Clause 48
Greater London Authority Bill
2:15 pm
Andrew Pelling (Croydon Central, Conservative)
I beg to move amendment No. 68, in clause 48, page 48, line 16, at end insert—
‘(8) Any constituent body proposing to enter into any arrangements under subsection (2) shall have regard to the needs and requirements of any constituent body with which it proposes to enter into such an agreement.
(9) In making any arrangements under subsection (2) above the Mayor shall ensure that the Authority secures adequate resources from the constituent body proposing to enter into any agreements under subsection (2) to fulfil its functions.
(10) For the purposes of subsections (8) and (9) the Mayor and the Assembly shall be treated as if they were constituent bodies separate and distinct within the Authority.’.
It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship once again, Lady Winterton. The position that the London assembly took on clause 48 was that it was very supportive of the principle behind the provisions and, clearly, there are many efficiencies to be secured by sharing services within the GLA group. I take this opportunity to put on record the credit that is due to the chief finance officer of the GLA, Anne McMeel, for the very good work that she is undertaking in that area to secure the best efficiencies, by the working together of the GLA family constituent bodies.
The assembly is concerned to ensure that it is not denied access to resources that are currently shared by the Mayor and the assembly. That covers a range of important support services, such as financial, legal, procurement and human resources advice, together with information and technology services and, indeed, library services. If some of the services are undertaken for the strategic GLA by a constituent body, such as Transport for London, there is a risk that sufficient safeguards would not exist to ensure that the assembly continues to be provided with adequate support services.
We have discussed putting a cap on the assembly’s budget, but amendments have also considered a floor. I know that the Government did not accept them, but it seems a reasonable idea. The amendment would mitigate the risk to resources expected to be applied to the assembly and ensure that they are safeguarded and guaranteed.