Newsletter September 2006

Published on Sun 10th Sep 2006

Newsletter September 2006

I've just returned from a holiday in France, which, despite the constant e-mails, was really relaxing. I love France but I hate the fact that wild animals are still used in the circus, which is a major attraction to holidaymakers every August. The sight of two magnificent fully-grown tigers being paraded in a cage that can't have been more than 12 X 6 feet is really upsetting. These poor animals pace up and down non-stop all day - and this is supposed to be a good advertisement for the circus! I have always believed wild animals should be in the wild and not in captivity!

So now back to work! We have a really busy year ahead on the London Assembly and I am looking forward to getting stuck in. A number of things have happened since my last newsletter.

In this month's report…

1. Paladin and the scandal of child trafficking - a visit to the Metropolitan Police's Paladin Team at Heathrow airport, who work to stop child trafficking.

2. Football: the new opera! - Why are ticket prices for soccer matches in London so high?

3. Leisure/sport centre survey - a survey of leisure and sports centres to assess the provision offered to Londoners with disabilities.

4. Committee activity - the release of two new reports, on Apprenticeships and on the London Cultural Consortium.

5. Other reports in the pipeline - three forthcoming reports: Sports participation for people with disabilities; Film production in London; and Incapacity Benefit.

6. Get in touch - contact details.

1. Paladin and the scandal of child trafficking

My Metropolitan Police Authority visits are continuing and, in July, I met a very special group of police officers (the Paladin Team), based at Heathrow airport. Their job is to stop child trafficking and it is harrowing work. I was aware of the dreadful trafficking in people for prostitution, but this is something different. Children, usually aged between 10 and 14, are being brought into this country to be used as domestic slaves and the system is totally unequipped to deal with the problem.

Three years ago, a pilot project was run at Heathrow Airport called Operation Paladin Child. During its three-month term, 1,800 unaccompanied children came through the airport. The team (which was dealing with non-EU passport holders only) judged that at least 550 (i.e. nearly a third) of these children were vulnerable and 'at risk'. Nearly half were aged below eleven and social services were notified for follow-up action.

The parents (mainly from West Africa but also from Eastern Europe and other countries around the world) have been encouraged to allow their children to come to Britain on the promise of getting a decent education. But the reality is that they are used as domestic slaves and childminders. Many of them are sexually abused from the age of 14 onwards and passed from family to family.

You might think such a problem would merit serious attention, but child trafficking (the responsibility of the Serious Organised Crime Agency) is not considered a priority and is not even mentioned in the police plan! The Paladin team is the only unit in the country dealing exclusively with child trafficking and comprises just eight people, including four detective constables from the Met. The police and immigration staff who make up the team are on secondment from their primary jobs.

The problem is not helped by the disgraceful 'unaccompanied minor' policies of the airlines and other transport companies, whose only interest seems to be making money. On most airlines, children over the age of 12 can travel unaccompanied (at the full adult fare), with no checks on where they go when they arrive at their destination. If their parents want them to be accompanied by the airline, they must pay a supplementary fee for every 'flight zone', which puts the price out of the reach of most parents. The only exception is Virgin Airlines, where the minimum age is 15. On Eurostar trains, French children travelling to Britain can be unaccompanied at any age, provided they have a letter from the Mayor of their town. Recently, a five-year old was discovered unaccompanied travelling from Paris to London.

I am determined to continue to highlight this horrific problem. I talked about this during an interview on LBC radio and, as a result, LBC broadcast a full day's programme highlighting the issue. I am also discussing this with the Metropolitan Police, to try and ensure that proper resources are directed towards tackling the problem. I shall also be moving a motion on this subject at the Liberal Democrat party conference later this month.

2. Football: the new opera!

In August, there was extensive coverage in the Evening Standard of my investigation into the cost of going to see a football match. We found that the cheapest season ticket to see a premiership team in the UK is almost ten times more expensive than for other European clubs.

Football is supposed to be a game for the masses but how can families afford these outrageous prices? We are constantly being told that the Olympics will increase sports participation but at this rate, the closest fans will get to the beautiful game is the sofa in their front room.

3. Leisure/sport centre survey

I am currently conducting a survey of leisure and sports centres across London, to establish the levels of sports provision offered to people with disabilities, and to gather a picture of the funding (or lack of) available for these facilities.

One of the promises made when London won the bid to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games was that there would be increased sports participation across London, and indeed the country. But this cannot become a reality if local sports clubs are starved of cash, have long waiting lists or simply can't cope with demand.

We want to gather the evidence and build a complete picture of the current situation, so that we can put pressure on the 2012 planners to ensure a legacy for the Paralympics. If you have any experience of the issue of sports provision I would love to hear from you (my contact details are at the end of this newsletter).

4. Committee activity

The Economic Development Culture Sport and Tourism committee released two scrutiny reports in July.

4.a Apprenticeship report

Our first report, which examined apprenticeships in London, received really good media coverage. The report found many reasons why people do not or cannot take advantage of apprenticeships. There is still discrimination against black, ethnic minority and female applicants. Less than 3% of 16-19 year olds from ethnic minority backgrounds enter apprenticeships.

Parents and teachers often see apprenticeships as a 'last resort' for people who are less academic instead of another legitimate route towards a career. Schools also get more funding by channelling young people into sixth-form education rather than apprenticeships. Our recommendations have been well received and we expect them to make a difference.

4.b London Cultural Consortium report

Our second report looked into the work of the London Cultural Consortium. This body was set up by the Mayor to engage with cultural institutions across London, to promote culture and the arts throughout London. It is also responsible for making sure the Mayor's cultural strategy is implemented.

But although other regions in Britain get a quarter of a million pounds in arts funding a year, London's Cultural Consortium receives no central government funding at all. The consortium has no dedicated staff and has to make do with secretarial support from the Mayor's Office. As one of our witnesses put it, "it's like trying to manage culture in London with your hands tied behind your back."

It is essential that this body receives dedicated funding to enable it to employ its own staff, and to be much more pro-active in the years running up to the Olympic cultural programme. This should be a prime opportunity for London's culture to blossom - the opportunity must not be wasted through penny-pinching.

5. Other reports in the pipeline

The Economic Development Culture Sport and Tourism committee has three further scrutiny reports in the pipeline.

5.a Sports participation for people with disabilities

We have now completed our report on how the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012 can promote sports participation amongst people with disabilities in London. We have produced some strong recommendations to make this dream a reality, having discovered some serious problems that must be overcome. This is a controversial issue, and I am pleased to say that the Mayor is giving his backing to the report, which crosses all political boundaries. I will be launching the report jointly with the Mayor next week. We aim to make our recommendations a central part of the Paralympic planning. Please get in touch if you would like a copy of the report when it is published (my contact details are at the end of this newsletter).

5.b Film production in London

In June, we heard evidence from people involved in film production in London. Although London is one of the most sought-after locations for filming, there are some industry wide issues that need to be addressed such as entry paths and career development. Within London, the biggest problem for film crews is parking. Some boroughs (such as Southwark) have a superb pro-active system in place and the challenge is to get this 'best practice' rolled out across London. We also heard a lot about computer graphics and will visit the Harry Potter post-production suite (which is the best in the world for computer graphics) to see it in action. I am a real technology freak so I can't wait to see how it all works! We plan to publish our full report in November.

5.c Incapacity Benefit

Our next public hearing will be on October 19th, when the committee will be investigating incapacity benefit in London. We want to look, in particular, at the mental health aspects of disability claims and how these affect Londoners. We have already heard from a panel of expert witnesses in an informal setting, and they have greatly assisted us in narrowing down the focus of the scrutiny. Any member of the public is welcome to attend Assembly meetings so, if this area is of interest or concern to you, then do please come along.