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Tag: 2022

  • PRESS RELEASE : Mayor of London demands Government action as new research exposes £4.4bn annual housing funding gap [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Mayor of London demands Government action as new research exposes £4.4bn annual housing funding gap [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 1 December 2022.

    • New independent research reveals London needs an additional £22.2bn* over the next five years to build affordable homes at the scale London needs
    • Mayor warns that lack of Government investment, soaring construction costs and shrinking construction workforce is squeezing his ability to deliver homes Londoners need
    • Sadiq joins calls for Government to support housing providers with additional funds for new affordable housing, as well as retrofitting and safety improvements

    The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has called on ministers to significantly increase the level of housing funding they give the capital if they truly want to tackle the housing crisis.

    Affordable homebuilding has hit record-breaking levels under Sadiq, with council homebuilding at the highest level since the 1970s, but the Mayor has warned this progress is at risk if ministers fail to give London the funding it desperately needs.

    In November 2020, the Mayor secured £4bn over a five year period from the Government to deliver affordable homes in London under the new Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026. But new research from Savills Affordable Housing has revealed that London would require an additional £4.4bn annually to deliver the number of affordable homes that London needs. That’s equivalent to more than six times the funding settlement London received.

    The Mayor has recently called for the Government to provide additional grant funding for affordable housing in London to reflect the growing financial pressures on councils and housing associations. Savills’ analysis found that the size of the funding gap is fluid and can be increased by outside factors such as rising construction costs and wider inflationary pressures. Specifically, the analysis found that a 10 per cent increase on construction could increase the annual funding gap by at least £0.5billion a year. The cost of construction materials has increased by 17 per cent in the last year, meaning this funding gap is expected to be even greater.

    The construction industry is feeling the impact of high vacancy rates caused by the perfect storm of Brexit and the Covid 19 pandemic, along with an ageing workforce rapidly reaching retirement. Savills’ research found that a further 20,000 construction workers will be required to hit the London Plan target of 26,000 new affordable homes a year. The Mayor is investing in developing green skills opportunities for Londoners, including in retrofit, through his Green Skills Academy. The Adult Education Budget already funds construction training, including the Mayor’s Construction Academies, but more is needed. The Mayor has joined calls for a ‘Covid Recovery Visa’ to help fill vacancies in sectors with serious skills shortages such as construction.

    Housing providers are also facing the costs of building safety works required to reduce fire risk and the need to bring existing stock up to higher environmental standards. The Savills research estimated that this is expected to cost roughly £5,000 per existing home. Without targeted Government support, providers are likely to draw upon their investment capacity, limiting their ability to deliver the affordable homes that London needs.

    This new analysis has been produced against a backdrop of record-breaking housing delivery under Sadiq Khan’s mayoralty. Last year work began on 18,722 social and affordable homes despite ongoing the impact of the pandemic, soaring construction costs and Brexit. This the highest number of starts since City Hall records began in 2003, and both affordable housing starts and completions have more than doubled since Sadiq became Mayor.

    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “I have worked tirelessly with councils and housing associations against increasing economic headwinds to deliver the affordable homes at a scale that matches the needs of Londoners. However, this report sets out in stark detail the yawning funding gap that exists between what we have and what we so desperately need.

    “These issues are exacerbated by the increasing cost of construction, soaring vacancies in the building industry and providers footing the bills for essential work to ensure existing affordable homes are safe, healthy and energy efficient.

    “We’re doing all we can to give Londoners the skills they need to pursue a career in construction and have proven that we can build record-breaking numbers of homes every year. If the Government is truly serious about tackling the housing crisis then they must begin by providing us with the additional funds we need to deliver all the homes Londoners deserve. It is only through delivering high quality housing that we can build a better London for everyone – a safer, fairer, greener and more prosperous city for all.”

    G15 Chair and Chief Executive of MTVH, Geeta Nanda OBE said: “This is a crucial piece of research which highlights the urgent need for action on London’s housing crisis. With a total subsidy gap of £24.5bn over the next five years, the capital will fall well short of the almost 43,000 affordable homes that London needs each year as identified in the Strategic Housing Market Assessment.

    Such a failure will only exacerbate the acute shortage of affordable housing Londoners are already experiencing, causing further insecurity and hardship for the city’s lowest earners and heightening competition in the private rental sector. Further shortages of affordable housing will also prove detrimental to London’s economy, making it harder for businesses and essential services to recruit the workers they need.

    The GLA’s and Savills’ findings are clear: the government must act. Investment in housing is an investment in the entire economy. This funding gap must be plugged so we can deliver the genuinely affordable homes that London and Londoners need.”

    Chair of the G320 Group, Karen Cooper said: “This new report shows the unenviable choices facing small housing associations as we face spiralling construction, maintenance and retrofit costs without sufficient financial support from the government. Difficult choices are inevitable.

    “We want to work with the Mayor to build the homes Londoners desperately need but this will simply not be possible at the required scale if we do not have the funds available.”

    The Leader of Enfield Council, Cllr Nesil Caliskan, said: “At Enfield we are taking all possible action to tackle the housing crisis.

    “We have a large council house building and regeneration programme, we are taking a master development role on Meridian Water, have a range of partnerships delivering new homes and with future partnership opportunities in the pipeline.

    “The excellent progress made is at risk without the additional Government support that this report highlights is needed.  An urgent response must come forward if we are to keep housebuilding going through the recession, protecting jobs and sustaining supply chains that come from across the country.“

  • PRESS RELEASE : Public health leaders come together to improve air quality [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Public health leaders come together to improve air quality [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 29 November 2022.

    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, will today join public health leaders, including the Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty, to discuss how they can work together to tackle air pollution.

    For the first time, London’s Public Health Forum has brought together senior health experts from across the capital to discuss the impact of air pollution on health. Other speakers include Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah and London Regional Director of Public Health, Professor Kevin Fenton.

    The group will also discuss the measures currently being taken at a national, regional and local level to improve air quality and identify what more can be done to support more Londoners to have access to better indoor and outdoor air quality.

    Air pollution is a matter of life and death, leading to thousands of Londoners a year dying prematurely. If no additional action was taken to reduce air pollution, around 550,000 Londoners would develop diseases attributable to air pollution over the next 30 years and the cumulative cost to the NHS and the social care system is estimated to be £10.4 billion.

    Despite the Mayor’s interventions meaning good progress has been made, 97 per cent of schools and colleges in outer London still exceed revised air quality targets set by the World Health Organization, [2]. In around 75 per cent of these areas in outer London, air pollution remains so high that it exceeds even lower air quality targets set in 2005.

    Last week, the Mayor took a bold new step in the fight against toxic air by announcing the London-wide expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone next year, heralding cleaner air for five million more people. This action will bring clean air to some of the boroughs with the highest numbers of pollution-related deaths in London, including Barnet, Bromley, Croydon and Havering.

    Expanding the ULEZ in August 2023 will also help to tackle the global climate emergency, reduce congestion and bring the Mayor closer to achieving his pledge to make London a net-zero carbon city by 2030.

    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “I have made very clear my determination to clean up London’s filthy air with my recent announcement that the Ultra Low Emission Zone will be expanded London-wide. This bold action will mean five million more Londoners breathing cleaner air and all the money raised will be invested into improving public transport.

    “I am doing all I can in London to reduce air pollution, but our efforts alone will not enough. We need to all work together – the Government, public bodies and health organisations – collaborating and using our collective strength to go further and faster than ever to tackle the scourge of toxic air.”

    Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer said: “Air pollution affects us all. It is associated with impacts on lung development in children, heart disease, stroke, cancer, exacerbation of asthma and increased mortality, among other health effects.

    “Air pollution is everybody’s problem, but it has improved, and will continue improving provided we are active in tackling it.”

    Professor Kevin Fenton, London regional director for public health, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, said: “Improving air quality is a key public health priority for London, and tackling it together is crucial to reducing the health impacts and disparities seen across communities in our city. Air pollution can be harmful to everyone but some people are more affected because they are exposed to higher levels of air pollution in their day-to-day lives, they live in a polluted area, or are more vulnerable to the harm caused by air pollution such as children, the elderly and people with heart disease or respiratory conditions such as asthma. Addressing and reducing air pollution together as a city will protect the health and wellbeing of Londoners now, and for future generations to come.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Mayor’s statement on third anniversary of Fishmongers’ Hall Terror attack [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Mayor’s statement on third anniversary of Fishmongers’ Hall Terror attack [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 29 November 2022.

    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Today marks three years since the abhorrent terrorist attack at Fishmongers’ Hall, in which Saskia Jones and Jack Merritt lost their lives. They will forever be in our thoughts, as will the bravery of our emergency services and the Londoners who put themselves in danger to help others.

    “Those who seek to divide us and destroy our way of life in London will never succeed.

    “I’m determined to continue working with communities, partners and the police to counter the threat from terrorism and ensure that no stone is left unturned in doing everything possible to keep Londoners safe.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Mayor Statement on London Fire Brigade Culture Review [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Mayor Statement on London Fire Brigade Culture Review [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 25 November 2022.

    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “The findings of Nazir Afzal OBE’s review must be nothing short of a watershed moment for the London Fire Brigade. The details published today of institutional misogyny, racism and discrimination are abhorrent. Londoners, including firefighters and other staff, have been let down by those who should have supported them have every right to be angry, as I am.

    “I fully supported the Fire Commissioner, Andy Roe, in commissioning this review and we both agree that all of its recommendations and findings must be acted upon with urgency and conviction to rebuild public trust and the confidence of LFB staff and firefighters who have been failed for far too long.

    “I am confident that the Fire Commissioner, Andy Roe, recognises the scale of the problems and is the right person to lead the deep-rooted reform needed of the culture and systems within the brigade. The Fire Commissioner knows he has my full support in making the significant and necessary changes to root out all those found to be responsible for sexism, racism, misogyny, homophobia, bullying or harassment – and to support members of staff to speak out. Some of that work has already started with a new independent team investigating complaints and a pledge to scrutinise firefighter interactions with the public through Body Worn Video. But more must be done and at pace.

    “Huge changes to policies, procedures and equipment since I appointed this new Fire Commissioner mean that the London Fire Brigade is now better prepared and equipped to fight fires and keep Londoners safe. But for the LFB to be trusted to serve and protect all Londoners it must be a workplace free from discrimination, unfairness and inequality where people of all backgrounds can thrive. That’s why I will continue to support and hold the Fire Commissioner to account on delivering all the improvements needed.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Fire Committee responds to LFB culture review findings [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Fire Committee responds to LFB culture review findings [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 25 November 2022.

    Responding to Nazir Afzal OBE’s review of culture at the London Fire Brigade, Anne Clarke AM, Chair of the London Assembly Fire, Resilience and Emergency Planning Committee, said:

    “It is devastating that Jaden Francois-Esprit tragically took his own life when he should have been looking forward to a future in the London Fire Brigade.

    “A recent report by the Inspectorate made clear there needs to be a major cultural shift in the Brigade, but the examples of horrific racist and misogynistic abuse uncovered by Nazir Afzal in his review are simply shocking.

    “This toxic culture in parts of the Brigade threatens to overshadow the efforts of thousands of dedicated firefighters doing incredible work every day to keep Londoners safe.

    “The London Fire Commissioner has told us he is aware of the scale of the challenge and we call on him to take forward recommendations from the culture review with a matter of urgency.

    “The Committee looks forward to discussing the findings and recommendations of the review in detail at a meeting with Mr Afzal in the new year.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Ultra Low Emission Zone will be expanded London-wide [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Ultra Low Emission Zone will be expanded London-wide [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 25 November 2022.

    Five million more Londoners to breathe cleaner air as Ultra Low Emission Zone will be expanded London-wide

    • Mayor of London confirms the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone to clean up London’s toxic air and tackle the climate emergency  
    • Expansion means five million more Londoners will breathe cleaner air   
    • Mayor is also announcing a new and improved £110m scrappage scheme, with a new public transport option to support Londoners going greener 
    • New package to support more disabled Londoners than ever before, including an extended grace period to October 2027  
    • Expanded ULEZ to be complemented by the biggest ever expansion of bus network in outer London   

    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced that he will expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) London-wide to tackle the triple threats of air pollution, the climate emergency and congestion, and to ensure five million more Londoners can breathe cleaner air. The expansion will come into effect on Tuesday 29 August 2023 and will operate across all London boroughs up to the existing Low Emission Zone boundary.

    Toxic air pollution is a matter of life and death – with around 4,000 Londoners dying prematurely each year, children growing up with stunted lungs and a higher risk of dementia in older people. More than 500,000 Londoners live with asthma and are more vulnerable to the impacts of toxic air, with more than half of these people living in outer London boroughs.

    The ULEZ has already been hugely successful in central and inner London, helping to reduce roadside pollution levels by 44 per cent in central London and 20 per cent in inner London.[1] The Mayor believes that all Londoners have the right to breathe clean air.

    Sadiq is doing all he can to support Londoners through the cost-of-living crisis, which is why the expansion will be accompanied by a brand new £110m scrappage scheme to support Londoners on lower incomes, disabled Londoners, charities and small businesses and sole traders. The Mayor listened to feedback from these communities during the consultation process, including from disabled people and the organisations that represent them to create a scheme to best support them. Successful scrappage applicants will receive a grant to scrap or – for the first time – retrofit their vehicle for certain vans and minibuses. Successful car owners can opt to receive a smaller grant accompanied by up to two free annual bus and tram passes, which would give them a higher financial package.

    The Mayor also announced new measures to support disabled people, including extending the existing exemption periods for London’s disabled drivers and community transport minibuses run by not-for-profit organisations to October 2027 and October 2025 respectively, and introducing new exemption periods for disabled drivers and wheelchair accessible vehicles. This will mean that over a quarter of a million disabled Londoners could be eligible for the new exemption periods, including those who automatically qualify for a Blue Badge. The Mayor is providing further support through scrapping the fee for drivers to sign up to Auto-Pay for the ULEZ and Congestion Charge.

    To maximise the potential benefits of expanding the ULEZ and strengthen alternatives to private cars, the Mayor today also announced a plan for improving the bus network in outer London. Two new routes will be introduced in Sutton, with improved service to the new Cancer Hub at the Royal Marsden Hospital. In east London, new zero-emission cross-river services will be introduced, subject to consultation. This includes a new high-frequency, limited stop service between Grove Park and Canary Wharf, and an extension to route 129 (Lewisham – North Greenwich) north across the river to Great Eastern Quay via the Royal Docks.

    New services and improvements, that will see over one million further kilometres added to the bus network, are also planned to support growth areas in a number of other outer London location. This is part of the biggest ever expansion of the bus network in outer London. Examples include:

      • Improved links between Harold Hill and Upminster in Havering
    • New and improved services at Brent Cross in Barnet
    • Improved services in Southall
    • Bus improvements in the Harrow & Wealdstone area
    • New routes to serve the Haringey Heartlands development at Wood Green
    • Better bus links in Wanstead, including to and from Whipps Cross Hospital

    Expanding the ULEZ London-wide will strike the best balance between maximising the health and environmental benefits for Londoners while minimising the cost to drivers. Toxic air caused by road traffic is still leading to thousands of deaths a year, and the greatest number of deaths attributable to air pollution are in London’s outer boroughs, which the ULEZ doesn’t currently cover.[2]

    Expanding ULEZ London-wide will save 27,000 tonnes of CO2 in outer London, nearly double that which the central London ULEZ achieved in its first year of operation. Amongst other improvements, the expansion is forecast to make further progress to reduce air pollution, by reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from cars and vans in outer London by 10 and 7 percent respectively, and reducing PM2.5 car exhaust emissions in outer London by nearly 16 per cent, benefitting five million outer London residents.

    Toxic air is also an issue of social justice with the poorest Londoners and Londoners from ethnic minority backgrounds least likely to own a car but also worst affected by toxic air. Only five per cent of the lowest income Londoners own a car yet they are around 10 per cent more likely to suffer from toxic air.

    The ULEZ is a very targeted scheme to get the most polluting vehicles off the road.  Compliance within the current ULEZ area is now at 94 per cent, much higher than the 39 percent when ULEZ was first announced in 2017, and also higher than 85 per cent the month before previous expansion, and compliance in outer London is already around 85 per cent. This means that most drivers in outer London will not be impacted by the expansion London-wide.

    The evaluation survey of the Mayor’s Car and Motorcycle Scrappage Scheme shows it reduced vehicle ownership, with survey respondents also reporting a decrease in car travel and an increase in walking, cycling and public transport use. The report on the Mayor’s Scrappage Scheme shows that in addition to those who used the funds to purchase a ULEZ compliant vehicle, others used the money for greener transport options such as public transport, bikes and e-bikes and car clubs.

    In order to support those who would like to use the money from the scrappage scheme for cleaner transport options, in addition to supporting those who want to put the funds towards public transport, bikes and e-bikes and car clubs, the Mayor’s new scrappage scheme will also include the option to get up to two annual bus and tram passes, and TfL is working with businesses to agree a range of offers on sustainable transport.

    The announcement follows a public consultation which ran between May and July 2022, in which 59 per cent of respondents agreed that more needed to be done to tackle toxic air. A representative YouGov poll commissioned by City Hall also revealed nearly twice as many Londoners believe the Mayor’s proposed expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone should go ahead than oppose it.

    Sadiq announced plans for the expansion at Bonus Pastor School in Lewisham, an area with dangerously poor air quality, and spoke to students and stakeholders from across London about the dangers of toxic air and the importance of tackling it urgently.

    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The latest evidence shows that air pollution is making us sick from cradle to the grave.  Londoners are developing life-changing illnesses, such as cancer, lung disease, dementia and asthma. And it’s especially dangerous for children due to the long-lasting impact on their health and life chances, with kids in our city growing up with stunted lungs.

    “The ULEZ so far has been transformational, reducing harmful pollution levels by almost a half in central London. But there is still far too much toxic air pollution permanently damaging the health of young Londoners and leading to thousands of early deaths every year, with the greatest number of deaths in the outer London boroughs. Expanding the ULEZ London-wide will mean five million more people will be able to breathe cleaner air and live healthier lives.

    “The rising cost of living has been a key consideration for me. That’s why I’m announcing that we will be introducing our biggest scrappage scheme yet – £110m – to support Londoners on lower incomes, disabled Londoners, small businesses and charities to scrap or retrofit their non-compliant vehicles. All the money raised by ULEZ will be pumped back into funding local public transport and I’m pleased to announce today that we are planning the biggest ever expansion of the bus network in outer London.

    “Expanding the ULEZ London-wide has not been an easy decision. The easy thing for me would have been to kick the can down the road. But in the end, public health comes before political expediency. We have too often seen measures delayed around the world to tackle air pollution and the climate crisis because it’s viewed as being too hard or politically inconvenient. But there’s no time to waste when people’s lives are on the line and we are facing a climate crisis.  As mayor, I’m not willing to turn a blind eye because it’s clear the cost of inaction – to our economy, to livelihoods, to the environment and the health of Londoners – would be a far too high a price to pay.  Expanding ULEZ is the right choice for our city and something that I know will help us to continue building a better, greener, fairer and healthier London for everyone.”

    Alex Williams, TfL’s Chief Customer and Strategy Officer, said: ”Expanding the ULEZ is vital for public health in this city. We know that there are more deaths that are attributed to toxic air in the city’s outer boroughs and that bringing in these world leading standards over a larger area will see millions more breathing cleaner air. Our experience of these schemes shows that they work, with significant reductions in pollution since the first zone was introduced in 2019.

    “As part of helping people to make the green transition, the Mayor has announced unparalleled support for people to scrap their older, more polluting vehicles. These groups include those that are essential to capital’s recovery, some of the most vulnerable in society and those that look after them. Following the consultation and taking on board the feedback from disabled people, we are extending the grace period for certain vehicles and widening the criteria for those who qualify. This could potentially benefit more than 280,000 people.

    “The recent report that evaluated the Mayor’s previous scrappage scheme showed around a third of people choose not to purchase a new vehicle at all and 22 per cent no longer have access to a vehicle in their household. With this new package we will also be helping people to make more sustainable journeys with free annual bus and tram passes. This will be complemented by significant improvements to the outer London bus network, making public transport a more attractive alternative to the car.”

    Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, founder of the Ella Roberta Family Foundation and World Health Organization Advocate for Health and Clean Air, said: “When we had the inquest, we got the experts in Ella’s case to give some recommendations and all of them agreed ULEZ expansion was something that needed to be done to clean up the air in London.

    “The Mayor, the government and councils are all aware of what the experts say about the dangers of air pollution, and expanding ULEZ London-wide will be a significant help in tackling this public health crisis. I commend the mayor for pushing this forward.
    “Clean air should be a human right, and with Ella’s Law currently passing through the Lords, this is something I am fighting for every day. But the expanded ULEZ across London is a big step in the right direction.”

    Michael R. Bloomberg, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions and Founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies, said: “Reducing air pollution, improving public health, and fighting climate change all go hand in hand. Sadiq’s leadership is helping to clean London’s air and set an example for cities around the world. The faster cities make progress, the more lives we can save, and the better our chances of avoiding the worst effects of climate change.”

    Jeremy Leach, chair of London Living Streets, said: “The decision to expand the ULEZ to cover the 33 boroughs is a huge win for the health of all Londoners. London has long been a pioneer in Britain in tackling the enormous damage that air pollution causes directly through premature deaths and indirectly through long-term physical and mental damage. This is especially true for pedestrians who, all too often, have been walking along congested and polluted streets and roads. From summer 2023, everyone living, working and walking in outer London will benefit from cleaner air as well as having better access to public transport from the improved bus services.”

    Kevin Fenton, London Regional Director of Public Health, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), said: “Air pollution in London is the largest environmental health risk we are facing as a city, and one that affects the most vulnerable Londoners – including children – the most.  Bold action is needed from all of us.  Expanding the ULEZ will have significant health benefits for the city and prevent over 500,000 Londoners developing air pollution related diseases over 30 years.”

    Mark Hayden, Consultant Intensivist at Great Ormond Street Hospital, said: “We see first-hand the impact poor air quality has on our patients who face challenges such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, cystic fibrosis, stroke, premature birth, and other lung conditions.

    “That is why we are committed to finding, supporting and sharing creative solutions to tackle this health issue.

    “The cleaner the air, the better the future looks for our patients, and London as a whole.”

    Jane Burston, Chief Executive of Clean Air Fund said: “London is already at the forefront of national and global efforts to tackle air pollution, and the Mayor’s decision to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) shows why. At the Clean Air Fund, we’re heartened by modelling which demonstrates that this policy will improve the air quality around 145 schools, improving health and saving lives. We applaud Mayor Khan’s continued commitment to make progress on air quality in the capital.”

    Sarah Woolnough, CEO at Asthma + Lung UK, said: “The expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is a huge win for everyone’s lungs. Asthma + Lung UK is delighted that the Mayor of London has listened to our campaigners. It is particularly significant for the 360,000* people with a lung condition in outer London who will now be included in the ULEZ. We hope this will lead to fewer premature deaths and fewer hospital admissions linked to air pollution.

    “Breathing in toxic air not only puts people at risk of potentially life-threatening asthma attacks and dangerous COPD flare-ups, it can also lead to the development of lung conditions. We urge other polluted cities to follow in London’s footsteps by introducing ambitious Clean Air Zones to protect everyone right to breathe cleaner air.”

    Oliver Lord, UK Head of the Clean Cities Campaign said: “This is a welcome next step in our fight for clean air in London and especially for people living on the most polluted roads. Anyone doubting this decision should take a long walk along the north and south circular and reason with the families living there why they don’t deserve cleaner air.

    “The Mayor’s determination and the critical concessions he has tabled to help people comply in this cost of living crisis are to be commended. We’re still trapped in this dirty decade of diesel and I urge City Hall to give us greater clarity now on what’s needed next so that everyone has time to prepare.”

    Gareth Thomas MP, Harrow West, said: “I welcome the Mayor’s decision today to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) London-wide. This bold and decisive action will help to cut the toxic air pollution in Harrow, reduce congestion, and tackle the climate emergency. Outer London boroughs will now benefit from the proven impact ULEZ can have in reducing roadside air pollution. Expanding these world leading standards to the whole city will mean that millions more people will be able to breathe cleaner air and live healthier lives.”

    Sir Ian Cheshire, Chair, We Mean Business Coalition; Chair, Channel 4; Chair, Spire Healthcare Group; Chair, Menhaden Capital, and non-executive director at BT, said: “I applaud the Mayor of London’s decision to expand his flagship air quality policy, the Ultra Low Emission Zone, which will mean five million more people breathing cleaner air. This is the kind of large-scale, decisive action we need to halve emissions this decade, and I have no doubt businesses in London and around the world will recognise the huge benefits that this policy will bring to communities and families across the capital.”

    Anjali Raman-Middleton, Co-founder and Programmes Director of Choked Up, said: “We know that the ULEZ significantly reduces harmful air pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, and is one of the most effective ways of combating filthy air. By expanding the ULEZ to encompass all of London millions of people will breathe cleaner air, preventing loss of life and long term illness. The ULEZ will help us all breathe easy and I fully support its expansion.”

    Dr Doug Parr, Policy Director at Greenpeace UK said: “It’s a breath of fresh air to see that the ULEZ is being expanded. In 2019 alone, 4,000 Londoners died due to toxic air, which disproportionately affects deprived communities, people of colour and people in London’s outer boroughs. It’s absolutely right that the Mayor is reducing vehicle air pollution – it’s better for individuals, better for communities and better for the planet.

    “We believe that cities across the UK and beyond should follow London’s example and bring in their own ultra low-emissions zones. The more cities that do, the better the quality of the urban environment and the fewer people that are forced to breathe in toxic air.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Mayor announces plan to keep London at forefront of the electric vehicle revolution [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Mayor announces plan to keep London at forefront of the electric vehicle revolution [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 24 November 2022.

    • City Hall and TfL release land for 100 new rapid public charging points on busy London roads suitable for businesses, emergency service vehicles and taxis
    • London now has the most public rapid charge points by volume and share of any European city
    • 4,500 jobs are expected to be created to supporting charging infrastructure in London with thousands more across the country supporting London’s electric future

    In a keynote speech at the ‘Evening Standard Plug It In’ event at the Design Museum this evening, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, will set out his plans for how London will remain at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution and his determination for London to become a cleaner, green and healthier city.

    He will announce that City Hall has identified sites on the Transport for London Road Network which will be suitable for a further 100 rapid charge points. The first 25 of these will be put out to tender on 30 November, and 75 more will follow by the end of April next year, with the aim for all 100 to be operational by the end of 2023.

    London now has more than 11,000 public charge points, of which 820 are rapid or ultra-rapid. This is a third of the UK’s total and a 170 per cent increase from 2019. London also has the most public rapid charge points by volume and share of any European city. There is one charge point for every four registered electric vehicles in London compared with the national average of one charge point for every twelve vehicles.

    This has only been possible due to the Mayor’s leadership in the sector with his 2019 Electric Vehicle Strategy and now the London EV Infrastructure Delivery Plan setting the capital on course for a cleaner, greener future. But for this progress to continue it is essential that the right sort of charging points are built at pace to meet the expected requirement of 40,000-60,000 charging points by 2030, with around 10 per cent of these being rapid charge points. London is on track to meet this target but to facilitate this ambitious goal, the Mayor wants to go further by facilitating space for a 100 new rapid charge points.

    Rapid charge points can deliver a full charge in 20-30 minutes and are therefore most suitable for high mileage users, such as the emergency services, taxis and private hire vehicles, delivery drivers and local businesses.

    In the keynote speech, the Mayor is expected to say:

    “I’m in no doubt that the shift to electric vehicles is imperative to cleaning up our air and bringing down harmful emissions. As a city, we’ve travelled an impressive distance in a relatively short period of time in terms of rolling out the necessary infrastructure and encouraging the uptake of electric vehicles. But the gravity of the threats we face from the climate crisis and toxic air pollution demand that we now redouble our efforts and go even further, even faster.”

    “It’s vital we don’t take our foot off the pedal now and lose momentum. That’s why my administration has published its Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy and set a target of quadrupling – at a minimum – the number of public charge points in London by 2030.

    “Freeing up public land to deliver more charging points, and charging hubs, will be crucial to hitting and, hopefully, exceeding this target. And so to that end, I’m pleased to announce that next Wednesday TfL will be putting 25 of its sites out to tender for charge point operators.”

    The Mayor’s climate action is also creating new green jobs for Londoners. The Mayor is committed to investing in these jobs and skills of the future to help double the size of London’s green economy and establish good, green jobs within communities that need them most. The European Association of Electrical Contractors estimate that 200,000 permanent jobs will be created in the electric vehicles sector in Europe, with around 57 per cent of jobs supporting the installation, operation and maintenance of electric vehicle charging points. More than 4,500 jobs are expected to be created to supporting charging infrastructure in London alone.

    Further jobs will also be created beyond London through UK supply chains and associated industries. Electrifying London’s bus fleet by 2030, for example, could drive substantial bus orders in manufacturing locations such as Ballymena, Scarborough, Falkirk and Yorkshire, representing a gross investment into bus manufacturing of £4 billion and supporting 3,000 jobs.

    The Mayor will finish his speech with a call for greater collaboration between all those involved in the EV industry:

    “We must…deepen our collaboration. To make it easier and more convenient for Londoners to go electric. To establish our city’s reputation as a world leader in the delivery of charging points and infrastructure.

    “And to ultimately build a better London for everyone – a city that is greener, safer, fairer and more prosperous for all.  This is my vision for the future of our city and its road network and I hope that, together, we can bring it to life and usher in a new, healthier, electric age for London.”

    The next decade will see a fundamental reimagining of how Londoners move around their city as the Mayor moves London towards net-zero by 2030. Electric vehicles will play a key part of this plan alongside encouraging more Londoners to cycle, walk and use public transport.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Mayor urges Government to help those most in need this winter as Londoners struggle with spiralling cost of living [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Mayor urges Government to help those most in need this winter as Londoners struggle with spiralling cost of living [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 24 November 2022.

    Mayor urges Government to help those most in need this winter as Londoners struggle with spiralling cost of living

    • Cost of living crisis is hitting hard with eight per cent of Londoners occasionally going without food and six per cent regularly going without food over the last six months
    • 86 per cent of Londoners who say they are experiencing financial hardship think they will struggle to afford their regular household shop in the next six months
    • Mayor calls on Government to immediately increasing benefits and providing free school meals to all primary schoolchildren, as he visits London’s Community Kitchen in Harrow

    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today urged the Government to immediately increase benefits and provide free school meals to all primary schoolchildren to help Londoners through the winter, as the spiralling cost of living is leaving the most vulnerable at crisis point.

    Sadiq is calling for Government to step forward and support struggling Londoners, following last week’s Autumn Statement which disproportionately impacted the least well-off and research which exposes the extent of the cost of living crisis.

    Across the capital Londoners are struggling to afford food, pay bills and are unsure about how they will cope in the coming months. The latest research shows:

    • Eight per cent of Londoners are occasionally going without food and six per cent are regularly going without food.
    • 18 per cent of Londoners are financially struggling, with nearly one in three (32 per cent) just about managing.
    • 86 per cent of Londoners who say they are experiencing financial hardship think they will struggle to meet payments for their regular household shop in the next six months.

    Today, the Mayor visited London’s Community Kitchen in Harrow to see the incredible work that it is doing to feed thousands of families across the capital, providing cooking skills to young people and teaching children about sustainability and nutrition.

    The kitchen – which was founded in 2014 and has expanded to help people in Brent, Barnet, Hounslow, Enfield and Harrow – works alongside councils and charities to use surplus food to provide food crates for families, host a sustainable café, a community garden and a teaching kitchen all promoting zero waste and zero hunger.

    The Mayor is doing all he can to help Londoners cope during the cost of living crisis as part of his work to build a better London for everyone, which includes investing £3.46bn over the next four years into building the genuinely affordable homes Londoners need. He is spending more than £80m this year to help those struggling with the rising cost of living, including more than £50m to tackle fuel poverty through the Mayor’s Warmer Homes programme and energy advice services, more than £20m to improve security for private renters and house Londoners who are rough sleeping or homeless, more than £5m to connect Londoners with welfare advice, and £400,000 to tackle food insecurity. He is also spending £400m this year on skills and employment programmes to support Londoners to find more secure.

    However, further action is needed from Government to support Londoners through the winter, and Sadiq continues to lobby Ministers to introduce the benefits increase immediately, to provide free school meals to all primary school children and introduce a ‘Lifeline Tariff’ to the most vulnerable to provide a minimum of domestic energy use before charges begin.

    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The spiralling cost of living is hitting Londoners very hard and without urgent action from the Government millions of people will be wondering how they will cope this winter.

    “London’s Community Kitchen is doing incredible work to help thousands of families get by every single week but the level of demand it faces is a national disgrace and it only looks set to get worse in the coming months.

    “I’m doing all I can to support Londoners and try to build a fairer and more prosperous city for all Londoners, but Government needs to step forward with action now and use the powers it has to ensure that the most vulnerable are helped this winter and not abandoned to deal with this crisis alone.”

    Chef and London’s Community Kitchen patron Tom Kerridge said: “I will continue to call on the Government to help those who are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. We should not be relying on food banks, and our children should not be going to school hungry, the Government need to act now.”

    Taz Khan MBE, founder of London’s Community Kitchen, said: “We are seeing more and more Londoners struggling due to the cost of living, this is creating extreme levels of financial hardship to families across London. Food banks are not the answer and should not be left to pick up the pieces on the back of failed policies. One in four children today would have missed a meal, just let that sink in for a minute.”

    Katherine Hill, Strategic Project Manager, 4in10 London’s Child Poverty Network, said: “As the cost-of-living crisis deepens and winter approaches the situation for many families on low incomes is becoming more serious by the day, as these figures show. While the recent announcement of increased benefit rates from next April is welcome, more help is needed for families who are struggling to pay their bills today. Free school meals for all children would be a significant step in the right direction towards ensuring that their basic right to food is met this winter.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : London renters use Mayor’s tools half a million times to protect themselves from rogue landlords [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : London renters use Mayor’s tools half a million times to protect themselves from rogue landlords [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 22 November 2022.

    • New figures show the Mayor’s Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker has now been used 388,000 times since 2017, and his Property Licence Checker, launched in November 2020, has been accessed 125,000 times
    • The checkers have been viewed 128,000 times in the last year alone as many of London’s renters grapple with soaring rents and poor standards
    • 6,000 Londoners have now reported concerns about their rental property through the Mayor’s Report a Rogue tool
    • Renters who find their landlord is at fault could be due a refund of up to 12 months’ rent – over £28,000 based on current average advertised rents
    • Sadiq wants the Government to follow his lead and come good on promise to roll out a National Rogue Landlord Database

    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has praised London renters for using his innovative online renting tools to stand up for their rights in the turbulent and unpredictable London rental market – and urged the Government to follow his lead and roll them out nationally.

    The Mayor’s Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker, a unique database that ‘names and shames’ landlords and lettings agents who have been successfully prosecuted or have faced civil enforcement action for housing offences, has now been used more than 388,000 times. Meanwhile, his Property Licence Checker, launched in November 2020 to allow Londoners to find out if their rental property is properly licenced, has been accessed more than 125,000 times. The checkers empower London’s renters to make informed decisions about who they rent from.

    The checkers have been viewed 128,000 times in the last year alone as many of London’s renters grapple with soaring rents and poor standards.

    Further new stats from City Hall show that more than 6,000 Londoners have now used the Mayor’s Report a Rogue tool, launched in autumn 2017, to report concerns or problems with a rental property or landlord directly to enforcement teams in the relevant borough. The borough can then take action against the landlord or agent where necessary. An example of where this has been successful is in Camden. Following a referral through the report a rogue tool, Camden council obtained London’s first rogue landlord banning order. The landlord’s details are now on the rogue landlord and agent checker.

    These usage figures show how concerned Londoners are about the condition of the properties they are renting and the credentials of the people they are renting from.

    The Mayor has repeatedly called on Ministers to do more to stand up for the rights of renters. This should start with the establishment of a National Rogue Landlord Database, as was promised in the Renters Reform Bill. Sadiq also wants the amount that tenants can claim back if their home isn’t up to scratch doubled – to two years’ worth of rent – for the worst properties, which pose a risk of death or serious injury. For London tenants paying the average rent of £2,343 a month, this could mean a pay-out of up to £56,000. Nearly a fifth of privately rented homes (18 per cent) fail the Government’s Decent Homes standard.

    Renters would feel more secure raising complaints about the condition of their property if they didn’t face the threat of arbitrary eviction, which is why the Mayor has long called for Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions to be finally abolished too.

    Last week the Mayor convened a landmark City Hall summit of private renters, charities, advocates and politicians after it was revealed that 40 per cent of Londoners think they will struggle to meet their rent payments in the next six months.

    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “I’m determined to continue standing up for London’s renters by cracking down on rogue landlords. London’s 2.6m private renters deserve a decent home at an affordable price, let from a fair and honest landlord. The fact that my online tools to root out unscrupulous behaviour of landlords have been used hundreds of thousands of times is a sad indictment of the state of the London rental sector. However, I am pleased to see tenants using these tools to help them avoid dodgy landlords and to stand up for themselves when they are being mistreated or misled.

    “If we are to continue building a better London for everyone, it’s essential that we continue to stand up for and empower renters. We’re doing everything we can in London, but we also need the Government to step up. This must include creating the long-promised National Rogue Landlord database, properly funding borough enforcement teams and increasing the fines for landlords who break the rules.”

    David Beach, Director of Enforcement at Waltham Forest, said: “The private rented sector is incredibly important in Waltham Forest. We work to ensure that the thousands of residents who rent from private landlords are living in homes that are properly maintained and free from significant building hazards.

    “Our private sector housing and licensing officers make routine use of the Mayor’s Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker in their work. Information on the Checker detailing enforcement actions undertaken by other local authorities is invaluable in supporting the administration and enforcement of Waltham Forest’s large-scale property licensing schemes. Data is used to prioritise proactive inspections of any homes linked to landlords who have been subject to enforcement action elsewhere and to ensure penalties that we impose take into account any previous offending.

    “Waltham Forest also receives reports from tenants via the ‘Report a Rogue Tool’ and our enforcement officers visit the properties to assess conditions, taking any necessary enforcement action to improve sub-standard housing conditions.”

    Cllr Meric Apak, Camden Cabinet Member for Better Homes, said: “In Camden around a third of our residents rent from private landlords. We believe that they deserve to live in properly regulated and safe homes, and we stand up for renters who are mistreated.

    “Our work has led the way in protecting renters – having been the first borough to secure a banning order against a rogue landlord, we have worked in partnership with the Mayor of London to register more than fifty landlords on the Rogue Landlord Checker.

    “It is a service that has empowered renters, helping them to avoid and report rouge landlords. It has supported our Rogue Landlord Taskforce in their work to investigate rogue landlords and to improve standards in the private sector but crucially, it is also backing good and honest landlords to continue running successful businesses.”

  • John McDonnell – 2022 Speech on Benefit Sanctions

    John McDonnell – 2022 Speech on Benefit Sanctions

    The speech made by John McDonnell, the Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, in Westminster Hall, the House of Commons, on 13 December 2022.

    I congratulate the hon. Member for Glasgow South West (Chris Stephens) on securing the debate. I concur with all that has been said about his past work, both on the Work and Pensions Committee and more generally on this issue.

    I have a simple question to ask the Minister. What is his understanding of the increase in this recent period? It is true that conditionality has always been an element of our social security system since the second world war, but there has been nothing on this scale. What worries me is the dramatic increase—comparing the figures now with the figures before the pandemic—and therefore the significant increase in the past year after the worst parts of the pandemic. Like others, my experience of conditionality and the use of sanctions has largely centred on the impact on constituents who live the most chaotic of lives. They have difficulty complying with the various requirements that are made of them and, in some instances, actually even understanding the conditions that are attached to them. Living those chaotic lives means that they become intensely vulnerable.

    I will go through the figures again, so that I have this clear. The monthly universal credit sanctions reached a peak of 58,548 in March. They have now fallen back to an average of 45,100 in the last quarter—that is two and a half times the average in the three months before the pandemic, so there has been a 250% increase in that period. Sanctions as a percentage of UC claimants subject to conditionality are currently at 2.5% per month; in the three months before the pandemic it was 1.4% per month. The monthly sanction rate on unemployed UC claimants in July 2022 was higher, at approximately 2.8%—or one in 36 claimants—for those in the planning for work category. The number of UC claimants who were serving a sanction in August was 115,274, after a peak of 117,999 in July. That is more than three times the pre-pandemic peak of 36,771 in October 2019.

    It just goes on like that. The figures on the scale of the sanctions being imposed at the moment are quite staggering. According to the report by Dr David Webster, which I believe was produced for the Work and Pensions Committee, the average sanction is about 11 weeks. For most of my constituents, surviving beyond 11 weeks becomes almost impossible—even just getting by.

    Margaret Ferrier

    In response to a written question, the Minister said that data on the average length of sanctions

    “is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.”

    The length of a sanction is directly associated with the level of hardship faced by claimants. Does the right hon. Member share my concern that the Department is seemingly not tracking essential data that should inform policy making?

    John McDonnell

    I fully concur and agree. That is the main question that I will come on to. I will add that, although there was an increase in sanctions in the recent period, a lot of this concerns people being sanctioned for not seeking or being unable to increase their hours. We are now going into a recession—well, we are in a recession at the moment. Based on the Government’s figures, the Office for Budget Responsibility predicts that the number of unemployed people will increase by half a million, and the Bank of England suggests that it will most probably go above 2 million. It becomes much more difficult to find or secure work overall or to increase hours. That will increase the pressure on those who are already on the edge of being sanctioned.

    My fear, which has consistently been identified as a problem, is that the system is not working; it is not dealing effectively with people who have chaotic lives. There are some conditions attached and criteria that work coaches take into account, but in no way do they embrace fully the nature of the individuals they are dealing with. The decision maker never actually gets to see the individual either to do a proper assessment. When the individual comes to me in my constituency surgery and I get a fuller understanding of their life, I can understand why they have slipped up at some stage and why the system is not working to give them the support they need to get back into work and earn a decent income.

    Debbie Abrahams

    My right hon. Friend is making a powerful point. I will just pick up on what he said at the start of his speech about conditionality. There is currently no evidence that supports the efficacy—let alone the humanity—of sanctions at all. A University of York study, which was published in 2018, showed absolutely that they had no effect on out-of-work conditionality or on in-work conditionality. What is the purpose of this programme?

    John McDonnell

    I was going to come on to that. My question to the Minister is: what is his understanding of how this increase has taken place? What are the factors behind it, because it does then lead on to questions about the efficacy of the whole process? Looking at the excellent House of Commons Library briefing, we can see that there was a Work and Pensions Committee report in 2015, a National Audit Office report in 2016, a Public Accounts Committee report in 2017, the welfare conditionality project in 2018 and another Work and Pensions Committee report in 2018. All of them reached the same conclusion as my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham East and Saddleworth (Debbie Abrahams): there is no connection between this programme and effectiveness in supporting people getting into work. There is a bizarre situation: the raison d’être of this whole process has been challenged consistently—almost annually—by independent and objective reports, yet the Government have not moved. What does the Minister believe are the reasons for this increase?

    I would also like to ask another question. If the Minister cannot answer it today, I would like him to write to us with an answer. I am really worried about the impact that the sanctions and the whole process of conditionality has on the mental health of the constituents I deal with. I am anxious that the Government should at least assure us that they have in process a mechanism for monitoring that, learning lessons from that monitoring, then coming back to the House to explain what improvements will be made. I am worried about the mental health consequences because, as we go into recession and we have a cost of living crisis, people have a fear of sanctions being levelled against them, which pushes some over the edge. To be frank, we have seen too many people lose their lives, unfortunately sometimes as a result of suicide because of the pressures that they have been under as a result of these types of measures that have been introduced over this period. I would welcome the Government’s reassurance that there is monitoring of the mental health consequences and that there will be a report to the House about how that is being addressed and any lessons that can be learned.