Late December 2019 MQT answers
Question No: 2019/19921
Andrew Dismore
What progress is being made with London Fire Brigade control unit integration in ‘role to rank’ and what problems have there been with the plan?
Answer for Control unit integration
The Mayor
Last updated: 22 October, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Control unit integration
The Mayor
Last updated: 23 December, 2019
The Command Unit Integration project is being managed by London Fire Brigade’s (LFB) Role-to-Rank (R2R) team following the implementation of R2R on 15 October 2019. The R2R project team is currently developing the Command Unit Integration paper which will be taken through the governance process and, once approved, the changes will then be implemented. In the meantime, work will progress so that the changes can be implemented once approval is given.
As part of the new arrangements, LFB is considering additional options for the type of replacement Command Unit, which requires additional modelling work to be carried out. The procurement process has commenced and the contractor, Babcock, has been provided with the full technical specification for tender. LFB will be able to refine the exact requirement prior to issuing the final specification of the vehicles to the successful bidder. The IT software solution is being sourced separately through LFB’s IT department.
Question No: 2019/20518
Andrew Dismore
How many times has an overhead rail cable caught fire in each year since 2010?
Answer for Overhead cable fires
The Mayor
Last updated: 13 December, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Overhead cable fires
The Mayor
Last updated: 23 December, 2019
The table below shows the number of incidents on the London Overground network where an overhead rail cable has been recorded as catching fire. Most of the incidents were classed as small smouldering incidents, rather than large scale fires. There were no incidents of overhead rail cable fires on Transport for London (TfL) Rail or London Trams, which are the only other TfL services that have overhead cables.
TfL continues to work with Network Rail, which is responsible for the cables in these incidents, to ensure minimal disruption to the network.
| Financial Year | Number of incidents |
| 2009/10 | 2 |
| 2010/11 | 2 |
| 2012/13 | 5 |
| 2013/14 | 3 |
| 2014/15 | 2 |
| 2016/17 | 5 |
| 2017/18 | 2 |
| 2018/19 | 2 |
| 2019/20 | 2 |
| Total | 25 |
Question No: 2019/20521
Andrew Dismore
Your recent announcement of a limited car scrappage scheme for those in receipt of benefits is welcome, but will you monitor the uptake of the scheme, and if there are fewer applications than expected, will you consider broadening the remit or increasing the amount paid out to individual applicants?
Answer for Car scrappage scheme
The Mayor
Last updated: 13 December, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Car scrappage scheme
The Mayor
Last updated: 19 December, 2019
I am pleased to see early interest in the scheme and yes, Transport for London will continue to monitor application levels. The scheme is intended to support low income and disabled individuals in preparation for ULEZ expansion in October 2021. Therefore, it is anticipated that applications may be spread over time as people think about how the expansion will affect them and consider what action they will take and when.
Of course, I have put this scheme in place despite no funding from Government. Even though Londoners are paying hundreds of millions of pounds in Vehicle Excise Duty every year only a tiny fraction of this money is then spent in the capital. We need the new Government to follow London’s lead by supporting a national vehicle renewal fund that would broaden our remit and help even more motorists to ditch their polluting cars.
Question No: 2019/20527
Andrew Dismore
Are you introducing speed restrictions on lines in areas with significant tube noise? If so, what are the speed limits you are introducing, and where are they being introduced?
Answer for Tube noise [6]
The Mayor
Last updated: 13 December, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Tube noise [6]
The Mayor
Last updated: 19 December, 2019
Transport for London (TfL) is committed to tackling the issue of Tube noise. Despite best efforts, in some cases TfL are unable to reduce noise as much as they would hope. In these instances, implementing a Night Tube speed restriction may be appropriate. TfL has developed criteria to assess the appropriateness of potential speed restrictions on a case-by-case basis, and this includes the requirement that all other options have been exhausted.
Tube noise is an extremely complex issue and it is not always the case that a lower speed limit will result in lower noise levels and this will not be an appropriate response to all noise complaints. Different signaling systems on different lines mean that speed restrictions cannot be implemented in the same way across the network and a truly case-by-case approach is needed. Clearly, the use of speed restrictions also needs to be carefully balanced against providing a level of service that London Underground customers reasonably expect. I understand that TfL recently wrote to you with an update, but please be assured that TfL will continue to look closely at this issue.
Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report (3)
Question No: 2019/20535
Andrew Dismore
Following the publication of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report what action will you take to restore Londoners’ faith in the London Fire Brigade?
Answer for Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report (3)
The Mayor
Last updated: 13 December, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report (3)
The Mayor
Last updated: 23 December, 2019
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry (GTI) phase 1 report has highlighted a series of significant issues for the London Fire Brigade. While every single person who attended that night did so to save lives, institutional failures meant that the overall response to the disaster was not good enough.
Dany Cotton will retire at the end of December, and, subject to the London Assembly confirmation hearing process, Andy Roe will become London Fire Commissioner on 1 January 2020. Andy brings a wealth of experience to the role, including from the Grenfell Tower fire, at which he took the decision to revoke the ‘stay put’ advice minutes after becoming incident commander. One of his first priorities will be to meet with the communities affected by the fire, to begin to rebuild their trust in the leadership of the London Fire Brigade.
I have been clear that I will do everything within my power to ensure that the Inquiry’s recommendations are implemented. To provide complete transparency, I will be publishing regular updates on progress against each recommendation.
Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report (4)
Question No: 2019/20536
Andrew Dismore
What realistic lengths does the London Fire Brigade need to go to ensure an incident like the Grenfell Tower fire never happens again?
Answer for Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report (4)
The Mayor
Last updated: 13 December, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report (4)
The Mayor
Last updated: 23 December, 2019
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry (GTI) phase 1 report has highlighted a series of significant issues for the London Fire Brigade. While every single person who attended that night did so to save lives, institutional failures meant that the overall response to the disaster was not good enough.
Dany Cotton will retire at the end of December, and, subject to the London Assembly confirmation hearing process, Andy Roe will become London Fire Commissioner on 1 January 2020. Andy brings a wealth of experience to the role, including from the Grenfell Tower fire, at which he took the decision to revoke the ‘stay put’ advice minutes after becoming incident commander.
Like me, Andy is committed to making the transformational change required at the Brigade. With input from his team, I will be publishing regular updates on progress against each of the GTI recommendations, to help ensure that this tragedy is never repeated.
