The London Assembly Budget and Performance Committee wrote to the Mayor of London today with its concerns with his budget plans for 2020-21.
The letter reiterates a number of recommendations made by the Committee in its Response to the Mayor’s Draft Consultation Budget 2020-21 report including:
- The Mayor and TfL need to be much clearer about what TfL capital projects are potentially at risk over the next four years. It is important that TfL signal to the Government, and the public, projects that are of a high priority.
- The Mayor should clarify what his core housing targets are, rather than having a wide range. He should also publish targets by tenure.
- The Mayor should review the processes and governance of the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) senior management team and Board representatives.
Susan Hall AM, Chairman of the Budget & Performance Committee, said:
“The London Assembly Budget and Performance Committee scrutinises the Mayor’s budget to ensure he’s spending tax payer’s money effectively. We raised a number of concerns following the publication of his Draft Consultation Budget 2020-21 in relation to TfL, Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation and his housing targets.
“The Committee feels strongly about the recommendations we made during the Mayor’s budget process and we want to ensure there’s plans in place to deal with the issues we’ve raised.
“One of the areas we’re pushing the Mayor to address is in relation to TfL capital projects. TfL’s track record on the delivery of capital projects is poor and needs attention to ensure projects are rolled-out in a time and cost-effective way. The Mayor and TfL need to be much clearer about what TfL capital projects are potentially at risk over the next four years so that we don’t have another Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf bridge situation.
“The Committee is also concerned about the Mayor’s Office for Police and Crime’s (MOPAC) assumption on the Police Funding Settlement. MOPAC’s budget reflects that it is expecting to get 6,000 officers, but this optimistic number has not been confirmed by the Home Office. We’ve called on MOPAC to make a realistic assumption on additional Government funding and prepare a sustainable plan so that the Met can be prepared to keep Londoners safe and crime rates low regardless of the funding settlement.
“We’re urging the Mayor to seriously consider our recommendations so that his budget reflects what London and Londoners need over the next 12 months.”
Notes to editors
- The letter is attached.
- Susan Hall AM, Chairman of the Budget & Performance Committee is available for interview.
- Find out more about the work of the Budget & Performance Committee.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For media enquiries, please contact Aoife Nolan on 020 7983 4067. For out of hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer. Non-media enquiries should be directed to the Public Liaison Unit on 020 7983 4100.