Ken Livingstone has vowed to ensure London’s London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority is more representative of the capitals diversity when he gets powers to make two nominations to the board.
The Mayor’s ability to make the appointments forms part of the enhanced powers contained in the GLA Bill which will come into force at the end of the year.
Mr Livingstone has also welcomed the commitment of London Councils to help improve the diversity of members following “positive commitments to improve the nominations processes” by Councillor Merrick Cockell the Chairman of London Councils.
In a letter to the Mayor Councillor Cockell said he was “committed to strengthening our nominations processes and I have already begun to seek some views on how this can be achieved.”
“It would be my intention to introduce modified procedures over the next few months so that they could apply to the nomination of members to the Authority in its revised form following the passage of the current legislation”
The developments follow a row between the Mayor and London Councils which in June saw Mr Livingstone block London Councils nominations calling them “completely unrepresentative:”.
Speaking today Mr Livingstone said he was “pleased that the London Councils have taken my concerns seriously and agreed to change the way they make their nominations. It is important that public bodies like the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority are representative of the communities they serve.”
The Mayor has extended the appointment of the existing membership of the authority until the coming into force of the GLA Bill at the end of this year and has also confirmed the appointment of the Authority’s Chair, Val Shawcross, until June 2008.
