Coming up next week at the London Assembly
PUBLIC MEETINGS
Tuesday 7 January
The Met budget 2025-26
Budget and Performance Committee – The Chamber, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, 10am
The Metropolitan Police Service’s (MPS) current staffing assessment shows a need to grow the workforce by over 4,000 officers, but how will this be achieved with a forecast budget gap of £450m for 2025-26?
The London Assembly Budget and Performance Committee will meet to question the Met, the Deputy Mayor and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) on the key challenges for officer recruitment.
Guests include:
- Kaya Comer-Schwartz, Deputy Mayor, Policing and Crime
- Lib Peck, Director of the Violence Reduction Unit
- Darren Mepham, Interim Chief Executive Officer, MOPAC
- Amana Humayun, Chief Finance Officer and Director of Corporate Services, MOPAC
- Dan Worsley, Chief Finance Officer, MPS
- Adrian Scott, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, MPS
MEDIA CONTACT: Tony Smyth on 07763 251 727 / [email protected]
Tuesday 7 January
Funding the LFB in 2025-26
Budget and Performance Committee – The Chamber, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, 1pm
In his manifesto, the Mayor committed to “ensure there are no cuts to the London Fire Brigade (LFB) frontline and no fire station closures.”
However, the London Fire Commissioner’s (LFC) Budget Submission states that the flexibility reserve is now ‘exhausted’ so difficult choices are required in prioritising services.
The London Assembly Budget and Performance Committee will meet to question the London Fire Brigade on its 2025-26 budget.
Guests include:
- Jules Pipe CBE, Deputy Mayor for Fire and Resilience
- Andy Roe KFSM, Commissioner, LFB
- Mostaque Ahmed, Director of Corporate Services, LFB
MEDIA CONTACT: Tony Smyth on 07763 251 727 / [email protected]
Wednesday 8 January
The Mayor’s draft consolidated budget
Budget and Performance Committee – Chamber, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, 10am
The London Assembly Budget and Performance Committee will meet to question the Mayor of London on his draft consolidated budget for 2025-26, looking specifically at:
- Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime/Metropolitan Police Service (MOPAC/MPS)
- Transport for London (TfL)
- Housing
- Universal Free School Meals.
Following the first part of the meeting with the Mayor, the Committee will question a panel of external experts to discuss the impact of the draft budget.
Guests include:
Panel 1:
- Sir Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London
- David Bellamy, Mayor’s Chief of Staff
- Fay Hammond, Chief Finance Officer, GLA
Panel 2:
- Stuart Hoggan, Associate Consultant, LG Futures
- Antonia Jennings, CEO, Centre for London
- Tony Travers, LSE Department of Government and Director of LSE London
- Stephanie Pollitt, Programme Director, Housing, BusinessLDN
- Michael Roberts, CEO, London TravelWatch
Panel 3:
- Ian Wiggett, Associate Director, World Policing Advisory
- Prof Gloria Laycock, UCL Jill Dando Institute and the Community Policing and Police Science Institute
MEDIA CONTACT: Tony Smyth on 07763 251 727 / [email protected]
Thursday 9 January
Swimmable rivers
Environment Committee – Chamber, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, 2pm
In his 2024 election manifesto, the Mayor committed to “Develop a bold plan for swimmable rivers within 10 years.”
The London Assembly Environment Committee will meet to speak with some of those stakeholders and other community groups about what needs to be done to make London’s waters swimmable.
Guests include:
Panel 1 – A ‘swimmable’ Thames? (10.00am – 11.15am):
- Grace Rawnsley, Director of Sustainability and Net Zero Transition, Port of London Authority
- Chris Romer-Lee, Co-founder and director, Studio Octopi, Thames Baths, Future Lidos – and Steering Group member, Swimmable Cities alliance.
- Marlene Lawrence, Founder of Teddington Bluetits
Panel 2 – Improving London’s rivers (11.20am – 12.30pm):
- Paul Powlesland, Founder, Friends of the River Roding and River Roding Trust
- Chris Coode, Chief Executive Officer, Thames21
- Cllr Louise Krupski, Deputy Mayor and Environment, Transport and Climate Action, Lewisham Council
MEDIA CONTACT: Tony Smyth on 07763 251 727 / [email protected]
Notes to editors
For more information, please contact Tony Smyth in the Assembly Media Office on 07763 251727 or [email protected]. For out of hours media enquiries please call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the Assembly duty press officer.