Agenda and minutes
GLA Oversight Committee - Thursday 1 March 2018 2.00 pm

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

1.1  Apologies for absence were received from Navin Shah AM.

1.2  In accordance with Standing Order 8.2, Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM and Tony Devenish AM attended the meeting and participated in the question and answer session at Agenda Item 5 with the permission of the Chair.

The Committee is recommended to:

(a)  Note the 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 GLA Oversight Committee held on 31 January 2018 to be signed by the Chair as a correct record.

The appendix to the minutes set out on pages 11 to 54 is attached for Members and officers only but is available from the following area of the GLA’s website: https://www.london.gov.uk/about-us/london-assembly/london-assembly-committees/gla-oversight-committee

3.1  Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting of the GLA Oversight Committee held on 31 January 2018 be signed by the Chair as a correct record.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact:  Lorena Alcorta; [email protected]; 020 7983 4425 

The Committee is recommended to note the completed and outstanding actions arising from previous meetings of the GLA Oversight Committee.

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

4.2  Resolved:

That the completed and outstanding actions arising from previous meetings of the GLA Oversight Committee be noted.

4.3  In accordance with Standing Order 2.2D, which states that “if the Chair considers it would assist the conduct of business he or she may take items of business in an order different from that set out on the agenda for the meeting” the following agenda items were taken in a different order to that set out on the agenda.

Report of the Assistant Director, Human Resources and Organisational Development

Contact:  Charmaine DeSouza, [email protected]; 020 7983 4194

The Committee is recommended to:

(a)  Note the process being followed to recruit a Chief Officer and progress to date; and

(b)  Establish, in accordance with the Protocol for the Appointment of Statutory Officers, an advisory panel with the membership set out at paragraph 4.8 of this report to undertake, concurrently with the Mayor’s representative(s), shortlisting and interviews for the Chief Officer role and make a recommendation to the Mayor and Assembly regarding an appointment to that role.

5.1  The Committee received the report of the Assistant Director Human Resources and Organisational Development.

5.2   Resolved:

(a)  That the process being followed to recruit a Chief Officer and progress to date be noted; and

(b)  That it be agreed that, in accordance with the Protocol for the Appointment of Statutory Officers, an advisory panel with the membership set out at paragraph 4.8 of the report be established to undertake, concurrently with the Mayor’s representative(s), shortlisting and interviews for the Chief Officer role and make a recommendation to the Mayor and Assembly regarding an appointment to that role.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact:  Lorena Alcorta; [email protected]; 020 7983 4425

The Committee is recommended to note its work programme for 2017-18 and identify any additional issues it wishes to consider at future meetings.

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

6.2  Resolved:

That the work programme for the remainder of 2017-18 be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact: Lorena Alcorta; [email protected]

The Committee is recommended to:

(a)  Note the recent action taken by the Chair of the GLA Oversight Committee under delegated authority, following consultation with the Education Panel, Deputy Chairman and party Group Lead Members, namely to agree the response to the Department of Education’s consultation on the devolution of the Adult Education Budget, and note the letter attached at Appendix 1 to the report; and

(b)  Note the action taken by the Chair of the GLA Oversight Committee, following consultation with the Deputy Chairman and party Group Lead Members, namely to send a letter to Sir Martin Moore-Bick, Chairman of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, setting out the findings from this Committee’s investigations regarding the Grenfell Tower fire, and that the Committee note the letter, attached at Appendix 2 to the report.

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

7.2  Resolved:

(a)  That recent action taken by the Chair of the GLA Oversight Committee under delegated authority, following consultation with the Education Panel, Deputy Chairman and party Group Lead Members, namely to agree the response to the Department of Education’s consultation on the devolution of the Adult Education Budget, as set out at Appendix 1 to the report be noted; and

(b)  That the action taken by the Chair of the GLA Oversight Committee, following consultation with the Deputy Chairman and party Group Lead Members, namely to send a letter to Sir Martin Moore-Bick, Chairman of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, setting out the findings from the Committee’s investigations regarding the Grenfell Tower fire, as set out at Appendix 2 to the report be noted.

The next meeting of the Committee is scheduled to be held on 20 March 2018 at 10am in Committee Room 5.

8.1  The next meeting of the Committee was scheduled to be held on 20 March 2018 at 10.00am in Committee Room 5.

9.1  There were no items of urgent business.

Report of the Executive Director of Resources.

Contact: Martin Clarke; [email protected]; 020 7983 4959

The Committee is recommended to respond to the Head of Paid Service’s consultation on the proposed changes to the GLA Establishment relating to the Authority’s Finance and Governance functions.

10.1  The Committee received the report of the Head of Paid Service.

10.2  Resolved:

That agreement to the Head of Paid Service’s proposals set out in the report in relation to changes in the establishment in the Greater London Authority (GLA) Finance and Governance Unit be confirmed.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat.

Contact: Katie Smith; [email protected]; 020 7983 4423

The Committee is recommended to note the report and the discussion with the Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP.

11.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat and put questions to the Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, who has been summonsed to appear before the Committee in his capacity as the former Mayor of London.

11.2  A transcript of the discussion is attached as Appendix 1.

11.3  During the course of the question and answer session Mr Johnson undertook to:

·  Provide information on to what extent the Transport for London (TfL) Board was kept informed of progress on the Garden Bridge project; and

·  Examine the four Mayoral Directions associated with the Garden Bridge and provide the Committee with an explanation regarding the change in the conditions for the Garden Bridge Trust’s Deed of Grant as set out in the decision box of MD1647.

11.4  In concluding the session, the Chair thanked the Rt. Hon Boris Johnson MP for his participation in the session. The Chair also confirmed that the Committee would review the transcript of the session to determine issues which required further response and clarification.

11.5  Resolved:

(a)  That the report and the discussion with the Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP be noted, subject to the additional information requested as set out in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

12.1  The meeting ended at 3.22 pm.