Agenda and minutes
Housing Committee - Tuesday 17 March 2015 10.00 am

To receive any apologies for absence and any announcements from the Chair.

1.1  Apologies for absence were received from Nicky Gavron AM and Steve O’Connell AM.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact:  David Pealing, [email protected], 020 7983 5525

The Committee is recommended to:

(a)  Note the list of offices held by Assembly Members, as set out in the table at Agenda Item 2, as disclosable pecuniary interests;

(b)  Note the declaration by any Member(s) of any disclosable pecuniary interests in specific items listed on the agenda and the necessary action taken by the Member(s) regarding withdrawal following such declaration(s); and

(c)  Note the declaration by any Member(s) of any other interests deemed to be relevant (including any interests arising from gifts and hospitality received which are not at the time of the meeting reflected on the Authority’s register of gifts and hospitality, and noting also the advice from the GLA’s Monitoring Officer set out at Agenda Item 2) and to note any necessary action taken by the Member(s) following such declaration(s).

2.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat.

2.2  Resolved:

That the list of offices held by Assembly Members, as set out in the table at Agenda Item 2, be noted as disclosable pecuniary interests.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact: David Pealing; [email protected]; 020 7983 5525

The Committee is recommended to note the outstanding actions arising from previous meetings of the Committee.

3.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat.

3.2  Resolved:

That the outstanding actions arising from previous meetings of the Committee be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact: Lorraine Ford, [email protected]; 020 7983 4394

The Committee is recommended to note the report as background to discussing with the Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property, and other invited guests, housing issues in London, and note the subsequent discussion.

4.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat as background to putting questions on rough sleeping, the impacts of welfare reform and affordable housing numbers in London to the following invited guests:

·  Richard Blakeway, Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property;

·  Jamie Ratcliff, Assistant Director – Programme, Policy and Services, Housing & Land Directorate, GLA;

·  Matt Downie, Director of Policy and External Affairs, Crisis;

·  Sue Ramsden, Policy Lead (Welfare Reform), National Housing Federation; and

·  Kate Webb, Head of Policy, Shelter.

4.2  A transcript of the discussion is attached at Appendix 1.

4.3  The Assistant Director – Policy, Programme and Services informed the Committee that it would shortly be consulted on a proposed Mayor's Rough Sleeping Commissioning Framework for 2016 onwards. 

4.4  During the course of the discussion the following commitments were noted:

·  The Assistant Director – Policy, Programme and Services committed to provide Members with a copy of the international comparison of rough sleeper numbers he had referred to during the discussion;

·  The Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property committed to provide Members with the data from the Family Mosaic Direct Payment Demonstration Project he had referred to; and

·  The Deputy Mayor  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact: Lorraine Ford, [email protected]; 020 7983 4394

The Committee is recommended to note the report.

5.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat.

5.2  The Chair placed on record, on the occasion of his last meeting as Chair of the Committee, his thanks and appreciation for the hard work of Members and officers during his term, including work done by officers in helping prepare the Committee’s reports and briefings.

5.3  Resolved:

That the report be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact: Lorraine Ford, [email protected]; 020 7983 4394

The Committee is recommended to agree the scope for an investigation into the issues surrounding the provision of student accommodation in London.

6.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat.

6.2  Andrew Boff AM suggested that the proposed investigation into student accommodation also consider any planning issues surrounding such housing. 

6.3  Resolved:

  That, subject to the comments made by an Assembly Member above, the scope for an investigation into the issues surrounding the provision of student accommodation in London be agreed.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact: Lorraine Ford, [email protected]; 020 7983 4394

The Committee is recommended to note the letter from the Mayor in response to the Committee’s investigation on Gypsy and Traveller site provision in London, as attached at Appendix 1 to the report.

7.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat.

7.2  Resolved:

  That the letter from the Mayor in response to the Committee’s investigation into Gypsy and Traveller site provision in London be noted.

Subject to confirmation at the London Assembly’s Annual Meeting on 13 May 2015, the next meeting of the Committee is scheduled for Tuesday, 23 June 2015 at 10.00 am in Committee Room 5, City Hall.

8.1  Subject to confirmation at the London Assembly’s Annual Meeting on 13 May 2015, the next meeting of the Committee was scheduled for Tuesday 23 June 2015 at 10.00 am in Committee Room 5, City Hall.

9.1  There were no items of business that the Chair considered to be urgent.

10.1  The meeting ended at 11.59 am.