• Reference: 2021/1390
• Question by: Hina Bokhari OBE
• Meeting date: 27 May 2021

Do you support calls for the Government to set up a rent relief fund to help small businesses clear the debts that have built up during the pandemic? Without such a fund many more London businesses may find themselves unable to open.

• Reference: 2021/1389
• Question by: Hina Bokhari OBE
• Meeting date: 27 May 2021

The unemployment rate for 16-24 year olds in London is rising faster than any other group and is likely to worsen further as Government support schemes such as the Job Retention Scheme come to an end. Unemployment in this age group currently stands at 17.6%, significantly higher than the UK average of 13.3%. Yet only 8% of London businesses employ an apprentice. How are you going to support and encourage London businesses to employ apprenticeships to support recovery from the pandemic and reduce the worrying rise in unemployment our young people are facing?

• Reference: 2021/1388
• Question by: Hina Bokhari OBE
• Meeting date: 27 May 2021

In your manifesto you emphasised the importance of getting London’s night-time economy up and running as we recover from the pandemic. However, the TfL Commissioner recently suggested that the Night Tube may not re-open until 2022. Do you not think that such a lengthy delay in re-opening the Night Tube could damage the recovery of central London’s night-time economy?

• Reference: 2021/1387
• Question by: Hina Bokhari OBE
• Meeting date: 27 May 2021

You stated in your manifesto for re-election that you would be setting up a new financing facility to bring more investment for infrastructure in London. Can you outline the timescales for this financing facility and how it will work?

• Reference: 2021/1386
• Question by: Hina Bokhari OBE
• Meeting date: 27 May 2021

In your manifesto you said that you would “’develop London’s offer to SMEs and the self-employed, creating the most advanced and integrated business support offer that London has seen, with a range of programmes helping start-ups and scale-ups across the key sectors of our economy.” Please outline the detail of the programmes referred to and which sectors of London’s economy they will target.

• Reference: 2021/1385
• Question by: Hina Bokhari OBE
• Meeting date: 27 May 2021

Do you support London joining the Assembly of European Regions (AER)? If yes, how are you working to advance this as the Mayor of our city?

• Reference: 2021/1384
• Question by: Hina Bokhari OBE
• Meeting date: 27 May 2021

Will you work with Boroughs across the capital to set up a twinning arrangement, where boroughs across the capital twin with at least one other European region to help retain and build on relations with other European regions?

• Reference: 2021/1383
• Question by: Hina Bokhari OBE
• Meeting date: 27 May 2021

If the Government continues to refuse providing EU citizens with a physical document proving their right to remain, will you set up a London-wide scheme so that we can avoid another Windrush-style scandal for the capital’s many thousands of EU citizens? Such a scheme would also enable the capital’s EU citizens to assure landlords and employers of their right to remain.

• Reference: 2021/1382
• Question by: Hina Bokhari OBE
• Meeting date: 27 May 2021

In your manifesto you made a commitment on childcare to “provide business support to the sector.” Given the crisis facing the childcare sector and the particular impact this is having on many of London’s working families and women in the economy, please outline what the promised business support for the sector will involve, including timescales for delivery.

• Reference: 2021/1381
• Question by: Hina Bokhari OBE
• Meeting date: 27 May 2021

Can you outline how you will be reviewing the estate regeneration ballot process to ensure ways are not being deliberately found to avoid the need for a ballot of residents?