbying the Government to change its damaging approach and persuading others to join the call for a public vote on Brexit.
Nov 18
Question No: 2018/3207
Andrew Dismore
With less than five months to go until the date the UK is due to leave the EU, is it fair that the Government are expecting London’s businesses to check whether EU citizens have a right to work here in a no-deal Brexit scenario, without giving them the details of how this will work?
Answer for EU citizenship status
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 November, 2018
Officers are drafting a response
EU citizenship status
The Mayor
Last updated: 21 January, 2019
No, it is not. I remain deeply concerned that the UK Government is wholly unprepared for a no-deal Brexit; and its Technical Notices have not clarified matters in any meaningful way. And while the Prime Minister has committed to protect the rights of the EU citizens living in the UK in the event of no-deal, the Government have yet to provide any detail as to how this will be guaranteed.
My office is currently working closely with London’s business community to urge the Government to recognise the immigration system needs to make it easier – not harder – for employers to access the workforce that fuels our economy.
Met Police in Northern Ireland
Question No: 2019/0346
Andrew Dismore
Reports suggest that 1000 police officers are being trained to go to Northern Ireland in the event of disorder post Brexit. How many of these officers and in what ranks are from the Met?
Met Police in Northern Ireland
The Mayor
Last updated: 22 January, 2019
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) annually sends approximately 100 officers to a one-day public order course in Northern Ireland. This is in preparation for any mutual aid requirements and is part of the MPS contribution to any national mobilisation.
This year the MPS anticipate sending around 150 officers (126 constables, 18 sergeants and 6 inspectors). The increase in numbers to be trained is a precaution in case of possible Brexit related protest.
At this time there is no requirement for any deployment to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
Nationals of other EU countries [1]
Question No: 2019/0351
Andrew Dismore
How many members of staff in the GLA are nationals of other EU countries; what estimate have you made of the likely number who will return home in the event of a hard Brexit; and what are you doing to provide assistance and reassurance to them?
Answer for Nationals of other EU countries [1]
The Mayor
Last updated: 22 January, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Nationals of other EU countries [2]
Question No: 2019/0352
Andrew Dismore
What estimate have you made of the impact of a hard Brexit on the GLA’s ability to recruit staff who are nationals of other EU countries?
Answer for Nationals of other EU countries [2]
The Mayor
Last updated: 22 January, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Nationals of other EU countries [3]
Question No: 2019/0353
Andrew Dismore
How many members of staff in TfL are nationals of other EU countries; what estimate have you made of the likely number who will return home in the event of a hard Brexit; and what are you doing to provide assistance and reassurance to them?
Answer for Nationals of other EU countries [3]
The Mayor
Last updated: 22 January, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Nationals of other EU countries [4]
Question No: 2019/0354
Andrew Dismore
What estimate have you made of the impact of a hard Brexit on TfL’s ability to recruit staff who are nationals of other EU countries?
Answer for Nationals of other EU countries [4]
The Mayor
Last updated: 22 January, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Nationals of other EU countries [5]
Question No: 2019/0355
Andrew Dismore
How many a) officers and b) members of staff in the Metropolitan Police are nationals of other EU countries; what estimate have you made of the likely number who will return home in the event of a hard Brexit; and what are you doing to provide assistance and reassurance to them?
Nationals of other EU countries [5]
The Mayor
Last updated: 22 January, 2019
There are approximately 800 officers and 230 staff who are nationals of other EU countries.
The decision for each officer and staff affected by Brexit to remain in the UK will be personal and unique and is very hard to quantify or predict. This is just one of the many challenges that Brexit will bring to policing.
I have already called on the Government to scrap the ‘settled status’ application fee for EU citizens living in Britain after Brexit. I have also committed that City Hall and the GLA Group, including the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), will pay the fees for their EU employees if the Government doesn’t act.
Furthermore, I have launched an online ‘EU Londoners Hub’ to help London’s European citizens access the information they need to stay in the UK after Brexit.
I will continue to do what I can to support EU nationals in policing and across London.
Nationals of other EU countries [6]
Question No: 2019/0356
Andrew Dismore
What estimate have you made of the impact of a hard Brexit on the Metropolitan Police‘s ability to recruit a) officers and b) members of staff in who are nationals of other EU countries?
Answer for Nationals of other EU countries [6]
The Mayor
Last updated: 22 January, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Nationals of other EU countries [7]
Question No: 2019/0357
Andrew Dismore
How many a) operational firefighters and b) members of staff in the London Fire Brigade are nationals of other EU countries; what estimate have you made of the likely number who will return home in the event of a hard Brexit; and what are you doing to provide assistance and reassurance to them?
Nationals of other EU countries [7]
The Mayor
Last updated: 22 January, 2019
At present London Fire Brigade (LFB) staff data sets do not record nationality or allow LFB to distinguish between UK, EU (excluding UK), and other nationals. This information could only be determined by checking individual staff files. LFB has undertaken an exercise in reviewing current staff based on the information available and believes there are a small number of staff of 100 or less who are likely to be nationals of other EU countries and will be required to apply for pre-settled or settled status. LFB is now explaining to those members of staff the process they will be required to go through in attaining settled status which, as I announced in December, will include paying for the application process if the Government does not scrap the settled status application fee for EU citizens living in Britain after Brexit.
Nationals of other EU countries [8]
Question No: 2019/0358
Andrew Dismore
What estimate have you made of the impact of a hard Brexit on the London Fire Brigade’s ability to recruit a) operational firefighters and b) members of staff in who are nationals of other EU countries?
Nationals of other EU countries [8]
The Mayor
Last updated: 22 January, 2019
The full details of changes to immigration rules in relation to a range of Brexit scenarios are not yet known but the London Fire Brigade will continue to monitor this. No formal estimates of the impact on recruitment has been made as this is not possible to undertake accurately at this stage. LFB appoints a relatively low number of recruits who are from other EU countries, and so does not believe there to be a material risk to recruitment or the establishment overall. LFB will continue to provide support and advice to existing staff who are nationals of other EU countries to ensure they have as much information as possible.
Resilience and the draft EU withdrawal agreement
Question No: 2019/0372
Andrew Dismore
What assessment have you made of the impact on London’s resilience of exiting the EU on the terms set out in the Government’s draft withdrawal text that was agreed with the EU?
Resilience and the draft EU withdrawal agreement
The Mayor
Last updated: 22 January, 2019
The focus of preparations for the EU Exit has been against the no-deal scenario as this presents the Reasonable Worst Case Scenario to prepare against. Some of the most significant implications for resilience as a result of the EU Exit arise from the disruption at borders. These would be negated under the withdrawal agreement in so far as they provide additional time for the government to negotiate longer term solutions with the EU. Therefore, with limited time and resources to plan during this period of uncertainty, the focus has remained upon planning for a no-deal scenario rather than assessing the potential impact of the implications of the withdrawal agreement.
Overseas investment into London’s tech industry
Question No: 2019/0376
Andrew Dismore
What estimates does your office make of investment from organisations and individuals owned outside the UK into London-based firms operating in the tech / digital sector?
Overseas investment into London’s tech industry
The Mayor
Last updated: 22 January, 2019
London leads Europe in the volume of investment into the technology sector. In 2018 London-based technology companies received £1.8 billion of venture capital funding, which is more than Paris and Berlin combined.
Beauhurst’s 2018 ‘Investors from Abroad’ report notes that London saw 953 investments involving overseas investors – with the majority going into Fintech, Artificial Intelligence and Advertising Technology (AdTech). Recent analysis from L&P found international investors were increasingly backing London-based companies working with Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain.
Moreover, there were 17 Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) in UK tech in 2018, equal to the number in France, Germany and Italy combined, and valued at £1.3 billion. This shows that London’s ecosystem is nurturing tech companies from start-up stage right through their growth journey.
