Agenda and minutes
Housing Committee - Tuesday 9 February 2021 10.00 am

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

1.1  The Chair explained that in accordance with Government regulations the meeting was being held virtually, with Assembly Members and guests participating remotely.

1.2  The Clerk read the roll-call of Assembly Members who were participating in the meeting.  No apologies for absence were received.

1.3  The Chair noted that it was Nicky Gavron AM’s last meeting as a member of the Housing Committee and thanked her for her hard work over many years on behalf of Londoners.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact:  Diane Richards, [email protected], 07925 353 478

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 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 10 November 2020 to be signed by the Chair as a correct record.

3.1  Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 10 November 2020 be signed by the Chair as a correct record.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact:  Diane Richards, [email protected]; 07925 353478

The Committee is recommended to note the completed, closed and outstanding actions arising from its previous meetings and the additional correspondence sent and received as listed in the report.

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

4.2  Resolved:

That the completed, closed and outstanding actions arising from previous meetings of the Committee, and the additional correspondence sent and received as listed in the report, be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact:  Diane Richards, [email protected]; 07925 353478

The Committee is recommended to:

(a)  Note the actions taken by the Chair under delegated authority, following consultation with party Group Lead Members, namely to agree:

  (i)  The Committee’s response to the technical shared ownership consultation, as attached at Appendix 1; and

  (ii)  The Committee’s 5 Steps to Build on ‘Everyone In’ in London report, as attached at Appendix 2.

(b)  Ratify the signing, by the Chair on behalf of the Committee, of the letter sent on 8 January 2021 from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform to The Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP, following informal consultation with party Group Lead Members, as attached at Appendix 3; and

(c)  Note its work programme as agreed under delegated authority by the Chair of the GLA Oversight Committee on 3 December 2020. 

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

5.2  Resolved:

(a)  That the recent actions taken by the Chair under delegated authority, following consultation with party Group Lead Members be noted, namely to agree:

  (i)  The Committee’s response to the technical shared ownership consultation; and

  (ii)  The Committee’s 5 Steps to Build on ‘Everyone in’ in London report.

(b)  That the signing of the letter by the Chair on behalf of the Committee, sent on 8 January 2021 from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform to The Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP, following informal consultation with party Group Lead Members, be ratified; and

(c)  That its work programme as agreed under delegated authority by the Chair of the GLA Oversight Committee on 3 December 2020 be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact: Stephanie Griffiths, [email protected]; 07783 805834

The Committee is recommended to:

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

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

6.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat as background to putting questions on an end-of-term assessment of key mayoral commitments on housing to the following invited guests:

·  Tom Copley, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development; and

·  Rickardo Hyatt, Executive Director, Housing & Land, Greater London Authority (GLA).

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

6.3  The Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development added his personal thanks and best wishes to departing Assembly Member Nicky Gavron AM.

6.4  The Executive Director, Housing & Land, GLA, confirmed he would update the Committee on whether Belgravia police station is being sold.

6.5  During the course of the discussion, the Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development agreed to provide the following additional information:

·  The number of homes planned for delivery by the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (ODPC) and the timescale;

·  The amount left unallocated in the current Affordable Housing Programme 2016-2023 at the end of this term;

·  To confirm to the Committee once he has discussed with the Mayor a policy on asking the Government for Right to Buy suspension on new council homes, and the outcome of that discussion;  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

The London Assembly’s Annual Meeting, due to take place on 14 May 2021, will decide which committees to establish for the 2021/22 Assembly Year and a timetable of meetings for those committees.

7.1  The next meeting of the Committee would be confirmed by the London Assembly at its Annual Meeting, due to take place on 14 May 2021.

8.1  Committee Members offered their thanks to Murad Qureshi AM for acting as Chair of the Committee so ably over the past year and for stepping in when the Assembly vacancy arose.

8.2  Thanks and best wishes for Nicky Gavron AM, who would be standing down, were also offered from Committee Members.

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

9.1  The meeting ended at 12.10 pm.