Clause 7
Greater London Authority Bill
12:30 pm
Yvette Cooper (Minister of State (Housing and Planning), Department for Communities and Local Government; Pontefract and Castleford, Labour)
I think that I have addressed the hon. Gentleman’s points already. The amendments tabled by the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington would introduce inefficiencies. I am concerned about those amendments, because they are not the most effective way of ensuring effective management. I am concerned about the current arrangements on appointments between the Mayor and the assembly, because it is anomalous for the work programme to be decided by one branch and staffing arrangements by another. That may lead to staffing terms and conditions for non-political appointments becoming part of the territory of trade-offs, negotiations, rows and debates between the assembly and the Mayor, which is not the best way to get effective staff arrangements for the GLA in the long term.
This is a relatively limited, practical measure that will not have a substantial effect on the scrutiny of the assembly—in fact; it will allow it to concentrate on serious scrutiny—and it will not give any other branch of the GLA any more or different powers. This is purely about practical arrangements to support the staff.