DD2327 City Operations Unit – accommodation adaptations & IT equipment

The Mayor has an important, strategic role in leading and communicating on events that affect the life of Londoners in all respects - transport, social, health, business, security etc. This responsibility has been especially important when a major disruptive incident has occurred. In such circumstances Londoners expect to hear from the leader of the city and it is critical that the Mayor has at his disposal the most accurate and current information to enable him to speak with authority and lead London in a crisis situation.

As set out in the Mayor’s consultation budget for 2019-20 a new team within the City Operations Unit will be established to provide a situational awareness capability with the ability to identify, process, analyse and comprehend the critical elements of information about what is happening and turn this information into actionable intelligence.

As part of the permanent establishment of the team, there is a need to carry out some accommodation adaptations, purchase standard office furniture and IT equipment. It was always envisaged there would be some one-off set-up costs in establishing the new team.

Once these accommodation works are complete and the necessary furniture and equipment has been purchased, the unit will be operational and in a position to deliver the outcomes set out in paragraphs 1.1 and 1.2.

The potential effects of the proposed accommodation changes and equipment purchases have been considered. Accommodation adaptations made will take into account accessibility needs and no other adverse impact is expected on equalities issues or any people with relevant protected characteristics under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010.

No risks or issues have been identified, and the equipment can be procured and adaptations made by the end of the 2018/19 financial year.

Approval is being sought for up to £80,000 to provide resources and accommodation adaptations for a new team within the City Operations Unit. The role of the team is to provide a situational awareness capability with the ability to identify, process, analyse and comprehend the critical elements of information when a major disruptive incident has occurred.

7. ​​​​​​​The cost during the 2018-19 year will be as follows:

​​​​​​​The costs for this project will be funded from the corporate contingency budget for 2018-19.

Under section 30 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 (GLA Act), the Greater London Authority (GLA) has power to do anything which it considers will further any of its principal purposes, which include promoting social development in Greater London.

Further, in 2010, the Mayor of London and the London Assembly agreed that the duties of the London Resilience Team, including emergency planning arrangements, should be taken on by the Greater London Authority. The GLA was added to the list of Category 1 responders in Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, by the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (Amendment of List of Responders) Order 2011 (following the closure of the Government Office for London). As a Category 1 responder, the GLA is an organisation responsible for local emergency preparedness and response.

Under section 34 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 (GLA Act), the GLA may do anything, including the acquisition of any property, which is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to, the exercise of any functions of the GLA.

Under section 35(2) of the GLA Act, any function conferred or imposed on the GLA under any Act, the exercise of which is not specifically assigned, is exercisable by the Mayor on behalf of the GLA.

Under section 38 of the GLA Act, the Mayor may delegate functions to bodies or persons including any member of staff of the GLA.

The proposed expenditure appears to fall within the above powers.

The Mayor and the GLA are in the exercise of their functions required to have due regard to the public sector equality duty under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010. This is addressed at section 3 above.