Agenda and minutes
GLA Oversight Committee - Tuesday 3 September 2019 3.30 pm

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

1.1  Apologies for absence were received from Jennette Arnold OBE AM.

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  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 meetings of the GLA Oversight Committee held on 1 July 2019 and 16 July 2019 to be signed by the Chair as correct records.

3.1  Resolved:

That the minutes of the meetings of the GLA Oversight Committee held on 1 and 16 July 2019 be signed by the Chair as a correct record

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact:  Fiona Bywaters, [email protected]; 07825 028 318 

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.

Report of the Chief Officer

Contact: Cairine Hart, [email protected], 020 7983 0000 

The Committee is recommended to respond to the Chief Officer on the proposal to introduce the new draft Smart Working policy.

5.1  The Committee received the report of the Chief Officer, which was introduced by the Chief Officer and Assistant Director, Human Resources & Organisational Development.

5.2  Members raised enquiries as to whether:

·  Manager discretion remained towards employees working from home and whether doing so was voluntary;

·  The provision of kit to enable remote working came from within existing budgets;

·  Certain teams, such as political group staff, would be exempt from specific aspects of flexible working, e.g. hotdesking;

·  The Staff Disability Network was being consulted on flexible working arrangements; and

·  The policy met the employer’s obligation to provide appropriate working conditions for employees.

All of which were confirmed in the positive by the Chief Officer and Assistant Director, noting that the voluntary nature of remote working would be kept under review and that all staff networks had been consulted.

5.3  The Chief Officer also stated that discussions with the Executive Director of Secretariat were ongoing as to any required exemptions from aspects of flexible working applicable to secretariat staff, beyond those confirmed for political group staff. Further discussion then ensued as to how desk availability would operate, and be signposted, in practice. Such parameters were confirmed to still be under consideration.

5.4  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Report of the Chief Officer

Contact: Jane Greening, [email protected], 020 7983 4745 

The Committee is recommended to respond to the Chief Officer on the proposal to introduce a new draft Resolution Policy and Procedure.

6.1  The Committee received the report of the Chief Officer which was introduced by the Chief Officer and Assistant Director, Human Resources & Organisational Development. In response to a query raised, it was confirmed that Appendix 1 did not apply to elected Members and this was a typographical error.

6.2  Members’ discussion focussed on:

·  Section 9 of Appendix 1 (Request for Resolution) and whether the employee who submits a request for resolution ‘may’ or ‘should’ copy in their line manager. The Assistant Director stated that advice from consultants had been not to make this mandatory but agreed to look at the impact of making it so; and

·  Whether it could be made clearer that information would be shared among relevant parties in the course of resolution.

6.3  Resolved:

That the report be noted, subject to the queries and comments recorded above.

Report of the Chief Officer

Contact: Emma Strain, [email protected], 020 7983 4959 

The Committee is recommended to note the progress report on the Chief Officer’s review of the registration of interests and gifts and hospitality.

7.1  The Committee received the report of the Chief Office, which was introduced by the Chief Officer and Assistant Director of Finance & Governance.

7.2  Members indicated that they were content with the outlined proposals. In response to a query raised, the Chief Officer confirmed that an update would next be presented to the Committee in November 2019.

7.3  Resolved:

That the progress of the Chief Officer’s review of the registration of interests and gifts and hospitality be noted, as set out in the report.

Report of the Chief Officer and Executive Director of Resources

Contact: David Gallie, [email protected], 020 7983 4968

The Committee is recommended to:

Note the background to the work of the Group Treasury team.

Respond to the Head of Paid Service’s consultation in respect of the following proposals:

(a)  The deletion of the following 3 posts in the Group Treasury team (all 1.0 Full-time equivalent):

·  1x Grade 10 Senior Group Treasury Officer – Operations; and

·  2x Grade 8 Group Treasury Officers.

(b) The creation of the following 4 posts in the Group Treasury team (all 1.0 Full-time equivalent):

·  1x Grade 11 Treasury Operations Manager; and

·  3 x Grade 10 Senior Group Treasury Officers (one of which will only be recruited to once one or more London Boroughs commit to join the Greater London Authority’s treasury function).

(c)  An increase in the Chief Investment Officer working hours from 0.4 of a Full-time equivalent to 0.6 of a Full-time equivalent. 

8.1  The Committee received the report of the Chief Officer and Executive Director of Resources, which was introduced by the Assistant Director of Group Finance.

8.2  In response to a Member question on the background of treasury management, it was confirmed that borrowing would continue according to existing principles and the changes proposed would not necessarily result in additional borrowing.

8.3  Resolved:

(a)  That the background to the work of the Group Treasury team be noted; and

(b)  That the proposal to amend the Group Treasury management arrangements be noted.

Report of Executive Director, Communities and Intelligence

Contact: Lottie England, [email protected], 020 7983 2968

The Committee is recommended to:

Note the proposals for People’s Question Time, at the Meridian Grand, on Thursday 21 November 2019 contained in this report.

Provide any views, ideas or suggestions on further ways to improve People’s Question Time as a consultative event.

9.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director, Communities and Intelligence, which was introduced by the Chief Officer and the Executive Director, Communities and Intelligence.

9.2  Members raised concerns over the proposed venue for People’s Question Time as follows:

·  The lack of cycle facilities;

·  The lack of public transport connectivity;

·  The difficulties of disabled access to the venue location; and

·  The remoteness of the venue.

9.3  Members enquired as to whether other venues had been considered. Assembly Member Bacon made officers aware of a theatre venue in Enfield that he would share further information on. The Executive Director, Communities and Intelligence, confirmed a wide variety of venues had been considered in the Enfield area but that there were considerable challenges involved, including capacity and availability.

9.4  The Executive Director, Communities and Intelligence, agreed to:

·  Provide further information on cycle facilities at the proposed venue on the ticketing website; and

·  Consider alternative venues, including a local school and theatre, as a matter of urgency.

9.5  Resolved:

That the proposals for People’s Question Time, at the Meridian Grand, on Thursday 21 November 2019 be noted, subject to the views recorded above.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact:  Fiona Bywaters, [email protected]; 07825 028 318 

The Committee is recommended to note its work programme for the
2019/20 Assembly year, as set out in the report, and identify any issues it wishes to consider at future meetings.

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

10.2  Resolved:

That the work programme for the remainder of 2019-20 be noted, subject to the addition of an item (‘Chief Officer Review of the Registration of Interests and of Gifts and Hospitality’) to the November 2019 meeting.

The next meeting of the Committee is scheduled to be held on 16 October 2019 at 10am in Committee Room 5.

11.1  The next meeting of the Committee was scheduled to be held on Wednesday 16 October 2019 at 10:00am in Committee Room 5, City Hall.

12.1  The Chair noted that two items of business had been circulated under cover of supplementary agendas.

12.2   Item 12(a) had been received after the main agenda had been printed, but was circulated and published in accordance with the statutory deadline for publication. It was therefore not an urgent item.

12.3  Item 12(b) had been accepted as urgent business, under section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, and Standing Order 1.10A(1), so that Assembly outputs could be progressed in advance of any formal pre-election period.

Report of the Chief Officer

Contact: James Clark, [email protected], 020 7983 4966

That the Committee responds to the Chief Officer’s consultation on the creation of seven permanent posts in a Building Safety Team.

12.4  The Committee received the report of the Chief Officer. No further comments were made by the Committee.

12.5  Resolved:

That the proposal to create seven posts in a Building Safety Team be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact:  Fiona Bywaters, [email protected]; 07825 028 318 

The Committee is recommended to:

(a)  Delegate authority to Len Duvall AM, as Chair of the GLA Oversight Committee, to agree any outputs of the Secretariat Research Unit which are produced for the purposes of publication, for the period up until the May 2020 GLA elections; and

(b)  Delegate authority to Len Duvall AM, as Chair of the GLA Oversight Committee, to agree any output from the investigation into the Garden Bridge project.

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

12.7  Resolved:

(a)  That authority be delegated to Len Duvall AM, as Chair of the GLA Oversight Committee, to agree any outputs of the Secretariat Research Unit which are produced for the purposes of publication, for the period up until the May 2020 GLA elections; and

(b)  That authority be delegated to Len Duvall AM, as Chair of the GLA Oversight Committee, to agree any output from the investigation into the Garden Bridge project.

13.1  The meeting closed at 4.14pm.