Mayor summonsed by Assembly over Met’s Estates Strategy
The London Assembly Police and Crime Committee has today summonsed the Mayor of London to appear before it, to answer questions on Met’s draft Estates Strategy, and give reasons for the delay in sharing the draft with the Committee.
Refusing or failing to attend Assembly proceedings as required by a summons notice without a reasonable excuse is a criminal offence.
The Police and Crime Committee has today used its statutory powers to issue a summons notice requiring the Mayor, in his capacity as occupant of the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), to attend a meeting to answer questions related to the Estates Strategy.
The meeting will take place on Thursday 18 December at 1pm or the rise of MQT, whichever is latest.
Marina Ahmad AM, Chair of the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee, said:
“For years, the Police and Crime Committee has called for updates on when the Met’s Estates Strategy will be ready to be scrutinised.
“The Police and Crime Committee has constantly been told that it will be available in due course, yet we are still to see the draft document.
“However, it emerged in November that members of the London Policing Board – a board set up in response to the Casey Review – had been given sight of the draft document, and the opportunity to provide feedback on it, before the directly elected Police and Crime Committee Members.
“It is clear that Committee Members are extremely disappointed at the way this has been handled and have officially summonsed the Mayor and Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime to appear before the Committee to answer our concerns on this.
“The London Assembly Police and Crime Committee, which has been directly elected by Londoners, must remain a key element of scrutiny of the Mayor and MOPAC. Yet it appears to have been left in the dark over a key strategic document, despite having asked for it over a number of years, whilst members of the London Policing Board, who are not elected officials, have been given sight.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
- Read the summonsing text in full.
- Marina Ahmad AM, Chair of the Police and Crime Committee, is available for interview.
- Find out more about the work of the Police and Crime Committee.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For more information, please contact Tony Smyth in the Assembly Media Office on 07763 251 727 or [email protected]. For out of hours media enquiries, please call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the Assembly duty press officer.