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Press Release 'Assembly has no need for limousine service' - Mayor Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, has described the planned new expenses framework for the London Assembly as a proposal to create a ‘chauffeur service’ for the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Assembly. Green Assembly member Jenny Jones AM, added her voice to concerns, calling it an 'environmentally expensive measure.' The Assembly's Business Management and Appointments committee is due to discuss changes to rules which govern how much the Chair, Brian Coleman, and Deputy Chair, Sally Hamwee, are able to claim in taxi expenses at its meeting on Tuesday 27th February. The meeting will discuss proposals to put to a full vote of the London Assembly. It arises after the Mayor declined to back a new proposed expenses framework. When the committee met on the 28 November 2006 it recommended increasing expenses so the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Assembly could use a single taxi for a series of engagements, in effect creating a chauffeured taxi service. Ken Livingstone said, "It really says something about the clear differences that now exist in London politics that on the day that we launch London’s first climate change action plan, Assembly group leaders are discussing a chauffeur-driven limousine service for senior members of the Assembly. ‘The full Assembly will have to vote on this plan. ‘Using public transport is crucial to cutting congestion, pollution and tackling climate change. The Chair of the Assembly should as much as possible set an example to the rest of Londoners and use buses, trains and the tube, not swan around London in a chauffeur-driven car. ‘Soon after I was elected, virtually my first act as Mayor was to rule out any car-pool or chauffeur-driven limousine service for the Greater London Authority. Instead Assembly members, including the Chair and Vice Chair, get an annual travel-card. ‘I have declined to approve the new expenses for the Assembly to provide a car service because London government politicians should resist the temptation to glide around in chauffeur-driven cars – they should remain in touch with the issues that matter to Londoners." Jenny Jones said, "The main justification for this environmentally expensive measure seems to be the need to protect a valuable piece of regalia while being worn to lots of events, some public, some private. My advice would be to do fewer events, or to leave the bling behind." Ends. Notes to Editors 1. The agenda for the Business Management and Appointments committee meeting, 27th Feb 2007 can be found on: http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/bmac/2007/feb27/agenda.jsp 2. On 28th November 2006, the Business Management and Appointments committee recommended changes to rules governing expenses. They decided: ‘To amend the Authority’s Expenses and Benefits Framework, subject to the approval of the Mayor and for the reasons set out in the report, by the inclusion of the following clause: "That, where the Assembly’s Chair and/or Deputy Chair are on official business in those capacities and therefore carrying their respective badges of office and are undertaking a number of duties on any one day (that are reasonably consecutive), they may request that that the same vehicle would take them to and from those engagements and remain for the duration of the engagements (noting that this may lead, in such circumstances, to waiting times in excess of the standard limits.)”
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