MD3395 Delivery Plan – Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth

Background

1.1.    The Greater London Authority (GLA) has been establishing refreshed delivery and governance arrangements over the last few months. 

1.2.    In undertaking these changes, we have:

•    defined a set of London-level, long-term outcomes which reflect Londoners’ aspirations for the city and towards which the GLA and the GLA Group are working, in partnership with others
•    agreed a small set of strategic, high-level, programmes which the Mayor will commission the GLA Group to deliver in order that the GLA and the GLA Group make the appropriate contributions towards the London-level outcomes.

1.3.    MD3274 ‘Updates to GLA Governance Documents’, published on 13 June 2024, marked the first formal step in implementing new portfolio and governance arrangements and set out approved revisions to the arrangements through which the Mayor exercises and, where appropriate, delegates his powers. It also laid out some changes to the way the GLA’s senior leadership works to ensure that the GLA is successful in exercising its strategic role and in securing delivery.

1.4.    The GLA is now bringing forward for approval delivery plans for the 14 strategic, high-level, programmes which are led by the GLA and involve functional bodies as appropriate. These are numbered 1-14 and set out below, along with delivery plans 15-21, where the relevant GLA Group organisation is taking a leadership role: 

1.    Building more homes
2.    Making best use of land
3.    Improving London’s housing stock
4.    Reducing inequalities
5.    Accommodation and wider support for those who need it most
6.    Reducing non-residential emissions
7.    Delivering a greener, more climate-resilient London
8.    Cleaning London’s air
9.    Supporting Londoners to benefit from growth
10.    Supporting and inspiring young London
11.    Boosting London’s growth sectors
12.    Helping local economies to thrive
13.    Upgrading London’s infrastructure
14.    Supporting community, cultural and sporting events in London
15.    Reducing violence and exploitation
16.    Building safer, more confident communities
17.    Supporting and overseeing reform of the MPS
18.    Improving the Criminal Justice System and supporting victims
19.    Healthy streets
20.    Decarbonising transport
21.    Providing more effective, accessible and affordable public transport.

1.5.    The Mayor has been issuing mandates for these proposed programmes to prospective Senior Responsible Owners (SROs). Mayoral mandates define what the Mayor wants to see from each of the programmes, including their scope, objectives, and cross-cutting priorities. Programmes and their associated delivery plans have been developed by the proposed programme SROs, working with the relevant Deputy Mayors, Mayoral Directors and others in response to the Mayor’s mandates. They have been developed to strike the right balance between setting out plans and retaining flexibility to respond to events and learning, as delivery progresses, recognising that agility is important in the context of a changing landscape.

1.6.    Delivery plans lay out the London-level outcomes to which each programme contributes. In considering the GLA’s specific role in contributing to the London-level outcomes, programme SROs have focused on the role of the GLA as London’s strategic regional authority. This has meant looking carefully at where activities most effectively sit within the London system and how the GLA can work with partners to unlock and drive progress. In some cases that will be through direct delivery or through funding. In others it will be through more indirect mechanisms such as system reconfiguration, coalition formation, technical support or capacity building.

1.7.    Resource allocations to each programme are based on the allocations contained in the GLA: Mayor Budget 2025-26. Changes required to delivery plans over time will be agreed by the Mayoral Delivery Board (MDB) or the Mayor in line with our revised governance arrangements.

1.8.    Delivery plans lay out how each programme makes a positive difference to the relevant London-level outcomes. Key programme outputs are also detailed and will be reported quarterly to MDB, which is responsible for monitoring the performance and delivery of each programme. 

Overview of the Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth delivery plan

1.9.    The Mayoral mandate for the Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth programme is appended to this Decision form at Appendix 1. The proposed delivery plan is appended at Appendix 2 and is presented by the Executive Director, Communities and Skills, as the proposed SRO, for the Mayor’s approval. 

1.10.    The Mayor is invited to approve the plan, and the resources allocated to it. This would enable the GLA, working with partners, to contribute to the core London-level outcomes that:

•    Londoners have the skills they need to improve their lives
•    Londoners have access to good work
•    London's economy has the skills it needs to thrive.

1.11.    London’s vibrant and diverse labour market is one of the city’s greatest assets. It has the most highly skilled population of any UK region and the economy has experienced significant jobs growth across diverse industries in the last decade, making it a beacon of opportunity for both local and global talent. London is the UK’s most productive region and a third of recent productivity growth in the UK was driven by expanding the skilled workforce. Business leaders say that improving skills is the biggest lever for growth and critical to the transition to net zero. 

1.12.    At the same time, the current careers, employment and skills system is fragmented, complex, and not flexible enough to meet the changing needs of the labour market. Currently, London has a myriad of publicly-funded careers, education, skills, and employment services designed to address this challenge. However, these services operate in silos, lacking coordination and focus on the needs of key growth sectors. This fragmented and complex approach has resulted in a system that does not meet the needs of Londoners or London’s employers. 

1.13.    Job vacancies and the demand for talent in London’s labour market remain high. There are more job openings in London than people available to fill them. Employers across industries face skill-shortage vacancies and growing skills gaps, many of which have worsened in recent years. According to the 2022 Employer Skills Survey, around two-thirds (66 per cent) of London employers anticipated needing to develop new skills in their workforce over the next 12 months. A third (32 per cent) of small businesses in London identified 'appropriately skilled staff' as the greatest barrier to growth in the coming year.

1.14.    The ‘Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth’ mandate tasks the GLA and organisations across the GLA Group, working closely in partnership with others, including employers, to address these challenges, support green growth and achieve the following:

•    the growth of London’s skilled workforce
•    a reduction in the number of Londoners with no qualifications
•    a reduction in employers reporting skills shortage vacancies
•    a rise in employment rates
•    a system that better connects with employers to help inform and direct delivery of provision
•    a skills sector equipped and able to deliver the skills needed today and tomorrow.

1.15.    The programme will seek to create the conditions needed for London to have a more unified, agile, employer-led careers, employment and skills eco-system. This system is intended to create diverse talent pipelines for all employers and provides opportunities for Londoners of all backgrounds to secure good work in targeted sectors. The delivery plan sets out the work that will create these conditions. It focuses on four key areas:

•    creating an employer-led Inclusive Talent System and building talent pipelines
•    system coordination and breaking down barriers to opportunities
•    embedding good work across the capital
•    attracting investment and building capacity.

1.16.    The proposed delivery plan sets out the budget for each project within the programme. The delivery plan encompasses projects that are funded by the Adult Skills Fund. Adult Skills Fund-related decisions cannot be delegated, and will continue to be made by the Mayor in line with MD2736 and as set out in the Adult Skills Fund Assurance Framework.

1.17.    Projects detailed in the delivery plan fall into one of three categories: 

•    projects which are already set out in detail in an existing Mayoral Decision or Director Decision 
•    projects for which this Mayoral Decision seeks a Mayoral delegation to the SRO to take expenditure decisions
•    projects which will require separate Mayoral Decisions.

1.18.    The projects with existing Mayoral Decisions already in place are:

•    Inclusive Talent Strategy and Get London Working Plan (MD3440)
•    Adult Skills Fund Commissioning - 2026-29 London Talent Pathways Fund and 2025-26 GLA Adult Skills Fund Grant Funding and Performance Management Rules (MD3407)
•    Building an Employer-Led Inclusive Talent System: Advisory forum, Sector Employer Boards and Hubs (MD3401)
•    Adult Skills Fund: 2025-26 Expenditure Budget and 2023-24 Annual Report to the Department for Education (MD3357)
•    Ongoing delivery of Adult Skills Fund funded provision laid out under 2025-26 Adult Skills Fund Final Allocations and 2025-26 Draft GLA Adult Skills Fund Grant Funding and Performance Management Rules (MD3356)
•    UK Shared Prosperity Fund 2025-26 (MD3364)
•    Mayor’s Stewardship Academy and Phase One hub extension (MD3352)
•    London Get Britain Working Trailblazers (MD3348)
•    Skills Bootcamps Wave Six funding approach (MD3344)
•    Adult Skills Fund Evaluation Procurement 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2027-28 (MD3314)
•    London Career Hubs Delivery 2025-26 academic year (MD3309)
•    Mayor’s Skills Academies programme hub extensions (MD3296)
•    Procurement for the Adult Learning Awards 2025-26 (MD3272)
•    Procurement for the London Learner Survey for the 2024-25 to 2026-27 academic years (MD3192)
•    UK Shared Prosperity Fund People and Skills grant awards and the London Careers Hubs (MD3187)
•    Skills Audit Approach (MD3165)
•    Skills for Londoners Capital Contingency Funding (MD3092)
•    Economic Fairness Programme (MD2296)
•    Approval to establish the Pan-GLA Group Collaborative Procurement Function (MD1467).

1.19.    Projects for which this Mayoral Decision seeks a Mayoral delegation to the SRO to take expenditure decisions are: 

•    under the area of ‘System coordination and breaking down barriers to opportunities’:
o    No Wrong Door (£65.61m)
•    under the area of ‘Embedding good work across the capital’:
o    Embedding Good Work through the Mayor of London's Good Work Standard (£100,000)
o    Making London a Living Wage City and its successor project, including any funding contribution from the GLA (£87,500)
o    responsible procurement policy and delivery plan and funding of the Central Responsible Procurement Team (£470,000 for 2025-26, budget to be determined for 2026-28)
o    Workforce Integration Network (£2.983m)
•    under the area of ‘Attracting investment and building capacity’:
o    boosting teaching capacity and capability for London’s FE sector (to be determined from available underspend from the existing Skills Capital budget, currently estimated to be £5m capital (see paragraph 1.21 for revenue)).

1.20    The Executive Director, Communities and Skills will ensure compliance with the obligations set out in The Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014 which describe when written records of decisions and their content need to be published. Director Decisions and Assistant Director Decisions will be required where appropriate to meet these transparency requirements, including in instances where GLA funds are paid to external organisations. 

1.21    The projects that will require a separate Mayoral Decision, to the extent that they involve the exercise of functions relating to the Adult Skills Fund, which cannot be delegated are:

 
•    under the area of ‘Creating an employer-led Inclusive Talent System and building talent pipelines’ there is one project:
o    upskilling for resilience (£3.65m)
•    under the area of ‘System coordination and breaking down barriers to opportunities’ there are three projects:
o    essential skills and progression pathways (£933.047m)
o    supported navigation for Londoners (£4.5m)
o    Inclusive Talent System front door (currently TBD)
•    under the area of ‘Attracting investment and building capacity’ there are three projects:
o    promoting London’s skills excellence (£868k)
o    the London Learning Investment project (staffing only budget)
o    boosting teaching capacity and capability for London’s FE sector (£2.934m) revenue (see paragraph 1.19 for capital)

Decision making in relation to the Adult Skills Fund

1.22    Further decisions will be required by the Mayor to progress projects within the Delivery Plan that are wholly or partly funded by the Adult Skills Fund, in line with current delegation arrangements from the Department for Education for managing the Adult Skills Fund budget. Any decisions related to the Adult Skills Fund will be taken by the Mayor either via Mayoral Decision or at the Adult Skills Fund Mayoral Board meetings (as agreed under cover of MD2736 and in line with the process set out in the Adult Skills Fund Assurance Framework). 

1.23    Currently, Adult Skills Fund expenditure decisions are confirmed on an annual basis, subject to confirmation of the budget from the Department for Education in January of each year. As such, a number of the decisions listed at paragraph 1.21 have funding confirmed for the 2025-26 financial year. This decision sets out proposed expenditure over three years.

1.24    It is expected that the governance and decision-making arrangements relating to the Adult Skills Fund will be revisited when the proposed Integrated Settlement between HM Government and the GLA comes into effect and therefore a new decision may be required to detail any new arrangements.

Transfers to/from other programmes

1.25    Development of the delivery plan has prompted refinements to the published GLA 2025-26 budget. As a consequence, Mayoral approval is sought for budget transfers between Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth and other programmes, in accordance with governance processes. These proposed transfers are listed in paragraphs 1.26-1.29, and totals for each year are outlined within the financial comments at section 5 below.

1.26    Budget to support the Youth Guarantee Trailblazer and NEET projects was originally included in the Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth programme when the GLA 2025-26 budget was approved in March 2025. It is proposed that it is more appropriate for these projects to be included within the Supporting and Inspiring Young London Programme. This MD seeks approval to transfer this funding accordingly.

1.27    Funding to support the UKSPF business growth project, the Mayor's Entrepreneur programme, and the Insightly CRM platform was included within the Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth programme when the GLA 2025-26 budget was approved in March 2025. It is proposed that it is more appropriate for these initiatives to be included within the Boosting London’s growth sectors programme. This MD seeks approval to transfer this funding accordingly.

1.28    Budget to support the London Ownership Hub project was originally included in the Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth programme when the GLA 2025-26 budget was approved in March 2025. It is proposed that it is more appropriate for this project to be included within the Helping Local Economies to Thrive Programme. This MD seeks approval to transfer this funding accordingly.

1.29    Funding to support the Responsible Procurement Policy was not included in the budget when the GLA 2025-26 budget was approved in March 2025. It is proposed that this initiative is to be delivered in 2025-26 and funded through in-year underspend and is to be included within the Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth programme, as it is a key element of the Partnering for Good Work Project. This MD seeks Mayoral approval for funding of £470k to be included in this programme, and the expenditure of this funding to support the Responsible Procurement Policy. The approach to funding the GLA’s responsible procurement work in future years is under consideration through the GLA: Mayor budget process.

Securing additional funding for non-Adult Skills Fund projects in the delivery plan

1.30    Key to meeting the objectives and expected outcomes of the Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth delivery plan is securing funding to support the delivery of both new and existing projects. This funding may come from central government, but may also come from other sources including agencies, utilities providers, philanthropic funders and the private sector. 

1.31    Where funding is secured in the future to support the delivery of projects with legacy approvals in place, this Decision form seeks approval to agree the receipt of such funding by the GLA without the need for a further Mayoral Decision. This would be for any funding secured to deliver projects that are already approved, and which contribute to the Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth delivery plan. 

1.32    Where additional funding from government (or other sources) is secured in the future to expand or extend existing approved projects contained in the Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth delivery plan, and the parameters remain the same, or similar, as originally agreed with government (or the relevant body), this Decision form seeks approval to delegate to the Executive Director, Communities and Skills to agree the receipt of such funding after consulting with legal advisors and the GLA’s Chief Finance Officer and subsequently having secured agreement from the Mayoral Delivery Board. 

1.33    For the purposes of considering whether the parameters are similar as originally agreed with government (or the relevant body), the Executive Director Communities and Skills will have regard to whether the outcomes to be delivered have changed significantly or there is a significant change in attendant risks of the original scheme. If the outcomes to be delivered have changed significantly, there is a significant change in attendant risks, or the decision is viewed as novel, contentious or repercussive, a Mayoral Decision will be required.

1.34    Any decisions to accept additional funding will need to comply with the obligations set out in The Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014 as highlighted in paragraph 1.20 above. Any decisions to accept additional funding that do not require a formal Decision form must be documented via a Record in Writing, as defined in MD3274 'Updates to GLA Governance Documents’, signed in June 2024, and will be reported publicly quarterly.

1.35    Where approvals are required for the receipt of funding for, or expenditure or reinvestment of funding from, Adult Skills Fund budgets to expand or extend existing approved projects, agreement to proceed will continue to be sought via a Mayoral decision form or at the Adult Skills Fund Mayoral Board, in line with the process set out under cover of MD2736 and detailed in the Adult Skills Fund Assurance Framework. As noted at paragraph 1.24, this process may be revised if the governance arrangements relating to the Adult Skills Fund are revisited when the proposed Integrated Settlement between HM Government and the GLA comes into effect. 
 

2.1.    The delivery plan for the Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth programme identifies how the GLA will work with employment, skills and careers advice providers in close collaboration with London’s local authorities, central government and wider stakeholders to bring together provision, transforming it into a single city-wide Inclusive Talent System. 

2.2.    The objectives and expected outcomes of the programme are set out in the Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth delivery plan which is at Appendix 2.

2.3.    The core London-level outcomes to which this programme will contribute are: Londoners have the skills they need to improve their lives; Londoners have access to good work; and London's economy has the skills it needs to thrive. This reflects the importance of a more unified, agile, employer-led careers, employment and skills eco-system, which creates diverse talent pipelines for all employers and provides opportunities for Londoners of all backgrounds to secure good work in targeted sectors.

2.4.    The Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth programme will also make a substantive contribution to the following wider London-level outcomes: Stable, long-term economic growth benefits all of London’s communities; Londoners’ incomes meet their everyday needs; and Londoners live in a city that supports their physical and mental health.
 

3.1.    Under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, as a public authority, the Mayor and GLA must comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) when exercising GLA functions. The PSED is a duty to have due regard to the need to: 

•    eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and any conduct that is prohibited by or under the Equality Act 2010 
•    advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations, between people who share a relevant ‘protected characteristic’ as defined in the Equality Act 2010 and those who do not
•    foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not. 

3.2    The ‘protected characteristics’ are: age, disability, gender re-assignment, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership status (but only in respect of the need to eliminate discrimination), race (ethnic or national origins, colour or nationality), religion or belief (including lack of belief), sex, and sexual orientation. 

3.3    Consideration of the PSED is not a one-off task. The duty must be fulfilled before taking a decision, at the time of taking a decision, and after the decision has been taken, to ensure that equalities impacts are kept under ongoing review.

3.4    The Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth delivery plan helps achieve a number of the Mayor’s statutory equality objectives, and progress on delivery of these objectives is reported on each year in the Mayor’s Annual Equality Report. The delivery plan directly responds to the persistent barriers identified in London’s employment and skills system – namely mismatches between provision and demand, fragmentation and declining investment. It also aligns with the Mayor’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy by addressing systemic disadvantages faced by groups such as women, disabled people, young Londoners, and ethnic minorities.

3.5    For projects within the Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth delivery plan that have legacy approvals in place, the equality impacts are identified in the legacy decision forms. In addition, a programme-wide Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) is underway to ensure that the Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth programme as a whole advances equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not, and fosters good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not. Equality impacts will assessed as appropriate as projects within the delivery plan are progressed and implemented. They will also be kept under review as appropriate to ensure that the PSED is complied with on an ongoing basis. 

3.6    Where other projects within the Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth delivery plan require further Mayoral Decisions or other formal approval such as a those relating to the Adult Skills Fund, equality impacts will be assessed as appropriate.
 

Risks and issues

4.1.    The following programme-level risks to the delivery of the Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth programme have been identified: 

4.2.    The Executive Director for Communities and Skills as the proposed Senior Responsible Owner will be responsible for implementing and overseeing a risk strategy for the programme. Project risks and mitigations will continue to be managed at the project level and will be reported periodically to the Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth Programme Board if they exceed the established tolerance levels.

4.3.    The Programme Board will review the programme-level risks and mitigations quarterly, reporting to the Mayoral Delivery Board on progress against programme objectives as part of the GLA's quarterly reporting process.

Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities

4.4.    The programmes outlined in this decision will support the following Mayoral commitments and policies:

•    Objectives 18, 19 and 21 of the Mayor’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy. This strategy sets out an aspiration to ensure all Londoners have the opportunity to benefit from high quality adult education and for employers to be able to access people with the skills they need. Making sure Londoners have the right mix of skills will encourage inclusive economic growth and tackle inequality.
•    The Mayor has published the London Growth Plan which sets out how London will drive sustainable and inclusive economic growth. Central to the Growth Plan is the recently published Inclusive Talent Strategy which aims to bring together skills, employment support and career provisions transforming them into a single city-wide Inclusive Talent System, whose delivery will be shaped by newly established Talent Boards. This will ensure all Londoners are equipped to secure high-quality, well-paid jobs. The prime objective of the Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth programme is therefore to create the conditions needed for London to have a more unified, agile, employer-led careers, employment and skills eco-system. This is intended to create diverse talent pipelines for all employers and provide opportunities for Londoners of all backgrounds to secure good work in targeted sectors.
•    The delivery plan will contribute to a number of other policies with links to improving skills provision in London including Objective 10.1 of the London Environment Strategy and Policy E11 of the London Plan.

4.5.    The delivery plan is being developed in tandem with the Boosting London’s Growth Sectors delivery plan and interacts with the following delivery plans: Supporting and Inspiring Young Londoners (creating and supporting pathways for young Londoners into education, training and employment, this includes a particular focus on Londoners who are or at risk of being Not in Education, Employment and Training (NEET)); Reducing Inequalities; Accommodation and Wider Support for Those Who Need It Most; and Helping Local Economies to Thrive (supporting small businesses’ skills gaps).  

Consultations and impact assessments

4.6.    For projects which already have a formal Decision form in place, the consultation undertaken for these projects (where relevant) is set out in the relevant Decision forms. 

4.7.    For other projects, the type and timing of engagement and any consultation will vary. This may include engagement with relevant stakeholders such as delivery partners, London Councils, employers and other organisations within the London skills and employment ecosystem, and wider consultation as appropriate. 

4.8.    There are no conflicts of interest arising from those involved in the drafting and clearance of this Decision form. As and when individual conflicts of interest arise during the delivery of initiatives contained in the Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth delivery plan, they will be addressed in line with the GLA policy on registering and declaring interests.
 

5.1.    The programme budget is set out in the delivery plan and summarised in the table below.

5.2.    The budget allocated to this delivery plan is presented in the GLA: Mayor budget 2025-26 approved on 31 March 2025 under MD3330 as below:

5.3.    Budget will be transferred between this programme and others in accordance with our governance processes, subject to Mayoral approval of this decision, as follows:

5.4.    Any budget commitments for future years are subject to the annual budget setting process.

5.5.    Any future transfers and movements within the budget for this programme, or between this and other programmes, will if approved under this MD be handled in accordance with the GLA’s governance processes.
 

6.1.    Under section 30(1) of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 (the GLA Act), the Mayor acting on behalf of the GLA has the power to do anything that he considers will further any one or more of the GLA’s principal purposes, which are:

·    promoting economic development and wealth creation in Greater London
·    promoting social development in Greater London
·    promoting the improvement of the environment in Greater London. 

6.2.    In deciding whether or how to exercise the general power in section 30(1), section 30 (4) of the GLA Act requires the GLA to have regard to the effect which the proposed exercise of the power would have on:

·    the health of persons in Greater London
·    health inequalities between persons living in Greater London
·    the achievement of sustainable development in the UK
·    climate change, and the consequences of climate change.

 
6.3.    Where the GLA exercises the power under section 30(1), pursuant to section 30(5) it must do so in the way which it considers best calculated to:

·    promote improvements in the health of persons in Greater London
·    promote the reduction of health inequalities between persons living in Greater London
·    contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom
·    contribute towards the mitigation of, or adaptation to, climate change, in the United Kingdom.

6.4.    The GLA must also make arrangements with a view to securing that in the exercise of the power in section 30(1) there is due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people in accordance with section 33 of the GLA Act and consult with such bodies or persons as the GLA may consider appropriate in this particular case in accordance with section 32 of the GLA Act.

6.5.    Under section 34 of the GLA Act, the GLA, acting by the Mayor, the Assembly, or both jointly, may do anything that is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to, the exercise of any functions of the GLA exercisable by the Mayor; or, as the case may be, by the Assembly, or by both acting jointly. The foregoing sections of this report indicate that the decisions requested of the Mayor concern the exercise of the GLA’s powers under section 30 and section 34 of the GLA Act. 

6.6.    Under section 38 of the GLA Act, any function exercisable by the Mayor on behalf of the GLA may also be exercised by a member of the GLA’s staff – albeit subject to any conditions that the Mayor sees fit to impose. To this end, the Mayor may make the requested delegations to the Executive Director, Communities and Skills, subject to the conditions and requirements set out in this Mayoral Decision. 

6.7.    Section 31 of the GLA Act places limits on the general power and prohibits the GLA from using that power to incur expenditure on anything which may be done by Transport for London, the Mayor’s Office for Police and Crime or the London Fire Commissioner. It also prohibits the GLA from using its general power to incur expenditure in providing any education services in any case where the provision in question may be made by a London borough council, the Common Council or any other public body (except for sponsoring Academies or facilitating their sponsorship). However, the GLA may use its general power to incur expenditure in co-operating with, or facilitating or co-ordinating the activities of those bodies providing such education. 

6.8.     As is identified above, the delivery plan encompasses projects that are funded by the Adult Skills Fund. Adult Skills Fund-related decisions are taken pursuant to a delegation from a Minister of the Crown to the Mayor under section 39A of the GLA Act, and cannot be delegated by the Mayor (see: section 39A(6) of the GLA Act).

6.9.    In taking the decisions requested of him, the Mayor must comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) contained in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010. To this end, the Mayor should have due regard to section three (above) of this report.

6.10.    If the Mayor makes the decisions sought, officers must also ensure that:

·    no reliance is placed on, nor commitments made in reliance of:
o    third party funding until legally binding commitments are secured for it and officers are satisfied that their proposed use of the same aligns with any conditions of award.
o    future budgets remaining subject to the outcome of the budget setting process for future financial years, until those budget setting exercises are completed.
o    “returned funding” without confirmation that it can be used as proposed and, where applicable, liaising with third party funders and varying current GLA funding agreements to reflect the reallocation of funding
·    where applicable, the Subsidy Control Act 2022 is complied with
·    where expenditure concerns: 
o    purchase of services: they are procured in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code (the “Code”) and where applicable the Procurement Act 2023 (the “Act”); there is appropriate engagement with Transport for London’s procurement and supply chain team, which will determine the detail of the procurement strategy to be adopted in accordance with the Code and the Act; and appropriate contractual documentation is put in place and executed by the chosen service provider and GLA before the commencement of those services 
o    the award of grant funding, such awards are made fairly, transparently, in accordance with the GLA’s equalities requirements and with the requirements of GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code and funding agreements are put in place between and executed by the GLA and recipients before any commitment to fund is made.

6.11.    The extent to which decisions are sought which involve the making of commitments which extend beyond the current Mayoral term, officers must ensure that the terms of all agreements entered into concerning such commitments do not have the effect of fettering the discretion of any successor administration, considering in particular the London elections taking place in May 2028. Accordingly, officers must ensure that all agreements which involve making such commitments include a GLA right to terminate at any point for convenience (at no cost to the GLA) and are managed in such a manner, and any services, supplies, works deliverables, milestones and/or output requirements are structured, so as to mitigate risks of the GLA incurring abortive expenditure (which might be reasonably be taken to fetter, practically, the exercise of such discretion).

6.12.    If the Mayor makes the decisions sought, the Executive Director, Communities and Skills must comply with the obligations set out in The Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014 when taking decisions in accordance with the delegations set out in this decision form. In particular regulation 7 which provides that where a decision has been delegated to an officer either (a) under a specific express authorisation or (b) under a general authorisation and the effect of the decision is to award a contract or incur expenditure which, in either case, materially affects the GLA’s financial position, the officer to whom the delegation has been made must produce a written record of the decision (regulation 7(1) and (2)). Regulation 7(3) provides that the written record must be produced as soon as reasonably practicable after the decision has been taken and must contain the date the decision was taken, a record of the decision taken with reasons, details of options considered and rejected, if any, and where a decision is delegated under a specific express authorisation, any conflicts of interest. Regulation 8 provides that the written record, together with any background papers, must as soon as reasonably practicable after the record is made, be made available for inspection by members of the public including on the GLA’s website.
 

7.1.    Timelines are as set out in the delivery plan appended as Appendix 2.