Clause 29
Greater London Authority Bill
10:30 am
Yvette Cooper (Minister of State (Housing and Planning), Department for Communities and Local Government; Pontefract and Castleford, Labour)
As the hon. Gentleman will be aware, and as we debated in earlier proceedings, the Mayor has an obligation to consult, but it is also important that the Mayor should have an obligation to have regard to the views of the assembly. That will strengthen the position of the assembly relative to the position under the 1999 Act. The clause is a helpful step in respect of the role of the assembly. The Mayor must also respond in writing to the chair of the assembly and explain which of the assembly’s comments he accepts for implementation in the plan and which he rejects. That will provide clarity and transparency in the relationship between the assembly and the Mayor in their debate on the London plan. The provision will put the London plan on the same footing as the Mayor’s other strategies.