Lynne's Parliament and Haringey diary

I spent the afternoon being Simon Hughes!

Not easy. Capital Transport at its AGM was holding a sort of early hustings for the Mayoral candidates - but Simon is in New York, so I was standing in for him in his absence. However, in the event, Mayor Livingstone wasn't there (because he was hosting the London Conference), Norris wasn't there because he won't appear unless Ken is there (plus I think he should be hanging his Jarvis head in shame and not being seen), Nicky Gavron wasn't there because she doesn't know if she is the candidate for Labour or not - and doesn't want to appear in debates until this is decided. That left me (as Simon) and Darren Johnson.

It was fun, however. Transport is one of those issues that everyone has a view on and gets everyone going. As I was representing Simon, I couldn't tell everyone our manifesto ideas as they will be launched in due course - so I had in the initial speech to speak in general terms about where we are going on transport.

I suppose there are two main thrusts. The first is that 'things cannot go on the way they are' - i.e. outside of buses which are greatly improved, everything else is falling apart. We have no redress on the tube, no control over the rail and so on - and obviously what Simon would do about it.

The other thrust of the speech was about our main themes for the election. I suppose you could sum it up with: 'think customer, think local, think environment'. But more of all of this as the campaign hots up.

The questions rained thick and fast for about another hour and a half - on bus driver behaviour, speed, pedestrians, ticketing, congestion charging, disabled exemptions, road building and so on. Time flew - and then I did too!

Labels: ken livingstone, simon hughes

Virtually the last session of the Stop & Search scrutiny on which I am the Vice Chair.

Today we had before us ex-Commander Brian Paddick (of Lambeth cannabis fame) and Delroy Lindo - a much stopped and searched individual from Haringey.

Brian Paddick is now promoted to (sorry I forget which rank - very senior), having been dragged away from Lambeth. I thought his evidence was some of the best I have heard out of the many scrutiny sessions I have sat through - listening to quite a lot of waffle in many of them. He cut through some of the crap and gave straight answers.

The most interesting in my view was that, in answer to my question about supervision on stop and search: had top brass in the Met ever supervised what he was doing as a local commander, e.g. by checking whether or not disproportionate numbers of ethnic minorities were being stopped? He said that no senior officer had ever rung him to ask him anything about it at all. Speaks volumes in my view.

Labels: brian paddick

One very interested issue arose. The cleaning / rubbish contract for housing estates in Haringey is with Accord. Apparently - and I have already raised enquiries as to the accuracy of all of this - they have been penalised financially for not doing what they were contracted to do on the estates.

The point raised by the leaseholders was that if the work wasn't done or was done poorly, and the Council levied a financial penalty, would the leaseholders get a rebate on their service charge? I have posed the question to Haringey Council and I await their response. I trust that the council policy will be to rebate in some portion - otherwise it is simply not on!

I trolled off to Blackfriar's Pub to meet Jo Weiss and Archie Galloway from the Corporation of London to look at a very special road hump - a clever and intelligent road hump.

Archie had written to me to come and look at a prototype they had in place as a pilot in the city. After a swift one at the pub, w popped off to examine the said hump. It is fab!

It allows vehicles to go over it at say 20mph (if that is what the hump is set at) and if you go over at the correct speed or lower the air filter system in the rubber hump deflates, so you go over a flat surface. However, if you are going faster, it remains rigid. Clever hump - it doesn't really inconvenience drivers who are going at sensible speeds.

Next step for the miracle hump is a trial with buses. Very interesting afternoon.

Followed by my youngest daughter's school play. She was stage manager - and I thought the stage management was absolutely the best bit!

Labels: george galloway

Part 2 today of the Congestion Charging scrutiny on the Mayor's extension and also the Assembly's review of the original Congestion Charge scheme.

I suppose the outstanding feature of the day was the inability of Transport for London, in the form of Michelle Dix and Malcolm Murray Clarke's, to convince us that all was well with Capita.

The Evening Standard had revealed a couple of days earlier that it had sent an undercover journalist into one of Capita's call centres. He had found a woeful tale of failure: complaints not logged as complaints unless the caller used the actual word 'complaint' - otherwise it was counted as an 'enquiry'; call centre stuff giving out wrong information was common; call centre staff hanging up when they didn't want to continue a call; call centre staff promising that someone would 'phone back when nobody virtually ever did, and so on.

When we put all of this to Transport for London, they simply continued to say that it was all being put right and that they were stepping up their monitoring. Oh please! I asked for a monthly report to my committee to keep an eye out on this.

One of the few lunches I go to is the Westminster Property Association lunch and today was the day. John Gummer was the guest of honour.

I was sandwiched between two Tory councillors at the top table - and very charming they were. John Gummer in his speech argued that any idea of taxing the increase in land values when the owners benefit from new transport infrastructure was an unacceptable blow to the freedom to make money.

Needless to say, I thought he was entirely wrong. I believe there should be some way of capturing some of the financial windfall that comes from transport infrastructure - be that Site Value Rating or Land Value Taxation. (I'm not going to bore you with the details of these anorak schemes - but it is the way forward on this issue).

Rumours were rife. The Tories were going to make political mincemeat of me this evening. In the event - not a peep!

What's the story? I held an extraordinary meeting of the Transport Committee tonight to hear representations from Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster - politicians, residents' associations and businesses - about the Mayor's proposal to extend the Central London Congestion Charge westwards across those boroughs (although not all of K & C).

The Tories had appealed to me to hold such a meeting in advance of forming the Assembly's response to the Mayor's consultation. They were clearly upset that I agreed to hold a meeting - much easier to berate me for not doing so.

I thought it was important to hear the objections to help the committee form its views - along with questions to Transport for London itself on the Wednesday following on finance, technology, Capita's customer service (ha!) and other critical issues.

But what was really upsetting the Tories was that the Lib Dems are opposing the Mayor's plans for expansion - because it is too soon to judge how the main scheme is working, financially the scheme doesn't add up and the area is very different from the existing scheme. Two thirds of the new area is residential - not the obvious in and out to work area that the first scheme area covered.

Anyway, the current technology is not what we need for any extensions to the scheme. An area charge is a blunt instrument and was acceptable to launch the scheme and in an area of in/out work journeys. But what polling across London shows is that there are many, many congested areas in town centres and there are specific times of day or days of the week that are congested. We need to move to a system - such as using satellite technology - that can target congested hot spots.

Then those boroughs where residents have reached the point where they need something as drastic as charging to resolve a particular congestion problem should be able to join in the scheme. Moreover, the poor motorist who does need to use a car, should not be faced with lots of different schemes across London, but with a transponder in the car automatically charging to an account as the car enters a charging zone.

As for the meeting itself - it went very well. Excellent presentations from the small businesses there - a butcher and a fishmonger. And we really heard all the angles. Whether I will be able to get cross-party agreement on the Assembly response to the Mayor's statutory consultation with us, who knows? I am hopeful that we do, at least, all agree that it is too soon to move forward with too much unknown at this point in time.

I met up with team from Hornsey Central Hospital group, at my request as I am trying to work out the travel planning and public transport provision way before the start date.

Knowing how difficult it is to get extra routes or stops out of Transport for London, I wanted to add my help in any way possible. It was a really useful discussion and I hope that we can bring in Individualised Travel Planning for the staff, encouraging them to use public transport.

Labels: hornsey central hospital

Lunch with the Governor of the Tower of London in the Tower of London.

Well - that was fun! Good lunch and very interesting history of the Tower plus extremely interesting insights from the Governor himself about living over the shop. Not repeatable!

Then a tour of the Tower and the Crown Jewels. I still think all that elaborate gold looks tacky - but pretty impressed
with the rocks.

Today was Mayor's Question Time at City Hall. As ever much of the debate was around transport issues - and as I lead on Transport for the LibDems as well as being Chair of the Transport Committee, I get to do all the talking.

Mayor Livingstone, the Tories, Labour etc al. - they all had a go at the LibDems for one thing or another. I can only assume that they are all feeling threatened. The Tories are apoplectic because we have come out against the Mayor's proposals to extend the Congestion Charge westwards into Kensington & Chelsea. When the Tories are against congestion charging - no one blinks with surprise. But when the LibDems, who are 100% supporters of the congestion charge say no to the extension - then the Mayor really ought to take notice.

Firstly it's premature. We won't have any of the proper analysis from the monitoring data until next February - nothing about the impact on business, the economy or the social aspects of the charge. Secondly - it's going to cost £120million that we haven't got to set it up - and there will be roughly break even when up between income and running costs. When there is so much that needs doing, it wouldn't be my first choice for that £120million.

Also - it's the wrong technological way forward. We must move to Global Satellite Positioning so that we can target congested hot spots - the blunt tool of area charging won't work to expand the scheme. The first central area was OK because there was a definable logic - people coming into and going home from work.

Congestion Charging needs to grow up and become far more sophisticated and planned for those areas that need it and want it anywhere in London - not just Zone 1.

Only fools (and Ken) rush in ...

The other battle we had was over the Governments' CriminJusticetic Bill to which the LibDems had put down an amendment. What the Government is suggesting is that anyone who is detained at a police station should have
a DNA test AND that the records should be held in perpetuity regardless of whether that person goes onto be charged or convicted. So even if completely innocent - that person would forever have their DNA on record. Moving towards a police state very fast at the moment with ID cards, CCTV cameras, removal of trial by jury.

Obviously there is a balance between catching and incarceratinging criminals and civil liberties - but it is too easy to become draconian in justice's name and to wake up and find that we live in a state not so different to the communist states we used to loathe. Big Brother is knocking on our door.

If the Government wants to keep a DNA register of citizens - then let it fight for that and have a proper debate - not remove our freedoms by stealth.

Labels: dna, ken livingstone

Later in the evening in London's Living Room (the reception area on top of City Hall with panoramic views of London) there was a joint reception between Mayor and Assembly for pan-London organisations. Spent a long time chatting to one of the witnesses from the morning session from Positively Women and Elizabeth Manero who heads London Health Link. I am sure we three women could put the world to rights just between us!

Rushed back to Highgate to a 'shopping evening' at one of the village gift shops and, much to my surprise, managed to buy quite a few bits and pieces. I am already panicking about Christmas ...

In the morning at the London Assembly's Health Committee there was one of those really rare moments - when the evidence given by witnesses is riveting and new.

We are carrying out an investigation into AIDS /HIV in London - it is rising and these days unheard and unseen compared to its arrival on the scene years ago. Then we were all terrified by the unknown quantity it presented and haunted by our pasts.

One of the witnesses from one of the voluntary agencies was giving her own experience of being an African woman, HIV positive, arriving in this country with children - and how hard it was to deal with such a stigmatised illness, particularly coming from a culture where such things are not discussed and certainly not discussed with ones children.

Full council in Haringey Chamber. Full council often feels pointless and tonight was no exception.

The only moment of interest came when local residents came to make their presentation and present a petition for a pelican crossing on Priory Road (which I heartily support) and none of the microphones were working except the Mayor's.

Fifteen minutes of embarrassing nothingness - until eventually the spokesperson for the deputation made the presentation from the Mayor's mike on the dais. 800 odd signatures - I hope the Council acts as it is only a matter of time before there is a serious or fatal accident there.

A car came at half past midnight to whisk me off to LBC.

Through the Night with Mike Mendoza was the programme - a night phone-in for the insomniacs of the capital. I love the intimacy and womb-like feeling of radio studios, particularly at this hour - in the dead of the night.

Loads of people telephoning in, and the presenter Mike Mendoza was experienced in handling the variety of human life with care and consideration. One woman phoned about how people who aren't well and have to go to hospital should be exempt from the congestion charge and rambled fairly incoherently on about her experiences. Mike passed me a note just tipping me that she had cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy. Peoples' lives are so complex.

Most of the questions were quite political - and for once as I was there as a LibDem I could give political answers - and not in the usual 30 second soundbite way: I had an hour and a half. Complete bliss!

Buswatch AGM this afternoon.

I am so proud of Buswatch. I started it because as a bus campaigner I had been corresponding with about 200 people who were interested in various aspects of buses.

Eventually I thought it would be better if a non-political group could take this on - hence Buswatch. It has been going for about two years now and does a tremendous job of raising issues, monitoring services and generally doing exactly what its title says on behalf of West Haringey.

Transport Committee this morning and we are hearing Transport for London present their business plan. Basic wheeze is that they have a balanced budget (they have to by law anyway) and for that money they could just about carry out their commitments to contracts already agreed and any safety work necessary.

Everything else - be that the West London Tram, better bus services, anything at all - the government has to give them the money. And the cost is around £900 million. The wheeze is that the way they present it isn't about the Mayor having a pie in the sky wish list for which he has no money - but that if the Government don't give him the money - they will be
condemning London to no improvements and indeed a worsening transport system. Clever hey?

The Mayor is consulting on the proposed westward extension of the congestion charge zone.

He is required to consult with the Assembly - and the Assembly usually passes such responses to the appropriate committee, in this case the Transport Committee.

So I need to produce two outcomes - one is the Lib Dem response and one is to try and get a cross-party Assembly response. The latter will be quite a challenge in a year leading up to elections!

On the LibDem line - we are basically opposing the Mayor's proposals. Now when the Tories oppose congestion charging, it's political and because Steve Norris has already said he will remove the existing congestion charge. So - their position is the usual pro-car position.

However, when the LibDems oppose this proposed extension, there's a good reason - as we are staunch supporters of the charge and I have always gone out there to bat for it against all the forces ranged against it in the run up to its go live last February.

However, this proposed extension is ill thought out, ill-conceived, rushed and economically apparently insane. Apart from that...

OK to explain:

Firstly - we don't get the analysis of the first year of the charge until next spring. We have no accurate information on the effect on business, the economy or social impacts of the charge. Traffic impacts we do know, but not the rest. Only fools rush in where they haven't a clue about the real effects of the charge. I think it has been a great policy and a great success - but I want to be very sure before making further decisions.

Secondly - whereas the original central charging area clearly covered the ground where the radial routes in and out the West End meant you would be targeting the working commuter for the most part, the extension to Kensington and Chelsea and the rest of Westminster is very residential by comparison and therefore quite a different scenario.

Also - the inmates (so to speak) would get a 90% discount. This extrapolated to any other areas of congestion charging logically would mean in the end everyone was discounted and therefore the charge would not inhibit travel.

Thirdly - outdated (yes already) technology means that this proposed extension takes it to the limit of its capacity. Any further extensions or areas in London which want or need a charge to deal with major traffic jams would have to have a completely new system.

The Mayor needs to do some strategic planning and change to Global Positioning Satellite system which would be able to target congestion hot spots wherever they were, or whatever time of day was crowded or whatever day of the week - anywhere in London. We need congestion charging to grow up, become more sophisticated so that it can work as a real tool in controlling traffic congestion anywhere.

This technology already exists - that is where we should be aiming. And all vehicles would have a little gismo / transponder - so that you are automatically charged if you enter a congestion zone and don't have to remember to phone up each time.

And fourthly - the economics of it. I agree congestion charging is about reducing congestion and not about income - but not to the point of this financial consequence. The running cost and the revenue from the proposed extension are at about break even. Fair enough. However, the set up cost for the extension is estimated at £100 million. Now the Mayor is facing a budget deficit of £1billion after next year if he wants to implement
his various plans as well as maintain the current levels of transport provision. When you have no money for improvements - perhaps it is not the best time to spend £100 million that you haven't got and which anyway could be better spent on something else.

So - hopefully - his consultation with us and the other members of the GLA family will focus his thinking a bit more strategically then it seems to be at the moment.

Roger Evans (Conservative member of my Transport Committee at the London Assembly, and the man who leads for me looking after the London Transport Users Committee, LTUC) and I had a meeting with LTUC today.

Unfortunately, they had presented a number of reports to the previous transport committee meeting which had run into a huge amount of flack from members.

This was the 'sort out the way forward' meeting. Emotions were running high - but I think we have a way forward. It isn't a natural place for an independent voice for transport users to be placed by government legislation under the Assembly's auspices. It is throwing up all sorts of difficulties which need sorting and which have skated along without proper rigour for the three years of the GLA to date.

The Lib Dem Fortis Green councillors had invited a variety of local residents to come and have a chat about local issues at Tetherdown Church in Haringey.

It was a good evening. We covered the development by Barnet of the library/Waitrose site where Barnet are consulting on options for a new library - but - they do not mention that the other half of the site may be the subject of a planning application for a Waitrose Store and on which the library depends (we think).

We roved over the progress with reopening Muswell Hill Police front counter. Last update from the local commander was that the costings for the physical work had been done and he was just trying to get the work funded. At which point - I think we will be able to consider this a goer.

And lots more to do with the general chaos around Haringey Councils traffic schemes, inability to keep the streets clean and so on.

I went traffic trouble shooting around and about in Muswell Hill this morning, meeting two Haringey Council officers to take them to look at some of the nasty traffic situations in my patch.

I dragged them to Coldfall Primary school so that if and when their bid for resources is granted (hopefully) they can begin urgent work to bring in safety measures. The children there are not protected and it is downright dangerous at both entrances.

I took them to the completely unacceptable situation at the top of Muswell Hill itself - where trying to cross the road you take your life in your hands where they have now created three lanes out of two - directly against what had been agreed.

And we glanced through the rotten junction at the bottom of Cranley Gardens, the speeding on Priory Road now it is cleared of parked cars and so on.

I met the travel-planning team at the Whittington Hospital, North London.

I am very keen on travel planning and Indi marketing. This is basically looking at an individual's life and supplying them with a tailor-made plan of how to get around using mostly public transport.

This has had stunning results elsewhere in the world and I was instrumental in getting TfL to pilot it in this country. I'm very keen to encourage corporate bodies who are willing to take travel planning seriously.

Plus I knew nothing about the allegations about a senior royal - but all day various news media have now made me aware that the person involved is Prince Charles - and his staff say he is innocent. That has just left me wondering what he got up to! It may be common currency in the media and amongst the cognoscenti - but clearly I've been out the loop!

Labels: nhs, whittington hospital

This afternoon there was a session of the London Assembly's Stop and Search Scrutiny, on which I am Vice Chair.

This session saw the Muslim Association for Human Rights give evidence, as did three Met officers from Lambeth. This is such an interesting scrutiny to be involved in - the coal face really of racism in the Met.

But what a difficult balance to get right ... very good session.

I appeared on the Politics Show on BBC1 today. My daughter came with me to see it filmed at City Hall - only so that I could take her on to Tate Modern to see the 'Weather' exhibit.

The subjects for the show were 'Super Boroughs' and speed humps.

Mayor Livingstone has said that he would like to get rid of the London Boroughs and replace them with five Super Boroughs. There were three Assembly Members there to argue the toss. My comment was that we should be wary when the Mayor wants Super Boroughs and that we have to ask ourselves - super for who?

You can be sure if the Mayor wants them it is because he is not getting on with the 32 boroughs we have already got.

Moreover, experience has showed me that the more you pull power into a centralised system - and the further away that is from where services are delivered on the street - the worse those services get.

On road humps - this has come up because I have put an investigation on the agenda for the Transport Committee at the Assembly, which I chair. I have long been interested in their efficacy - and no work has really been done on this across London.

I have called for evidence from many organisations across London and from individuals with tales to tell.

My hope is that we will find ways of retaining the benefits of reduced speed while removing the drawbacks of noise, pollution and the 500 deaths per year the ambulance service say result from having to slow down because of humps. So watch this space.

Labels: ken livingstone, politics show