Clause 18
Greater London Authority Bill
2:15 pm
Jim Fitzpatrick (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry; Poplar and Canning Town, Labour)
As I mentioned in an earlier intervention, the different functional bodies are providing different services for London. They have different responsibilities and are working to different programmes. Their controlling organisations and structures accurately reflect the jobs that they are supposed to do. TFL is a board that delivers transport services; there should be an opportunity to appoint political representatives, and also to appoint a mix of people to the board.
It is important that the Mayor is able to nominate the best candidates to represent the interests of those living and travelling in London. Clause 18 ensures that that will happen by providing the Mayor with the opportunity to nominate political representatives. That would allow the Mayor to nominate assembly members or members of local authorities.