Agenda and minutes
GLA Oversight Committee - Wednesday 1 November 2023 10.00 am

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

1.1  Apologies for absence were received from the Deputy Chair, Len Duvall AM, Peter Fortune AM and Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM, for whom Hina Bokhari AM substituted.

1.2  In accordance with Standing Order 2.4, Hina Bokhari AM participated in the meeting remotely with the permission of the Chairman.

Report of the Executive Director of Assembly Secretariat

Contact:  Nikoleta Kemp, [email protected]

The Committee is recommended to:

(a)  Note the list of offices held by Assembly Members, as set out in the table 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  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Assembly Secretariat.

2.2  Resolved:

  That the list of offices held by Assembly Members, as set out in the table at Agenda Item 2, be noted as disclosable pecuniary interests.

The Committee is recommended to confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 28 September 2023 to be signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

3.1  Resolved:

  That the minutes of the meeting held on 28 September 2023 be signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

Report of the Executive Director of Assembly Secretariat

Contact:  Nikoleta Kemp, [email protected] 

The Committee is recommended to note the completed and ongoing actions arising from its previous meetings.

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

4.2  Resolved:

That the completed and ongoing actions arising from previous meetings of the Committee be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Assembly Secretariat

Contact: Gino Brand, [email protected]

The Committee is recommended to:

(a)  Note the report as background to putting questions to invited guests and note the subsequent discussion; and

(b)  Delegate authority to the Chairman, in consultation with the Deputy Chair and party Group Lead Members, to agree any output from the discussion.

5.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Assembly Secretariat as background to putting questions on the Human Resources (HR) and Information Technology (IT) Shared Service Transfers to the following invited guests:

  Panel 1

·  Mary Harpley, Chief Officer, Greater London Authority (GLA);

·  Niran Mothada, Executive Director of Strategy and Communications, GLA;

·  Shakira Keddo, Assistant Director of People, GLA;

·  Beth Cushion, Head of Human Resources, GLA; and

·  Maureen Jackson, Director of Business Services, Transport for London (TfL).

5.2  A transcript of the discussion is attached at Appendix 1.

5.3  During the course of the discussion the Head of Human Resources, GLA, agreed to:

·  Confirm whether all of the salary overpayments made after the move to the TfL payroll system have now been clawed back by the GLA; and

·  Confirm the largest single error in terms of an amount that was made on an individual’s payroll, both in terms of overpayment and underpayment.

5.4  During the course of the discussion the Director of Business Services, TfL, agreed to:

·  Confirm what communications went out to staff to notify them of the problems identified in the payroll systems that impacted upon pay and advise them to check their pay; and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Report of the Executive Director of Assembly Secretariat

Contact: Helen Ewen, [email protected]

The Committee is recommended to:

(a)  Consider the Mayor’s budget guidance and agrees the London Assembly’s draft budget requirement for 2024-25 as set out at Section 8 of this paper for recommendation to the Mayor, subject to any changes that might be necessary as a result of the Committee’s consideration of proposals at Section 9 of this paper and any changes prior to the final agreement on the budget in February 2024 to reflect:

·   Any further advice from the Executive Director of Resources on contingencies and financial reserves; and

·   Any changes that emerge during the remainder of the budget process;

(b)   Note that the detailed allocation of the 2024-25 Assembly budget will be presented to this Committee for consideration and decision in March 2024, following confirmation of the overall Greater London Authority (GLA) Group budget for 2024-25 in February 2024, with a further report to the GLA Oversight Committee in May or June 2024 to consider any further changes to allocations necessitated by the outcomes of the 2024 GLA Elections;

(c)  Approve the general use of the Assembly’s budget, as allocated to the relevant teams within the Secretariat  ...  view the full agenda text for item 6.

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

6.2  Resolved:

  (a)   That the Mayor’s budget guidance be considered and the London Assembly’s draft budget requirement for 2024-25 as set out at Section 8 of this report for recommendation to the Mayor be agreed, subject to any changes prior to the final agreement on the budget in February 2024 to reflect:

·   Any further advice from the Executive Director of Resources on contingencies and financial reserves; and

·  Any changes that emerge during the remainder of the budget process;

(b)   That the detailed allocation of the 2024-25 Assembly budget will be presented to this Committee for consideration and decision in March 2024, following confirmation of the overall Greater London Authority (GLA) Group budget for 2024-25 in February 2024, with a further report to the GLA Oversight Committee in May or June 2024 to consider any further changes to allocations necessitated by the outcomes of the 2024 GLA Elections be noted;

(c)   That the general use of the Assembly’s budget, as allocated to the relevant teams within the Secretariat by the Committee in March each year, as set out in section 5 of the report be agreed;

(d)   That  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Report of the Assistant Director of Scrutiny and Investigation

Contact: Zoe Oliver-Watts, [email protected]

The Committee is recommended to note the Secretariat Quarterly Monitoring report for November 2022 to January 2023.

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

7.2  Resolved:

  That the Secretariat Quarterly Monitoring report for November 2022 to January 2023 be noted.

Report of the Assistant Director of Scrutiny and Investigation

Contact: Zoe Oliver-Watts, [email protected]

The Committee is recommended to note the Secretariat Quarterly Monitoring report for February 2023 to April 2023.  

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

8.2   Resolved:

  That the Secretariat Quarterly Monitoring report for February 2023 to April 2023 be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Assembly Secretariat

Contact: Gino Brand, [email protected]

The Committee is recommended to note its work programme for 2023/2024.

9.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Assembly Secretariat.

9.2  Resolved:

  That the Committee’s work programme for 2023/2024 be noted.

The next meeting of the Committee is scheduled for 23 November 2023 at 10.00am in the Chamber, City Hall.

10.1  The next meeting of the Committee was scheduled for 23 November 2023 at 10.00am in the Chamber, City Hall.

11.1  There were no items of business that the Chair considered to be urgent.

12.1  The meeting ended at 12.40pm.