Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 8 September 2022.

The role of the London Assembly is to hold the Mayor of London and Mayoral advisers to account by publicly examining policies and programmes on behalf of Londoners.

With multi-billion-pound budgets and programmes covering many essential services, the work of the GLA and its functional bodies is vast and complex.

Local authorities are required to produce and maintain a forward plan of key decisions. TfL also does this.

The Assembly calls on the Mayor to exceed statutory requirements and do the same in the aid of transparency, effective scrutiny and the best use of resources.

Siân Berry AM, who proposed the motion said:

“Too often the Mayor’s decisions come without warning and it is not right that we are unable to carry out our duty to scrutinise the Mayor’s work until it is too late to make changes.

“All London councils publish forward plans as a statutory requirement, so it does not make sense that the Mayor of London, who oversees a multi-billion pound budget, will not offer us the same transparency.

“The Mayor needs to be open and clear with Londoners about decisions that will directly affect their lives and the Assembly is right to ask for this information. I hope the Mayor will agree and routinely publish a forward plan of his decisions and consultations in future.”

Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM, who seconded the motion said:

“No one likes surprises but all too often, announcements and decisions from the Mayor come out of the blue. As the body which is democratically elected to scrutinise those decisions, we are simply asking for no more surprises.

“If councils in the capital can publish forward plans to enable Londoners to transparently see what decisions are expected and when, surely the Mayor of London can do the same.”

The full text of the motion is:

This Assembly exists to hold the Mayor and Mayoral advisers to account by publicly examining policies and programmes on behalf of Londoners.

With multi-billion-pound budgets, and programmes covering many of London’s essential services, the workstreams of the GLA and its five functional bodies are vast and complex.

This Assembly notes that under Part III additional requirements in respect of key decisions and public meetings of The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2000, local authorities are required to produce and maintain a public forward plan of key decisions.

This Assembly also notes that the Transport for London (TfL) Board and its Committees and Panels also produce forward plans. Forward plans list upcoming decisions and consultations, to aid transparency, effective scrutiny and best use of resources.

We call on the Mayor to exceed the statutory requirements of his office and publish a similar forward plan.

The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 7 September 2022.

Sadiq announces new service Energy Advice London, in partnership with the Energy Saving Trust, to provide advice to Londoners on managing energy bills

The Mayor’s new service comes as the new Prime Minister is expected to announce a bill freeze to be repaid by customers through energy bills or taxes, while the Mayor has called for a ‘Lifeline Tariff’ to help those in need and for any price freeze to be paid from the profits of fossil fuel companies benefiting from this crisis

The Mayor of London has today announced a new advice service, Energy Advice London, to support Londoners struggling to pay soaring energy bills due to the cost of living crisis.

This comes as Londoners face the possibility of not being able to heat their homes or put food on the table with energy bills already at high levels even before most Londoners need to turn on their heating. Energy Advice London – the first such service available to all Londoners in a decade – will help Londoners navigate the spiralling cost of living crisis and will launch this Autumn. Funded by the Mayor, the new service will be run by the Energy Saving Trust with a website and dedicated phone line to expertly guide Londoners through managing their bills and help them make their homes more energy efficient.

Like the Cost of Living Hub, Energy Advice London will be available to all Londoners but with an energy focus. It will complement the support that the Mayor already offers to vulnerable and low income Londoners through the Warmer Homes Advice Service and the Warmer Homes scheme.

However, the Mayor has stated that this alone isn’t enough and that Government must immediately address the crisis facing Londoners and the nation. Sadiq is calling for a ‘Lifeline Tariff’ which will allow a minimum floor of domestic energy use before charges begin for the most vulnerable people in London.

He has also said the Government should freeze bills but not make Londoners pay for this through a lost era of debt or through their taxes but instead use a windfall tax on those fossil fuel companies that have benefits from this crisis. In addition, he has said it is time to overturn a decade of inaction on making homes energy efficient to ensure Londoners are insulated from such a price surge in the future.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “With eye-watering energy bills awaiting anyone that turns on their heating for the first time this Autumn, too many Londoners will be faced with being unable to heat their homes or feed their families.

“Energy Advice London will help Londoners manage their bills while keeping their homes warm, but this crisis can’t be averted without Government putting the right plan in place. I’m pleased to see that Government are planning to freeze bills but if they are to be repaid by the public then people will be trapped into high bills or taxes for years to come, while the fossil fuel businesses enjoy their unearned profits. We can’t afford to saddle Londoners with years of debt. The Government must introduce a ‘Lifeline Tariff’ to ensure support for those who need it most through this covid- level crisis.”

Mike Thornton, Chief Executive, Energy Saving Trust said: “We’re proud to be part of the positive action being taken in London to provide advice on reducing energy bills. As an expert in delivering advice services across the UK for decades, we know the difference that access to tailored information for individuals on energy efficiency, reducing their energy bills and eligibility for financial support can make. We look forward to helping households and working with the Mayor’s office and London borough councils to offer support this winter.”

The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 7 September 2022.

Claire Waxman, London’s Victims’ Commissioner, said: “Yesterday, my stalker was convicted of three breaches of a lifetime restraining order and of stalking. This has provided my family and me with some relief, but after nearly 20 years of being stalked by this man, the impact of his behaviour has taken an enormous toll on our lives, and it will take us time to recover from this latest ordeal.

It has also been a stark reminder that victims do not have a voice in our justice system. This has made me even more determined to fight for their rights and to put an end to victims being treated as bystanders. If we want victims to come forward to help keep the public safe, then we must fundamentally change the status of victims in our justice system. Their role is too valuable to continue to treat them this way.

My latest experience has reinforced that the Government’s draft Victims’ Bill – as currently written – will make no difference to victims navigating our delayed and broken justice system. The bill must be radically strengthened, along with long-term investment in our justice system and support services, to meet the Government’s objective of ‘putting victims at the heart of the justice system’.

My case has also sadly highlighted that, ten years on, the stalking legislation I campaigned for is flawed and not working for stalking victims. I will be calling on Government to reform the law and create one piece of standalone anti-stalking legislation. It needs to recognise that stalking is a cruel crime of psychological terror which leaves victims suffering for years. A ‘summary only’ offence carrying a maximum sentence of six months does not reflect the severity and long-lasting damage of stalking.

I want to thank the Met Police and CPS for their work on this case. It is clear the Met’s specialist anti-stalking unit S-TAC is making a positive difference to some victims, but they must now work hard to ensure that expertise and knowledge reaches the front line and can help all stalking victims in London. As a result of my experience, we are also now working closely with the Met to review their Witness Care Units which have been struggling to meet victims’ needs. Significant work is underway, and I am confident that together, we will get this unit back on track and providing a better service to victims in London.

Finally, I want to thank my retired Met officer, Daniel Candler. Without him, I would have been unable to cope and attend court. He has provided the support that I want all Met officers to provide for victims. This is the gold standard they should be aiming for.”