Agenda and minutes
Housing Committee - Thursday 16 October 2014 2.00 pm

1.1  Apologies for absence were received from Andrew Boff AM, for whom Tony Arbour AM substituted; and Murad Qureshi AM, for whom John Biggs AM substituted.

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, set out in the tables 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 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  As it had not at the time been included in the Authority’s Register of Gifts and Hospitality, Tom Copley AM declared that he had attended by invitation the British Film Institute’s Centrepiece Gala on 14 October 2014.

2.3  Resolved:

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

(b)  That the declaration made by Tom Copley AM of the receipt of hospitality at the British Film Institute’s Centrepiece Gala be noted.

The Committee is recommended to note the changes to its membership as agreed by the London Assembly at its Plenary meeting on the 16 July 2014 as follows:

That Murad Qureshi AM replaces Fiona Twycross AM as a Member of the Committee; and

That Fiona Twycross AM replaces Murad Qureshi AM as a substitute Member of the Committee.

3.1  Resolved:

That the changes to the Committee’s membership, as agreed by the London Assembly at its Plenary meeting on the 16 July 2014, be noted as follows:

That Murad Qureshi AM replaces Fiona Twycross AM as a Member of the Committee; and

That Fiona Twycross AM replaces Murad Qureshi AM as a substitute Member of the Committee.

The Committee is recommended to confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 10 July 2014 to be signed by the Chair as a correct record.

4.1  Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 10 July 2014 be signed by the Chair as a correct record.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

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

The Committee is recommended to note the completed and outstanding actions arising from a previous meeting of the Committee.

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

5.2  Resolved:

That the completed actions arising from a previous meeting of the Committee be noted.

5.3  In accordance with Standing Order 2.2(D), the Chair announced he was to take the remaining business in a different order than that set out on the agenda.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact: Lorraine Ford; [email protected]; 020 7983 4000

The Committee is recommended to note the record of the site visit to the Clapham Park estate on 2 July 2014.

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

6.2  Resolved:

  That the recordof thesitevisittotheClaphamParkestateon 2 July 2014 be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact: Dan Maton, [email protected], 020 7983 4681

The Committee is recommended to note both the letter sent by the Chair to the Mayor about encouraging diversity in London’s house building industry and the Mayor’s response.

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

7.2  Resolved:

  That both thelettersentby theChair of the CommitteetotheMayorabout encouragingdiversityinLondon’shousebuildingindustry,andtheMayor’sresponse, be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact: Lorraine Ford; [email protected]; 020 7983 4000

The Committee is recommended to:

(a)  Note its report, No Going Back: Breaking the Cycle of Rough Sleeping and Homelessness, as agreed by the Chair under delegated authority; and

(b)  Note the responses from the Lord Freud, Minister for Welfare Reform, and Kris Hopkins MP, Minister for Homelessness, to the relevant recommendations in No Going Back.

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

8.2  The Committee Officer informed Members that since the report had been agreed originally by the Chair under delegated authority, an alteration had been made to the case study on page 21 following consultation with the Chair.  This change was deemed not be substantive.

8.3  Resolved:

(a)  That the Committee’s report No Going Back: Breaking the Cycle of Rough Sleeping and Homelessness, as agreed by the Chair under delegated authority, be noted; and

(b)  That the responses from the Lord Freud, Minister for Welfare Reform, and Kris Hopkins MP, Minister for Homelessness, to the relevant recommendations in No Going Back be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

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

The Committee is recommended to note the response from the Mayor to the report, Assessing the Consequences of Welfare Reform.

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

9.2  Resolved:

That the response from the Mayor to the Committee’s report, Assessing the Consequences of Welfare Reform, be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact: Lorraine Ford; [email protected]; 020 7983 4000

The Committee is recommended to agree a proposed adjustment to its work programme as identified in paragraphs 4.1 to 4.3 of the report.

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

10.2  Resolved:

  That the adjustment to the Committee’s Work Programme, as set out at paragraphs 4.1 to 4.3 of the report at Agenda Item 11, be agreed.

The next meeting of the Housing Committee is scheduled for 11 November 2014 at 10.00 am in Committee Room 5, City Hall.

11.1  The next meeting was scheduled for 11 November 2014 in Committee Room 5, City Hall.

12.1  There was no urgent business.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact: Teja Zbikowska, [email protected], 020 7983 4510

The Committee is recommended to note the report and the summary of its site visit to Gypsy and Traveller sites at Appendix 1, as background to discussing with invited guests key issues which arise from identifying and allocating Gypsy and Traveller sites.

13.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat asbackgroundto receiving comments from members of the public. 

13.2  A transcript of the exchange between the Committee and members of the public is attached at Appendix 1.

13.3  At the conclusion of the discussion from the floor, the Committee put questions to the following invited panelguests:

·  RobMcCartney,Headof HousingSupport,LeedsCityCouncil;

·  BillForrester,Headof Service,KentCountyCouncil;

·  IlincaDiaconescu,PlanningPolicy,London Gypsy and Traveller Unit;

·  John Lett, Strategic Planning Manager, Greater London Authority (GLA);

·  GillSlater,PolicyPla  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

14.1  The meeting ended at 4.28 pm.