Agenda and minutes
GLA Oversight Committee
Tuesday 17 July 2012 10.00 am

To receive any apologies for absence and any announcements from the Chair.

1.1  Apologies were received from Len Duvall AM for whom Joanne McCartney AM was attending as a substitute. In the absence of the Chair, the Deputy Chair, Jennette Arnold AM, assumed the Chair for the duration of the meeting.

The Committee is recommended to:

(a)  Note as disclosable pecuniary interests the list of memberships of functional bodies and London Borough Councils, as set out in the table at Agenda Item 2;

(b)  Declare any disclosable pecuniary interests in specific items listed on the agendaand take any necessary action regarding withdrawal following such declaration(s); and

(c)  Additionally declare any relevant interests (including any interests arising from gifts and hospitality received which are not at the time of the meeting reflected on the Authority’s register of gifts and hospitality, and noting also the advice from the GLA’s Monitoring Officer set out at Agenda Item 2) and take any necessary action regarding withdrawal following such declaration(s).

2.1  Resolved:

(a)   That the list of memberships of functional bodies and London Borough Councils, as set out in the table at Item 2, be noted as disclosable pecuniary interests;

(b)  That Andrew Boff AM’s declaration of a non-pecuniary interest in Item 7, The Mayor’s Education Inquiry, be noted, insofar as his partner is a teacher; and

(c)   That gifts and hospitality received by Members, as set out in the Authority’s gifts and hospitality register, be noted.

The Committee is recommended to confirm the minutes of the meeting of the GLA Oversight Committee held on 19 June 2012 to be signed by the Chair as a correct record.

3.1  Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting of the GLA Oversight Committee held on 19 June 2012 be signed by the Chair as a correct record.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact:  John Barry; john.barry@london.gov.uk; 020 7983 4425 

The Committee is recommended to note the completed actions arising from previous meetings of the GLA Oversight Committee.

4.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat.

4.2  Resolved:

That the completed actions from previous meetings of the GLA Oversight Committee be noted.

The Head of Paid Service to provide any service updates not covered in the rest of the agenda.

5.1  The Head of Paid Service advised the Committee that a staff consultation paper was about to be issued on legacy proposals. As the consultation would continue until September 2012, the Committee had time to express its views on the proposals.

5.2  The Committee was further informed that Paul Pugh, a Home Office Director, would be seconded to act as the interim Chief Executive of the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime for at least a three-month period until a permanent appointment could be made.

5.3  In response to Members’ questions, the Head of Paid Service confirmed that he was not aware of any further formal appointments that the Mayor intended to make in the near-future.

5.4  The update was noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact:  Janet Hughes; janet.hughes@london.gov.uk; 020 7983 4423

The Committee is recommended to note the report as background to its question and answer session with the Mayor’s Chief of Staff and the GLA’s Assistant Director, Intelligence, about the Mayor’s transparency commitments.

6.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat.

6.2  In attendance for this item were:

·  Sir Edward Lister, Chief of Staff and Deputy Mayor; and

·  Andrew Collinge, Assistant Director, Intelligence.

6.3  A transcript of the discussion is attached as Appendix 1.

6.4  During the course of the item, it was agreed that the Committee would be provided with a list of data that will be included on the City Dashboard and, when available, an account of the methodology used for deciding how that information is selected. At the Chair’s request, the Assistant Director, Intelligence, agreed to work with the Assembly’s Scrutiny team as part of the testing of the Datastore.

6.5  The Mayor’s Chief of Staff also undertook to talk to the Deputy Chairman of Transport for London (TfL) about ensuring TfL holds all of its meetings in public, including Panel meetings, particularly where it has published the agenda and reports relating to the meeting.

6.6  Resolved:

That the report be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact:  Janet Hughes; janet.hughes@london.gov.uk; 020 7983 4423

The Committee is recommended to note the report as background to its question and answer session with the Deputy Mayor for Education and Culture.

7.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat.

7.2  Andrew Boff AM declared a non-pecuniary interest in this item insofar as his partner is a teacher.

7.3  In attendance for this item were:

·  Munira Mirza, Deputy Mayor for Education and Culture; and

·  Caroline Boswell, Manager, Children and Young People’s Unit.

7.4  A transcript of the discussion is attached as Appendix 2.

7.5  During the  course of the discussion, it was agreed that the Committee would be provided with the following information subsequent to the meeting:

·  A detailed note setting out the total resources used to undertake the Mayor’s Education Inquiry, including a record of the amount of GLA staff time involved;

·  A list of the people and organisations who were formally invited to the stakeholder event;

·  The number of interviews undertaken as part of the head teacher survey work;

·  The job descriptions for the members of the Inquiry panel; and

·  An account of the purpose and role of the Enterprise Trust Board and how its role relates to the academies’ Board of Governors.

7.6  Resolved:

That the report be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact:  Lydia Volans; lydia.volans@london.gov.uk; 020 7983 4067

The Committee is recommended to:

(a)  Note the suggested selection criteria to be considered for Assembly civic events and lunch briefings;

(b)  Agree to host the events set out in sections 5 and 7 and to fund the costs of these events from the total allocated budget for Assembly receptions and events in 2012/13 of £23,000; and

(c)  Delegate Authority to the Chair of the Assembly to approve, in consultation with the Deputy Chair and Group Leaders, the detailed arrangements for the events set out in sections 5 and 7 of the report.

8.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat.

8.2  Joanne McCartney AM requested that the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime provides a lunchtime briefing to Assembly Members.

8.3  Resolved:

(a)  That the suggested selection criteria for Assembly civic events and lunch briefings be noted;

(b)  That it be agreed to host the events set out in sections 5 and 7 of the report, including a lunchtime briefing by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, and to fund the costs of these events from the total allocated budget for Assembly receptions and events in 2012/13 of £23,000; and

(c)  That authority be delegated to the Chair of the Assembly to approve, in consultation with the Deputy Chair of the Assembly and Group Leaders, the detailed arrangements for the events set out in sections 5 and 7 of the report.

Report of the Head of Paid Service

Contact: Juliette Carter; juliette.carter@london.gov.uk; 0207 983 4194

The Committee is recommended to note the report.

9.1  The Committee received the report of the Head of Paid Service.

9.2  Resolved:

That the report be noted.

Report of the Head of Paid Service

Contact: Ed Williams; ed.williams@london.gov.uk; 0207 983 4399

The Committee is recommended to respond to the Head of Service consultation on the proposed creation and deletion of posts within the Assembly Secretariat’s party Group staffing establishment.

10.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat.

10.2  John Biggs AM queried the inconsistency of approach across some of the proposed staffing restructures but was advised by the Head of Committee and Member Services that the consultation was still ongoing and the proposal could therefore still be subject to further discussion and change.

10.3  In relation to the role of PAs, the Chair welcomed the proposals which she felt more accurately reflected and rewarded the competencies of the role.

10.4  Resolved:

That the Committee’s response to the Head of Paid Service consultation on the proposed creation and deletion of posts within the Assembly Secretariat’s party Group staffing establishment be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact:  Janet Hughes; janet.hughes@london.gov.uk; 020 7983 4423

The Committee is recommended to note the core Secretariat’s performance and budget monitoring information for the first quarter of 2012/13 (April to June 2012).

11.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat.

11.2  Resolved:

That the core Secretariat’s performance and budget monitoring information for the first quarter of 2012/13 (April to June 2012) be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact:  John Barry; john.barry@london.gov.uk; 020 7983 4425

The Committee is recommended to note its work programme for 2012/13 and identify any additional issues it wishes to consider at future meetings.

12.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat.

12.2  Caroline Pidgeon AM proposed that an investigation into the funding and organisation of the Pride London Festival be added to the Committee’s work programme. John Biggs AM requested that officers prepare the terms of reference for a rapporteur’s investigation examining the issue of confidentiality across the GLA.

12.3  Resolved:

That the Committee’s work programme for 2012/13 be noted subject to the inclusion of the additional items proposed by Members and recorded above.

The next meeting of the Committee is scheduled to be held on 20 September 2012 at 10am in Committee Room 3.

13.1  The next meeting of the Committee would be held on 20 September 2012 at 10am in Committee Room 3.

14.1  The Chair proposed that the London Assembly holds a drinks reception for the former Chief Executive and former Deputy Chief Executive of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) to thank them for their work and support of Assembly Members during their time at the MPA.

14.2  The Committee also thanked Janet Hughes, Head of Scrutiny and Investigations, who would be leaving the Greater London Authority in order to take up a new position at the Cabinet Office. Members thanked her for her assistance in her time at the Authority and wished her well for the future. 

14.3  Resolved:

That a drinks reception for the former Chief Executive and Deputy Chief Executive of the Metropolitan Police Authority be arranged on behalf of the London Assembly.

15.1  The meeting finished at 12.35pm.