• Question by: Hina Bokhari OBE
• Meeting date: 11 July 2025

Hina Bokhari OBE AM: This is linked to Assembly Member Hall’s question previously. The Liberal Democrats are thrilled that funding will be provided to the Carnival this year, but we are worried about its future. Can you guarantee funding every year for Carnival on the streets of Notting Hill?

• Question by: Emma Best
• Meeting date: 11 July 2025

Emma Best AM: Thank you, Chair. One of the main pledges that you put in your manifesto was to create more good jobs 150,000 by 2028. Clearly that is made all the more difficult by the Chancellor’s action seeing the fall in UK gross domestic product, contraction of our economy, and unemployment rising rapidly. That has been compounded in Greenwich with a potential loss of 70 jobs at the Trafalgar Tavern because of an enforcement notice from Greenwich Council for their al fresco dining. Can you confirm you have made representations to the council and support the Tavern in al...

• Question by: Krupesh Hirani
• Meeting date: 11 July 2025

Krupesh Hirani AM: Thank you, Chair. You referred to poor inheritance, but one of those areas that the Government did inherit that was in a mess was the NHS, which the NI rise is contributing towards [improving]. You spoke about the fact about having to make difficult decisions, but also it is important that you have the funds to pay for services and balancing your budgets. Money raised through this change has been vital in providing the additional funding for the NHS and, since the election, NHS investment has risen by £29 billion a year, helping deliver over three million...

• Question by: Neil Garratt
• Meeting date: 11 July 2025

Neil Garratt AM: Morning. In your manifesto, you promised a growth plan which would include hospitality which is an important part of London’s economy. In fact, last year [2024] you had a press release about how important it was and how brilliantly it had recovered from the pandemic, obviously that was when we still had a Conservative Government. Under the Labour Government, the National Insurance (NI) increase is a hammer blow to hospitality and other low-paid industries or industries with low-paid staff. What steps have you taken to lobby Labour to correct its damaging NI increase?

• Question by: Alessandro Georgiou
• Meeting date: 11 July 2025

Alessandro Georgiou AM: Thank you, Chair. Mr Mayor, recently your Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime visited Labour-run Enfield and over the last year there has been a 35 per cent increase in theft, 119 per cent increase in shoplifting, a 39 per cent increase in drug supply offences, a 21 per cent increase in gun crime, and a 60 per cent increase in theft of mobile phones in Enfield. Given the woeful Government settlement for the MPS this year, which of these numbers are you most proud of?

• Question by: Thomas Turrell
• Meeting date: 11 July 2025

Thomas Turrell AM: Thank you Chair. Good morning, Mr Mayor. I just want to pick up on a previous exchange we had about the William Barefoot Drive Police Base that sits on the border of my and Assembly Member Duvall’s constituency. Following that exchange, I presented a petition [to the 7 November 2024 London Assembly Plenary meeting] from two local councillors in the area, signed by over 1,600 people, calling for the Base to be saved from closure, and last week those councillors were told that the Base would now be remaining open, which is great news. Following that decision...

• Question by: Marina Ahmad
• Meeting date: 11 July 2025

Marina Ahmad AM: Thank you, Chair. Good morning, Mr Mayor. Mr Mayor, would you agree that on such an important and sensitive issue, using the right language matters, and I refer to the BBC report that was released recently that makes no reference to rape gangs.

• Question by: Susan Hall
• Meeting date: 11 July 2025

Susan Hall AM: I will ask a question then, and I would like a brief answer, but a factual one. Do you believe, Mr Mayor, that there are grooming gangs now in London?

• Question by: Keith Prince
• Meeting date: 11 July 2025

Keith Prince AM: Thank you, Mr Mayor. A very humble apology and I recognise that. What aspect of this is down to TfL or is it just down to Network Rail or how much can we blame you for?

• Reference: 2025/2672
• Question by: Chair, London Assembly
• Meeting date: 11 July 2025

Len Duvall AM (Chair): The Mayor will now provide an oral update of up to five minutes in length on matters occurring since the publication of his report. Mr Mayor.