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London Assembly (Annual Meeting)
9 May 2008

10 am
Chamber, City Hall, The Queen's Walk, London SE1 2AA

A meeting of the Assembly will be held to deal with the business listed below. This meeting will be open to the public. There is access for disabled people, and induction loops are available.

[Note: This meeting of the London Assembly complies with section 52(2) of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 and Standing Order 1.4.]

Mark Roberts, Executive Director of Secretariat
30 April 2008

If you, or someone you know, needs a copy of the agenda, minutes or reports in large print or Braille, or in another language, then please call us on 020 7983 4100 or email assembly.translations@london.gov.uk.

Many meetings of the London Assembly and its Committees are webcast live, and you can also view past meetings.

Agenda

Downloadable files for agenda papers are grouped at the end of the page, linked from the appropriate agenda item.

1. Election of Chair & Deputy Chair of the London Assembly

Section 50 of the GLA Act 1999 (as amended) requires that there be offices of Chair and Deputy Chair of the London Assembly. Section 51 requires that the Chair and Deputy Chair be elected at a meeting of the Assembly from among the elected Members of the Assembly.

The GLA Act 1999 requires that a meeting of the London Assembly must be held within a period of ten days following the day of an ordinary GLA election, at which the Chair and the Deputy Chair must be elected.

At its meeting on 9th May 2007, the Assembly elected Sally Hamwee AM and Brian Coleman AM to hold the offices of Chair and Deputy Chairman of the London Assembly respectively, until the next Annual Meeting of the Assembly.

The Authority’s Chief Executive will preside over the election of the Chair of the London Assembly for the 2008/09 Assembly Year. The elected Chair will then preside over the election of the Deputy Chair of the London Assembly.

Any new Assembly Chair may then address the Assembly.

2. Apologies for Absence and Chair’s Announcements

The Assembly will receive any apologies for absence and any announcements from the Chair.

3. Declarations of Interests

Recommendations:

1. That the list of memberships of functional bodies and London Borough Councils, as set out in the table at Item 3, be noted; and
2. That all Members declare any other personal or personal prejudicial interests in specific items listed on the agenda over and above those items listed in the table at Item 3, including interests arising from any gifts or hospitality received since 12 September 2007

4. Results of 2008 Greater London Authority Elections
Report of the Chief Executive

To note the results of the Greater London Authority elections held on 1st May 2008.

5. Assembly Party Groups and Members
Report of the Chief Executive

The Assembly is to be formally advised of the formal party Groups of the Assembly, including their memberships and the names of party Group leaders, and of any single non-aligned Members of the Assembly.

Recommendation:

To note the formation of four party Groups from within the overall membership of the London Assembly.

6. Deputy Mayor

The Assembly is recommended to note any Mayoral appointment to the position of Deputy Mayor.

7. Functional Bodies: Memberships

Recommendation: That the Assembly notes any Mayoral appointments made to functional bodies.

8. Establishment of Committees
Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

The Assembly will receive a report of the Executive Director of Secretariat regarding the establishment of any Committees of the Assembly. This report will also include details in respect of political proportionality.

Recommendations:

1. That the Assembly considers and agrees which committees it wishes to establish for the 2008-09 Assembly Year, taking account of the statutory requirement upon the Authority to have a Standards Committee and the various officer recommendations set out at paragraphs 3.8- 3.10, 3.20-3.23, 3.26-3.27, 3.31-3.32, 3.35-3.37 and 3.48 of the report, and agrees terms of reference for those committees;
2. That, in accordance with the rules on the political proportionality that apply to the allocation of seats on committees (explained at paragraphs 2.1 – 2.5 below), and having had regard to the guidance from the Chief Executive set out at Appendix 1 as to the number and allocation between the political party Groups of seats both on an overall basis and for each committee / body established, the Assembly determines the overall size and constitution of each of those committees;
3. That, in accordance with the provisions of Section 17 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, the Assembly unanimously agrees (as it has in previous years) to disapply the proportionality rules where committee membership is not politically proportional in respect of the overall membership of the Assembly; and
4. That the Assembly reconfirms the previous decisions of the then Business Management and Appointments Committee (BMAC) in respect of committee meetings and work programmes, namely:
   
   “That, if during the year a committee modified its approved work programme and/or number of meetings in response to topical events, and an ad hoc extra meeting was called for, that would be permitted if the members of the committee concerned agreed; if 2 or more members of that committee did not agree to a proposal for an extra meeting, the matter would be referred to this committee [now the Business Management and Administration Committee] for determination (noting that the Chair of BMAC has existing delegated authority from the Assembly to determine, in consultation with the Deputy Chair and party Group leaders, requests for additional committee meetings);
   
   That the current procedure for the proposed use of rapporteurs by committees, wherein the prior approval of this committee is required, be maintained.”; and
   
   “That each Committee should report to BMAC at the start of the municipal year on its work programme for the year, including the proposed number of meetings which that programme would entail, and that BMAC should have the authority to vary the attached timetable.”

9. Appointment of Members to Committees
Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Recommendations:

That the Assembly

1. Appoints Members for the 2008/09 Assembly Year to the Committees/bodies established under Item 8;
2. Agrees that all non-appointed members of each political Group be appointed as substitute Member(s) for their relevant party Group Committee Members on each committee; and
3. Ratifies the continuing membership of Simon Green, Claer Lloyd Jones and Seye Aina as independent members of the Standards Committee.

10. Election of Committee Chairs and Deputy Chairs

Recommendation:

That the Assembly appoints Chairs and Deputy Chairs for the 2008/09 Assembly Year from the Members appointed to Committees under Item 9 to all Committees/bodies established under Item 8.

[Note: Standing Order 8.1 states that the Assembly, when establishing a Committee, will decide the Chair and Deputy Chair of that Committee or whether the Committee is to appoint them itself.]

11. Dates of Assembly and Committee Meetings 2008-09
Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat.

Recommendation:

Subject to decisions taken under Item 8 on the agenda, the Assembly is requested to confirm the programme of Assembly and committee meetings for the 2008-09 Assembly Year (so far as it is able).

The attached letter, proposing the appointment of the Chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, has now been received from the Mayor.

At Item 8 the Assembly has been recommended to establish a Confirmation Hearings Committee and to re-confirm the existing standing delegation to the Assembly Chair in respect of powers (conferred by the Greater London Authority Act 2007) to decide to hold a confirmation hearings.

Subject to the Assembly’s decision in that regard, and the Chair’s confirmation that they would wish to hold a confirmation hearing, the Assembly is asked provisionally to agree that a meeting of the Confirmations Hearings Committee be held on Thursday 22 May.

12. Appointments to Outside Bodies
Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat.

The Assembly is recommended to make nominations to the following bodies (to which the Assembly appointed Members in the previous term) to last until the date of the next ordinary GLA elections:

• The Advisory Board of the Centre for Public Scrutiny (CfPS) (one nomination)
• Local Government Regional Forum (two nominations)
• London Health Commission (one nomination)
• London Regional Arts Council (two nominations)
• Heathrow Airport Consultative Committee (one nomination)
• Covent Garden Area Trust (one nomination)

13. 2008/09 Assembly Events
Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat.

Recommendations: That the Assembly

• Agrees to host a London Governance reception on 24 June 2008 and to fund the costs of the event, up to £4,500, from the total allocated budget for Assembly receptions and events in 2008/09 of £24,000
• Agrees to delegate authority to BMAC to approve further Assembly receptions /events for the 2008/9 year. Event proposals will be discussed at Bureau prior to approval at BMAC

14. Minutes

The Assembly is recommended to approve the minutes of the following Assembly/Committee meetings (which are outstanding from the previous term):

• 9 October 2007 7 July Review Committee
• 22 January 2008 Elections Review Committee
• 29 January 2008 Budget Committee
• 26 February 2008 Environment Committee
• 27 February 2008 Standards Committee
• 4 March 2008 Audit Panel
• 5 March 2008 Assembly Plenary
• 5 March 2008 Economic Development, Culture, Sport and Tourism Committee
• 11 March 2008 Business Management and Administration Committee
• 11 March 2008 Transport Committee
• 12 March 2008 Mayor’s Question Time
• 12 March 2008 Planning and Spatial Development Committee
• 12 March 2008 Health and Public Services Committee
• 16 April 2008 Budget Monitoring Sub-Committee

[Note: The Assembly may, in the event that any of the above Committees are re-established or a successor body is established for any of these Committees, refer the relevant outstanding minutes to that body for approval.]

15. Actions taken by Chair of Assembly under Delegated Authority
Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Recommendations:

1. That the Assembly notes action taken by the then Chair of the Assembly, Sally Hamwee AM, under delegated authority in the period up to 1 May 2008; and
2. Delegates authority to the Chair of the Assembly, in consultation with the Deputy Chair and the Leaders of all party Groups, to make a submission on behalf of the Assembly to the Chief Executive’s Corporate Governance Review.

16. London Assembly – Corporate Governance Framework

The Assembly is asked to note the following documents:

• The Scheme of Delegation of Functions of the London Assembly
• The Scheme of Delegation of Mayoral Functions of the Greater London Authority
• Standing Orders

The Assembly is asked to agree the following document:

• London Assembly Decision-Making Framework

All these documents form part of the Authority’s corporate governance framework.

[Notes:

(1) The documents listed above were up-to-date as at 30 April 2008

(2) Upon signing the Declaration of Acceptance of Office all Assembly Members undertook to act in accordance with the GLA Code of Conduct.]

17. Date of Next Meeting

The next meeting, which will be a Mayor’s Question Time meeting, will be held on Wednesday 21 May 2008 at 10.00am in the Chamber, City Hall.

18. Any Other Business the Chair Considers Urgent

Further Information

If you have questions, would like further information about the meeting or require special facilities please contact:

Ed Williams
Tel: 020 7983 4399
Email: ed.williams@london.gov.uk
Minicom: 020 7983 4458

or

Rebecca Arnold
Tel: 020 7983 4421
Email: rebecca.arnold@london.gov.uk
Minicom: 020 7983 4458

If you have any questions about individual reports please contact the report author whose details at the end of each report.

For media enquiries please contact Mark Demery, Head of External Relations, tel 020 7983 5769. Email mark.demery@london.gov.uk.

There is limited underground parking for orange and blue badge holders, which will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis. Please contact Facilities Management (020 7983 4750) in advance if you require a parking space or further information.

Download Agenda papers

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