Item 3
MINUTES
Meeting: London Assembly – Mayor’s Question Time Date: Wednesday 30 January 2008 Time: 10.00am Place: Chamber, City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA
Copies of the minutes may be found at: http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/meetings_names.jsp Present: Sally Hamwee (Chair) Brian Coleman (Deputy Chairman) Tony Arbour Jennette Arnold Richard Barnes John Biggs Bob Blackman Angie Bray Dee Doocey Len Duvall Roger Evans Nicky Gavron Damian Hockney Elizabeth Howlett Peter Hulme Cross Darren Johnson Jenny Jones Joanne McCartney Bob Neill Geoff Pope Murad Qureshi Valerie Shawcross Graham Tope Mike Tuffrey
City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA Enquiries: 020 7983 4100 minicom: 020 7983 4458 www.london.gov.uk
Greater London Authority London Assembly – Mayor’s Question Time 30 January 2008
1.
1.1 1.2
Apologies for Absence and Announcements (Item 1)
Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Andrew Pelling AM. The Chair informed the Assembly of the recent death of Peggy Jay. Peggy Jay had represented Hackney and Battersea on the London County Council between 1938 and 1964 and had represented Wandsworth on the Greater London Council from 1964 to 1967. The Chair also explained that, following the 16 January Plenary Assembly meeting, she had written to the District Auditor to inform him of the motion passed by the Assembly at that meeting, which referred the London Development Agency to the District Auditor and which requested “an independent, in-depth audit of all the London Development Agency’s grant processes and audit trails”. She informed the Assembly that the District Auditor had now replied to indicate that he would provide a response or an update by the end of the week. The Chair explained that under Standing Order 5.9 the order of business would, following the required consultation with the Mayor and the Assembly’s party Groups, be varied for this meeting to take the business in the order set out on the agenda.
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1.4
2.
2.1
Declarations of Interests (Item 2)
Resolved: (a) That the relevant Assembly Members’ membership of Functional Bodies and London Borough Councils, as set out in Item 2 on the agenda, be noted and recorded as personal interests; and That Joanne McCartney AM’s membership of the Board of London Connects be additionally noted as a personal interest, insofar as it relates to Agenda Item 3 (Draft Consolidated Budget - 2008/09); and That the following declaration of gifts and/or hospitality received by an Assembly Member since 12 September 2007 from the bodies indicated, and as also reflected on the register of gifts and hospitality, additionally be noted as a personal interest, insofar as it relates to Agenda Item 3 (Draft Consolidated Budget - 2008/09): Jenny Jones AM (from The Evening Standard, Harriet Harman MP, Jill Bartlett & Co, and the Lord Mayor of the City of London).
(b)
(c)
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Greater London Authority London Assembly – Mayor’s Question Time 30 January 2008
3.
(i) 3.1 3.2 (ii) 3.3
Draft Consolidated Budget - 2008/09 (Item 3)
Report of the Mayor The Assembly received the Mayor’s Draft Consolidated Budget for 2008/09. The Mayor presented his draft budget. A copy of his statement is attached as Appendix 1. Statement by the Chairman of the Budget Committee The Deputy Chairman, Brian Coleman AM, presented the Budget Committee’s report in his capacity as Chairman of the Budget Committee, and this was noted by the Assembly. A copy of his statement is attached as Appendix 2. Questions to the Mayor on the Draft Consolidated Budget The record of the questions put by Assembly Members and the Mayor’s answers is attached as Appendix 3. At 12.30pm, the Chair adjourned the meeting for 45 minutes. The meeting reconvened at 1.15pm. Consideration by the Assembly of the Draft Consolidated Budget The substantive motion before the Assembly was: “To approve the Draft Consolidated Budget for 2008/09, together with the draft component budgets comprised within it, with or without amendment.” A formal budget amendment, presented on behalf of the Assembly’s Conservative Group was moved by Richard Barnes AM and seconded by Roger Evans AM (and is attached as Appendix 4). A formal budget amendment, presented on behalf of the Assembly’s Liberal Democrat Group was moved by Mike Tuffrey AM and seconded by Geoff Pope AM (and is attached as Appendix 5). Following a debate and upon being put to the vote: The formal budget amendment proposed by Richard Barnes AM was declared lost (with 10 votes being cast in favour and 14 votes cast against); and The formal budget amendment proposed by Mike Tuffrey AM was declared lost (with 7 votes being cast in favour and 17 votes cast against).
(iii) 3.4
3.5 (iv) 3.6
3.7
3.8
3.9
3.10
The following budget-related motion was moved by Richard Barnes AM and seconded by Roger Evans AM: "This Assembly calls on the Mayor to produce a budget that significantly reduces the proposed rate of increase in the GLA precept for 2008/09. The increase should be no more than the 0% rise presented to the London Assembly today by the Conservative Group. Such a budget will reduce the tax burden on the London taxpayer, cut waste and bureaucracy and deliver more front line police to combat the rising levels of crime in London."
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Greater London Authority London Assembly – Mayor’s Question Time 30 January 2008
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Greater London Authority London Assembly – Mayor’s Question Time 30 January 2008
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A second budget-related motion was then moved by Darren Johnson AM and seconded by Jenny Jones AM: “This Assembly notes the budget agreement made between the Green Group on the Assembly and the Mayor, set out in the attached letters (Annex A and B).”
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The letters referred to in this motion are attached as Appendix 5. Mike Tuffrey AM moved and Geoff Pope AM seconded the following amendment to the motion in the name of Darren Johnson AM: Delete all after “This Assembly notes” and add: “that the Green Group has made an agreement with the Mayor and regrets that Darren Johnson and Jenny Jones did not work with the entire Assembly to propose an alternative.”
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Upon being put to the vote, the motion in the name of Richard Barnes AM was not carried (10 votes in favour, 14 votes against). Upon being put to the vote, the amendment moved by Mike Tuffrey AM to the motion in the name of Darren Johnson AM was carried (13 votes in favour, 11 votes against). Upon a further vote, the motion as amended, namely: “This Assembly notes that the Green Group has made an agreement with the Mayor and regrets that Darren Johnson and Jenny Jones did not work with the entire Assembly to propose an alternative.” was carried (13 votes in favour, 9 votes against).
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3.16
3.17
At the conclusion of the discussion and voting on budget-related motions, the Chair, Sally Hamwee AM, moved and the Deputy Chairman, Brian Coleman AM, seconded that, in accordance with Standing Order 6.12O, individual votes on the five component parts of the Draft Consolidated Budget be taken. This was agreed. Members voted unanimously in favour of the Metropolitan Police Authority component of the draft budget. 16 votes were cast in favour and 8 votes were cast against the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority component of the draft budget. 9 votes were cast in favour and 15 votes were cast against the Mayor’s component of the draft budget. 17 votes were cast in favour and 5 votes were cats against the Assembly component of the draft budget. 9 votes were cast in favour and 15 votes were cast against the Transport for London component of the draft budget. 9 votes were cast in favour and 15 votes were cast against the London Development Agency component of the draft budget.
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3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23
Greater London Authority London Assembly – Mayor’s Question Time 30 January 2008
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The Chair then formally moved the substantive motion set out on the agenda, namely, ”To approve the Draft Consolidated Budget for 2008/09, together with the draft component budgets comprised within it without amendment.” This was not carried (9 votes in favour, 15 votes against). The Chair announced that this concluded the Assembly’s consideration of the Draft Consolidated Budget and that the Assembly would consider the Final Draft Consolidated Budget at its meeting on 13 February 2008. As no amendment to the Draft Consolidated Budget had attracted a simple majority of votes ca st in its favour, the Draft Consolidated Budget for 2008/09, as submitted by the Mayor, was deemed to have been approved without amendment, in accordance with Paragraph 8(5) of Schedule 6 to the GLA Act 1999.
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4.
4.1
Mayor’s Report (Item 4)
Resolved: That the Mayor’s Report for the period 29 November 2007 to 16 January 2008 be noted.
5.
5.1
Questions to the Mayor (Item 5)
Resolved: To accept written answers from the Mayor to the questions submitted.
5.2
The answers, which were subsequently provided by the Mayor, are attached as Appendix 6.
6.
6.1 6.2
Action taken Under Delegated Authority (Item 6)
The Assembly received the report of Executive Director of Secretariat. Resolved: To note that the Chair of the Assembly, under delegated authority, has written to the Transport for London Board requesting a response to the recommendations set out in a KPMG report regarding payments made to Bob Kiley.
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Greater London Authority London Assembly – Mayor’s Question Time 30 January 2008
7.
7.1 7.2
Review of GLA Powers – Implementation of Changes to Salary Abatement Legislation for Mayor and Assembly Members (Item 7)
The Assembly received a report of the Executive Director of Secretariat. Resolved: That the Assembly agrees to delegate authority to the Chair of the Assembly, in consultation with the Deputy Chairman and party Group Leaders, to respond, on the Assembly’s behalf, to the Government consultation on the draft Greater London Authority (Limitation of Salaries) (Amendment) Order 2007. [Note: A joint response on behalf of the GLA (ie both the Mayor and the Assembly), was subsequently prepared and the Chair therefore exercised the authority delegated to her by the Assembly by commenting and approving this response rather than responding direct.]
8.
8.1
Standards Committee: Appointment of Independent Members (Item 8)
The Assembly received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat. It was noted that Appendix 1 to the report had been circulated under cover of a supplementary agenda. Resolved: That the appointment of Oluseye Aina, to serve from 1 February 2008 until 31 January 2012 as an Independent Member of the Authority’s Standards Committee, be approved (noting that such appointments are made jointly with the Mayor).
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9.
9.1
Assembly Scheme of Delegation (Item 9a)
The Chair explained that, in accordance with section 100(B)(4) of the LGA Act 1972 (as amended) and Standing Order 1.10 A (2), she had admitted this item to the agenda as an item of urgent business, to allow its consideration at the very earliest opportunity. Resolved That the Assembly Scheme of Delegation, which has been revised to take into account changes arising from the recent enactment of the Greater London Authority Act 2007, be approved, as set out at Appendix 1 to the report.
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10.
10.1
Any Other Business the Chair Considers Urgent (Item 9)
There was no other urgent business.
11.
Date of Next Meeting (Item 10)
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Greater London Authority London Assembly – Mayor’s Question Time 30 January 2008
11.1
It was noted that the next meeting of the Assembly would be an Extraordinary Plenary meeting, to be held on Thursday 7 February 2008 at 10.00 am in the Chamber, City Hall.
12.
12.1
Close of Meeting
The meeting ended at 2.40 pm.
Chair
Date
Contact Officer:
Telephone: Email:
Rebecca Arnold Committee Team Leader GLA Secretariat, City Hall The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA 020 7983 4421 rebecca.arnold@london.gov.uk
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