Agenda and minutes
GLA Oversight Committee - Thursday 18 July 2013 10.00 am

1.1   Apologies were received from the Chair, Len Duvall AM, for whom John Biggs AM was in attendance as a substitute.

The Committee is recommended to:

(a)  Note the list of Assembly Members’ appointments, as set out in the tables at Agenda Item 2, as disclosable pecuniary interests;

(b)   Note the declaration by any Member(s) of any disclosable pecuniary interests in specific items listed on the agenda and the necessary action taken by the Member(s) regarding withdrawal following such declaration(s); and

(c)   Note the declaration by any Member(s) of any other interests deemed to be relevant (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 to note any necessary action taken by the Member(s) following such declaration(s).

2.1  Resolved:

a)  That the list of Assembly Members’ appointments, as set out in the tables at Agenda Item 2, be noted as disclosable pecuniary interests; and

b)  That John Biggs AM’s declaration of a non-pecuniary interest in relation to Item 11, GLA Pay Award, arising from his membership of the GMB trade union, additionally be noted.

The Committee is recommended to confirm the minutes of the meeting of the GLA Oversight Committee held on 21 May 2013 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 21 May 2013 be signed by the Chair as a correct record.

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

4.2  Resolved:

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

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact:  John Barry; [email protected]; 020 7983 4425 

The Committee is recommended to note the action taken by the Chair of the GLA Oversight Committee and Chair of the Assembly under delegated authority.

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

5.2  In response to concerns voiced by the Committee, the Mayor’s Chief of Staff (who was in attendance for Item 6 of the agenda) undertook to provide further details of decisions made by the Mayor in relation to the Stonewall Index.

5.3  Resolved:

That the actions taken by the Chair of the GLA Oversight Committee and the Chair of the Assembly under delegated authority be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact: Tim Steer; [email protected]; 020 7983 4250

The Committee is recommended to:

a)  Agree the report Transparency of the GLA Group; and

b)  Put questions to guests, including the Mayor’s Chief of Staff, in relation to the report’s recommendations, and note the responses given.

6.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat, as background to putting questions to the following guests:

·  Howard Carter, General Counsel, TfL;

·  Steve Wood, Head of Policy Delivery, Information Commissioner’s Office;

·  Martin Hoscik, MayorWatch;

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

·  Tom Middleton, Head of Governance and Resilience, GLA.

6.2  A record of the discussion is attached as Appendix 1.

6.3  Resolved:

a)  That the rapporteur’s report Transparency at the GLA Group be agreed; and

b)  That the discussion with invited guests be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact:  John Barry; [email protected]; 020 7983 4425

The Committee is recommended to note the report.

7.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat, as background to putting questions to the GLA’s Assistant Director of Health and Communities, Amanda Coyle.

7.2  During the course of the discussion, the Committee requested the following additional information:

·  A breakdown of referrals, trained mentors, and matches, by each of the participating boroughs;

·  Details of the target-setting process for the local delivery partners,  including how the targets were utilised in the bidding process; and

·  The criteria by which boys at risk are defined in the output handbook that delivery partners must meet before claims for referrals.

7.3  Resolved:

  That the report and discussion, as recorded above, be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact:  Claire Hamilton; [email protected]; 020 7983  5845

The Committee is recommended to:

a)  Approve expenditure to a maximum of £15,000 from the 2013/14 scrutiny programme to commission external contractors to provide research into young people’s views of stop and search; and

b)  Note that the Executive Director of the Secretariat, in consultation with the Chair of the Police and Crime Committee, will commission the external contractors to carry out the external research, subject to the Committee approving this expenditure.

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

8.2  Resolved:

a)  That expenditure to a maximum of £15,000 from the 2013/14 scrutiny programme to commission external contractors to provide research into young people’s views of stop and search be approved; and

b)  That it be noted that the Executive Director of the Secretariat, in consultation with the Chair of the Police and Crime Committee, will commission the external contractors to carry out the external research.

9.1  The Committee was informed by the Head of Paid Service that the 2020 Vision document had been published on the 11 June 2013 and would be discussed in more detail with the Mayor at the Assembly Plenary meeting of 24 July 2013.

9.2  Actions arising from the 2020 Vision report included developing shared lobbying activities with the Chair of the London Finance Commission (LFC), Professor Tony Travers; key Mayoral meetings, including planned meetings with The Core Cities; and work on a scoping proposition for the major infrastructure project plan, about which the Head of Paid Service had previously suggested the Assembly should be involved.

9.3  Further planned follow-up activity included overhauling the role and remit of the London Enterprise Panel, as reflected in the LFC and 2020 Vision reports; and discussions with London Councils and borough leaders to consider next steps, particularly in terms of skills and employment City Deals and double devolution activity.

9.4  The Head of Paid Service cautioned that whilst the Mayor had expressed an aspiration to publish the infrastructure plan for the 2020 Vision by the end of 2013, there would be inherent difficulties in doing so due to the potential wide-ranging scope of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

Report of the Director of External Affairs

Contact: Dáire Basra; [email protected]; 020 7983 4033

The Committee is recommended to:

(a)  Note and comment on the proposals for People’s Question Time, on Tuesday 5 November 2013 contained in this report; particular views are sought on (i) the geographical area, and (ii) the Chair of the event.

(b)  Provide any views, ideas or suggestions on further ways to improve People’s Question Time as a consultative event.

10.1  The Committee received the report of the Director of External Affairs.

10.2  The Committee raised the issue that a location in Enfield had not been identified to host a People’s Question Time (PQT) event but was advised that this was due to a lack of a suitable venue.  Nevertheless, the Assistant Director of London Engagement undertook to review the arrangements for that constituency for future events.

10.3  Concerns were also raised about the timing of the 5 November 2013 PQT, the long-term logistical thinking on booking suitable venues and the lack of consultation with constituency Assembly Members on venue choices. The Assistant Director of London Engagement noted these comments and agreed to consider venues across the whole of the Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest constituency for the November 2014 PQT.

10.4  Resolved:

  That, subject to the comments made in the meeting and recorded above, the report and proposals for People’s Question Time on Tuesday 5 November 2013 be noted.

Report of the Head of Paid Service

Contact: Juliette Carter; [email protected]; 020 7983 4194

The Committee is recommended to note the report and respond to Head of Paid Service consultation on the pay award for 2013-14.

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

11.2  John Biggs AM declared a non-pecuniary interest arising from his membership of the GMB trade union.

11.3  Members expressed concerns about the option proposing a 1 per cent pay increase for all staff, and the Deputy Chairman suggested that such an increase should only apply to the first three pay grades.

11.4  On being put to the vote, the Committee agreed to support, by 6 votes for and 1 against, the Unison pay claim for 2013-14, as outlined in Appendix 1 of the report.

11.5  Resolved:

That the Unison pay claim for 2013-14 in relation to the GLA annual pay settlement that proposed increases of 2.5% for Grade 1-4, 2% for Grade 5-7, 1.5% for Grade 8-10 and 1% for Grade 11-13, be recommended to the Head of Paid Service. 

Report of the Head of Paid Service and Executive Director of Resources

Contact Officer: Tom Middleton; [email protected]; 020 7983 4257

The Committee is recommended to comments on the draft GLA Annual Governance Statement for 2012?13.

12.1  The Committee received the report of the Head of Paid Service and Executive Director of Resources.

12.2  Resolved:

  That the Annual Governance Statement 2012-13 be noted.

Report of the Head of Paid Service

Contact: Juliette Carter; [email protected]; 020 7983 4194

The Committee is recommended to note the report.

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

13.2  Resolved:

  That the Workforce Report be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact:  Katie Smith; [email protected]; 020 7983 4423

The Committee is recommended to note the core Secretariat quarterly monitoring report for the first quarter of 2013-14 (April-June 2013).

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

14.2  Resolved:

  That the report be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact:  John Barry; [email protected]; 020 7983 4425

The Committee is recommended to note its work programme for 2013-14 and identify any additional issues it wishes to consider at future meetings.

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

15.2  Resolved:

  That the report be noted.

The next meeting of the Committee is scheduled to be held on Tuesday 10 September at 10am in Committee Room 5.

16.1  The next meeting of the Committee was scheduled to be held on Tuesday 10 September at 10am in Committee Room 5.

17.1  There were no items of additional business.

18.1  The meeting finished at 12.54pm.