Clause 13
Greater London Authority Bill
4:00 pm
Michael Gove (Shadow Minister (Housing), Communities and Local Government; Surrey Heath, Conservative)
I am grateful to the hon. Lady for making that point. Her stance in support of Tom ap Rhys Pryce’s family and the support that she has shown to people who use the Tube station in her constituency are well recognised within and outside the House. I appreciate the burden of her comments about the Mayor. I do not think that anyone is taking anything away from the Mayor and the discharge of his duties in discussing the importance of TravelWatch. The Mayor reacted with compassion, speed and efficiency to deal with some of the problems highlighted by that tragic event.
Tom ap Rhys Pryce’s murder resonated across London because concerns about travel and transport safety had risen up the political and public agenda. As they continue to do so, we believe that the body that speaks for Londoners in that regard is likely to wish to speak more often on such issues. I suspect that when it does, the Mayor will respond sensitively and quickly, but we want to ensure that the body that explicitly allows London transport users to raise their voices has the protected resources that it deserves.
When we talk about safety in travel, it is not just that tragic murder that rests on our minds; it is also the tragic murder of those killed on 7 July 2005. A number of bodies, including the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, have played a significant role in ensuring that London’s resilience is enhanced and that London transport is as safe as possible in the event of a terrorist attack, but I think that all of us are concerned to see that the experience of those who use London transport is reflected in any decisions taken by the Mayor and functional bodies when it comes to providing security in the event of such an attack or any other assault on London’s resilience.
All of us can see a number of reasons why London transport users might wish their voices to be amplified. TravelWatch provides a way of doing so, and we would like its budget to be secured so that it does not suffer as a result of any future budget changes reflecting on the work of the assembly.