Agenda item

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat.

Contact: John Barry, [email protected], 020 7983 4425

The Assembly is recommended to note the report.

6.1  The Assembly received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat setting out details of the Mayor’s consultation on the future governance arrangements of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority.

6.2  Fiona Twycross AM moved and Valerie Shawcross CBE AM seconded the following amendment:

“This Assembly also notes that the Mayor is minded in the short term, to seek a reduction of elected Members on the London Fire & Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) and replace them with his appointees and in the longer term, to replace LFEPA with a MOPAC-style governance structure.

This Assembly believes that it is important that the London Fire Brigade is governed by elected Members, representing the views of the whole of London and who can provide a check and balance on the Mayor’s powers.  The Mayor’s proposal to increase his appointees by 4, from 2 to 6, jeopardises the democratic integrity of the Authority.

Rather than looking at improving the leadership on the Authority, the Mayor is advocating the drastic measure of changing the governance of the London Fire Brigade to effectively manufacture an inbuilt majority more likely to agree with the Mayor than the political balance within the Assembly and London Councils would otherwise suggest is appropriate.

This Assembly condemns these proposals and demands that the Mayor instead works with the Assembly to develop proposals that would provide strong leadership, accountability and democratic representation to improve the provision of the fire and rescue service to Londoners.”

6.3  Upon being put to a vote, following debate, the Assembly agreed the amendment in the name of Fiona Twycross AM, with 12 votes in favour and 7 against.

6.4  Upon being put to the vote, the substantive motion, namely:

“That the report be noted and that this Assembly also notes that the Mayor is minded in the short term, to seek a reduction of elected Members on the London Fire & Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) and replace them with his appointees and in the longer term, to replace LFEPA with a MOPAC-style governance structure.

This Assembly believes that it is important that the London Fire Brigade is governed by elected Members, representing the views of the whole of London and who can provide a check and balance on the Mayor’s powers.  The Mayor’s proposal to increase his appointees by 4, from 2 to 6, jeopardises the democratic integrity of the Authority.

Rather than looking at improving the leadership on the Authority, the Mayor is advocating the drastic measure of changing the governance of the London Fire Brigade to effectively manufacture an inbuilt majority more likely to agree with the Mayor than the political balance within the Assembly and London Councils would otherwise suggest is appropriate.

This Assembly condemns these proposals and demands that the Mayor instead works with the Assembly to develop proposals that would provide strong leadership, accountability and democratic representation to improve the provision of the fire and rescue service to Londoners.”

  was agreed, with 12 votes in favour and 7 against.