Dee Doocey

Newsletter January 2007

Newsletter January 2007

Happy New Year!

I'd like to begin by wishing everyone a great New Year!

My life on the London Assembly is still busy but hugely enjoyable. I divide my time between chairing the Economic Development Culture Sport and Tourism Committee (which is the Assembly's lead committee for the Olympics); membership of the Metropolitan Police Authority; and being Lib Dem spokesperson for both policy areas.

In this newsletter…

1. Policing issues - Metropolitan Police estate strategy

2. Olympic costs

3. Olympic opportunities - don't miss out!

4. London housing policy - all change

5. Tower Hamlets Sunday market

6. Skinny models

7. Ideas for future scrutinies

8. Committee scrutinies and reports

9. Local parties

10. Get in touch

1. POLICING ISSUES - METROPOLITAN POLICE ESTATE STRATEGY

The Metropolitan Police owns 600 buildings across London, comprising 6.4 million square feet of space and valued at £1.7 billion. About a third of these buildings are old run down borough police stations (most dating from before 1935), which are inefficient to run and offer limited use and accessibility.

The Met's Estate Strategy involves selling off old police stations that are considered no longer 'fit for purpose' and reinvesting the value of the property into modern, sometimes purpose-built, facilities focused on the needs of the communities they serve. The plan is to provide custody suites, patrol bases, front counters and bases for Safer Neighbourhood teams across all of London's boroughs. However, the Met has given an assurance that no police station (with or without public access/interface) will be closed until the replacement is operational.

The most controversial part of the Met's proposals is a plan to replace the custody cells currently attached to individual police stations with borough-wide 'custody centres', each with at least 30 cells. The location of these custody centres is proving contentious. For example, in my area, the proposal to build a 30-cell custody centre in Teddington town centre to serve the boroughs of Richmond, Twickenham and Kingston has generated a great deal of public concern.

Both Graham Tope and I support the Met's general approach to modernising the police estate. I have seen for myself the dreadful state of most police stations across London - filthy environments, with long waits to be served at front counters and nowhere to sit; poor customer service and forbidding counter screens; victims and criminals coming in to the police station through the same door. These old outdated buildings are simply unsuitable for modern policing and things have got to change.

But change will only be possible with meaningful public consultation. Sad to say, the Met's 'public consultation' has so far been more of a 'public information exercise', which is not good enough. Both Graham and I raised this issue publicly with Sir Ian Blair at the last MPA meeting and insisted that there is real consultation.

The Met's Estate Strategy is being 'rolled out' across London over the next 3-5 years. Let me know if you would like me to do a briefing on what is planned for your area. If you would like to read the full report on the Estate Strategy, you can do so by visiting http://www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/mpa/2006/061219/07.htm

2. OLYMPIC COSTS

There has been much press coverage recently about the viability of the budget for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, following the statement by Tessa Jowell that there was "an increase in the costs of the Olympic Park…of around £900 million".

Our job on the London Assembly is to maintain a rigorous scrutiny of how this huge project is proceeding, to ensure that the opportunities and benefits are maximised and not squandered. But we can't do this until we know the facts and that means getting a copy of the budget. This has been promised "early in the New Year".

Meanwhile, we will continue regularly to question the Mayor, the Olympic Delivery Authority and the London Development Agency, to ensure the accountability of those in charge of delivering a successful event so that Londoners benefit from the promised regeneration of the capital.

3. OLYMPIC OPPORTUNITIES - DON'T MISS OUT!

In the lead-up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, many overseas teams will need training facilities within the UK, up to three years beforehand. The National Olympic and National Paralympic Committees of each competing country will decide the location of these training camps using a 'Pre Games Training Camp Guide' produced by London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). This will be made available to competing countries in 2008.

Anyone who wishes their facilities to be included in this guide must submit an application to LOCOG by the 31st January 2007. Various bodies, including the British Olympic Association, will assess all applications and, when complete, the guide will be circulated to all the National Olympic and Paralympic Committees.

Full details of the application process, the guidelines, and the selection criteria are available on the London 2012 website, at: http://www.london2012.com/en/gettinginvolved/trainingcamps/Applicationprocess.htm

Please don't hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any further questions that are not covered on the LOCOG website.

4. LONDON HOUSING POLICY - ALL CHANGE

I welcome the new housing powers that the Mayor of London has been given. London's elected regional government should have control of both policy and purse.

In London there are currently about 800,000 people living in overcrowded homes, and 60,000 households in temporary accommodation. More than 35,000 homes will need to be built in London alone each year to clear this backlog

The Mayor is currently developing his first London Housing Strategy, which sets out his broad aims. I support the broad thrust of the Mayor's housing plans, but I have concerns regarding consultation. I believe there must be transparency in decision-making and that London boroughs must be made statutory consultees to ensure that future decisions are decided as close to local people as possible. This is essential if any real accountability is to be gained from the Mayor's new powers.

5. TOWER HAMLETS SUNDAY MARKET

I spent a very interesting Sunday morning recently touring Brick Lane Sunday market in Tower Hamlets. Cllr Louise Alexander had asked if I could arrange for the Met's Borough Commander Chief Superintendent Jerry Saville to visit the market, which is in her ward. Louise wanted to discuss the increase in illegal market trading, which is of great concern both to the legal traders and the residents alike. Chief Superintendent Saville brought along two of his colleagues and the five of us toured the market for several hours and spoke to a large number of traders and residents about the problems. As a result of the visit, the Borough Commander promised more high profile 'police out in force' market days. This initiative, together with the closer working relationship, which has now been fostered between the police and the market inspectors, should alleviate the problems.

6. SKINNY MODELS

I am continuing to put pressure on the British Fashion Council to follow the example of Madrid and Milan and ban unhealthy models from London Fashion Week. With eating disorders on the increase (one in 40 women has either bulimia or anorexia), it is irresponsible to be glorifying an unnatural image that puts the health of impressionable young girls at risk. I have been pressurising the London Development Agency to withdraw sponsorship from London Fashion Week and I am hopeful that this is about to happen. BBC3 will soon be broadcasting an interesting programme on this topic and will be interviewing me next week, which should raise the issue even more.

7. IDEAS FOR FUTURE SCRUTINIES

Over the past eighteen months, the Economic Development, Culture, Sport and Tourism Committee has published influential reports on a wide range of important issues. These include access to the labour market for people over 50; the future of the film industry in London; and the extent to which the 2012 Olympic Games can create sporting opportunities for disabled people. Each of these reports included specific recommendations aimed at the Mayor and other bodies, which were widely publicised and followed up to make sure they happened.

We want to ensure that our work continues to focus on the issues most important to Londoners. Do you feel there is one burning issue that needs to be sorted out so that London is a better place to live, work and play? If so, let me know what you would like us to investigate next. Please don't keep your thoughts to yourself - make your voice heard!

For more information on our work, visit: http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/scrutiny/econ_cst.jsp

8. COMMITTEE SCRUTINIES AND REPORTS

From September to December 2006, a number of reports were published by my committee:

Ø How the Paralympics can encourage sports participation amongst people with disabilities

Ø Future of the Film Industry

Ø Tourism in Outer London

Future reports will include:

Ø Incapacity Benefit (with particular emphasis on mental health)

Ø Equal opportunities in business in relation to the London 2012 Games

Ø Mayoral and LDA funding for cultural organisations

Ø The future of street markets

Please let me know if you would like an electronic copy of any these reports when they are published.